The sixty-first Munich Security Conference, the world’s leading forum for talking about international security policy, took place from February 14 to February 16 this year.
“Musk’s staffers are accessing the heavily guarded Internal Revenue Service (IRS) system, which contains detailed financial information on every taxpayer, business, and nonprofit in the country.
They have already accessed the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS), a system used by IRS employees to retrieve account information. Musk software engineer Gavin Kliger is among those accessing the data. Additionally, 15,000 IRS employees are expected to be fired this coming week.”
Heather Geisz: I have run out of words. My head tells me to stop reading to save my sanity but my heart forces me to stay informed. News to me is like drugs to a junkie.
But: without Musk's billions, without a patriotic, non political Justice Department ( Supreme Court Justices that go along with criminals), obviously without the existence of divine intervention, what can we do? Thoughts and prayers? Pleeeeeaaaase!! Letters and phone calls: seemingly not working. Neither are Imodium or Pepto-Bismol!
Letters and phone calls are working, but many dems do not know what to do in this environment. Those who do like AOC and Crockett, are not allowed to lead, or Sanders, or Warren. Each has their own talents. Those who can call out the Right wing should be allowed to do it all the time. We need Dems in each news cycle with whatever it takes. For example, coming up with bills just to get attention to different ideas. The bills to not have to be brought to the floor, since they won't be, they don't have to be passed, but they have to exist with the interest of the people in mind and make it to the press each day, something new.
Dems need to be more interesting than Trump so that they make the news. How do demonstrations get coverage? What platforms should they be on? How does not get into the news cycle? These are things dems need to be doing. For each thing that Donald has done not only should there be lawsuits, but bills outlining the consequences for breaking these laws. Only thusly can the ignorant masses be informed.
Agree, Linda, if legislation is not possible to control/mitigate this, make LOTS of noise—enough to draw the attention/coverage on the MSM—and make “good trouble”. Get out on the streets (all of us, including gov’t folks, businesses, celebrities, etc.)and peacefully rabble rouse (hooray for the riff-raff!)….take the attention of the limelight moth and keep speaking/repeating the truth. It’s a thought anyway…
Barbara most of what you said is good strategy. However I would like to point out (sadly this may sound like "I told you so" and I apologize for that) that most here on this Substack were urging boycotts of all MSM ignoring the fact that the MSM (like it or not) is STILL the way most Americans get their news, not Substacks and independent sources.
It is becoming apparent now (I think and hope) that:
a) most or at least much of MSM is actually still trying to do a decent job of at least somewhat fair news coverage (even papers like the WSJ and the Post whose owners seem to be pro Trump are still writing critical articles about this administration's outrageous conduct) and
b) The "good" MSM is likely to be our best communication path to the vast majority of Americans. We ignore them at our peril.
For the time being we also need to pick and choose some of our battles and that will not always look fair. I am a huge supporter of trans rights but it is clear to me that the rights for trans women in women's sports is, for right now, a seriously losing argument that we probably need to shelve for the time being because it not only doesn't draw people to our side, but with almost 75% of Americans opposed, it actually pushes people away.
Yes, I understand it will hurt some people, but in a multi society like ours, we can't win EVERY battle immediately especially when we are fighting for our survival. It's the old saying that sometimes running away let's us live to fight another day. I believe we will someday win the trans rights fight, but not today. We have to let it go for the time being if we are to have ANY chance of succeeding during this perilous time.
Jon.., ditto! Members of the (MSM) writing-workforce have families and bills they must pay. They are no fully squelched, yet. But, they cannot 'afford' to be told "you're fired"! We do not walk in their shoes. They have to be careful. Even this forum can be put away by this out-of-control administration.
The WaPo just refused to print a two page paid for by Common Cause discussing the dangers of Elon Musk. On the other hand, they DID print an ad paid for by the muskrat to condemn a journalist. Once upon a time, the WaPo was an excellent paper. Now it's rapidly becoming a rabid mouthpiece for bozo, muskrat, and the orange sadist. I have lost all respect.
Yes. I am not supporting MSM, except I read my city paper and my neighborhood paper. I also follow some German MSM. I also pay for it anyway because we are required to pay for broadcast news with a monthly fee, which will not go up for another 2 years, but probably should.
Let us hope plenty of Democratic Politicians are out there. I see AOC, who stands up and speaks truth to power is being mentioned in Olga Lautman's Trump Tyranny Tracker as being harassed by the administration.
I was so happy to see Maine's SoS Shenna Bellows at yesterday's protest/rally! She was one of the very few Americans in power who worked lawfully to keep the MF ("MelonFelon", although there is another word, . . .) off the ballot for November 2024. I'd like to see her run for Senator against Collins.
Anne-Louise Luccarini, ‘Tired brain Elon-gated’, how perfectly put:-) I’m smiling on a day when I’m feeling very somber, and will go to a rally here. I keep reminding myself and others that hitler’s rise came with far far too many citizens sitting instead of standing against. Just saying….
When he and Elon argue to reduce spending; what do we think it cost us taxpayers for the organge president to fly into Daytona, secure protection, then take numerous turns around the track??
Linda, thank God for the Ukrainians. They are kicking some Russian ass right now. And the shadow Russian tanker fleet is being sidelined because of their stupid actions against Europe. Our European allies need to step up and hit Russian oil and gas infrastructure including their pipelines and refineries. The Russians are now forced to use civilian vehicles because 1) they are unable to make enough diesel and/or get it to their troops and 2) they are running low on vehicles. Logistically, the Russians have improved over the 3 years and their drones are better, but how are they able to take care of half a million disabled soldiers when they return home. Also, Europe needs to sabotage the Russian police so the people can protest and riot. This is already happening but it needs to be expanded to all cities in Russia.
US defense firms have made billions from selling weapons to the US government and then giving them to Ukraine. So, instead of selling our weapons to Ukraine, we need to sell them to Europe to give to the Ukrainians.
If only Israel would help us out, but Netanyahu is a corrupt narcissistic autocrat who only cares about himself.
Yes. Let Trump give the Russians Musk's Trucks that no one in their right mind wants to buy because of their potential to cause harm, and as my daughter would say, their hideousness.
We will hopefully hear some of what the European countries meeting in France have to say. They will be careful in their messaging because let us face it, Trump is the enemy who needs to be managed. For them and for us.
You do not honestly expect that any European government is going to get involved in your internal problems? Why on earth would they? You did that baby, you fix it!
The exclusively only job of European governments is to look after European interests - be that a future with the US, or without.
And please don't tell me anything about gratitude - that debt is well and truly paid off.
Canada has a large Ukranian population and will always back them.
You are correct.......Russia has brought out old mothballed tanks that are just target practice for Ukrainian forces. N Korean soldiers were wiped out.........from reports.......
During WW2 the 1st Ukranian army was part of the Battle of Berlin.
These guys know how to fight a winter war better than anyone.
Will Orange Hitler and 4th Reich leader Musk send forces to HELP Putin???????
Gary, thanks for your post. I had no idea about the problems Russia is facing daily in their war. Have not heard or read these details anywhere. Where is our press?
Let’s fly our yellow and blue Ukraine support flags again, and let’s spread the word. It’s a good visual!
Are you out of your fucking mind????? Keep your effing problems for yourself - the best you can do is move your plump military arse out of Europe - let me tell you - the people can't wait!
Sabine, first of all, your language is incredibly offensive, and it overwhelms your message. Secondly, Linda lives in Germany; she’s well aware of European attitudes towards the US. Thirdly, you completely misunderstood what she wrote; she is not suggesting that European leaders discuss coming here and “fixing” us. She is suggesting that any statements coming out of that meeting in Paris will probably be carefully worded to avoid offending Trump. Likewise, Gary is simply pointing out that the US defense industry has benefited mightily from our support of Ukraine, and that perhaps there is a possibility that European governments will step up to buy the American arms Ukraine needs if we betray Ukraine and withdraw our support, because your own defense industries might not be up to the enormity of the task. None of this is worthy of your profanity and your wrath.
You are likely to get your wish regarding the US military presence in Europe, if the current administration continues on its trajectory. While I would welcome not paying for your defense or European bases anymore, I worry that you will struggle to defend your own and your neighbors’ territory as Russia chips away at it. I’m sure we all wish you luck with that. Like many Americans, I’d rather have universal healthcare than a big military defending other countries if we have to reallocate funds. Not that we’re likely to get it, but still.
I had a similar discussion with an Italian friend last summer. His point was that Russia has never threatened Europe proper (I would argue that Ukraine is Europe, but I grant his point), so our presence has always been unnecessary and in fact might even provide a target for Russian aggression. My answer to him is the same as my answer to you. Why do you think Russia has never threatened Europe proper in the post-war period? It sure isn’t because they don’t want Polish or Moldovan territory, or Ukrainian territory with its rare earth metals. It’s because of us. The debt owed from WWII did not end with the end of the war, because our support didn’t end then either. And we have been glad to pay it - because supporting you has made all of us safer. None of us has ever asked for or expected repayment - because what helped you was good for us, too. It still is.
I would also assert that it isn’t true that Russia hasn’t threatened Europe. Russia’s cyber interference with things like Brexit and elections has happened in Europe as well as in the US, and has done plenty of damage to the world order, as we are experiencing right now.
I fear this changing of the guard. I fear power vacuums. I fear the far right with its echoes of Nazism, which if you’re German as your name suggests, you surely understand and hopefully fear too.
Sabine, with all do respect, where do you live in Europe? There’s something you need to understand, most Americans don’t agree with trump. I believe in NATO, I truly believe it has helped to keep the peace. I do not agree with everything my government does, but like u I love my country. I did not vote for this man in either election. I was born and raised in New York, I’m 79, I knew who he was from day one. My biggest fear is what trump and the man who bought this election musk will do to my country. However, do you think putin will stop with Ukraine? Just curious about your thoughts.
I missed where you had any experience or first hand knowledge of what is going on now or any history. You are here ranting and raving like a hateful lunatic and haven’t said anything worth listening to.
Why don’t you calm down and try putting up a message that shows informed intelligence and diplomacy? Or do you just have hysterical gibberish like the other fascists?
I agree. Being flexible is important. I would like them to secede their federal taxes first and set up a parallel government. California has the 5th largest GDP in the world, after US, China, Japan, Germany, but the US will still have the largest GDP even if CA were gone. It needs to be a bigger hurt than that. They are 14% of GDP. With NY 8% that will get closer to 1/4 of the income of the US government.
Democrats and everyone has to understand Democracy is broken, now the rules are new. No playing by the old rules, create new ones that may not be written up in a playbook like Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership and keep them guessing. Have a plan for the Supreme Court as well. Where does their legitimacy come from? Attack that.
I apologize for my position but this secession nonsense is just nonsense. It didn't work 175 years ago because it wasn't right then and it won't work today either because it isn't right today. Moreover it didn't work when the means of fighting the war to secede was basic hand fire arms. Now one side has aircraft, missiles, massive artillery and the seceding side (us) will be vastly outgunned. You don't really think they (the Trumpers) are going to let us just walk away, take out riches with us?
Seriously? You don't think secession will lead to a massive Civil War 2 where the West and North East will be massively outgunned by the US military and the bay Midwest and South?
Maybe you think we made a terrible mistake by not letting the South go back in 1860? I don't think so, but by that reasoning we would be making an equally terrible catastrophic mistake to try to do eta same thing ourselves today.
My senator, Bill Hagerty, has a clever way (?) of not taking many calls: after hours his DC mailbox is full, every time I call, and his local office phone is ALWAYS busy (off the hook I’d say), no matter day or night.
Keep calling. Call his other offices. Send postcards telling him he’s a traitor and a coward. Write to your local papers. Tell people he’s a coward and is favoring Putin over his constituents.
The problem with all of this entertaining secession discussion is that our divisions are no longer strictly geographic. Even in red states, most of the urban areas are blue. Even in blue states, it’s common for the rural areas to be red. You can’t just draw a line slicing off the coasts and a thin tier of blue northern states and call it done.
Besides, much as I envy Canada right now, I doubt they want us. We’re nowhere near polite enough, for one thing.
I notice red states were hit with a lot of disasters that may need FEMA Help. Will Congress wake up and take back their power of the purse or continue to let President Musk steamroll them?
Cheri Jacobus has proposed a Daily Democratic Briefing, which she actually has the skills to implement. She suggests pushing Pete Buttigieg to be the spokesperson. I think her idea is good. She did a video on it.https://youtu.be/NnXQg36hL1o?si=9w4upZXlABuJNJIQ
It boggles my mind ‘law established’ how to..doesn’t have consequences for [what’s happening] the.law.NOT.being .followed.
For further qualifications I submit: any law hereto enacted also must have the consequence established what happens if broken.
Accountability has to be upheld…and CERTAINLY ISN’T. I guess that what codifying is? So, we passed a law..then we have to pass another law the law passed is really solid..permanent.
I know some comedian could really make my rambling here funnier…are we laughing or crying..?
It’s like we need to have more time allotted to hear the reasonings said all over again..the verbosity dumbfounds me …blah blah blah no wait but blah blah blah.
It does, but since Trump is a convicted criminal and a fascist we know he is not interested in laws other than how can he break them and get away with it. The SCOTUS has given him Carte Blanche on bad behavior as president.
However, the military is the enforcement branch of the constitution. We shall see where they fall. He has not placed enough loyalists in there yet to risk them not backing him, or so it would see. Here are stats on US military and where they are located.
Here is US military in the world, and you can scroll down to see most international are in Europe and Asia. Scroll over the country and it will give you the number. Japan has the most US military members, followed by Germany.
Further more, Linda: I believe it was you who suggested a book on the Democratic Republican beginnings and when they split into Dem /Republican ( why, and names perhaps). I’d thought lastnight there should be a progression who started it, their followings /subsequent electeds /to even present day. There’s been several people say,” well , It was the Democrats that started the KKK….” but that was when they hadn’t switched…dang if it doesn’t confuse me too!
Sorta an ancestry dot com ‘family tree’ and when ‘the split’ occurred…
In Marshall Law the president is over the military.. but every state has the right to declare it and, as I read it, then their governor or high official can take command. Trump and cabinet will have to be under arrest.indicted for treason , held,and no bail.
Being surrounded by Trumpians there is no talking it around here, it’s “all Biden’s fault ya know” … yet fact for fact googled says exactly what was the status quo..the exact opposite…what is real…the hook ,line, and sinker ..absolutely unbelievable , swallowed by Trumpians . What a snow job! How far into complete devastation (such as the Russian people ,vast fathers and brothers gone , their economy near tanked, will it take for the US to see this too? I remember sayings years ago no matter how bad it got they’d be able to blame it on Biden. An economy was in robust ratings to soon a severe depression…oh fwe can, we will, come out of it…and then ? codify our rights, straighten up our laws from ‘loopholes’ , secure democracy so this never happens again…im so anxious to see ‘those cows come home ‘ …PLEASE!
Dems need to be more interesting than Trump. That’s brilliant! You can already feel the numbness about yet another agency being infiltrated and dismantled. And the Dems are not offering an actual fight. They need to arrest or be arrested. They need to start publicizing that the election was actually rigged this time. They need to be merciless about Elon’s personal life AND TRUMP’S PAST CRIMES!!! Where is Part 2 of the Special Counsel Report? And if they can’t do it they need to hire someone who can - they’ve got a $1 Billion dollar war chest!!!!
Demos need to be more interesting than Trump. Yes, and no. Demos need to be more attention catching and fundamental to America. Forget idelology. Return to George Washington "All men are created equal under God." and Lincoln "Government of the People, by the People, and for the People."
What about Jamie Raskin? He came out strong in the beginning and then totally silence. Is he afraid of Trump Jan 6 footsoldiers? What about Michigan governor?
Spot on. So far we're getting pages of argument, including some very constructive thinking. But, how to show our opposition hasn't emerged clearly yet. What counter-attractions can we offer to flyovers in Air Force One and very brief appearances at big sporting events? Good parody that does more than sting the target, but makes the crowds laugh instead of cheer.
I would be happy to help them think of ways to do this. We all should be. Appearing with children seems to help. Also, they should travel to countries and meet with foreign democratically elected dignitaries. They should divvy this up so that a dem a day becomes a media thing. They could go to other countries and highlight things that they have that they think we should be having, so an aggressive program of more social spending. Go to European countries and highlight their children money that they give families, highlight daycare, highlight health care, and other programs that are strong in some countries than in the US, and an effect of democratic spending. There are a lot of other things they can do to make sensational news. They should also be producing news themselves and getting it out there. Videos of them helping out with distributing food, now that USAID has shut down, etc...
Then again... Dems are "boring". The orange sadist & co. are outrageous. That's how he won in 2016. As he said at the time, "I got billions of dollars of free advertising!" And it's still happening.
Bills like, you can't touch social security funding/payments for those Americans making less than $125,000 a year. These bills may not go anywhere in Congress, but spotlighted by the media, they pile up and make those that vote against them look callous, uncaring, and catering to the rich. They matter to voters. Bills against gerrymandering, bills against extreme voter roll purging. Bills allowing women's married names to be considered legit when they provide proof of identity to vote, not just birth records. Bills like raising the minimum wage (federal) to $10 an hour, going up a dollar every year. Basically, any, or all of Bernie Sanders' ideas ( I know his minimum wage is higher, but maybe we can start out slower.) Get busy, Dems! Don't stand in shock, act as if the Russians are trying to take over Congress, because, in essence...
On Friday I realized that what I've been feeling is paralyzing grief, the kind that numbs ones head and heart, making it hard to breathe. The fury I felt was blocking everything. I decided to watch a movie I knew would make me cry. I cried hard for a long time and that helped my soul. Sunday I awoke with the thought that I will not allow Trump, Musk, et alia, to steal my joy. I can still be furious about the damage that's being done, I can still feel sad for those who are being hurt and contribute what I can and I can feel anxious about how these actions might effect me. But I will no longer wallow in helplessness.
MisTBlu, that is a fabulous catharsis. I get mine playing music, and I have been unable to participate fully this winter; I am feeling the results of that. I hope that in 10-14 days I'll be able to sit and play, and rejoin the two groups I play in.
I'm having knee replacement surgery this morning. I'm gonna be out of the loop for a while.
Wishing you a quick recovery! Follow the advice of your doctor and physical therapist, and you'll be fine. They'll want you to start moving as soon as possible.
I hope your procedure goes smoothly and your recovery is uneventful. I envy you having the ability to play an instrument and something to feed your soul in these terrible times. Looking forward to your return.
Hang in there. Take breaks-long breaks -from the news. Stay connected to friends, neighbors, and family(in measured amounts if necessary). More will be revealed and the time to act will become clear. You’ll be ready.
Veronica, I learned long ago, during a personal crisis time, to “wade through, not wallow”. That is, pay attention to what needs be and don’t over obsess…take time to “fill your tank” in ways that feed your heart/soul…..and then don your fighting boots again! 🗽☮️
I'm trying. I've been advised to spend no more than 15-20 minutes a day looking at news, including Substack, for my own mental health. I decided to get off Facebook because I don't want to support Zuck, but many of my friends and family are still there and it's difficult to stay connected. I want to see more action. Don't tell me nothing can be done. I refuse to believe that.
I get it - I have days when I am determined to fight and days I can't stand the news. Fight when you can and rest when you must. Call your elected officials and if you can, attend protests and participate in the "no shop" days. Rest up for a concrete call to action. I think we all are waiting for a plan to implement. We just have to outsmart them and it will take time to get a plan in action.
There isn’t time. And do you think the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, NeiNazis and their ilk are taking breaks right now? The who destruction of our Democracy hinges on the ‘shock and awe’ tactics of bombardment and speed. The justice system is slow and in many instances corrupt. How many times did delay and self care deter the Nazi takeover of Germany? Of Hungary?
I think the justice system is doing a pretty good job of things. The resignations at the DOJ, for instance. Survivors of the lost-at-sea disasters celebrate the tiny wins as an essential way to keep going. The will to keep going depends on the state of mind, and vice versa.
I’ll give you that there is still integrity in much of the judiciary BUT the SCOTUS ideologues and Aileen Cannons put us here and the ones that rule with integrity are being threatened and impeded by Elon and the new joke of a AG.
Understand your pain! Wish I didn't have to be doing this, but guess we all have to do what we can. And as AOC said a week ago, do what you can, what's in front of you, and that's enough.
Please be very careful to undertake on the ground homework before making such a life changing decision as most of Europe has similar problems Bill. This reactionary revolution has taken root to a greater or lesser extent in every democratic nation state. The crooked men involved are riding in on a political populist wave created by real widespread human despair. The consequence of local cultural destruction and economic iniquities after 40 odd years of unregulated neo colonial financialisation which those making easy millions choose to call globalisation. 🐈⬛
I am in Europe for about 18 months and similar problems is not the same problems. Our conservative government in Germany, which is likely to be in first place in the upcoming election on Sunday, is not going to get rid of universal health care and long term disability insurance or the numerous other insurances most Germans have. They are also probably not going to align with the AfD even though VP JD told us to.
There are other countries which don't have an election coming up which are also having these sorts of better social structures. Right wingers masquerading as populists have been in the world for the past century, but now is a time for Democrats around the world to be banding together. that requires Americans to connect more with Democratic people's around the world too, and that might require leaving the US to do it, even if for a short time.
The illiberal peoples connect all the time, be they leaders or part of the party. Look at CPAP holding their meeting with all of the youth of their party in Hungary. So, democrats from the US should be holding meetings where they pay for their young leaders to come in other democratic countries.
We each need to identify what we can and will do, and keep doing it. Phone calls to legislators add up, as do protests and postcards to voters. Do something big if you can. If not, do small things. Remember to be kind, to do your part to creating a world you want to live in.
Personally, I take refuge in sheer stubbornness. If nothing else, refuse to lend your energy to the evil; use it for good.
An avalanche can start from the shifting of a single pebble. Move your pebble.
No. They took oathes. They served their country. I think the chaos of Trump has made them forget their priorities since 2016. They are in there somewhere.
I am similarly inclined to continue to read and commiserate and fear.....I am going to join the local League of Women Voters to see if I can contribute in some way. As Heather recommended, we have to give support - either through donations or time - to help combat the worst instincts of these people. Conversation and participation are bulwarks against violence - I hope.
Sleepless nights, upset stomach and fear are not helpful.
But I do feel grateful for all those are out there, protesting, writing letters, and using their voice and for us to work towards impeachment is what needs to happen
I find that news for me is as essential as breathing. If I don't know what's going on, I can't do anything to stop it. For me, it is my civic duty to keep informed -- and to share that information with others who don't have as much time to read and learn about it all, as I do.
Agree with Heather except for one issue: open migration. The handwriting is on the walls of all nations. The people do not want unfettered and open migration. No nation on earth supports this. We must realize that if we are to win back our nation, our democracy, we must also place constraints on open migration. If not our March toward authoritarianism is inevitable. I just wish this was better understood. I’m afraid it’s not. Wake up please and smell the coffee.
Maybe concentration camps and genocide are your solution. Bomb that Statue of Liberty. We make her hang her head in shame. We could have a decent immigration system if only Repubs would sign on. But chump said NO. The chaos boss won’t have it. We have no neighbors anymore. We are the Nazis that our families fought and Ike vanquished.
Have you noticed that the Federalist Society and The Heritage Foundation have been invisible since the election?? This is the stuff they are doing (from this article):
'The Heritage Foundation and other right-wing groups have spent millions of dollars recruiting and vetting an army of up to 54,000 loyalists to fill government positions.'
100% agree. Fortunately I have the ability to afford to leave and I will. I always felt more European when I lived in Florence in the mid 1970s. I mostly despised Americanism most of my life. There is now even less for me here. But I will publish my songbook of digital downloads soon and see where it leads.
Margaret. Its not “your” rejection of the NAZI moniker that counts. The rest of the world now sees what is plainly seen. The US Constitution is struggling under the weight of Citizens United that allowed Musk to purchase America for 330 million in couch change. The world is not blind. We are most certainly, the Nazis
Very unfair comment to Bill, J.D., very unfair. Working in remote, often very poor settings, one things that stands out is the ubiquity of satellite dishes. With the diffusion of Western programming and these dishes, the poor of the world now know how poor they are. 😵
Immigration will be a challenge throughout the wealthier First World. From a recent reading the portion of émigré(e)s remains at historical levels of two-to-four per cent. That implies a range of something like one hundred, sixty to two hundred, thirty million people on the move. 😳
With people picking numbers out of the air, let us try a mid-point of illegal aliens arriving over the past four years, or fourteen million entrants. (That number is likely lower.) That is four per cent of the U.S. population but enough to create problems in labor markets. 😱
So, there is cause for concern. What the solution is, I can not say. But mass deportations do not sit well with decent people. Securing the border against fentanyl is one thing, but King Bully is grabbing the easy targets (i.e., people living quietly in neighborhoods, doing work others do not want to do). 🤢
The fentanyl is coming in from US citizens. Mexico can solve all those problems by closing the border to US citizens. The people buying and using this fentanyl are illegal drug users. Our doctor doesn’t give it to us, it's not in our food or coffee. People make a concerted effort to buy and use those illegal drugs. But many hold up their deaths as if they were innocent paragons. Until we face this reality there will always be a problem.
Yes, I know that. Others have informed me. The point here is the border is porous when it comes to fentanyl. Trump is a bully and targeting the defenseless instead of taking on the problem he promised to take on.
I agree. It's a bad business not to have tight control of our borders. And Biden't first 2 years were a disaster and lost us the 2024 election. I hope leaders in the Dem party can see this. Their other, lesser, weakness was on the slavish inclusion of LGBQT+ appropriate signaling at every turn. We need to treat everyone equally but then shut up about it and stop beating our breasts over our nobility.
As far as I have known for my 58 years being a Naturalized citizen, there has never been open migration in the US. My parents escaped nazi and marxist occupation in Hungary in 1946, walking from Budapest to Viena. At that time they applied for a refugee visa to the US, where my mother had two uncles. They were DENIED and placed on a QUOTA. After a year at a refugees camp established at a Hospital in Viena, they went to Paris, where it took them six weeks to secure merchant ship passage to Chile, where my father had a cousin, a physician who went to a conference and ended up staying there due to the war. My father died in Chile in 1965. I came to the US to study in 1966. I got married in 1969. IN 1968 MY MOTHER WAS CONTACTED BY THE US immigration authorities , informing her that the quota, she and my father applied for in 1946, had opened!! TWENTY TWO YEARS AFTER APPLYING! My father died dreaming of the US. My mother joined me as a LEGAL, proud and happy immigrant.
Do you call this OPEN MIGRATION?? IT WAS NOT OPEN IN 1946 NOR IS IT NOW.
Open migration is a dog whistle for white nationalist crap. I believed the Statue of Liberty since I am a product of immigrants from long ago. Most of us are. We are arrogant and ungrateful and bring shame to a once proud ideology. BTW, I would trade any immigrants waiting to get in for the MAGAts and their greedy bastards. They also have immigrant ancestors that we should have rejected from the git go.
Agreed, JD. And remember that Mr. Katz called out for the assassination of a presidential candidate as well as for a military coup by so-called "good generals". It's not only his stance on immigration that is unAmerican.
Wrong find the quote. Perhaps there was in indirect insinuation which is a far cry from your accusation. But typical ignorance spewing forth not surprising.
I never forget the majority of my ancestors were 19th century Irish immigrants. What I hate is the propensity of some Americans (also of immigrant descent) to visit the hostility their ancestors faced onto later generations of immigrants. We should all remember that only the Native Americans were indigenous to the nation.
Stop with the sentimental crap over the Liberty statue. It was a gift from France. My point is that no nation accepts hundreds of thousands running over hot sands and overwhelming border security. No nation on earth. So quit the crap. Our side lost because Biden sleep on the job for two years. Everyone knows it but blinded bleeding heart democrats.
and the US does not have and has never under ANY party had open borders and nobody - in any country - advocates for them now. It's somewhere between a red herring and a blatant lie. The question is how to control immigration - and Biden and Harris did a lot of useful things, without the cruelty and the insults of Trump and his minions.
We tend to focus on immigrants who come through the southern border but the data shows that the top four country of origin for immigrants in 2023 were Mexico, India, China and the Philippines.
Graphics of the “caravans” are used to create fear but how about those who fly into the country and all of those from other countries who overstay visas?
The Rs refused to tighten laws because they want to use immigration as a cudgel. We have to be honest about both parties inability to insure that immigration laws are reasonable and applied across all borders.
Glad you made it. So terrible what your family went through. Both sets of my grandparents came here between 1905–1910. The Jewish side knew what was happening and the Sicilian side sought prosperity. I get it and I’m not against immigration although it sounds is if I am. No, I’m against illegsl massive migration when it destroys democracy which it has through an ugly backlash.
Nebraska is desperately in need of people to fill lower and higher level jobs (we do have people for high school educated and non specialists who don’t have to work menial jobs) but MAGA prejudices and misinformation are preventing us from getting the immigrants we need.
They’re not illegal. They were granted entry to the country under our legal asylum laws and are awaiting court dates to be heard. They are escaping life threatening conditions. The migrants aren’t destroying democracy, the racists, fascists and scared white boys are. Place the blame in the right place.
You've never had open immigration. Right now, there are Afghan refugees in Pakistan who helped the US in the war with the Taliban who've spent the best part of a year applying for visas only to to see the whole process shut down by Trump, even for those already approved for resettlement. This also affects refugees from Syria, Myanmar, Venezuela and parts of Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The administration is using the manufactured and fictitious crises at the borders as an excuse to withdraw support from Ukraine and Europe. The administration has also abruptly ended temporary protected status. TPS allows those protected to legally live and work in the US. This even threatens Ukrainians in the US - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/15/trump-administration-tps-ukraine-cleveland
A special exception has been carved out for Afrikaners based on Trump's unsubstantiated allegations about white South Africans being robbed of their land by the South African government. Many see this move as being prompted by the so-called PayPal mafia (Musk, Thiel, Sacks) who were all born and raised in aparthied South Africa. That's what your 'open' immigration system look like now!
But white Afrikaner’s are “persecuted” in South Africa, and in this Admin’s view deserve to be given sanctuary, as you say—were it actually true, it might alter my opinion. Makes me so 🤬at the unfair treatment. This really is a waking nightmare.
Trump's asylum offer to white South Africans comes after years of lobbying by an Afrikaner rights groups, AfriForum, which caught Trump’s attention during his first term by claiming that white farmers in South Africa were being murdered for political ends and to seize their land. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) civil rights organisation has described AfriForum’s leaders as white supremacists in suits and ties (I'm quoting here from The Guardian newspaper). In August 2023, Musk posted on X/Twitter this comment: "They are actually killing white farmers every day. It’s not just a threat." There's no evidence at all for any of this.
It's been reported that Russia and Iran has agreed to strengthen military ties. Iran already supplies drones to Russia, as well as, according to Western intelligence, ballistic missiles to batter the Ukrainians. It's also been reported that Trump believes that he needs Putin to talk to the Iranians to secure a new nuclear deal following reports in the Israeli press that Israel is considering bombing Iranian nuclear sites this year. Perhaps that's one reason he's offering Putin what many consider an outrageously sweet deal for peace with Ukraine.
Your comment looked more like Double Dutch to me. America is a country of immigrants. Your surname suggests a German background, like your president, even though his family has taken steps to conceal it. There are Americans living all around the world. Perhaps you'd be happy at least to take back some of them?
I am confused by the terms “ the people “ and “open migration .” “The people” I assume means a certain middle class person writing this comment. As a member of “the people” I have no problem with human migration. Migration literally made us better as a species and as a nation.
Is “open migration “ another way of claiming we have “open borders ?“ our borders have never been open in my life time.
What then for desperate people? VP Harris did what she could in Central America, but there weren’t enough immigration judges to screen people and now everything is shut down, immigration judges fired. We refused to support contraception in these countries and have our own disaster with contraception in a world with climate change, already overpopulated. Now we turn evil and uncivilized like Putin, Orban, and Chi. Chaos does not produce sanity.
And as climate change becomes worse, and as weather wreaks havoc on food production, and as we continue to send weapons anywhere we can profit from selling them, the reasons why people will want to migrate will increase. I'm posting the entire poem, "Home," not just the link, hoping that everyone will read it and understand why people leave their countries:
Home
By Warsan Shire
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well
your neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory
is holding a gun bigger than his body
you only leave home
when home won’t let you stay.
no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it’s not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats into
your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in an airport toilets
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you wouldn’t be going back.
you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land
no one burns their palms
under trains
beneath carriages
no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled
means something more than journey.
no one crawls under fences
no one wants to be beaten
pitied
no one chooses refugee camps
or strip searches where your
body is left aching
or prison,
because prison is safer
than a city of fire
and one prison guard
in the night
is better than a truckload
of men who look like your father
no one could take it
no one could stomach it
no one skin would be tough enough
the
go home blacks
refugees
dirty immigrants
asylum seekers
sucking our country dry
niggers with their hands out
they smell strange
savage
messed up their country and now they want
to mess ours up
how do the words
the dirty looks
roll off your backs
maybe because the blow is softer
than a limb torn off
or the words are more tender
than fourteen men between
your legs
or the insults are easier
to swallow
than rubble
than bone
than your child body
in pieces.
i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home told you
to quicken your legs
leave your clothes behind
crawl through the desert
wade through the oceans
drown
save
be hunger
beg
forget pride
your survival is more important
no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear
This poem is gut-wrenching. I see my parents, my grandparents, my three years old aunt being killed with a broom " because the 16 years old son of the building superintendent" was tired of looking at that jewess on the play ground. " I see my grandmother turning grayhaired overnight. I see all the people in the ghettos, the concentration camps, who would have suffered torture for la chance to leave, no matter to where, no matter the risks. II think of the ones who did make it out, just to be turned back. The poem evokes visual images and long buried feelings. Brilliantly written. Thank you for posting.
Thank you for this, Betsy. You are so right that the changes coming to this earth & all that inhabit it are going to drive massive dislocation/relocation….not just of humans, but of other species…both animal and plant….at least those that are able to survive/adapt to the changes. Sigh, what a mess we’ve made.
Betsy, thanks for posting this poem. Its words and images are harsh, painful, and disgustingly revolting at times. Sometimes, we need to be shaken to wake up. Our shared humanity is calling.
We, all of our ancestors, traversed for all of human history from one place to another. For one reason or another, we migrated. That's what animals do. That's what people do. It comes from the depths of human instinct. I imagine my ancestors weary, cold, hungry, exhausted, lost, under threat, injured were saved by the kindness of strangers, more than once. I like to think that I would repay that kindness. I like to think that we humans across the planet in nations and between nations will see strangers on the move not as a problem but an opportunity to answer the call of humanity with wisdom not fear, not anger, not violence. But wisdom --channeling our ancestors' gratitude.
(This was in response to David Crellen’s comment, it didn’t make it up that far!) That’s way too hard for these cretins; they’ve given up all responsibility for following the Constitution and it’s much easier to slash and burn their way through, or lets others do it. Solving problems is hard work…much better to blather about mass deportation and camps. Can you imagine Vance doing the work that Kamala tried to do as VP in working together with Mexico and Centrał America to ease the problems leading to their citizens migrating to the US??!
Because it can’t be used as a cudgel by the politicians who only want to increase their power.
Just like fentanyl, brought in by US citizens, is always blamed on migrants, Mexico, China. Why aren’t our border control catching it at the border? Because they refuse to accuse white men.
What "the people" are likely to favor is an international commitment to begin placing sanctions on the top five nations causing migration out of countries through military ventures and destabilizing governance.
Fine - you want immigration solved. Great. There was a recently a plan that the democrats agreed to in regards to immigration reform, no pushbacks on the requests put down by Republicans. And it was negotiated by Senator Lankford (hard core R) and a tri-partisan team. Trump put a few calls in and had it killed so it could be something he could "run on". And today, I heard that over a 1,000 immigration judges were fired. How does that solve the problem?!?!?! Whether people in our country like it or not, we need immigrants. We are a nation of immigrants. What is going on in Washington has NOTHING to do with immigrants. They're having a difficult time rounding up the "thousands" of people they expected to round up for show and deportation. And yes, immigration has been an issue for DECADES. I agree something should be done - but these illegal immigrant roundups are a deflection to some really awful things going on.
Elon and dudes running amok in all of these databases have NOTHING to do with open migration/immigration. They are stealing our data and God knows what for whatever their devious planning and plotting entails. They will no doubt use it to blackmail all of us to fall in line in some way. But to say that all of this is because of open migration - get a grip.
Not a savant. A pampered rich boy whose despicable father made his riches exploiting miners and thrived on Apartheid. He had money to invest and if he had any intelligence of his own, it revolved around recognizing and investing in the inventions of people far more brilliant than himself. Most of us don’t know their names. The biggest investment he has made so far is in bankrolling Trump’s campaign to gain power and enrich himself even further.
Trump would have promised anything to stay out of jail and Musk was resentful of regulations and being called on breaking the law in his businesses. What a team.
Such affinity with Netanyahu who has churned on with the assault on Gaza because while Israel is at war it is not pursuing his charges of corruption.
These men have no loyalty to Country. It’s all self-aggrandizement and greed.
In order to discuss the thorny issue of mass migration it needs to be seen within a wider historical and social lens than is often the case. The postwar rise of mass movements of peoples is underpinned by the mass burning of petroleum and the mass acceptance of a global class system. It is also, in the great scheme of history, a very recent social development and a symptom of hyper capitalism. First class people (First World) travel globally for work and tourism. Second class people travel, usually only within their own countries, for affordable housing and work and third class people (Third World) travel to flee violence, persecution and starvation. These movements are all making vast amounts of easy profits for our Overlord hedgefund managers. Their continued profits depend upon an ever increasing exploitation of places and peoples. If immigration is to be successfully tackled we need to start with how all our lives are structured and controlled by the men with the money.
Whenever Congress has tried to legislate immigration the Republicans block it. This is their solution to immigration -- mass deportation. And they are deporting US citizens. WTF!!!
We helped destroy the cultures of Africa, the Philippines and South and Central America, and the native North American. We exploited them, supported dictators, and enslaved their people. That's why people want to leave there. It's blowback from 500 years of brutality in which we participated. That's the smell of coffee.
The US, in their policies abroad creating the untenable situations that Betsy shared in her poem. The US, which (via its House of Representatives) has REFUSED to work on border policy so it could be a wedge issue to get ffpotus reelected.
Migration worldwide is going to continue with the increased effects of global warming/climate change. The ability to support families and make a living is changing due to crop changes and more. Droughts, extreme storms, fires, stronger hurricanes and more. And the oligarchs don’t care as long as they can stay in power and keep fossil fuels, and control the social media. I agree the issue needs a serious overhaul, I don’t think it is going to go away anytime soon.
Funnily enough you were just considering moving to Europe because of the unpleasantries in the US - is that right? That would be migrating, wouldn't it?
Open borders? That is simply not true. Do we need more resources at the border? Yes. Then why have Republican passed new legislation ? Why didn’t they pass Sen Langford bill?
Even a simple wall won’t keep immigrants from migration. There are several external factors that require a deep thought policy:
If the above aren’t addressed, how do propose to manage immigration?
What penalties need to be on the books and how do you plan on enforcing those penalties on businesses large and small ( and critical to the economy, many the food and agriculture, construction, and hospitality sectors?
Yes,I am with you.I am NOT OK that my country is aligning itself with Russia.It is NOT OK that an unelected private citizen and some boys have hijacked sensitive material on me and millions of other American.I am also very pissed.More calls and letters today but something has gotta give.
Same. I give HCR a like every day so I can boost it on my own feed, no matter dark or foreboding the message of the day is. Heather is a beacon of unrelenting truth and a true Patriot.
I will point out that this is the time forge a ‘Center-left’ coalition! I would love for AOC to meet with farmers in Iowa, the home of original progressives! Stop the division, start honoring the wide, strong, verdant valley of common values! Love, empathy, fairness, health, truth, beauty, following the laws of the land, accepting science, and understanding the reason for these values and laws! We are the constitution!
Same! This is like a very BAD DREAM but unfortunately is all to real. And the anger I feel towards all those who could do something but won’t is growing.
DEMs should forget about using liberalism for their policies. We should all voice together forcefully that we want take back Lincoln government: "Government of the People, by the People and for the People." From "Government of the few, by the few and for the few."
Hmm. No IRS agents. What if all of us refuse to pay taxes? At least in my case, nothing is taken out of my social security, so if I don't pay they are not holding my money, although they could stop my SS payments. I can always ask for extensions. I am in Europe, so I doubt they will send someone to arrest me and as things are going, there may be a reluctance for Europe to carry out civil actions on the part of this administration. Likewise, ALL democrats should vote AGAINST raising the debt limit. Remember, TRUMP CHEATED in the election. See gregpalast.com Vigilantes video. He would not have won without disenfranchising millions of voters. These wackjobs are replacing professional public employees with MAGAs and are destroying the government. They aren't going to pay attention to strikes or protests and will eventually use force to control the populace.
“They say that beauty comes from a spirit that has weathered many hardships in life and somehow continues with resilience. Grace can be found in a soul who ages softly, even amid the tempest.
I think the loveliest by far is the one whose heart bears a hundred scars from caring, and still finds a way to pick up the lamp, one more time, to light the way for love.”
Vance’s behavior toward the Germans was despicable, and as a lawyer and officer of the court, he should know better than to assert the executive branch won’t obey the judicial branch. Obviously Trump, Musk, and Vance believe they are laws unto themselves.
Yale Law School must immediately distance themselves from Vance, revoke his diploma, and publicly excoriate his despicable behavior.
By his own admission, J.D. Vance was nothing but an impoverished, rudderless hillbilly before arriving at Yale. The university molded this once disadvantaged son of Appalachia into the person who has become our vice president, second in command to lead the United States.
Rather than be humbled by his extraordinary education and opportunity, Vance has disgraced the very institution that created him. Before aligning himself with the AfD, Vance signaled his intent to further the illegitimate executive branch power grab when he boasted “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power." It is evident he did not take to heart the concept of separation of powers nor pay heed to Yale’s courses in professional responsibility and ethics, which, if he had, would have compelled him to abide by the oath he took to uphold the constitution.
Yale must summon the courage (channel the brave Rev. Budde), and condemn Vance’s dangerous rhetoric. If not, Yale’s silence implies it is fine with their role in creating this Frankenstein VP, and by extension its own role, in the dangerous and rapidly unfolding coup.
Institutions and people must speak truth to power, now.
SAT12, I understand that you're making a case for your recommendation, but it is inaccurate to state that Yale molded Vance (or whatever his name is) into the person he is.
Yale just provided enough book-learning to help Vance sound like he knows what he's talking about. It was Peter Thiel who bought the unformed person who was Vance and molded him into a christo-fascist technocrat.
That is not true. Vance went through Ohio State in three years or less. His family was not always impoverished. My close friend from Appalachia hates him, less for his politics than his playing on popular prejudice about Appalachia in 'Hillbilly Elegy'.
The impoverished hillbilly saved by granny is his schtick. J.D. Vance has a remarkable mind, but he is like a blend of Napoleon (upwardly mobile), Alcibiades, and Aaron Burr wrapped up into one blindly ambitious fellow.
I would argue that much of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ portrays him as being impoverished. He was not. He had a working though drug addicted mother and domestic abuse in the family, but he lived in a decent 4 bedroom home and had educational access.
Thank you for setting the record straight. Yes, in 'Hillbilly Elegy', Vance once references that his family was making $100,000 per year, at least at some point, a decent living in a depressed area.
As my long-time friend told me, Vance grew up in a dysfunctional family and he does not speak for Appalachia. I do not know how his mother and wife can put up with this sheiße.
Yale is already a joke. A bastion of uncritical censorious thought. An institution in collapse along with Harvard and a handful of other formerly elite Universities. All killed by "progressive" inculcated Professors, conformity and woke mind. Sad.
Kathy, it's a golden and unique opportunity given to them by the ignorant part of our electorate that won't be repeated. They are fanatics that been planning this takeover for a long time, baked by unlimited money.
They won't give up. We have to fight our way back .
Several people have spoken of tempering ,realistically , the freedom of speech clause/theory. Lying should not be confused with fiction or fantasy, that would be mental derangement .
Per Politico's top & accurate legal reporters, KYLE CHENEY & JOSH GERSTEIN, Judge Chutkan is "poised to reject an IMMEDIATE" ruling to stop DOGE.
The DEM state AG's "lacked enough concrete evidence to justify extraordinary restrictions". The Judge means a -prophylactic- remedy, a big HINT to the Plaintiff AG's about the specific evidence needed.
Waiting for a transcript of the Court's Order & the transcript of the Hearing to inspect how the "entity" DOFE appeared at oral argument.
I will update when Court documents are on the Docket.
LIVE 2/17/25 POSTING from a DC FEDERAL COURT HEARING:
At this moment 1:00 PM EST, I was on a Public access Court Hearing Call-In waiting for Judge Tanya Chutkan. to come on the Bench The hearing was over at 1:04 PM EST, See KYLE CHENEY & JOSH Gersteins' 1:04 PM accurate report at Politico.
Everybody, per REUTERS' Tom Hals, just after midnight email Alert, DC Judge Tanya Chutkan is moving quickly too by calling a rare federal court hearing on a federal court Holiday, today 2/17/25!
That would be in the 14 Democratic AG's federal case brought by 13 Democratic including my in CA AG Rob Bonta.
Context: Musk/DOGE directed 1000+ more Job Cuts on Valentines Dat 2/14/25.
I suspect the AG's are seeking more time to get a Permanent Stay on the white male billionaire hacker.
I would absolutely never step on Judge's toes ... nevertheless, GRANTED. Judge Chutkan knows how to bang the gavel down hard. ⚖️
They are not auditing any agency for waste – there isn’t an accountant anywhere to be found. These are teenage/20-year-old coders/programmers who haven’t a clue and are now criminal opportunists – “just doing what they are told”.
For crying out loud the prefrontal cortex (critical thinking, impulse control, judgement) is still not developed in these kids. They are stealing information to exploit Americans and enrich themselves (or most likely the oligarchs). Why is this being allowed?! This is pure insanity, the final nails in the coffin of democracy.
People say, don’t give up the fight, but what good is protesting when we keep showing up with a knife to a gunfight? Handwringing won’t change the fact that they hold all the power and the damage is already done. While legal battles drag on, the theft continues unchecked. The data is already in their hands—regardless of any court rulings, the breach has already happened.
Meanwhile, on the global stage, our standing has plummeted to zero. The most distrusted government in the world (and with nuclear weapons no less!). What has been done has so eroded our credibility that we are effectively dead in the water with our allies. That trust can never be regained.
Please don’t let them discourage “us” so easily. It’s going to be a long hard struggle! It’s a marathon not sprint. Do what you can and be with others who can give us more strength! HCR is a good start!
They are not auditing any agency for waste – there isn’t an accountant anywhere to be found. These are teenage/20-year-old coders/programmers who haven’t a clue and are now criminal opportunists – “just doing what they are told”.
For crying out loud the prefrontal cortex (critical thinking, impulse control, judgement) is still not developed in these kids. They are stealing information to exploit Americans and enrich themselves (or most likely the oligarchs). Why is this being allowed?! This is pure insanity, the final nails in the coffin of democracy.
People say, don’t give up the fight, but what good is protesting when we keep showing up with a knife to a gunfight? Handwringing won’t change the fact that they hold all the power and the damage is already done. While legal battles drag on, the theft continues unchecked. The data is already in their hands—regardless of any court rulings, the breach has already happened.
Meanwhile, on the global stage, our standing has plummeted to zero. The most distrusted government in the world (and with nuclear weapons no less!). What has been done has so eroded our credibility that we are effectively dead in the water with our allies. That trust can never be regained.
Call every Senator, yours and everyone else. Tell them they are cowards and traitors. We don’t want to betray our allies and join with Putin so that Trump and Musk can rule the world while millions suffer and die. Americans wanted Trump to tame inflation and control the border. It turns out he’s Putin’ s puppy. It HAS been Russia all along. Tell them that.
@ Kari. I think the sell out re Ukraine, Vance meeting with the Nazis, etc has to shake up even Senate Republcans. This may be a window of oppotunity....
From Meidas....… Republican Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker isn’t thrilled with Pete Hegseth’s job performance so far: “He wasn’t my choice for the job. He made a rookie mistake in Brussels and he’s walked back some of what he said but not that line. I don’t know who wrote the speech — it is the kind of thing Tucker Carlson could have written, and Carlson is a fool."
… Wicker said he also disagreed with Trump’s comments that NATO provoked Russia to invade by considering Ukraine for NATO membership: ““There are good guys and bad guys in this war, and the Russians are the bad guys. They invaded, contrary to almost every international law, and they should be defeated. And Ukraine is entitled to the promises that the world made to it.”
… Trump was asked again today who he blamed for the war, Ukraine or Russia: “There are a lot of people to blame.”
… Trump was asked about Wicker’s comments about Hegseth: “I haven’t heard that. I mean, Roger is a very good friend of mine, and Pete is doing a great job. So, I’ll speak to Roger. I’ll speak to Pete. I’ll find out.”
Alt National Park Service is posting on Bluesky and Facebook. They represent government employees who are in their coalition. It’s very enlightening to read their posts as they often have news before the mainstream media gets it out.
We are now at war - democracy vs. authoritarianism. Russia's invasion of Ukraine was the first salvo fired by the fascists. Trump's support of Putin was a principal reason for voting against him. What to make of those Americans who voted for Trump: Ignorant? Stupid? Fascists? Or all three and even more?
Today I see they are going after Medicare and Medicaid, laying off staff like the Angel of Death. It has been in my mind for some time that if there is simply no more abiding by the Constitution that a vast segment of US society is frankly committing secession. At what point do we act like it and respond accordingly - I'm thinking of the entire GOP, red states, and the administration as a whole. Shouldn't the introduction of fascism be a dealbreaker?
We need to think anew as our adversary grows more reckless and lawless.
I presume you're referring to the draft budget tabled by the House Republicans which envisages $2 trillion cuts in mandatory spending which would have to include Medicare, Medicaid and other welfare programs. They also want to increase the debt ceiling so that they can afford to extend the 2017 tax cuts that hugely favoured the wealthy. Joyce Vance also draws attention to a bill sponsored by 81 Republicans in Congress, The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require all voters to provide a birth certificate, passport, or one of a few other proof-of-citizenship documents every time they vote, register to vote or change their address. The Pew Research Center has found that 69m women voters who have taken their spouse’s name do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name on their birth certificates. It's all crazy as you say and needs to be resisted. You might be interested in this article yesterday where the New Yorker interviews Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU, about his red lines for organising a complete shutdown -https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/the-aclu-vs-trump-20
I suppose they considered the Act DOA in the Senate last July when it was tabled and they haven't yet caught up with the implications of a Republican-dominated Senate amid the welter of other stuff that the administration has been doing.
My inclination is to believe that the journalists are mostly exhausted by the blitzkreig of nonsense emerging from the White House. The situation of the owners is a different matter.
JD, holy hell wishes to share the following document, which admittedly, could be slightly out of date. To summarize, corporate media is owned by or controlled by males of the species (excepting CBS). As members of the ruling class, they are not moved.
Not surprising. The birth certificate requirement to vote is simply a way to purge many women from the polls in line with white christian nationalist priorities. Everyone must be subservient to white males.
Russell, any woman who has experienced having to backtrack, verify, document it all knows what an absolute pain in the ass it is….and that’s assuming you have access to resources to even get the data/documents you need. It takes A LOT of time and effort, and some expense. Ask me how I know. Glad more women are keeping their birth names…something I recommend 100%!!!
I have my birth certificate and never married. My sister kept her maiden name when she married. All the SAVE act does is to make it easier to disenfranchise citizens who have a legal right to vote, because the act’s sponsors know the more people they disenfranchise, the easier it is for them to ignore any opposition. The late right wing political activist Paul Weyrich knew it well.
You shared it here Russell; That merits appreciation. Not everyone can afford multiple substack subscriptions, whether that's a problem you can relate to or not. By doing so you make yourself part of the resistance whether it's your intent or not, as I should think 'elites' might prefer that we 'not' widely and freely share important information. BS and propaganda are free; Is truth behind paywalls ?
To be fair, many of these very smart people who write Substacks do not demand payment from all but instead appeal to those who can afford to donate so they can keep going. I do what I can to support these people. The newspaper industry and mainstream media in America suffers because its corporate owners want to protect their own financial interests. It seems that now everybody and his cousin is a blogger/influencer due to the social media platforms and people have turned away from the MSM. Trump levels his attacks at this last bastion of democracy. None of this is good for democracy. People like me depend on the dedicated work of honest journalists and academics to keep me informed and alert. Like you, I enjoy reading stuff written by people who are cleverer than me. That's why I still read books. The infuencers simply don't do the work necessary to make their 'influence' worthy of attention and in many cases they spread complete nonsense about subjects they clearly don't understand.
I will try and summarise what the article was about. Alex Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, spoke about the organisation's red lines for a campaign to shut down the country in protest. He identifed two in particular: the administration's open defiance of court orders, that is where it doesn't appeal against those orders but simply ignores them; and the curtailing of birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed by the Constitution. He accepts that the Supreme Court may well uphold the administration's view that Congress does not the ability to impose limits on the president's power to fire and rehire those who act in his name but says that the ACLU will exhaust every legal option. I hope this helps.
Hi Russell - will the identification papers you listed also be a state requirement? I hope not. I'd read that proof of US citizenship was only required for people registering to vote. Has that changed? Everything now is a whirlwind making it near impossible to keep up with current events.
As far as I know, nothing has changed yet and it all depends on whether there are enough Senate Republicans with the stomach to ditch this lousy piece of legislation.
E.g. just keeping up conscientiously with the HCR stream comments each day takes several hours a day and no one but us retired and having our days unimpeded by the need to provide for our own life support can invest such, let alone engage in the discourse ourselves.
Hendrik, I live in the UK and I am retired on medical grounds but I sympathise with all Americans who are alarmed at what's happening to their country. Many europeans share their fears. We do what we can.
Unfortunately, the US Constitution contains no provision for dealing with a rogue faction that wants to destroy the constitutional system of government from within.
That is the point. If there is no constitutional system all bets are off. The writings of Jefferson and others certainly tell us we have no bonds or obligations to tyrants.
My opinion might be unpopular, but unfortunately, the U.S. Constitution was drawn up by a cadre of white "gentlemen"* who imagined themselves to be so learned and wise, they thought they were drafting a document for the ages. In fact, they had no imagination.
They never imagined that a majority of citizens would come to believe that women and people of color are equal in every respect to white men.
They never imagined that firearms could be self-loading and fire in rapid succession.
They never imagined that weapons would be capable of wiping out entire populations.
They never imagined that humans could generate so much environmental destruction that the very survival of the human race would be put in jeopardy.
They never imagined that the rabble they intended to govern would eventually forget what life was like under the rule of an autocratic monarch.
The document they agreed upon was suitable for the people and time in which it was written, but societal evolution and devolution would quickly render it obsolete.
*I use "gentlemen" in the archaic sense, meaning male members of an aristocracy.
No, they knew their limitations. They created the ability to amend what they wrote so that the document could change to meet the future needs of the country.
Nicole, I had the amendments in mind when I wrote my comment. But as Kathleen Fernandez pointed out, they made amending the Constitution nearly impossible. Why? Because they were pretty sure they got it right the first time.
I agree that the Constitution should not be easy to change, but legislators over the generations should have had more imagination and better command of the English language. A better original and better amendments might have prevented the installment of a king in 2024-25.
I wouldn't trust the current crop of ignorant yahoos to write a phone message, much less, a constitutional amendment.
You’re right. But no one before them had ever conceived/imagined a government like they were contemplating. I can’t think of any other government/country before the USA that was founded on the rule of law. Countries were created and held based on a single individual or a group deciding what was right or wrong. This was a radical experiment of their time, so I don’t think they lacked imagination. They lacked foresight which I hazard to guess most of us do.
So yes the amendment process is very slow and considering the speed of communication in those days glacial, but how quickly do you want the amendment process to move? Do we knock down the number of states necessary to enact an amendment? How close do we get to enforcing overarching laws with only a slight majority? Perhaps, it’s just the sheer size of the nation 50 states versus 13 that is the issue. But really I think they were looking to create stability along with a possibility of change when there was a solid majority agreement.
All I’m saying is that they were men of their time, and that their imaginations were great enough to give form to this country.
In afraid Philoctetes, they are acting like not caring for the negative effects their policies would bring to the general population in this country and for the adverse reactions expected and much less about negative public opinion.
Which brings back one of my greatest concerns. Are we going to have ever another election in this country starting with the all important next mid terms one. To all involved, dare an answer please.
I think that they think if they are "moving fast and breaking things" that it will be too difficult for the public to recognize things are broken until it's too late. We need to shout loudly and point out the brokenness with everything we've got.
But above all it has a commitment to money. America has always only been about the money. It disgusts me, but there it is. Paradoxically it might save us: once people realize the GOP has picked their pockets, they will pick up pitch forks and torches. That will wake them right up.
There is no way to summarize this—as a second-generation Ukrainian American, my heart is breaking. You need to listen to the whole speech to assess its impact.
Zelensky is describing the handwriting on the wall. He has lost faith and trust in America, and justifiably so. He is calling for a united Europe, and essentially a NATO without the US. He fervently believes that a united Europe can defeat Russia, but it needs to act immediately. He is telling sobering truths. He has bluntly asked if any European country believes its armies are capable of defeating Russia today.
He believes that Ukraine now has the most battle hardened troops and advanced combat technology and weapons for drone warfare in the world and will share it with the united European forces to provide a shield against further Russian agression. The applause is mostly thunderous, a stark contrast to the silent reception given Vance.
His most telling comment was that when Trump visits Putin in Russia in May, Trump will be a “prop” in Putin’s show.
Damn, Georgia, I too am losing faith and trust in OUR country. No, just no, we can’t keep stringing him along….we need to support his country’s efforts to repel the invaders…full stop. I can’t imagine the stress/duress/pain/anger/grief Zelensky is shouldering….and the same for all the Ukrainians living (or trying to) through this. Wish I had a magic wand🪄!
Zelensky is delusional. He has become a prop in Joe Biden's idiotic and deathly "forever war" that we and NATO provoked. His legal standing is zero since he became basically a Dictator and cancelled elections leaving his Presidency illegitimate and corrupt. After denying any corruption he allowed last week that $100 billion in aid he never received. Oh. Over a million have died in the war and a third of the population of Ukraine has fled with 600,000 Ukranian official casualties. There are not enough soldiers left to fight and die. It is just a matter of time before Ukraine will lose. Thanks Joe, Vlad.
Thanks Mike, unfortunately, if I submit a poem here it will not be taken by a publication... they want first printing of a poem. So, when I really want to express what I'm thinking and feeling, I post them on Substack.
A moment of silence in memory of Navalny and his courageous resistance to the dictator and the oligarchs. May none of our patriots be called upon to resist fascism and authoritarianism to the point of death, but let us not expect that resistance will be easy. Let us admire those who have publicly criticized corruption and who have refused to accept it despite the threat to their professional lives. Let us remember that there are those in our country, dedicated civil servants, who are having their lives not only disrupted but turned upside down, and let us support them in any way that we can.
Yes it's a sad anniversary...In memory of Alexei Navalny dying in solitary confinement for just trying to offer Russia another path and an actual choice of leadership. Remember Navalny, one of the very few that was that selfless and brave enough to attempt to wrest control of Russia from Putin's oligarchical grip.
The republiCon party is now a russian asset that includes the government.They will lay down for whatever Putin wants and he is amazed at how easy it was to take over the usa without a shot fired. This is the stink of the republiCon party, they are complicit and will be held responsible if anything remains thats worth saving.
It is weird to hear "Republicans" criticize Trump and who have criticized his behavior in the past while they rubber stamp nearly every major move he has made to enable his impunity; basically voting to nullify their own influence.
My opinion of the Republican Party in recent years:
Short term gain
Long term shame
The history books will not be kind…unless, of course, we become what Project 2025’s Mandate For Leadership envisioned, then who knows how history will read (hopefully, if this comes to pass, there will be those folks who have “hard copies” of the truth that may be revealed in the centuries to come….if there are any future centuries in which humans matter that is).
If sanity survives, the era of journalisticly tolerated Big Lies, from Reagan to Musk, will be a principle cautionary tale in the the history of our country, at least so far as the maintenance of democracy is concerned. Worth at least a whole chapter in any US history book. Otherwise Google AI will censor and report any mention of it. People will look back and say, "What in the hell were they (we) thinking!!!". But maybe a bright spot will follow.
I don't think the maga party (formerly republican) is here for short term gains Barbara.
They planned this long and hard, like a huge investment. They are here to stay and expand as they are doing in Europe by intervening in their elections and "negotiating" with putin. Germany 's coming election is fundamental for the short term future of democracy and you see Vance and Musk working hard to influence the results.
Regarding "long term shame" , I don't think they have any so don't be concerned about that point.😄
Yeah, Ricardo, the “current” iteration seems to have seeded just before Reagan (the infamous Powell memo)….they are playing the long game & had & have some heavy-hitter ($$$) backers. 🤬
Bond villain billionaires have been playing a long game, with the bucks to finance it. MAGA is "hypnotized" by Foxic News. Some gleefully trade their souls for any shot at gaining the whole of the world (and call it "religion").
I think the rudest of awakenings will be at SCOTUS, when they discover that their decision to put Donald above the law leads to his "firing" them. I keep recalling the TV series, "The Tudors," which portrays the times during the reign of Henry VIII. There was no court; Henry WAS the law.
Curiously, my thoughts have been drifting towards Germany lately. In this case to the Nuremburg Trials. I've been imagining a similar proceeding being held when our current bunch of fascists is brought to heel. Sooner rather than later.
What makes you think they will be brought to heel? We are living in very different times (regarding the control of information) than existed in the 1940s
Who knows how much suffering will occur/is occurring, including bloodshed, because of what the Trump/Musk regime gets up to? They are just getting started.
The Nuremburg Trials held many of Hitler's supporters and enablers to account. That'd be a good place to start.
Unfortunately it won't be the same or even possible. Remember that back then the US was victorious against a fascist organization that had to be eradicated from the face of the earth and we were the prosecutors.
Unbelievably, we are in the opposite side now. The us government is in conversations with the established fascist regimes in Europe ,namely Russia and Hungary on how to take advantage of heroic Ukraine and how to convert the rest of Europe to follow them. Next election in Germany is very consequential for the future of democratic Europe.
I have been saying this for a while now. The coup is over. It was a success--for them. And spells the death of the republic we knew. Why do I think what I think? Because of the following: The federal government of the United States is now Nazi. The people who engineered this have been using the Hitler playbook all along.
Hitler was named Chancellor on January 30, 1933. He attained absolute power as a dictator on August 19, 1934. Around 18 months.
The current occupants of the White House are positioned in every way just as he was. Everything in our era is speeded up from nearly 100 years ago, so it won't take as long this time. I would say we are half way there, but past the tipping point. The final end will be when these many suits hit the Supreme Court.
One of two things will happen. The six person majority on the court are mostly financially corrupt, despite the "originalist" drivel. If that element holds sway, they will give up their perceived power for a handsome purse.
But, if the ideologues win the day and the SCOTUS manages to rule in favor of the constitution, the Dictator and his team will spit in their eye. And that will be that.
Watch out for some crap about the 14th not being in the ORIGINAL document, though it was placed there in the manner proscribed by that document. They may try to save face. But the outcome will be the same either way.
Could I be wrong? Of course I could. No one knows the future. But I do have an understanding of how Nazis work and I am certain that is what we have here. This is my opinion and my prediction.
There was an interesting article in the New Yorker, an interview with the president of the ACLU. He thinks we wont know if we have truly crossed fully over into the coup until cases go before SCOTUS, and should they find against the administration and issue an order , when the administration blatantly disregards the order, thats game up
I saw that. That will be the final test, but he is a great deal more confident of the outcome. The last paragraph of my comment here was an answer to his certainty of a win. And maybe enough of the six won't want to give up the power of the court and will rule against the authoritarian power grab. In that case, I believe that the Overlords will simply ignore the court. There have been noises to that effect coming out of the White House over the past week.
We are two minds on this. As I’ve repeated with distain from others, had the good generals had the hustpa to suspend the constitution in order to save it by preventing the Nazis to take over, that would have been a good thing even if it was to set a president. But it’s too late now. The military will need to follow the law and expell the administration or we are toast and I just don’t see this happening now that the defense secretary is the leading military Nazi.
As someone who is autistic with a strong ability to recognize patterns and connections, I believe you are correct. Democracy is dead. I've posted my own comment going into this new reality in more detail... including links to relevant analysis posted today by Timothy Snyder and a trusted YouTube analyst of military and foreign affairs developments. It's a shame the America I have known for 70 years is ending this way. Things could have gone so much better (something I also mention in my longer comment).
I am the ADHD daughter of a brilliant ADHD father. He was almost prescient in analyzing politics and I have inherited that ability along with the ADHD. I will be 69 this summer. This is not the end I wanted to see.
For a short time in 2021 I thought maybe we could squeeze through more or less intact. But when the press continued to center DT and completely trashed Joe Biden it became apparent where this was headed.
I do think fighting back is necessary. But it will be a long violent struggle now, with no assurance of victory.
I do blame Biden he is the loser in this for us all. He ignored optics in office all the while enacting good legislation but so often our democratic leaders leave nothing for the next chosen leader. Bill Clinton had to get blow jobs which didn’t fair well for Al Gore. His wife had to call the white working class deplorables insuring they would never again vote democratic. If worse comes to worse. I will leave this country. I have the capacity to do it and I refuse to spend my final years under Nazi rule.
Oh and I also have ADHD, lol. My ADHD resulted from an ole man who put me down from my birth till his death which I was relieved when it finally occurred. I don’t know why a parent would behave like that other than to compensate for a terrible Un bringing in his own developmental stage.
btw, I am beyond pissed that Hillary was saddled with SO much baggage that was NOT hers (if folks took the time to suss it out). I hope we evolve as a country to do better at scrutinizing our elective candidates on their merits, not memes.
Where is the Orange-Aide when you need it? OK, that was mean and sick…only really want a bad tummy-ache-epiphany and welcomed into the light of truth and honest debate.
Agree with Mike. It ain’t over but it is up to us. Talk, write, explain. Get others to read HRC. Donate money to Susan Crawford, Wisconsin SCT candidate in April 1 election. It’s the first election in battleground state. Or do something with local resistance but DO SOMETHING. Complaining and panicking with those who understand won’t change things. We must get majority of US voters to understand the stakes and that Trump and Musk are doing zip to help them.
People who are autistic dont have a corner on the market of recognizing patterns and connections. Non autistic depth psychologists have been doing that for decades. Stop trying to out-special people.
We could be sliding into nightmare totalitarianism, but it's still early in the game. Trump's doing his "shock and awe" blitzkrieg, but much of it seems more impulsive than cunning. I have been waiting for the tide to turn for decades and perhaps it just never will, but Trump is pissing a lot of people off, and more are going to have a grievance than as yet have realized it. The public always has power, unless they surrender it.
Many skill sets will be needed to defeat this fascist scourge destroying and rampaging our republic if we are to keep it. Resistance to and refusal to use their Newspeak lingo and terms is an important skill indeed.
Just as the pettiness of renaming the Gulf of Mexico has no validity no matter what the petulant blowhard grifter and his cronies say.
I think the "can't catch me" bad boys are glorying in our contempt for their behavior right now, but it could yet become a threat to them, including their dissing of the whole non-authoritarian world. Sociopathy lurks in human DNA. SO does solidarity.
Reading the urgent headlines in France this morning, I must confess to feeling as though I am living in the 1930s. This time the US is with the AXIS. But I also remember as a historian, history is not written and full of a myriad of black swan events that can change things in an instant.
Trump's first wife said the he kept a book of Hitler's speeches by his bedside, but while Trump evil enough to be a Hitler, He may not be smart enough, or at least not smooth enough not to be his own impediment. That is not to say he not extremely dangerous, and I could be wrong about the ongoing passivity; but I expect to see resistance mount.
I have to believe that at least 2 of the Supreme Court justices will not support Trump’s treason. The legal system prevents them from stepping in until the appeals to district courts reach them. It’s the rule of law. They blew it over the last 2 years, but I don’t think they will blow it this time.
The MAGA justices seem to have though in the past that they were the highest, most unquestionable power. They crowned Trump King, but are they ready to relinquish their own power to their creation? At this point it's hard to know.
As I have implied in another comment, if SCOTUS rules in Donald's favor, they are signing their own "pink slips." When a man is placed above the law, he BECOMES the law and has no need for any court. The Gang of Six need to be very careful if they want to keep receiving those luxury vacations.
That's my hope. Rule of law is necessarily methodical, and that extra time and effort frustrates those who prefer an autocrat, but the latter is a cheap fix with all sorts of harmful side effects. Rule of law at it best is an effort to do things right.
Got my marching boots, Mike, they may be old and worn, but still sturdy enough to stand my ground and push back. For the first time in my 75 years have I been thinking about why I never pursued tactical, armed or unarmed, resistance training/scenarios (I have never held a firearm other than a toy “cap pistol” in the early 50’s whilst playing “cops & robbers” w/ my sibs). Perhaps I should have….dunno….even the thought alarms me.
Very good episode of 60 Minutes tonight, about Germany's approach to free speech. They should be proud - they are attempting to have integrity instead of trickery.
“To Cave” will have a new picture in the dictionary/encyclopedia/wikipedia….it will be of the US billionaires, media moguls, Congress critters, (some of) SCOTUS, corporations…and the list goes on. SMH….I did not realize so many Americans have evolved w/o spines/backbones/cojones!!!!
I think our country still has much good in it, but the regime sucks. We will see where that goes. I know what you mean, though. I was born shortly after WWII and always heard the Nazis were terrible. That racism was wrong, even if it was evident, and that our society was an admirable "melting pot". Lincoln was our biggest hero. All my teachers seemed to agree on that.
Yeah, JL, I “bought” that vision too as a kid…until I “saw” what was happening in our country….AND then saw the pushback and, as King said, the “arc of justice” bending toward equality & justice….we are a work in progress….
”progress” being the operative word….making strides against stiffer headwinds in recent years (thank you Biden/Harris for mitigating the backsliding!). We have work to do…am heartened by so many ready to pitch in.
Is anyone lucky enough to be getting a decent night sleep anymore? Everything I grew up believing in about Americans, our democracy, and our government , was either a lie, or has been trashed. I can’t believe I am reading about Americans who celebrate Musk actions, who would turn Ann Frank over to the Gestapo, who now call Canada our enemy, who now defile our allies, and our sacred honor with Ukraine, and who actually support state sponsored ethnic cleansing in Gaza. I am angry. I am disgusted. We are either stupid, or lemmings, or we are imperialists.
I usually get a good night's sleep, but I am having weirder dreams than usual. Anyone who has read in depth about behavior in Nazi Germany should not be surprised at the behavior of so many.
I know, Steve, it’s like being whacked upside the head with a 2x4….have I been coexisting with these other “Americans” this whole time….or has something seeped into our national psyche….or, perhaps, been reborn from it? Scary indeed.
Steve, I believe a fourth option explains it. We are capitalists without consciences. When everything is for sale, when the only things worth doing are the things you can make a buck from, when "every man has his price," you get what we've got. "I want it, so I'll buy it. If I don't have the money, I'll get it on credit." Unlike other nations around the world, when you remove commerce from the U.S., you have nothing left.
Thank you, Heather. We need to call our Congress person and our senators about the support for Ukraine against annexation by Russia
Next, we need to tell them that we do not want Elon Musk and crew to fire civil servants without cause and to rewrite the computer programs in the various departments.
Lastly, we need to urge them to vote against the SAVE bill that will not allow anyone whose current ID doesn’t match their birth certificate (every woman who chooses to take her husband’s last name) to vote.
And they will get away with it, because what does the average Trump voter know about how USAID helps stop the spread of tuberculosis, feeds starving children peanut paste, and stops the spread of HIV in Africa? The success of Trump and Musk is based on the profound ignorance and intellectual sloth of our people.
And by underfunding their public school they contribute to the perpetuation of ignorance over and over again, which is also at its core the most basic form of voter suppression.
Underfunding is an issue but not the main issues…the issues are a fear of science, a fear of thinking, the standardization of testing, limiting range of thoughts and ideas, and undermining the professional teachers power to teach to their classroom reach their children. The reality-based teaching has always been the clear fear of zealots! Teaching, making wise and professional choices, is as well.
They don’t want truth and beauty, arts and music, reading and poetry…they want indoctrination to a white Christian nation! And want you to pay for their schools, and to pollute our schools! No science at the ES level to speak of at all! No natural world! No joy of discovery! Jesus Christ!
If only I hadn't failed in persuading my fellow teacher educators (when I was one) that the peculiar mission and burning responsibility of teachers in a democracy is to prepare future citizens to exercise THEIR STUDENTS' responsibilities as citizens. I retired from the role just before the turn of the century. It haunts me still . . .
I am not convinced that you failed, since even holding that awareness would have affected your teaching, and while I think machine learning has a place, there are additional dimensions to human to human instruction. When my daughter began college, we parents were addressed by an official of the college who asked us to think of a teacher who had profoundly affected our lives, and while there were duds, I could think of several.
The trend, so far as I can correctly detect it, has been to make schools more focused on trade training than preparation for a successful and rewarding life or our role as citizen/managers of the outcomes of our own society. Wise statecraft, more than ever, is daunting and complex, and of necessity involves duties beyond satisfying our personal preferences. If we truly believe in the virtue of " government of the people, by the people, for the people" we need to be serious about it.
Allow, even encourage children to question, and they'll start to question you. That is, ultimately, a good sort of trouble; a gift we can pass to posterity. It means having to be a real adult to cultivate and bear it, though.
Not suggesting higher standards for American schools, might you be, Philoctetes?
Like maybe students should actually read whole books again?
That essaying more might be key to thinking better? -- and key also to learning some skills for referencing more widely?
Criminality reigns atop the U.S. now, from the Clarence court, to the cabinet, to the Congress where fools like Crenshaw sit. This disease of course comes largely through our rafts of nihilist billionaires, and of course through Putin's agents. But it could never have gotten so rooted as it has now had schools had higher standards than the criminal connivance whose results we daily reap.
The reenabling of billionaire control of media has a lot to do with it. As in the past, centralization of financial power has enabled centralization of political power. Follow the money.
Newt and Bill…they created the ability to consolidate media and allowed a the foreign player to create a toxic empire! We all pay the price for deregulation! Unsafe food, unsafe water, unsafe airways and newspapers, polluted by propaganda’s toxins.
It seems to me that our aggregated public conversation is chock full of words attached to "half-baked" concepts; and "Deregulation" is one of them. Like Reagan's unfocused smear of "government", the category is too too vague and broad to justify any specific action. Is regulation good or bad? How long is a rope?
Should we cancel all vehicular traffic laws? Withdraw fire and building codes? Before cheering "deregulation", we should know what the hell it was meant to do, and why; otherwise we'll do stupid stuff like this:
There are good governments and bad governments, no? That's not rocket science as a fundamental concept. There are helpful, even essential regulations, and also excessive or counter-productive ones. Is surgery good or bad? Yes, when it saves lives, no, when unnecessary.
There is a long list of words that are regularly used in ways that create more confusion than clarity; often quite deliberately, to sell something you would be unlikely to buy if you had the full story.
No, Bonnie! This started decades ago, with the Republicans of course. An uneducated citizenry is moldable, influenced by advertising and misled by moneyed ministers and partisan politicians. That's the plan. Teachers are saints, doing whatever they're allowed to do to actually educate.
Against strong political headwinds. My wife was a lifelong teacher. See and fighting others I have known knew peers who left the profession, demoralized by impediments devised by politicians.
Margaret, I saw what Reagan did to gut California’s crown jewel—the education system…from grade school thu college….and then move it on to the national stage. CA, despite efforts, never quite recovered. I say this as someone who worked in the UC/CSU system for over 40 years…starting just a couple of years after the Fed’s 1965 Higher Education Act was passed….watched educational opportunities/programs/support erode since his tenure.
Ah yes, St. Ronnie rears his unholy ass again! A neighbor, back when he was gov of CA, had a poster of Ronnie in his cowboy outfit and two six-shooters blazing…the caption was, ‘Thanks for the Votes Suckers!’ My God! So he did to you’all what he did to us! Arms for hostages, James Watt, and now here we go again but on MuskyMan Steriods!
I was a Fed from 1964 to 71 when all that Johnson legislation was being, formulated, passed, and implementing. Fundamentally changed me, though now seems like just a dream that's turned horrid.
Growing up in the Midwest during my K-12 years, I recall the California school system as an object of envy in my circles. My mother was working as clerical staff at Kent State University. Republican Gov. Rhodes (the same one who called the National Guard that shot students) was doing a Musk thing that demoted her from a position where she essentially managed three university functions to "typist", at least title and pay wise. She was bitter about that for the rest of her life. Rhodes closed my school after I graduated, and I'm bitter about that. Where did all the "savings" from the tax cuts go? The middle class is proportionately shrinking. We are being had.
Did you think the orange felon, Putin, Musk, and Vance come from nowhere?
We've tens millions of pro-criminality, pro-despotism, pro-racism, pro-nihilist billionaire, and pro-rape Americans. And you think the schools have nothing to do with how "educated" so many got?
Please have a look at this, from today's NY Times, with many stats, experienced people's experience, and astute observations (on the U.S.'s major decline in reading and reading skills):
I think a lot of Trump supporters are pretty clueless. That has been my personal experience. It seems to be a group identity more than a philosophy. Like doing stuff in high school that was considered "cool".
I agree completely. It's really all about "team spirit." The MAGA world is exactly like sports fans who cheer and holler for their team, even when the team loses game after game. They are die-hard fans and nothing will shake them from their fandom.
I think this phenomenon can be attributed, at least in part, to network TV's treating elections like professional sporting events, with colorful graphics, color commentators, behind-the-scenes drama coverage, etc. This sensationalist treatment focuses people's attention on the competition rather than the consequences.
Bonnie, Phil's position is well known here. He is not blaming the schools as much as he is blaming the decline of the teaching of humanities and instead teaching to the test that measures the lowest common denominator of mediocrity.
The real issue is that teachers are union members and are well prepared professionals. And left to their own devises and resources they do a very good! Job to reach and engage their students! Overall, not perfect but better than what we have now! The top-down, cam and and control, is to reduce joy, remove fun, ignore the arts and truth and beauty…and certainly no science! Notice, we test reading and math…in]gnome the rest, ignore community and communication. And ignore evidentiary processes! No science!
I was, in some ways a classic science (also arts) nerd. Without knowing what I was doing I was absorbed in proto fossil collecting, botany, etc. before kindergarten. I was presumed to be a scientist in the making, but had unrecognized learning disabilities in language mechanics and math. My eventual take on "science" was that it is, at it's core, a an epistemology, a theory of knowing, more than (the way it is primarily presented) a catalog of procedures and findings. That said, it is procedural too, and the Scientific Method is a cultivated skill, not unlike learning to read, that can be applied to any endeavor; nominally "science" related, or not. It can guide choices in the supermarket as well as our grasp of "what is matter".
We may lack the training to play football or baseball as well as a "pro" but we can play something like it in sandlots. Similarly, what a major scientist in my acquaintance calls "scientific habits of mind" can extend far beyond the walks of life of the professional scientist. Subjected to even slightly disciplined conformance to logic and evidence, Mr. Trump's positions inspire little confidence.
Yes, I know Phil’s position and disagree because it over-simplifies the problems we face. I’m a PhD trained social scientist and 30-year university educator from a family of many elementary, secondary, and university teachers. Additional courses in humanities and older methods of testing will not address the complete lack of college education among many MAGA voters. Look at the statistics. Voters without a college education are supporting the likes of Trump. We are a country of greedy people who refuse to support college and trade education for all. And this greedy approach to higher education might kill our democracy.
But please don't, on the other hand, blame lack of more college ed.
All the standardized tests -- all of them -- gear to the depersonalized, silo-set, abstracted, group identity forms of thinking (and massively student-loan-based) which college has devolved into since the Powell memo of 1971.
Bonnie— I to have a family of teachers and professors…and no one thing makes it all right. One real issue is that the wage and wealth gap is real for many workers who see college for their kids as out of reach, who see others gaining support and access while they don’t…it seems unfair! And Faux/Fux feeds them this drug! Of course it is the GOP who refuses to fund and support learning and education for political reasons and foment the fears while they blame the liberals. If you are qualified, at any point in your life, you should be able to get training, go the college, learn skills. The AAUW paid my Mom to go back to college after a career as an elementary teacher and author, at 36/37 years old!
This progressive, this is investing! We all benefit!
San Jose State created the Silicon Valley! GI bill, young engineers, many many thousands! No tuition in California and the GI bill supported them and often their families! Damn! And we are still running on the fumes of this innovation…really! And home ownership as well through a Veterans loan.
Invest in minds, in thinking, in people, in ideas, and support all! Tax cuts for the rich are DTUPID, that dumb/stupid!
The only things that my MAGA affiliated friends are seeing is what they are calling "waste", which is code for "things we don't like". They harp on the "$150M in condoms sent to Gaza to be used as aerial bombs" without knowing the purchase was for condoms to go to Africa.
A certain syndrome of madness seems to envelope the minds of those who year to seem the many subjugated by the few. Especially the underlings with so little to gain that support it. It is always a human catastrophe.
It's so much easier to break things than to build. Entropy is on your side. Human brings and life itself tacks against the wind; but its unending work to do so. There can be a high in smashing things, but less reward to live amidst the rubble. What was and is truly "great" about America? And what not so much?
As Krugman pointed out, they are better at blowing things up than building this! This is the arsonist, terrorist, fear-monger if that becomes self fulfilling prophesy!
We are still strong, there are people getting sick of this already, the amount of money from billionaires does not compare to the anger and money of the collective that still exists, if it can be focused! That is the ‘if’
“Vance and the Trump administration have the support of billionaire Elon Musk in their attempt to shift the globe toward the rejection of democracy in favor of far-right authoritarianism. David Ingram and Bruna Horvath of NBC News reported today that Musk has “encouraged right-wing political movements, policies and administrations in at least 18 countries in a global push to slash immigration and curtail regulation of business.””
People that voted for Trump voted against having a woman, against having a flow of immigrants into this country, against the price of groceries, but NOT for us to declare war against Europe and our allies for centuries.
A country and man that we defeated in WWII that took friends to do. To stop a fascist that we are now mimicking. This is embarrassing as a citizen of United States and state here:
THIS PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, AND ELON MUSK DOES NOT REPRESENT ME OR, MINIMALLY, TWO THIRDS OUR CITIZENS WITH THIS BEHAVIOR.
If they want to go to war, they have to first go to war against us.
Musk seemed to have a nasty, impulsive streak, but appeared to support liberal values, at least so long as it helped sell Teslas. Now he Musk Can be Musk. His history is not reassuring.
Evil often goes unrecognized to a sufficient extent until it's far too late, but we're now able to see its 21st-century manifestation in real time through Trump, Putin, Musk and their errand boy, Vance. It's bone-chilling, to say the least. And this time, unlike in the 20th century, America is on the side of evil.
Some evils were stopped, but evil comes in many forms, racism, sexism, homophobia among them. Evil was DDT killing eagles or pollution in breast milk. Evil is "perfectly legal" ways to dilute and frustrate one's legitimate right to vote. It's screwing workers for fun and profit. Evil is conscienceless, deliberate misuse of power, physical power, financial power, or governmental power, to cause harm to others.
They're the worst sort of so-called "Christians" – from the Whited Sepulchre denomination, including Christofascists, Christonationalists and various other racists, bigots, misogynists, fearmongers, hatemongers and deviants. You'll find them in the "H" file, under Hypocrites.
Even the Pope speaks out about the very American conservative Catholics! They are evil! And like Donny-John, screeching at the top of their voices! And JD is a recent convert…wonder why?!
They say a lot of things. War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength. Did Jesus ever sanctify war or slavery? Was Biden a Marxist? Are decades of meticulous climate record keeping a hoax? What does the evidence tell us?
The source of evil is people following the devil who has convinced them he is actually God. The devil is very good at manipulating weak minded, scared people.
If you read the Jeffersonian Bible, that ignores the mythology, you get a really nice neoliberal view of the possible in community…Jefferson borrowed a lot, the structure of the United States government from the Native Americans, and the ideas for a more perfect Union, community, ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident.’
If Christian’s woke up…when we’re all woken up, we would be strong centrist liberals! Might be worth the time…there’s a pretty good Episcopal bishop out there trying her best, but needs our help! We are her choir!
Time for a reminder…I’m not saying Donny is the antiChrist but perhaps his minion! No hand on the Bible? Maybe a fear of lightening! Or sharks Or electricity…sheesh! And Stephen Miller is one for sure!
And had Obama or Biden not used the Bible, imagine the fury from the hypocritical right. From my perspective I think they should be required to put a hand on a copy of the Constitution. That might burn Trumps hand as well.
Were there were to be a "second coming" of Jesus, a nameless non-European looking man, un-stylishly dressed; who condemned avarice, and preached inclusion, how would that person likely impress Trump? Or Musk? Or MAGA?
Convicted Felon Donald Trump and weeny JD Vance do not speak for all of America. Elon Musk can go back to South Africa. The second amendment does not only apply to those on the right.
Ouch -- Heather's conclusion: that it's exactly one year since Putin had Alexei Navalny murdered.
Given the attempts by Putin to kill democracies -- from his own country, to Georgia, to Syria, to Ukraine, and the U.S., it's hilarious to see MAGA Republicans such as Crenshaw crow, as Heather quotes him, saying the fat orange felon "will not let himself go down in history as having sold out to Putin.
Also rip-roaring how the adolescent Peter Hegseth, as Heather also observes "seemed to move the U.S. toward the ideology of Russian president Vladimir Putin." That's good of Heather, especially the "seemed to," given the total incompetence of the Fox boy-idiot.
We've a quartet of adults, however: the orange felon, Putin, Musk, and Vance all on the same page as to killing democracies. And for the best insight on the pathos of these sociopaths, here's Rebecca Solnit at her best today:
Compare and contrast..are they Christian or anti-Christian? If they are anti-Christian values and teaching, are they the anti-Christ? Stephen Miller gets my vote!
VERY, VERY INTERESTING and VERY, VERY DISTURBING that White Supremacist Hegseth - Trump's pick for, and now our current, U.S. Secretary of Defense - INVITED White Supremacist, Racist, Scumbag, Antisemite, Neo-Nazi Jack Psobiec to accompany him on his trip to Europe.
Brilliant thinking and writing, Heather! The way you pull the present and the past together, so that we can see the parallels over time is nothing short of brilliant. We are lucky to have your light shedding over all the horror of this unfortunate time.
Thank you Heather! Things are moving quickly…
From Alt National Park Service (Bluesky)
“Musk’s staffers are accessing the heavily guarded Internal Revenue Service (IRS) system, which contains detailed financial information on every taxpayer, business, and nonprofit in the country.
They have already accessed the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS), a system used by IRS employees to retrieve account information. Musk software engineer Gavin Kliger is among those accessing the data. Additionally, 15,000 IRS employees are expected to be fired this coming week.”
I'm only hit "Like" to acknowledge I have read your post. I. AM. BEYOND. PISSED that these criminals are running amok in the government systems.
Heather Geisz: I have run out of words. My head tells me to stop reading to save my sanity but my heart forces me to stay informed. News to me is like drugs to a junkie.
But: without Musk's billions, without a patriotic, non political Justice Department ( Supreme Court Justices that go along with criminals), obviously without the existence of divine intervention, what can we do? Thoughts and prayers? Pleeeeeaaaase!! Letters and phone calls: seemingly not working. Neither are Imodium or Pepto-Bismol!
Letters and phone calls are working, but many dems do not know what to do in this environment. Those who do like AOC and Crockett, are not allowed to lead, or Sanders, or Warren. Each has their own talents. Those who can call out the Right wing should be allowed to do it all the time. We need Dems in each news cycle with whatever it takes. For example, coming up with bills just to get attention to different ideas. The bills to not have to be brought to the floor, since they won't be, they don't have to be passed, but they have to exist with the interest of the people in mind and make it to the press each day, something new.
Dems need to be more interesting than Trump so that they make the news. How do demonstrations get coverage? What platforms should they be on? How does not get into the news cycle? These are things dems need to be doing. For each thing that Donald has done not only should there be lawsuits, but bills outlining the consequences for breaking these laws. Only thusly can the ignorant masses be informed.
Agree, Linda, if legislation is not possible to control/mitigate this, make LOTS of noise—enough to draw the attention/coverage on the MSM—and make “good trouble”. Get out on the streets (all of us, including gov’t folks, businesses, celebrities, etc.)and peacefully rabble rouse (hooray for the riff-raff!)….take the attention of the limelight moth and keep speaking/repeating the truth. It’s a thought anyway…
Barbara most of what you said is good strategy. However I would like to point out (sadly this may sound like "I told you so" and I apologize for that) that most here on this Substack were urging boycotts of all MSM ignoring the fact that the MSM (like it or not) is STILL the way most Americans get their news, not Substacks and independent sources.
It is becoming apparent now (I think and hope) that:
a) most or at least much of MSM is actually still trying to do a decent job of at least somewhat fair news coverage (even papers like the WSJ and the Post whose owners seem to be pro Trump are still writing critical articles about this administration's outrageous conduct) and
b) The "good" MSM is likely to be our best communication path to the vast majority of Americans. We ignore them at our peril.
For the time being we also need to pick and choose some of our battles and that will not always look fair. I am a huge supporter of trans rights but it is clear to me that the rights for trans women in women's sports is, for right now, a seriously losing argument that we probably need to shelve for the time being because it not only doesn't draw people to our side, but with almost 75% of Americans opposed, it actually pushes people away.
Yes, I understand it will hurt some people, but in a multi society like ours, we can't win EVERY battle immediately especially when we are fighting for our survival. It's the old saying that sometimes running away let's us live to fight another day. I believe we will someday win the trans rights fight, but not today. We have to let it go for the time being if we are to have ANY chance of succeeding during this perilous time.
Less eloquently, perfect is the enemy of good enough.
Doing nothing is tacit approval of an injustice. What did Hannah Arendt say about the banality of evil?
Yep, I suppose there will be battle after battle, some you win, but some you lose, as painful as it is.
Jon.., ditto! Members of the (MSM) writing-workforce have families and bills they must pay. They are no fully squelched, yet. But, they cannot 'afford' to be told "you're fired"! We do not walk in their shoes. They have to be careful. Even this forum can be put away by this out-of-control administration.
The WaPo just refused to print a two page paid for by Common Cause discussing the dangers of Elon Musk. On the other hand, they DID print an ad paid for by the muskrat to condemn a journalist. Once upon a time, the WaPo was an excellent paper. Now it's rapidly becoming a rabid mouthpiece for bozo, muskrat, and the orange sadist. I have lost all respect.
Yes. I am not supporting MSM, except I read my city paper and my neighborhood paper. I also follow some German MSM. I also pay for it anyway because we are required to pay for broadcast news with a monthly fee, which will not go up for another 2 years, but probably should.
Barbara, today is Not My President's Day of protest which you could also notify people about if they don't know. https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/754857/
Let us hope plenty of Democratic Politicians are out there. I see AOC, who stands up and speaks truth to power is being mentioned in Olga Lautman's Trump Tyranny Tracker as being harassed by the administration.
https://open.substack.com/pub/trumptyrannytracker/p/trump-tyranny-tracker-day-27-28?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
I was so happy to see Maine's SoS Shenna Bellows at yesterday's protest/rally! She was one of the very few Americans in power who worked lawfully to keep the MF ("MelonFelon", although there is another word, . . .) off the ballot for November 2024. I'd like to see her run for Senator against Collins.
The limelight moth is getting worse. Daytona!! He really seems to have lost the plot. Tired brain elon-gated.
Anne-Louise Luccarini, ‘Tired brain Elon-gated’, how perfectly put:-) I’m smiling on a day when I’m feeling very somber, and will go to a rally here. I keep reminding myself and others that hitler’s rise came with far far too many citizens sitting instead of standing against. Just saying….
When he and Elon argue to reduce spending; what do we think it cost us taxpayers for the organge president to fly into Daytona, secure protection, then take numerous turns around the track??
Linda, thank God for the Ukrainians. They are kicking some Russian ass right now. And the shadow Russian tanker fleet is being sidelined because of their stupid actions against Europe. Our European allies need to step up and hit Russian oil and gas infrastructure including their pipelines and refineries. The Russians are now forced to use civilian vehicles because 1) they are unable to make enough diesel and/or get it to their troops and 2) they are running low on vehicles. Logistically, the Russians have improved over the 3 years and their drones are better, but how are they able to take care of half a million disabled soldiers when they return home. Also, Europe needs to sabotage the Russian police so the people can protest and riot. This is already happening but it needs to be expanded to all cities in Russia.
US defense firms have made billions from selling weapons to the US government and then giving them to Ukraine. So, instead of selling our weapons to Ukraine, we need to sell them to Europe to give to the Ukrainians.
If only Israel would help us out, but Netanyahu is a corrupt narcissistic autocrat who only cares about himself.
Yes. Let Trump give the Russians Musk's Trucks that no one in their right mind wants to buy because of their potential to cause harm, and as my daughter would say, their hideousness.
We will hopefully hear some of what the European countries meeting in France have to say. They will be careful in their messaging because let us face it, Trump is the enemy who needs to be managed. For them and for us.
You do not honestly expect that any European government is going to get involved in your internal problems? Why on earth would they? You did that baby, you fix it!
The exclusively only job of European governments is to look after European interests - be that a future with the US, or without.
And please don't tell me anything about gratitude - that debt is well and truly paid off.
Canada has a large Ukranian population and will always back them.
You are correct.......Russia has brought out old mothballed tanks that are just target practice for Ukrainian forces. N Korean soldiers were wiped out.........from reports.......
During WW2 the 1st Ukranian army was part of the Battle of Berlin.
These guys know how to fight a winter war better than anyone.
Will Orange Hitler and 4th Reich leader Musk send forces to HELP Putin???????
Gary, thanks for your post. I had no idea about the problems Russia is facing daily in their war. Have not heard or read these details anywhere. Where is our press?
Let’s fly our yellow and blue Ukraine support flags again, and let’s spread the word. It’s a good visual!
Anne Marie I recommend The Counteroffensive Substack by Tim Mak, which keeps up with what is going on with Ukraine.
https://www.counteroffensive.news/
Tim Snyder discusses the weaknesses of the Russian nation right now too.
Are you out of your fucking mind????? Keep your effing problems for yourself - the best you can do is move your plump military arse out of Europe - let me tell you - the people can't wait!
Sabine, first of all, your language is incredibly offensive, and it overwhelms your message. Secondly, Linda lives in Germany; she’s well aware of European attitudes towards the US. Thirdly, you completely misunderstood what she wrote; she is not suggesting that European leaders discuss coming here and “fixing” us. She is suggesting that any statements coming out of that meeting in Paris will probably be carefully worded to avoid offending Trump. Likewise, Gary is simply pointing out that the US defense industry has benefited mightily from our support of Ukraine, and that perhaps there is a possibility that European governments will step up to buy the American arms Ukraine needs if we betray Ukraine and withdraw our support, because your own defense industries might not be up to the enormity of the task. None of this is worthy of your profanity and your wrath.
You are likely to get your wish regarding the US military presence in Europe, if the current administration continues on its trajectory. While I would welcome not paying for your defense or European bases anymore, I worry that you will struggle to defend your own and your neighbors’ territory as Russia chips away at it. I’m sure we all wish you luck with that. Like many Americans, I’d rather have universal healthcare than a big military defending other countries if we have to reallocate funds. Not that we’re likely to get it, but still.
I had a similar discussion with an Italian friend last summer. His point was that Russia has never threatened Europe proper (I would argue that Ukraine is Europe, but I grant his point), so our presence has always been unnecessary and in fact might even provide a target for Russian aggression. My answer to him is the same as my answer to you. Why do you think Russia has never threatened Europe proper in the post-war period? It sure isn’t because they don’t want Polish or Moldovan territory, or Ukrainian territory with its rare earth metals. It’s because of us. The debt owed from WWII did not end with the end of the war, because our support didn’t end then either. And we have been glad to pay it - because supporting you has made all of us safer. None of us has ever asked for or expected repayment - because what helped you was good for us, too. It still is.
I would also assert that it isn’t true that Russia hasn’t threatened Europe. Russia’s cyber interference with things like Brexit and elections has happened in Europe as well as in the US, and has done plenty of damage to the world order, as we are experiencing right now.
I fear this changing of the guard. I fear power vacuums. I fear the far right with its echoes of Nazism, which if you’re German as your name suggests, you surely understand and hopefully fear too.
Sabine, with all do respect, where do you live in Europe? There’s something you need to understand, most Americans don’t agree with trump. I believe in NATO, I truly believe it has helped to keep the peace. I do not agree with everything my government does, but like u I love my country. I did not vote for this man in either election. I was born and raised in New York, I’m 79, I knew who he was from day one. My biggest fear is what trump and the man who bought this election musk will do to my country. However, do you think putin will stop with Ukraine? Just curious about your thoughts.
AfD vielleicht? Welche Leute koennen nicht warten?
I missed where you had any experience or first hand knowledge of what is going on now or any history. You are here ranting and raving like a hateful lunatic and haven’t said anything worth listening to.
Why don’t you calm down and try putting up a message that shows informed intelligence and diplomacy? Or do you just have hysterical gibberish like the other fascists?
Trump/Musk/Vance are withholding payments to every state. Many people are dying because of this. Trump is a murderer. Musk is a murderer.
I sent all 3 of my representatives emails today and I will call them later, even though their offices will be closed due to the holiday.
At some point it is time for the blue states to secede isn't it?
I agree. Being flexible is important. I would like them to secede their federal taxes first and set up a parallel government. California has the 5th largest GDP in the world, after US, China, Japan, Germany, but the US will still have the largest GDP even if CA were gone. It needs to be a bigger hurt than that. They are 14% of GDP. With NY 8% that will get closer to 1/4 of the income of the US government.
Democrats and everyone has to understand Democracy is broken, now the rules are new. No playing by the old rules, create new ones that may not be written up in a playbook like Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership and keep them guessing. Have a plan for the Supreme Court as well. Where does their legitimacy come from? Attack that.
I apologize for my position but this secession nonsense is just nonsense. It didn't work 175 years ago because it wasn't right then and it won't work today either because it isn't right today. Moreover it didn't work when the means of fighting the war to secede was basic hand fire arms. Now one side has aircraft, missiles, massive artillery and the seceding side (us) will be vastly outgunned. You don't really think they (the Trumpers) are going to let us just walk away, take out riches with us?
Seriously? You don't think secession will lead to a massive Civil War 2 where the West and North East will be massively outgunned by the US military and the bay Midwest and South?
Maybe you think we made a terrible mistake by not letting the South go back in 1860? I don't think so, but by that reasoning we would be making an equally terrible catastrophic mistake to try to do eta same thing ourselves today.
Linda, I heard that CA is now the 4th largest economy by GDP having overtaken Germany. Not that it matters very much.
And I agree about the Supreme Court. They are doing nothing while Rome burns.
Ever thought about joining Canada?
My senator, Bill Hagerty, has a clever way (?) of not taking many calls: after hours his DC mailbox is full, every time I call, and his local office phone is ALWAYS busy (off the hook I’d say), no matter day or night.
Keep calling. Call his other offices. Send postcards telling him he’s a traitor and a coward. Write to your local papers. Tell people he’s a coward and is favoring Putin over his constituents.
Your Senator has to accept snail mail so perhaps he could be deluged that way.
The problem with all of this entertaining secession discussion is that our divisions are no longer strictly geographic. Even in red states, most of the urban areas are blue. Even in blue states, it’s common for the rural areas to be red. You can’t just draw a line slicing off the coasts and a thin tier of blue northern states and call it done.
Besides, much as I envy Canada right now, I doubt they want us. We’re nowhere near polite enough, for one thing.
NO! The cancer must be removed.
Blue States ARE America. We do not secede!
I notice red states were hit with a lot of disasters that may need FEMA Help. Will Congress wake up and take back their power of the purse or continue to let President Musk steamroll them?
Bernie is doing a great job.
DC Judge Tanya Chutkan Hearing scheduled today on a federal Holiday to halt Musk-DOGE.
HOW?
Love Bernie! Such a fighter!
Cheri Jacobus has proposed a Daily Democratic Briefing, which she actually has the skills to implement. She suggests pushing Pete Buttigieg to be the spokesperson. I think her idea is good. She did a video on it.https://youtu.be/NnXQg36hL1o?si=9w4upZXlABuJNJIQ
I like her description of Barbie the Press Secretary.
Those two should be in prison, and yet they are not.
And Musk should have his US citizenship revoked and be deported back to South Africa to let them mete out justice to him. Trump can go to Gitmo.
Yes!! Best yet, Linda!
It boggles my mind ‘law established’ how to..doesn’t have consequences for [what’s happening] the.law.NOT.being .followed.
For further qualifications I submit: any law hereto enacted also must have the consequence established what happens if broken.
Accountability has to be upheld…and CERTAINLY ISN’T. I guess that what codifying is? So, we passed a law..then we have to pass another law the law passed is really solid..permanent.
I know some comedian could really make my rambling here funnier…are we laughing or crying..?
It’s like we need to have more time allotted to hear the reasonings said all over again..the verbosity dumbfounds me …blah blah blah no wait but blah blah blah.
Not bending my knee💙
It does, but since Trump is a convicted criminal and a fascist we know he is not interested in laws other than how can he break them and get away with it. The SCOTUS has given him Carte Blanche on bad behavior as president.
However, the military is the enforcement branch of the constitution. We shall see where they fall. He has not placed enough loyalists in there yet to risk them not backing him, or so it would see. Here are stats on US military and where they are located.
Here is US military by state.
https://matthewjlouis.com/hiring-veterans/us-military-installation-population-by-state/
Here is US military in the world, and you can scroll down to see most international are in Europe and Asia. Scroll over the country and it will give you the number. Japan has the most US military members, followed by Germany.
https://usafacts.org/articles/where-are-us-military-members-stationed-and-why/
Further more, Linda: I believe it was you who suggested a book on the Democratic Republican beginnings and when they split into Dem /Republican ( why, and names perhaps). I’d thought lastnight there should be a progression who started it, their followings /subsequent electeds /to even present day. There’s been several people say,” well , It was the Democrats that started the KKK….” but that was when they hadn’t switched…dang if it doesn’t confuse me too!
Sorta an ancestry dot com ‘family tree’ and when ‘the split’ occurred…
Such a book, Linda? Heather maybe?
That was interesting, Linda.
In Marshall Law the president is over the military.. but every state has the right to declare it and, as I read it, then their governor or high official can take command. Trump and cabinet will have to be under arrest.indicted for treason , held,and no bail.
Being surrounded by Trumpians there is no talking it around here, it’s “all Biden’s fault ya know” … yet fact for fact googled says exactly what was the status quo..the exact opposite…what is real…the hook ,line, and sinker ..absolutely unbelievable , swallowed by Trumpians . What a snow job! How far into complete devastation (such as the Russian people ,vast fathers and brothers gone , their economy near tanked, will it take for the US to see this too? I remember sayings years ago no matter how bad it got they’d be able to blame it on Biden. An economy was in robust ratings to soon a severe depression…oh fwe can, we will, come out of it…and then ? codify our rights, straighten up our laws from ‘loopholes’ , secure democracy so this never happens again…im so anxious to see ‘those cows come home ‘ …PLEASE!
Dems need to be more interesting than Trump. That’s brilliant! You can already feel the numbness about yet another agency being infiltrated and dismantled. And the Dems are not offering an actual fight. They need to arrest or be arrested. They need to start publicizing that the election was actually rigged this time. They need to be merciless about Elon’s personal life AND TRUMP’S PAST CRIMES!!! Where is Part 2 of the Special Counsel Report? And if they can’t do it they need to hire someone who can - they’ve got a $1 Billion dollar war chest!!!!
Exactly! Creative and changing so that there is not predictability.
Demos need to be more interesting than Trump. Yes, and no. Demos need to be more attention catching and fundamental to America. Forget idelology. Return to George Washington "All men are created equal under God." and Lincoln "Government of the People, by the People, and for the People."
Hiro they need to make the news cycle whatever it takes. the Republicans have learned to be buffoons to grab attention. We need some performance too.
What about Jamie Raskin? He came out strong in the beginning and then totally silence. Is he afraid of Trump Jan 6 footsoldiers? What about Michigan governor?
Jamie Raskin is far from silent. Podcasts and interviews all over the place.
Thank you. It is encouraging.
Got to follow the podcasts.
https://youtu.be/LtzTO4a83NY?si=CbE_1x7KrfTv26J1
Here are several.
https://www.listennotes.com/top-podcasts/jamie-raskin/?srsltid=AfmBOoo8_9tQrKcvt0CC3mHi-ORvBXlqZW7hC4Ntt9NgoREotHZEE9QH
Yes LInda! This is at least where they should start and NOW. MAKE NOISE, GET IN GOOD TROUBLE!
YES! And that means being creative and unpredictable.
Yes. The question is, How Do We SHOW our opposition?
Spot on. So far we're getting pages of argument, including some very constructive thinking. But, how to show our opposition hasn't emerged clearly yet. What counter-attractions can we offer to flyovers in Air Force One and very brief appearances at big sporting events? Good parody that does more than sting the target, but makes the crowds laugh instead of cheer.
Great post Linda.
"Dems need to be more interesting than Trump so that they make the news." YES! YES! and YES!!!
I would be happy to help them think of ways to do this. We all should be. Appearing with children seems to help. Also, they should travel to countries and meet with foreign democratically elected dignitaries. They should divvy this up so that a dem a day becomes a media thing. They could go to other countries and highlight things that they have that they think we should be having, so an aggressive program of more social spending. Go to European countries and highlight their children money that they give families, highlight daycare, highlight health care, and other programs that are strong in some countries than in the US, and an effect of democratic spending. There are a lot of other things they can do to make sensational news. They should also be producing news themselves and getting it out there. Videos of them helping out with distributing food, now that USAID has shut down, etc...
Then again... Dems are "boring". The orange sadist & co. are outrageous. That's how he won in 2016. As he said at the time, "I got billions of dollars of free advertising!" And it's still happening.
Bills like, you can't touch social security funding/payments for those Americans making less than $125,000 a year. These bills may not go anywhere in Congress, but spotlighted by the media, they pile up and make those that vote against them look callous, uncaring, and catering to the rich. They matter to voters. Bills against gerrymandering, bills against extreme voter roll purging. Bills allowing women's married names to be considered legit when they provide proof of identity to vote, not just birth records. Bills like raising the minimum wage (federal) to $10 an hour, going up a dollar every year. Basically, any, or all of Bernie Sanders' ideas ( I know his minimum wage is higher, but maybe we can start out slower.) Get busy, Dems! Don't stand in shock, act as if the Russians are trying to take over Congress, because, in essence...
For Way Too Many... Ignorance Is Bliss... The Daily Struggle Is All That They See...
On Friday I realized that what I've been feeling is paralyzing grief, the kind that numbs ones head and heart, making it hard to breathe. The fury I felt was blocking everything. I decided to watch a movie I knew would make me cry. I cried hard for a long time and that helped my soul. Sunday I awoke with the thought that I will not allow Trump, Musk, et alia, to steal my joy. I can still be furious about the damage that's being done, I can still feel sad for those who are being hurt and contribute what I can and I can feel anxious about how these actions might effect me. But I will no longer wallow in helplessness.
MisTBlu, that is a fabulous catharsis. I get mine playing music, and I have been unable to participate fully this winter; I am feeling the results of that. I hope that in 10-14 days I'll be able to sit and play, and rejoin the two groups I play in.
I'm having knee replacement surgery this morning. I'm gonna be out of the loop for a while.
Speedy recovery Ally! Sending a virtual hug. ❤️
Me too Officer. BTW, can you play the Tuba part the 🎶For the Benefit of Mr. Kite🎶 ?
Oh my! Best to you in your recovery, Ally. Thanks for getting on here beforehand! I’ll add your recovery to my heavenly entreaties.
I hope it goes well, Ally! My thoughts are with you.
But not out of our loop!
Wishing you a quick recovery! Follow the advice of your doctor and physical therapist, and you'll be fine. They'll want you to start moving as soon as possible.
Take care, Ally.
I hope your procedure goes smoothly and your recovery is uneventful. I envy you having the ability to play an instrument and something to feed your soul in these terrible times. Looking forward to your return.
Ally, I hope you knit up quickly, and have a speedy and uneventful recovery.
Good luck and a good recovery.
And so…. We begin…. NO WALLOWING!!!!!!
MisTBlu -- Hearty thanks for your inspiration!
Hang in there. Take breaks-long breaks -from the news. Stay connected to friends, neighbors, and family(in measured amounts if necessary). More will be revealed and the time to act will become clear. You’ll be ready.
Thank you Luke. I understand. I try. My recoveries are short lived. I NEED to know...
Veronica, I learned long ago, during a personal crisis time, to “wade through, not wallow”. That is, pay attention to what needs be and don’t over obsess…take time to “fill your tank” in ways that feed your heart/soul…..and then don your fighting boots again! 🗽☮️
Good words, we must remember them.....
Have you listened to what Anonymous has to say about our situation! Thoughts?
https://open.substack.com/pub/robertjrei/p/anonymous-shares-a-message-for-the?r=11rniv&utm_medium=ios
Well written and lived…. Thank YOU…
Me too, we must be sisters.
I'm trying. I've been advised to spend no more than 15-20 minutes a day looking at news, including Substack, for my own mental health. I decided to get off Facebook because I don't want to support Zuck, but many of my friends and family are still there and it's difficult to stay connected. I want to see more action. Don't tell me nothing can be done. I refuse to believe that.
I get it - I have days when I am determined to fight and days I can't stand the news. Fight when you can and rest when you must. Call your elected officials and if you can, attend protests and participate in the "no shop" days. Rest up for a concrete call to action. I think we all are waiting for a plan to implement. We just have to outsmart them and it will take time to get a plan in action.
There isn’t time. And do you think the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, NeiNazis and their ilk are taking breaks right now? The who destruction of our Democracy hinges on the ‘shock and awe’ tactics of bombardment and speed. The justice system is slow and in many instances corrupt. How many times did delay and self care deter the Nazi takeover of Germany? Of Hungary?
I think the justice system is doing a pretty good job of things. The resignations at the DOJ, for instance. Survivors of the lost-at-sea disasters celebrate the tiny wins as an essential way to keep going. The will to keep going depends on the state of mind, and vice versa.
I’ll give you that there is still integrity in much of the judiciary BUT the SCOTUS ideologues and Aileen Cannons put us here and the ones that rule with integrity are being threatened and impeded by Elon and the new joke of a AG.
YOU ALLLL, humor and GRIT…..
Understand your pain! Wish I didn't have to be doing this, but guess we all have to do what we can. And as AOC said a week ago, do what you can, what's in front of you, and that's enough.
It’s really surreal isn’t it. I will seriously consider leaving and returning to Europe wher I once lived for 18 wonderful months.
Please be very careful to undertake on the ground homework before making such a life changing decision as most of Europe has similar problems Bill. This reactionary revolution has taken root to a greater or lesser extent in every democratic nation state. The crooked men involved are riding in on a political populist wave created by real widespread human despair. The consequence of local cultural destruction and economic iniquities after 40 odd years of unregulated neo colonial financialisation which those making easy millions choose to call globalisation. 🐈⬛
I am in Europe for about 18 months and similar problems is not the same problems. Our conservative government in Germany, which is likely to be in first place in the upcoming election on Sunday, is not going to get rid of universal health care and long term disability insurance or the numerous other insurances most Germans have. They are also probably not going to align with the AfD even though VP JD told us to.
There are other countries which don't have an election coming up which are also having these sorts of better social structures. Right wingers masquerading as populists have been in the world for the past century, but now is a time for Democrats around the world to be banding together. that requires Americans to connect more with Democratic people's around the world too, and that might require leaving the US to do it, even if for a short time.
The illiberal peoples connect all the time, be they leaders or part of the party. Look at CPAP holding their meeting with all of the youth of their party in Hungary. So, democrats from the US should be holding meetings where they pay for their young leaders to come in other democratic countries.
Creating a global forum for young leaders from democratic countries is a great idea. How to expidite this ?🐈⬛
From what I know, none of the other German political parties would ever form a political coalition with AfD. They are correct not to do so.
Ive never felt at home in my own country.
We each need to identify what we can and will do, and keep doing it. Phone calls to legislators add up, as do protests and postcards to voters. Do something big if you can. If not, do small things. Remember to be kind, to do your part to creating a world you want to live in.
Personally, I take refuge in sheer stubbornness. If nothing else, refuse to lend your energy to the evil; use it for good.
An avalanche can start from the shifting of a single pebble. Move your pebble.
Organize!!!
We need to hang on to hope that GOP leaders like Graham, Cornyn, McConnell, Romney, will find their inner patriot.
Or become unconscious, a more likely event.
No. They took oathes. They served their country. I think the chaos of Trump has made them forget their priorities since 2016. They are in there somewhere.
I am similarly inclined to continue to read and commiserate and fear.....I am going to join the local League of Women Voters to see if I can contribute in some way. As Heather recommended, we have to give support - either through donations or time - to help combat the worst instincts of these people. Conversation and participation are bulwarks against violence - I hope.
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT. RESIST RESIST RESIST. Do everything you can to throw any sand, rocks or boulders into their cog wheel mess.
DC Judge Chutkan is holding a rare federal Holiday Hearing today.
I recall this article/quote from Politico
Jul 4, 2024 — Kevin Roberts said the revolution will be bloodless “if the left allows it to be.”
I posted 25 items on social media. All in reply to maga
Sleepless nights, upset stomach and fear are not helpful.
But I do feel grateful for all those are out there, protesting, writing letters, and using their voice and for us to work towards impeachment is what needs to happen
I haven’t been able to read the letters…my social media is filled with political updates protests etc. i’m worried i’ll be overwhelmed.
I find that news for me is as essential as breathing. If I don't know what's going on, I can't do anything to stop it. For me, it is my civic duty to keep informed -- and to share that information with others who don't have as much time to read and learn about it all, as I do.
Yes. Perhaps substack should install and "Absolutely horrified!" button. . .
How about a "furious" button?
😱
Agree with Heather except for one issue: open migration. The handwriting is on the walls of all nations. The people do not want unfettered and open migration. No nation on earth supports this. We must realize that if we are to win back our nation, our democracy, we must also place constraints on open migration. If not our March toward authoritarianism is inevitable. I just wish this was better understood. I’m afraid it’s not. Wake up please and smell the coffee.
Maybe concentration camps and genocide are your solution. Bomb that Statue of Liberty. We make her hang her head in shame. We could have a decent immigration system if only Repubs would sign on. But chump said NO. The chaos boss won’t have it. We have no neighbors anymore. We are the Nazis that our families fought and Ike vanquished.
WE are not the Nazis. We have been out gunned and out-planned by a crafty minority. I will not accept the blame; I live here but I do not approve.
I do not a certain the blame, but I cannot help feeling the shame.
❤️
Hi Margaret - I agree with you, we are not the Nazis. However, if you want to know where we may be headed, read the following article: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/path-american-authoritarianism-trump
Chilling ... I just read it.
Have you noticed that the Federalist Society and The Heritage Foundation have been invisible since the election?? This is the stuff they are doing (from this article):
'The Heritage Foundation and other right-wing groups have spent millions of dollars recruiting and vetting an army of up to 54,000 loyalists to fill government positions.'
100% agree. Fortunately I have the ability to afford to leave and I will. I always felt more European when I lived in Florence in the mid 1970s. I mostly despised Americanism most of my life. There is now even less for me here. But I will publish my songbook of digital downloads soon and see where it leads.
L. Murphy-Thanks so much for this article. It’s a great summary of where we are today and puts everything in context!
That is quite the read, thanks, L.
Margaret. Its not “your” rejection of the NAZI moniker that counts. The rest of the world now sees what is plainly seen. The US Constitution is struggling under the weight of Citizens United that allowed Musk to purchase America for 330 million in couch change. The world is not blind. We are most certainly, the Nazis
He is being metaphorical i think, and referring to the Trump administration...
Very unfair comment to Bill, J.D., very unfair. Working in remote, often very poor settings, one things that stands out is the ubiquity of satellite dishes. With the diffusion of Western programming and these dishes, the poor of the world now know how poor they are. 😵
Immigration will be a challenge throughout the wealthier First World. From a recent reading the portion of émigré(e)s remains at historical levels of two-to-four per cent. That implies a range of something like one hundred, sixty to two hundred, thirty million people on the move. 😳
With people picking numbers out of the air, let us try a mid-point of illegal aliens arriving over the past four years, or fourteen million entrants. (That number is likely lower.) That is four per cent of the U.S. population but enough to create problems in labor markets. 😱
So, there is cause for concern. What the solution is, I can not say. But mass deportations do not sit well with decent people. Securing the border against fentanyl is one thing, but King Bully is grabbing the easy targets (i.e., people living quietly in neighborhoods, doing work others do not want to do). 🤢
The fentanyl is coming in from US citizens. Mexico can solve all those problems by closing the border to US citizens. The people buying and using this fentanyl are illegal drug users. Our doctor doesn’t give it to us, it's not in our food or coffee. People make a concerted effort to buy and use those illegal drugs. But many hold up their deaths as if they were innocent paragons. Until we face this reality there will always be a problem.
Yes, I know that. Others have informed me. The point here is the border is porous when it comes to fentanyl. Trump is a bully and targeting the defenseless instead of taking on the problem he promised to take on.
I agree. It's a bad business not to have tight control of our borders. And Biden't first 2 years were a disaster and lost us the 2024 election. I hope leaders in the Dem party can see this. Their other, lesser, weakness was on the slavish inclusion of LGBQT+ appropriate signaling at every turn. We need to treat everyone equally but then shut up about it and stop beating our breasts over our nobility.
With attitudes like yours we will never win.
Win what, Bill? Is life on this planet a gladiator contest between nations?
It is now.
As far as I have known for my 58 years being a Naturalized citizen, there has never been open migration in the US. My parents escaped nazi and marxist occupation in Hungary in 1946, walking from Budapest to Viena. At that time they applied for a refugee visa to the US, where my mother had two uncles. They were DENIED and placed on a QUOTA. After a year at a refugees camp established at a Hospital in Viena, they went to Paris, where it took them six weeks to secure merchant ship passage to Chile, where my father had a cousin, a physician who went to a conference and ended up staying there due to the war. My father died in Chile in 1965. I came to the US to study in 1966. I got married in 1969. IN 1968 MY MOTHER WAS CONTACTED BY THE US immigration authorities , informing her that the quota, she and my father applied for in 1946, had opened!! TWENTY TWO YEARS AFTER APPLYING! My father died dreaming of the US. My mother joined me as a LEGAL, proud and happy immigrant.
Do you call this OPEN MIGRATION?? IT WAS NOT OPEN IN 1946 NOR IS IT NOW.
Open migration is a dog whistle for white nationalist crap. I believed the Statue of Liberty since I am a product of immigrants from long ago. Most of us are. We are arrogant and ungrateful and bring shame to a once proud ideology. BTW, I would trade any immigrants waiting to get in for the MAGAts and their greedy bastards. They also have immigrant ancestors that we should have rejected from the git go.
Agreed, JD. And remember that Mr. Katz called out for the assassination of a presidential candidate as well as for a military coup by so-called "good generals". It's not only his stance on immigration that is unAmerican.
Wrong find the quote. Perhaps there was in indirect insinuation which is a far cry from your accusation. But typical ignorance spewing forth not surprising.
I do hear you...
I never forget the majority of my ancestors were 19th century Irish immigrants. What I hate is the propensity of some Americans (also of immigrant descent) to visit the hostility their ancestors faced onto later generations of immigrants. We should all remember that only the Native Americans were indigenous to the nation.
Stop with the sentimental crap over the Liberty statue. It was a gift from France. My point is that no nation accepts hundreds of thousands running over hot sands and overwhelming border security. No nation on earth. So quit the crap. Our side lost because Biden sleep on the job for two years. Everyone knows it but blinded bleeding heart democrats.
and the US does not have and has never under ANY party had open borders and nobody - in any country - advocates for them now. It's somewhere between a red herring and a blatant lie. The question is how to control immigration - and Biden and Harris did a lot of useful things, without the cruelty and the insults of Trump and his minions.
We tend to focus on immigrants who come through the southern border but the data shows that the top four country of origin for immigrants in 2023 were Mexico, India, China and the Philippines.
Graphics of the “caravans” are used to create fear but how about those who fly into the country and all of those from other countries who overstay visas?
The Rs refused to tighten laws because they want to use immigration as a cudgel. We have to be honest about both parties inability to insure that immigration laws are reasonable and applied across all borders.
Thank you for sharing this story
Glad you made it. So terrible what your family went through. Both sets of my grandparents came here between 1905–1910. The Jewish side knew what was happening and the Sicilian side sought prosperity. I get it and I’m not against immigration although it sounds is if I am. No, I’m against illegsl massive migration when it destroys democracy which it has through an ugly backlash.
Nebraska is desperately in need of people to fill lower and higher level jobs (we do have people for high school educated and non specialists who don’t have to work menial jobs) but MAGA prejudices and misinformation are preventing us from getting the immigrants we need.
And the situation is only going to get worse. We NEED immigrants to fill these jobs and contribute to Social Security.
They’re not illegal. They were granted entry to the country under our legal asylum laws and are awaiting court dates to be heard. They are escaping life threatening conditions. The migrants aren’t destroying democracy, the racists, fascists and scared white boys are. Place the blame in the right place.
Thanks for your response. This needs to be said!
You've never had open immigration. Right now, there are Afghan refugees in Pakistan who helped the US in the war with the Taliban who've spent the best part of a year applying for visas only to to see the whole process shut down by Trump, even for those already approved for resettlement. This also affects refugees from Syria, Myanmar, Venezuela and parts of Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The administration is using the manufactured and fictitious crises at the borders as an excuse to withdraw support from Ukraine and Europe. The administration has also abruptly ended temporary protected status. TPS allows those protected to legally live and work in the US. This even threatens Ukrainians in the US - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/15/trump-administration-tps-ukraine-cleveland
A special exception has been carved out for Afrikaners based on Trump's unsubstantiated allegations about white South Africans being robbed of their land by the South African government. Many see this move as being prompted by the so-called PayPal mafia (Musk, Thiel, Sacks) who were all born and raised in aparthied South Africa. That's what your 'open' immigration system look like now!
But white Afrikaner’s are “persecuted” in South Africa, and in this Admin’s view deserve to be given sanctuary, as you say—were it actually true, it might alter my opinion. Makes me so 🤬at the unfair treatment. This really is a waking nightmare.
Trump's asylum offer to white South Africans comes after years of lobbying by an Afrikaner rights groups, AfriForum, which caught Trump’s attention during his first term by claiming that white farmers in South Africa were being murdered for political ends and to seize their land. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) civil rights organisation has described AfriForum’s leaders as white supremacists in suits and ties (I'm quoting here from The Guardian newspaper). In August 2023, Musk posted on X/Twitter this comment: "They are actually killing white farmers every day. It’s not just a threat." There's no evidence at all for any of this.
It also fits in with Trump’s in your face racism.
Just a free ticket to import more racists. My experience with white South Africans is that they have all been racists.
Carl-South Africa established apartheid by examining America’s racist systems including Jim Crow. The U.S. is a model nation when it comes to racism.
Thank you for putting out the larger truth. Is anyone looking at a Putin-Iran connection?
It's been reported that Russia and Iran has agreed to strengthen military ties. Iran already supplies drones to Russia, as well as, according to Western intelligence, ballistic missiles to batter the Ukrainians. It's also been reported that Trump believes that he needs Putin to talk to the Iranians to secure a new nuclear deal following reports in the Israeli press that Israel is considering bombing Iranian nuclear sites this year. Perhaps that's one reason he's offering Putin what many consider an outrageously sweet deal for peace with Ukraine.
Would you understand my point if I said it in Italian? I spent some time there and can say it in a different language if it helps.
Your comment looked more like Double Dutch to me. America is a country of immigrants. Your surname suggests a German background, like your president, even though his family has taken steps to conceal it. There are Americans living all around the world. Perhaps you'd be happy at least to take back some of them?
Sounding more like Rick Sender to me.
I identify more from my maternal side which is Italian. Ai capito?
I am confused by the terms “ the people “ and “open migration .” “The people” I assume means a certain middle class person writing this comment. As a member of “the people” I have no problem with human migration. Migration literally made us better as a species and as a nation.
Is “open migration “ another way of claiming we have “open borders ?“ our borders have never been open in my life time.
You are correct. FASCISTS historically have blamed "outsiders" for all their problems. A tactic of Hitler's, memorised by Herr Shittler.
Trump has been lying about it all along, and he has a whole wingnut media apparatus repeating the lies 24/7.
For some silly reason, I always smile when you use the the word "wingnut"!
What then for desperate people? VP Harris did what she could in Central America, but there weren’t enough immigration judges to screen people and now everything is shut down, immigration judges fired. We refused to support contraception in these countries and have our own disaster with contraception in a world with climate change, already overpopulated. Now we turn evil and uncivilized like Putin, Orban, and Chi. Chaos does not produce sanity.
Exactly right!
Why is trying to solve the reasons for migration never a topic of discussion?
And as climate change becomes worse, and as weather wreaks havoc on food production, and as we continue to send weapons anywhere we can profit from selling them, the reasons why people will want to migrate will increase. I'm posting the entire poem, "Home," not just the link, hoping that everyone will read it and understand why people leave their countries:
Home
By Warsan Shire
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well
your neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory
is holding a gun bigger than his body
you only leave home
when home won’t let you stay.
no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it’s not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats into
your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in an airport toilets
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you wouldn’t be going back.
you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land
no one burns their palms
under trains
beneath carriages
no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled
means something more than journey.
no one crawls under fences
no one wants to be beaten
pitied
no one chooses refugee camps
or strip searches where your
body is left aching
or prison,
because prison is safer
than a city of fire
and one prison guard
in the night
is better than a truckload
of men who look like your father
no one could take it
no one could stomach it
no one skin would be tough enough
the
go home blacks
refugees
dirty immigrants
asylum seekers
sucking our country dry
niggers with their hands out
they smell strange
savage
messed up their country and now they want
to mess ours up
how do the words
the dirty looks
roll off your backs
maybe because the blow is softer
than a limb torn off
or the words are more tender
than fourteen men between
your legs
or the insults are easier
to swallow
than rubble
than bone
than your child body
in pieces.
i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home told you
to quicken your legs
leave your clothes behind
crawl through the desert
wade through the oceans
drown
save
be hunger
beg
forget pride
your survival is more important
no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now
i dont know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here
This poem is gut-wrenching. I see my parents, my grandparents, my three years old aunt being killed with a broom " because the 16 years old son of the building superintendent" was tired of looking at that jewess on the play ground. " I see my grandmother turning grayhaired overnight. I see all the people in the ghettos, the concentration camps, who would have suffered torture for la chance to leave, no matter to where, no matter the risks. II think of the ones who did make it out, just to be turned back. The poem evokes visual images and long buried feelings. Brilliantly written. Thank you for posting.
Thank you for this, Betsy. You are so right that the changes coming to this earth & all that inhabit it are going to drive massive dislocation/relocation….not just of humans, but of other species…both animal and plant….at least those that are able to survive/adapt to the changes. Sigh, what a mess we’ve made.
Betsy, thanks for posting this poem. Its words and images are harsh, painful, and disgustingly revolting at times. Sometimes, we need to be shaken to wake up. Our shared humanity is calling.
We, all of our ancestors, traversed for all of human history from one place to another. For one reason or another, we migrated. That's what animals do. That's what people do. It comes from the depths of human instinct. I imagine my ancestors weary, cold, hungry, exhausted, lost, under threat, injured were saved by the kindness of strangers, more than once. I like to think that I would repay that kindness. I like to think that we humans across the planet in nations and between nations will see strangers on the move not as a problem but an opportunity to answer the call of humanity with wisdom not fear, not anger, not violence. But wisdom --channeling our ancestors' gratitude.
Gut-wrenching poem indeed.
I've got my fingers crossed that Mr. Katz will read and then think hard on it.
(This was in response to David Crellen’s comment, it didn’t make it up that far!) That’s way too hard for these cretins; they’ve given up all responsibility for following the Constitution and it’s much easier to slash and burn their way through, or lets others do it. Solving problems is hard work…much better to blather about mass deportation and camps. Can you imagine Vance doing the work that Kamala tried to do as VP in working together with Mexico and Centrał America to ease the problems leading to their citizens migrating to the US??!
I wrote earlier about that very question.
Because it can’t be used as a cudgel by the politicians who only want to increase their power.
Just like fentanyl, brought in by US citizens, is always blamed on migrants, Mexico, China. Why aren’t our border control catching it at the border? Because they refuse to accuse white men.
Just stop letting US citizens Into Mexico.
What "the people" are likely to favor is an international commitment to begin placing sanctions on the top five nations causing migration out of countries through military ventures and destabilizing governance.
Is our country at the top of your list??? It should be
Sounds very plausible. Yer those countries are not likely to comply.
Fine - you want immigration solved. Great. There was a recently a plan that the democrats agreed to in regards to immigration reform, no pushbacks on the requests put down by Republicans. And it was negotiated by Senator Lankford (hard core R) and a tri-partisan team. Trump put a few calls in and had it killed so it could be something he could "run on". And today, I heard that over a 1,000 immigration judges were fired. How does that solve the problem?!?!?! Whether people in our country like it or not, we need immigrants. We are a nation of immigrants. What is going on in Washington has NOTHING to do with immigrants. They're having a difficult time rounding up the "thousands" of people they expected to round up for show and deportation. And yes, immigration has been an issue for DECADES. I agree something should be done - but these illegal immigrant roundups are a deflection to some really awful things going on.
Elon and dudes running amok in all of these databases have NOTHING to do with open migration/immigration. They are stealing our data and God knows what for whatever their devious planning and plotting entails. They will no doubt use it to blackmail all of us to fall in line in some way. But to say that all of this is because of open migration - get a grip.
Heather Greisz: blaming migration is a fascist MO. Part of Project 2025 .
Trump's father was a nazi. He is a nazi, he does not care about anyone but himself. Now he has the support of an idiot savant with a lot of money....
Not a savant. A pampered rich boy whose despicable father made his riches exploiting miners and thrived on Apartheid. He had money to invest and if he had any intelligence of his own, it revolved around recognizing and investing in the inventions of people far more brilliant than himself. Most of us don’t know their names. The biggest investment he has made so far is in bankrolling Trump’s campaign to gain power and enrich himself even further.
Trump would have promised anything to stay out of jail and Musk was resentful of regulations and being called on breaking the law in his businesses. What a team.
Such affinity with Netanyahu who has churned on with the assault on Gaza because while Israel is at war it is not pursuing his charges of corruption.
These men have no loyalty to Country. It’s all self-aggrandizement and greed.
…….who is also a Nazi (or a wannabe one).
( and so was Elon’s grandfather)
In order to discuss the thorny issue of mass migration it needs to be seen within a wider historical and social lens than is often the case. The postwar rise of mass movements of peoples is underpinned by the mass burning of petroleum and the mass acceptance of a global class system. It is also, in the great scheme of history, a very recent social development and a symptom of hyper capitalism. First class people (First World) travel globally for work and tourism. Second class people travel, usually only within their own countries, for affordable housing and work and third class people (Third World) travel to flee violence, persecution and starvation. These movements are all making vast amounts of easy profits for our Overlord hedgefund managers. Their continued profits depend upon an ever increasing exploitation of places and peoples. If immigration is to be successfully tackled we need to start with how all our lives are structured and controlled by the men with the money.
You need to stop classifying people.
Whenever Congress has tried to legislate immigration the Republicans block it. This is their solution to immigration -- mass deportation. And they are deporting US citizens. WTF!!!
We helped destroy the cultures of Africa, the Philippines and South and Central America, and the native North American. We exploited them, supported dictators, and enslaved their people. That's why people want to leave there. It's blowback from 500 years of brutality in which we participated. That's the smell of coffee.
What you mean “we”?
The US, in their policies abroad creating the untenable situations that Betsy shared in her poem. The US, which (via its House of Representatives) has REFUSED to work on border policy so it could be a wedge issue to get ffpotus reelected.
People who support the business interests of the USA otherwise known as us.
Migration worldwide is going to continue with the increased effects of global warming/climate change. The ability to support families and make a living is changing due to crop changes and more. Droughts, extreme storms, fires, stronger hurricanes and more. And the oligarchs don’t care as long as they can stay in power and keep fossil fuels, and control the social media. I agree the issue needs a serious overhaul, I don’t think it is going to go away anytime soon.
Our nation does not need to be “won back” from anyone except the morally repugnant twits who are currently trying to destroy it.
Funnily enough you were just considering moving to Europe because of the unpleasantries in the US - is that right? That would be migrating, wouldn't it?
Open borders? That is simply not true. Do we need more resources at the border? Yes. Then why have Republican passed new legislation ? Why didn’t they pass Sen Langford bill?
Even a simple wall won’t keep immigrants from migration. There are several external factors that require a deep thought policy:
1. Climate change
2. Security
3. Economic security ( housing, food, schools, jobs)
4. Political repression ( Authoritarianism)
If the above aren’t addressed, how do propose to manage immigration?
What penalties need to be on the books and how do you plan on enforcing those penalties on businesses large and small ( and critical to the economy, many the food and agriculture, construction, and hospitality sectors?
Go back to sleep Bill Katz.
Reported for being a jerk.
You can dish it out but can’t take it?
I agree. No one elected Musk, and Trump and Musk are engaged in a wholesale assault on our Constitution.
Yes,I am with you.I am NOT OK that my country is aligning itself with Russia.It is NOT OK that an unelected private citizen and some boys have hijacked sensitive material on me and millions of other American.I am also very pissed.More calls and letters today but something has gotta give.
Same. I give HCR a like every day so I can boost it on my own feed, no matter dark or foreboding the message of the day is. Heather is a beacon of unrelenting truth and a true Patriot.
I will point out that this is the time forge a ‘Center-left’ coalition! I would love for AOC to meet with farmers in Iowa, the home of original progressives! Stop the division, start honoring the wide, strong, verdant valley of common values! Love, empathy, fairness, health, truth, beauty, following the laws of the land, accepting science, and understanding the reason for these values and laws! We are the constitution!
The (R)ss's give prostitutes a bad name.
Thanks for reminder: “hitting LIKE” has new meaning
Same! This is like a very BAD DREAM but unfortunately is all to real. And the anger I feel towards all those who could do something but won’t is growing.
I do the same, Heather. HCR is the messenger, not the creator of this dire news.
DEMs should forget about using liberalism for their policies. We should all voice together forcefully that we want take back Lincoln government: "Government of the People, by the People and for the People." From "Government of the few, by the few and for the few."
Hmm. No IRS agents. What if all of us refuse to pay taxes? At least in my case, nothing is taken out of my social security, so if I don't pay they are not holding my money, although they could stop my SS payments. I can always ask for extensions. I am in Europe, so I doubt they will send someone to arrest me and as things are going, there may be a reluctance for Europe to carry out civil actions on the part of this administration. Likewise, ALL democrats should vote AGAINST raising the debt limit. Remember, TRUMP CHEATED in the election. See gregpalast.com Vigilantes video. He would not have won without disenfranchising millions of voters. These wackjobs are replacing professional public employees with MAGAs and are destroying the government. They aren't going to pay attention to strikes or protests and will eventually use force to control the populace.
Could someone PLEASE write something uplifting? I do not know whether it is fortunate or unfortunately that I do not have access to a roof top...
“They say that beauty comes from a spirit that has weathered many hardships in life and somehow continues with resilience. Grace can be found in a soul who ages softly, even amid the tempest.
I think the loveliest by far is the one whose heart bears a hundred scars from caring, and still finds a way to pick up the lamp, one more time, to light the way for love.”
-Susan Frybort
I have to remember that Hope can get us through. Hope is a catalyst
Liar, liar . . . ¡Vance on fire!
Vance’s behavior toward the Germans was despicable, and as a lawyer and officer of the court, he should know better than to assert the executive branch won’t obey the judicial branch. Obviously Trump, Musk, and Vance believe they are laws unto themselves.
Yale Law School must immediately distance themselves from Vance, revoke his diploma, and publicly excoriate his despicable behavior.
By his own admission, J.D. Vance was nothing but an impoverished, rudderless hillbilly before arriving at Yale. The university molded this once disadvantaged son of Appalachia into the person who has become our vice president, second in command to lead the United States.
Rather than be humbled by his extraordinary education and opportunity, Vance has disgraced the very institution that created him. Before aligning himself with the AfD, Vance signaled his intent to further the illegitimate executive branch power grab when he boasted “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power." It is evident he did not take to heart the concept of separation of powers nor pay heed to Yale’s courses in professional responsibility and ethics, which, if he had, would have compelled him to abide by the oath he took to uphold the constitution.
Yale must summon the courage (channel the brave Rev. Budde), and condemn Vance’s dangerous rhetoric. If not, Yale’s silence implies it is fine with their role in creating this Frankenstein VP, and by extension its own role, in the dangerous and rapidly unfolding coup.
Institutions and people must speak truth to power, now.
SAT12, I understand that you're making a case for your recommendation, but it is inaccurate to state that Yale molded Vance (or whatever his name is) into the person he is.
Yale just provided enough book-learning to help Vance sound like he knows what he's talking about. It was Peter Thiel who bought the unformed person who was Vance and molded him into a christo-fascist technocrat.
Is Theil untouchable…asking for a friend
That is not true. Vance went through Ohio State in three years or less. His family was not always impoverished. My close friend from Appalachia hates him, less for his politics than his playing on popular prejudice about Appalachia in 'Hillbilly Elegy'.
The impoverished hillbilly saved by granny is his schtick. J.D. Vance has a remarkable mind, but he is like a blend of Napoleon (upwardly mobile), Alcibiades, and Aaron Burr wrapped up into one blindly ambitious fellow.
I would argue that much of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ portrays him as being impoverished. He was not. He had a working though drug addicted mother and domestic abuse in the family, but he lived in a decent 4 bedroom home and had educational access.
Thank you for setting the record straight. Yes, in 'Hillbilly Elegy', Vance once references that his family was making $100,000 per year, at least at some point, a decent living in a depressed area.
As my long-time friend told me, Vance grew up in a dysfunctional family and he does not speak for Appalachia. I do not know how his mother and wife can put up with this sheiße.
Yale is already a joke. A bastion of uncritical censorious thought. An institution in collapse along with Harvard and a handful of other formerly elite Universities. All killed by "progressive" inculcated Professors, conformity and woke mind. Sad.
And, while they are at it, from Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh.
Kathy, it's a golden and unique opportunity given to them by the ignorant part of our electorate that won't be repeated. They are fanatics that been planning this takeover for a long time, baked by unlimited money.
They won't give up. We have to fight our way back .
Vance should immediately be disbarred.
Several people have spoken of tempering ,realistically , the freedom of speech clause/theory. Lying should not be confused with fiction or fantasy, that would be mental derangement .
The BIG problem, of course, is that Vance was NOT lying in that odious speech.
Per Politico's top & accurate legal reporters, KYLE CHENEY & JOSH GERSTEIN, Judge Chutkan is "poised to reject an IMMEDIATE" ruling to stop DOGE.
The DEM state AG's "lacked enough concrete evidence to justify extraordinary restrictions". The Judge means a -prophylactic- remedy, a big HINT to the Plaintiff AG's about the specific evidence needed.
Waiting for a transcript of the Court's Order & the transcript of the Hearing to inspect how the "entity" DOFE appeared at oral argument.
I will update when Court documents are on the Docket.
**************************************************************************************
LIVE 2/17/25 POSTING from a DC FEDERAL COURT HEARING:
At this moment 1:00 PM EST, I was on a Public access Court Hearing Call-In waiting for Judge Tanya Chutkan. to come on the Bench The hearing was over at 1:04 PM EST, See KYLE CHENEY & JOSH Gersteins' 1:04 PM accurate report at Politico.
**************************************************************
Kudos to NEWSWEEK's Sean O'Driscoll for posting the Public access data needed
to access the Court Call-In Tel: 833-990-9400. Hearing #493 633 106.
I was not in the Courtroom so I sure hope LISA RUBIN was in the Courtroom, the nation's most reliable reporter of court room proceedings.
LEGAL CONTEXT: This is the only case that has "DOGE" as an entity as a Party. How & who "DOGE" appeared are very important.
***************************************************************************************
Everybody, per REUTERS' Tom Hals, just after midnight email Alert, DC Judge Tanya Chutkan is moving quickly too by calling a rare federal court hearing on a federal court Holiday, today 2/17/25!
That would be in the 14 Democratic AG's federal case brought by 13 Democratic including my in CA AG Rob Bonta.
Context: Musk/DOGE directed 1000+ more Job Cuts on Valentines Dat 2/14/25.
I suspect the AG's are seeking more time to get a Permanent Stay on the white male billionaire hacker.
I would absolutely never step on Judge's toes ... nevertheless, GRANTED. Judge Chutkan knows how to bang the gavel down hard. ⚖️
They are not auditing any agency for waste – there isn’t an accountant anywhere to be found. These are teenage/20-year-old coders/programmers who haven’t a clue and are now criminal opportunists – “just doing what they are told”.
For crying out loud the prefrontal cortex (critical thinking, impulse control, judgement) is still not developed in these kids. They are stealing information to exploit Americans and enrich themselves (or most likely the oligarchs). Why is this being allowed?! This is pure insanity, the final nails in the coffin of democracy.
People say, don’t give up the fight, but what good is protesting when we keep showing up with a knife to a gunfight? Handwringing won’t change the fact that they hold all the power and the damage is already done. While legal battles drag on, the theft continues unchecked. The data is already in their hands—regardless of any court rulings, the breach has already happened.
Meanwhile, on the global stage, our standing has plummeted to zero. The most distrusted government in the world (and with nuclear weapons no less!). What has been done has so eroded our credibility that we are effectively dead in the water with our allies. That trust can never be regained.
Please don’t let them discourage “us” so easily. It’s going to be a long hard struggle! It’s a marathon not sprint. Do what you can and be with others who can give us more strength! HCR is a good start!
Your point is so obvious that it escapes us Why send it young coders instead of experienced accountants? DUH!
I worked for the IRS for 34 years. Unauthorized forays into IDRS were cause for termination of employment. This is absolutely horrifying.
Don’t even get me started on the inadequate funding and staffing, and how that negatively affects enforcement.
They are not auditing any agency for waste – there isn’t an accountant anywhere to be found. These are teenage/20-year-old coders/programmers who haven’t a clue and are now criminal opportunists – “just doing what they are told”.
For crying out loud the prefrontal cortex (critical thinking, impulse control, judgement) is still not developed in these kids. They are stealing information to exploit Americans and enrich themselves (or most likely the oligarchs). Why is this being allowed?! This is pure insanity, the final nails in the coffin of democracy.
People say, don’t give up the fight, but what good is protesting when we keep showing up with a knife to a gunfight? Handwringing won’t change the fact that they hold all the power and the damage is already done. While legal battles drag on, the theft continues unchecked. The data is already in their hands—regardless of any court rulings, the breach has already happened.
Meanwhile, on the global stage, our standing has plummeted to zero. The most distrusted government in the world (and with nuclear weapons no less!). What has been done has so eroded our credibility that we are effectively dead in the water with our allies. That trust can never be regained.
Call every Senator, yours and everyone else. Tell them they are cowards and traitors. We don’t want to betray our allies and join with Putin so that Trump and Musk can rule the world while millions suffer and die. Americans wanted Trump to tame inflation and control the border. It turns out he’s Putin’ s puppy. It HAS been Russia all along. Tell them that.
@ Kari. I think the sell out re Ukraine, Vance meeting with the Nazis, etc has to shake up even Senate Republcans. This may be a window of oppotunity....
I keep sayin' we need Republicans to object -- pressure the Senate Republicans who voted for the Ukraine package https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4464791-here-are-the-senate-republicans-who-voted-for-the-ukraine-package/
Here are all 22 Senate Republicans who voted in support of the spending bill:
Sen. John Boozman (Ark.)
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.)
Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.)
Sen. Susan Collins (Maine)
Sen. John Cornyn (Texas)
Sen. Kevin Cramer (N.D.)
Sen. Mike Crapo (Idaho)
Sen. Joni Ernst (Iowa)
Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa)
Sen. John Hoeven (N.D.)
Sen. John Kennedy (La.)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.)
Sen. Jerry Moran (Kan.)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
Sen. James Risch (Idaho)
Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah)
Sen. Mike Rounds (S.D.)
Sen. Dan Sullivan (Alaska)
Sen. John Thune (S.D.)
Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.)
Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.)
Sen. Todd Young (Ind.)
From Meidas....… Republican Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker isn’t thrilled with Pete Hegseth’s job performance so far: “He wasn’t my choice for the job. He made a rookie mistake in Brussels and he’s walked back some of what he said but not that line. I don’t know who wrote the speech — it is the kind of thing Tucker Carlson could have written, and Carlson is a fool."
… Wicker said he also disagreed with Trump’s comments that NATO provoked Russia to invade by considering Ukraine for NATO membership: ““There are good guys and bad guys in this war, and the Russians are the bad guys. They invaded, contrary to almost every international law, and they should be defeated. And Ukraine is entitled to the promises that the world made to it.”
… Trump was asked again today who he blamed for the war, Ukraine or Russia: “There are a lot of people to blame.”
… Trump was asked about Wicker’s comments about Hegseth: “I haven’t heard that. I mean, Roger is a very good friend of mine, and Pete is doing a great job. So, I’ll speak to Roger. I’ll speak to Pete. I’ll find out.”
In case you forgot, politicians have no spine. They all want to keep their jobs so they will do as they are told and sellout their country.
That is another example of the false syllogsym. Dogs are animals. Cats are animals. Therefore, cats are dogs.
Are you posting this to any social media ?
Alt National Park Service is posting on Bluesky and Facebook. They represent government employees who are in their coalition. It’s very enlightening to read their posts as they often have news before the mainstream media gets it out.
Thank you for additional information.
What are they DOING???
Thank you for outing GAVIN KLIGER. We need to know the names of all those who are dismantling our Government when we bring a charge of Espionage.
The charge will be “Treason” and the punishment will be death.
We are now at war - democracy vs. authoritarianism. Russia's invasion of Ukraine was the first salvo fired by the fascists. Trump's support of Putin was a principal reason for voting against him. What to make of those Americans who voted for Trump: Ignorant? Stupid? Fascists? Or all three and even more?
Thanks for the share Kari.
Today I see they are going after Medicare and Medicaid, laying off staff like the Angel of Death. It has been in my mind for some time that if there is simply no more abiding by the Constitution that a vast segment of US society is frankly committing secession. At what point do we act like it and respond accordingly - I'm thinking of the entire GOP, red states, and the administration as a whole. Shouldn't the introduction of fascism be a dealbreaker?
We need to think anew as our adversary grows more reckless and lawless.
Philoctetes, it's not the GOP anymore. It's now the White Totalitarian Faction, or WTF party.
I’m so stealing this….WTF party!!!! Too perfect!!!
My bumper sticker is GOP WTF!?
Thanks, Barbara!
Doug, you win the internet today. The WTF party run by TFP.
TFP: those <insert appropriate profanity for fornication> people. Or "Those Flippin' People" if you cannot swear.
Thanks Ally. That one came to me yesterday out of the blue.
Now THAT is a good one! Right there! HEH! HEH!
🤣🤣🤣
I presume you're referring to the draft budget tabled by the House Republicans which envisages $2 trillion cuts in mandatory spending which would have to include Medicare, Medicaid and other welfare programs. They also want to increase the debt ceiling so that they can afford to extend the 2017 tax cuts that hugely favoured the wealthy. Joyce Vance also draws attention to a bill sponsored by 81 Republicans in Congress, The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require all voters to provide a birth certificate, passport, or one of a few other proof-of-citizenship documents every time they vote, register to vote or change their address. The Pew Research Center has found that 69m women voters who have taken their spouse’s name do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name on their birth certificates. It's all crazy as you say and needs to be resisted. You might be interested in this article yesterday where the New Yorker interviews Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU, about his red lines for organising a complete shutdown -https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/the-aclu-vs-trump-20
Disenfranchising women is the goal and most have no clue. What in holy hell is wrong with our MSM
I suppose they considered the Act DOA in the Senate last July when it was tabled and they haven't yet caught up with the implications of a Republican-dominated Senate amid the welter of other stuff that the administration has been doing.
What you don’t know can bite you in the arse. And our MSM is comotose.
My inclination is to believe that the journalists are mostly exhausted by the blitzkreig of nonsense emerging from the White House. The situation of the owners is a different matter.
The MSM is chicken. (Oops, Joyce! No insult intended to yours. )
They are deaf, blind, and mute—but mostly cowards! They are a testament to their own disrespect for true journalism."
Trying to save their heads by keeping a very low profile.
MSM is under right wing control.
JD, holy hell wishes to share the following document, which admittedly, could be slightly out of date. To summarize, corporate media is owned by or controlled by males of the species (excepting CBS). As members of the ruling class, they are not moved.
https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/futureofmedia/files/us_media_ownership_may_2021.pdf
Not surprising. The birth certificate requirement to vote is simply a way to purge many women from the polls in line with white christian nationalist priorities. Everyone must be subservient to white males.
The ghost of Phyllis Schalfly!
What a bitch that woman was. She would love the SAVE act, which is an abomination. Do Dems have any power to stop it.
They can oppose it in the Senate and then it depends on whether enough Republicans have the stomach to join them.
I guess this is the GOP seeking to solve its “suburban women” problem. 😡
Russell, any woman who has experienced having to backtrack, verify, document it all knows what an absolute pain in the ass it is….and that’s assuming you have access to resources to even get the data/documents you need. It takes A LOT of time and effort, and some expense. Ask me how I know. Glad more women are keeping their birth names…something I recommend 100%!!!
I have my birth certificate and never married. My sister kept her maiden name when she married. All the SAVE act does is to make it easier to disenfranchise citizens who have a legal right to vote, because the act’s sponsors know the more people they disenfranchise, the easier it is for them to ignore any opposition. The late right wing political activist Paul Weyrich knew it well.
Russell, Thanks for sharing this vital info regarding the SAVE act that the gop has pledged to pass this congressional term.
SAVE act? Is that Subjugate All Vagina’s Expediently? Just wondering if that was the, er, thrust of the motion.
Thank the indefatigable Joyce Vance, not me!
You shared it here Russell; That merits appreciation. Not everyone can afford multiple substack subscriptions, whether that's a problem you can relate to or not. By doing so you make yourself part of the resistance whether it's your intent or not, as I should think 'elites' might prefer that we 'not' widely and freely share important information. BS and propaganda are free; Is truth behind paywalls ?
To be fair, many of these very smart people who write Substacks do not demand payment from all but instead appeal to those who can afford to donate so they can keep going. I do what I can to support these people. The newspaper industry and mainstream media in America suffers because its corporate owners want to protect their own financial interests. It seems that now everybody and his cousin is a blogger/influencer due to the social media platforms and people have turned away from the MSM. Trump levels his attacks at this last bastion of democracy. None of this is good for democracy. People like me depend on the dedicated work of honest journalists and academics to keep me informed and alert. Like you, I enjoy reading stuff written by people who are cleverer than me. That's why I still read books. The infuencers simply don't do the work necessary to make their 'influence' worthy of attention and in many cases they spread complete nonsense about subjects they clearly don't understand.
Barbara, Stomp on the Throats of Women Act! STWA is what I say
😆
😅
I can’t afford to read the New Yorker.
I will try and summarise what the article was about. Alex Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, spoke about the organisation's red lines for a campaign to shut down the country in protest. He identifed two in particular: the administration's open defiance of court orders, that is where it doesn't appeal against those orders but simply ignores them; and the curtailing of birthright citizenship, which is guaranteed by the Constitution. He accepts that the Supreme Court may well uphold the administration's view that Congress does not the ability to impose limits on the president's power to fire and rehire those who act in his name but says that the ACLU will exhaust every legal option. I hope this helps.
Hi Russell - will the identification papers you listed also be a state requirement? I hope not. I'd read that proof of US citizenship was only required for people registering to vote. Has that changed? Everything now is a whirlwind making it near impossible to keep up with current events.
As far as I know, nothing has changed yet and it all depends on whether there are enough Senate Republicans with the stomach to ditch this lousy piece of legislation.
E.g. just keeping up conscientiously with the HCR stream comments each day takes several hours a day and no one but us retired and having our days unimpeded by the need to provide for our own life support can invest such, let alone engage in the discourse ourselves.
Hendrik, I live in the UK and I am retired on medical grounds but I sympathise with all Americans who are alarmed at what's happening to their country. Many europeans share their fears. We do what we can.
Unfortunately, the US Constitution contains no provision for dealing with a rogue faction that wants to destroy the constitutional system of government from within.
That is the point. If there is no constitutional system all bets are off. The writings of Jefferson and others certainly tell us we have no bonds or obligations to tyrants.
My opinion might be unpopular, but unfortunately, the U.S. Constitution was drawn up by a cadre of white "gentlemen"* who imagined themselves to be so learned and wise, they thought they were drafting a document for the ages. In fact, they had no imagination.
They never imagined that a majority of citizens would come to believe that women and people of color are equal in every respect to white men.
They never imagined that firearms could be self-loading and fire in rapid succession.
They never imagined that weapons would be capable of wiping out entire populations.
They never imagined that humans could generate so much environmental destruction that the very survival of the human race would be put in jeopardy.
They never imagined that the rabble they intended to govern would eventually forget what life was like under the rule of an autocratic monarch.
The document they agreed upon was suitable for the people and time in which it was written, but societal evolution and devolution would quickly render it obsolete.
*I use "gentlemen" in the archaic sense, meaning male members of an aristocracy.
No, they knew their limitations. They created the ability to amend what they wrote so that the document could change to meet the future needs of the country.
Nicole, I had the amendments in mind when I wrote my comment. But as Kathleen Fernandez pointed out, they made amending the Constitution nearly impossible. Why? Because they were pretty sure they got it right the first time.
I agree that the Constitution should not be easy to change, but legislators over the generations should have had more imagination and better command of the English language. A better original and better amendments might have prevented the installment of a king in 2024-25.
I wouldn't trust the current crop of ignorant yahoos to write a phone message, much less, a constitutional amendment.
You’re right. But no one before them had ever conceived/imagined a government like they were contemplating. I can’t think of any other government/country before the USA that was founded on the rule of law. Countries were created and held based on a single individual or a group deciding what was right or wrong. This was a radical experiment of their time, so I don’t think they lacked imagination. They lacked foresight which I hazard to guess most of us do.
So yes the amendment process is very slow and considering the speed of communication in those days glacial, but how quickly do you want the amendment process to move? Do we knock down the number of states necessary to enact an amendment? How close do we get to enforcing overarching laws with only a slight majority? Perhaps, it’s just the sheer size of the nation 50 states versus 13 that is the issue. But really I think they were looking to create stability along with a possibility of change when there was a solid majority agreement.
All I’m saying is that they were men of their time, and that their imaginations were great enough to give form to this country.
But they made that amendment process very difficult, for a reason. I am dubious that any amendment(s) can stop the runaway train we are on right now.
That's a generous take in your part, Nicole, but it doesn't negate the truths embedded in Rowett's post.
In afraid Philoctetes, they are acting like not caring for the negative effects their policies would bring to the general population in this country and for the adverse reactions expected and much less about negative public opinion.
Which brings back one of my greatest concerns. Are we going to have ever another election in this country starting with the all important next mid terms one. To all involved, dare an answer please.
I think that they think if they are "moving fast and breaking things" that it will be too difficult for the public to recognize things are broken until it's too late. We need to shout loudly and point out the brokenness with everything we've got.
They are emboldened and no brakes in sight.
Someone said earlier that unfortunately “America has such a commitment to distraction culture”
But above all it has a commitment to money. America has always only been about the money. It disgusts me, but there it is. Paradoxically it might save us: once people realize the GOP has picked their pockets, they will pick up pitch forks and torches. That will wake them right up.
Succession is going to happen- too bad Canada probably does not want us Blue states!!
Why would it not want us? We'd contribute an enormous revenue stream and share their values. What's not to like?
😢
Dying of the Light
by Lynn Geri
When I lift my voice and cry out
over what is happening, Rage.
I rage at the dying of the light…
I tell myself I’m trying to wake
our better angels to defend us.
I rage at our increasing plight…
Some pray for this coup
think home invaders should do harm.
I rage at robbers of my sense of right…
Thieves scour the treasury, disobey laws,
starve children and the elderly,
I rage at these dangerous frights…
I rage, rage at the dying of democracy
I will not go quietly into that good night.
Thanks to: Robert Bly,
Call and Answer
and Dylan Thomas
Rage at the Dying Light
A video of Zelensky's full historic speech at Munich.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tC_5ryXY7U
There is no way to summarize this—as a second-generation Ukrainian American, my heart is breaking. You need to listen to the whole speech to assess its impact.
Zelensky is describing the handwriting on the wall. He has lost faith and trust in America, and justifiably so. He is calling for a united Europe, and essentially a NATO without the US. He fervently believes that a united Europe can defeat Russia, but it needs to act immediately. He is telling sobering truths. He has bluntly asked if any European country believes its armies are capable of defeating Russia today.
He believes that Ukraine now has the most battle hardened troops and advanced combat technology and weapons for drone warfare in the world and will share it with the united European forces to provide a shield against further Russian agression. The applause is mostly thunderous, a stark contrast to the silent reception given Vance.
His most telling comment was that when Trump visits Putin in Russia in May, Trump will be a “prop” in Putin’s show.
Damn, Georgia, I too am losing faith and trust in OUR country. No, just no, we can’t keep stringing him along….we need to support his country’s efforts to repel the invaders…full stop. I can’t imagine the stress/duress/pain/anger/grief Zelensky is shouldering….and the same for all the Ukrainians living (or trying to) through this. Wish I had a magic wand🪄!
Zelinsky's America is gone.
Anne-Louise, we can at least fly our yellow and blue Ukraine support flags again. It’s at least a good visual. Spread the word!
Yes! (Slava Ukraini)
Zelensky is delusional. He has become a prop in Joe Biden's idiotic and deathly "forever war" that we and NATO provoked. His legal standing is zero since he became basically a Dictator and cancelled elections leaving his Presidency illegitimate and corrupt. After denying any corruption he allowed last week that $100 billion in aid he never received. Oh. Over a million have died in the war and a third of the population of Ukraine has fled with 600,000 Ukranian official casualties. There are not enough soldiers left to fight and die. It is just a matter of time before Ukraine will lose. Thanks Joe, Vlad.
Click off, dear David. Someone has been lying to you. Try another source.
You need to publish this, it perfectly encapsulates how we all feel.
Thanks Mike, unfortunately, if I submit a poem here it will not be taken by a publication... they want first printing of a poem. So, when I really want to express what I'm thinking and feeling, I post them on Substack.
That explains a lot, Lynn. There’s 2 things I don’t do well in public and that’s math and poetry, but yours I can read!
Count me as very appreciative Lynn.
Make America Hated Again.
W and Dickie went a long way to destroying our reputation after WW2. Chump will finish us off…
A moment of silence in memory of Navalny and his courageous resistance to the dictator and the oligarchs. May none of our patriots be called upon to resist fascism and authoritarianism to the point of death, but let us not expect that resistance will be easy. Let us admire those who have publicly criticized corruption and who have refused to accept it despite the threat to their professional lives. Let us remember that there are those in our country, dedicated civil servants, who are having their lives not only disrupted but turned upside down, and let us support them in any way that we can.
Yes it's a sad anniversary...In memory of Alexei Navalny dying in solitary confinement for just trying to offer Russia another path and an actual choice of leadership. Remember Navalny, one of the very few that was that selfless and brave enough to attempt to wrest control of Russia from Putin's oligarchical grip.
💔 thank you, Betsy, he’s been on my mind all day…
The republiCon party is now a russian asset that includes the government.They will lay down for whatever Putin wants and he is amazed at how easy it was to take over the usa without a shot fired. This is the stink of the republiCon party, they are complicit and will be held responsible if anything remains thats worth saving.
It is weird to hear "Republicans" criticize Trump and who have criticized his behavior in the past while they rubber stamp nearly every major move he has made to enable his impunity; basically voting to nullify their own influence.
My opinion of the Republican Party in recent years:
Short term gain
Long term shame
The history books will not be kind…unless, of course, we become what Project 2025’s Mandate For Leadership envisioned, then who knows how history will read (hopefully, if this comes to pass, there will be those folks who have “hard copies” of the truth that may be revealed in the centuries to come….if there are any future centuries in which humans matter that is).
If sanity survives, the era of journalisticly tolerated Big Lies, from Reagan to Musk, will be a principle cautionary tale in the the history of our country, at least so far as the maintenance of democracy is concerned. Worth at least a whole chapter in any US history book. Otherwise Google AI will censor and report any mention of it. People will look back and say, "What in the hell were they (we) thinking!!!". But maybe a bright spot will follow.
I don't think the maga party (formerly republican) is here for short term gains Barbara.
They planned this long and hard, like a huge investment. They are here to stay and expand as they are doing in Europe by intervening in their elections and "negotiating" with putin. Germany 's coming election is fundamental for the short term future of democracy and you see Vance and Musk working hard to influence the results.
Regarding "long term shame" , I don't think they have any so don't be concerned about that point.😄
Yeah, Ricardo, the “current” iteration seems to have seeded just before Reagan (the infamous Powell memo)….they are playing the long game & had & have some heavy-hitter ($$$) backers. 🤬
Bond villain billionaires have been playing a long game, with the bucks to finance it. MAGA is "hypnotized" by Foxic News. Some gleefully trade their souls for any shot at gaining the whole of the world (and call it "religion").
I think the rudest of awakenings will be at SCOTUS, when they discover that their decision to put Donald above the law leads to his "firing" them. I keep recalling the TV series, "The Tudors," which portrays the times during the reign of Henry VIII. There was no court; Henry WAS the law.
What authoritarians seem to favor. Even many serfs. It's weird.
Class action Dimentia. Weird ? They have lost their minds
LOL…can we the people file a criminal/civil suit?
We can try. Nothing seems to be against the law if you can raise enough money.
Ah, knew there had to be a catch!!!!
Curiously, my thoughts have been drifting towards Germany lately. In this case to the Nuremburg Trials. I've been imagining a similar proceeding being held when our current bunch of fascists is brought to heel. Sooner rather than later.
Let’s imagine/visualize who we would want as AG……. Letitia James maybe?
Anyone but Aileen Cannon.
Aileen Cannon should be removed from the bench and disbarred.
That would be a good start, but she has earned more than that.
As an alternative, I was thinking she could be relegated to presiding over Traffic Court in some backwater municipality.
No! We had one of those in Lane County traffic court…she was scary! Really scary!
Remind me of what pilloried means?
"Aileen Cannon should be removed from the bench and disbarred."
Cannon should be on trial with all the others at the New Nuremburg Trials.
Well, it would take a team, so she would probably have a role. I was thinking of Danielle Sassoon for the lead.
What makes you think they will be brought to heel? We are living in very different times (regarding the control of information) than existed in the 1940s
Positive thinking? Wishful thinking? As I said, I've been imagining it.
Remember what preceded the trials, more bloodshed than we can imagine
Who knows how much suffering will occur/is occurring, including bloodshed, because of what the Trump/Musk regime gets up to? They are just getting started.
The Nuremburg Trials held many of Hitler's supporters and enablers to account. That'd be a good place to start.
OMG….must see TV (you know who would like the ratings no doubt).
Besides "guilty," they should say "You're Fired!"
Unfortunately it won't be the same or even possible. Remember that back then the US was victorious against a fascist organization that had to be eradicated from the face of the earth and we were the prosecutors.
Unbelievably, we are in the opposite side now. The us government is in conversations with the established fascist regimes in Europe ,namely Russia and Hungary on how to take advantage of heroic Ukraine and how to convert the rest of Europe to follow them. Next election in Germany is very consequential for the future of democratic Europe.
I have been saying this for a while now. The coup is over. It was a success--for them. And spells the death of the republic we knew. Why do I think what I think? Because of the following: The federal government of the United States is now Nazi. The people who engineered this have been using the Hitler playbook all along.
Hitler was named Chancellor on January 30, 1933. He attained absolute power as a dictator on August 19, 1934. Around 18 months.
The current occupants of the White House are positioned in every way just as he was. Everything in our era is speeded up from nearly 100 years ago, so it won't take as long this time. I would say we are half way there, but past the tipping point. The final end will be when these many suits hit the Supreme Court.
One of two things will happen. The six person majority on the court are mostly financially corrupt, despite the "originalist" drivel. If that element holds sway, they will give up their perceived power for a handsome purse.
But, if the ideologues win the day and the SCOTUS manages to rule in favor of the constitution, the Dictator and his team will spit in their eye. And that will be that.
Watch out for some crap about the 14th not being in the ORIGINAL document, though it was placed there in the manner proscribed by that document. They may try to save face. But the outcome will be the same either way.
Could I be wrong? Of course I could. No one knows the future. But I do have an understanding of how Nazis work and I am certain that is what we have here. This is my opinion and my prediction.
There was an interesting article in the New Yorker, an interview with the president of the ACLU. He thinks we wont know if we have truly crossed fully over into the coup until cases go before SCOTUS, and should they find against the administration and issue an order , when the administration blatantly disregards the order, thats game up
I saw that. That will be the final test, but he is a great deal more confident of the outcome. The last paragraph of my comment here was an answer to his certainty of a win. And maybe enough of the six won't want to give up the power of the court and will rule against the authoritarian power grab. In that case, I believe that the Overlords will simply ignore the court. There have been noises to that effect coming out of the White House over the past week.
We are two minds on this. As I’ve repeated with distain from others, had the good generals had the hustpa to suspend the constitution in order to save it by preventing the Nazis to take over, that would have been a good thing even if it was to set a president. But it’s too late now. The military will need to follow the law and expell the administration or we are toast and I just don’t see this happening now that the defense secretary is the leading military Nazi.
He has more faith in SCOTUS than me. Look how they treated women.
As someone who is autistic with a strong ability to recognize patterns and connections, I believe you are correct. Democracy is dead. I've posted my own comment going into this new reality in more detail... including links to relevant analysis posted today by Timothy Snyder and a trusted YouTube analyst of military and foreign affairs developments. It's a shame the America I have known for 70 years is ending this way. Things could have gone so much better (something I also mention in my longer comment).
I am the ADHD daughter of a brilliant ADHD father. He was almost prescient in analyzing politics and I have inherited that ability along with the ADHD. I will be 69 this summer. This is not the end I wanted to see.
For a short time in 2021 I thought maybe we could squeeze through more or less intact. But when the press continued to center DT and completely trashed Joe Biden it became apparent where this was headed.
I do think fighting back is necessary. But it will be a long violent struggle now, with no assurance of victory.
I do blame Biden he is the loser in this for us all. He ignored optics in office all the while enacting good legislation but so often our democratic leaders leave nothing for the next chosen leader. Bill Clinton had to get blow jobs which didn’t fair well for Al Gore. His wife had to call the white working class deplorables insuring they would never again vote democratic. If worse comes to worse. I will leave this country. I have the capacity to do it and I refuse to spend my final years under Nazi rule.
Oh and I also have ADHD, lol. My ADHD resulted from an ole man who put me down from my birth till his death which I was relieved when it finally occurred. I don’t know why a parent would behave like that other than to compensate for a terrible Un bringing in his own developmental stage.
Except, Bill, Hillary was RIGHT!
btw, I am beyond pissed that Hillary was saddled with SO much baggage that was NOT hers (if folks took the time to suss it out). I hope we evolve as a country to do better at scrutinizing our elective candidates on their merits, not memes.
Trash everybody but the cretins.
It ain’t over. The MAGA’s have a moment in the sun , as all cults do. Then they collapse, as all cults do.
Where is the Orange-Aide when you need it? OK, that was mean and sick…only really want a bad tummy-ache-epiphany and welcomed into the light of truth and honest debate.
Agree with Mike. It ain’t over but it is up to us. Talk, write, explain. Get others to read HRC. Donate money to Susan Crawford, Wisconsin SCT candidate in April 1 election. It’s the first election in battleground state. Or do something with local resistance but DO SOMETHING. Complaining and panicking with those who understand won’t change things. We must get majority of US voters to understand the stakes and that Trump and Musk are doing zip to help them.
People who are autistic dont have a corner on the market of recognizing patterns and connections. Non autistic depth psychologists have been doing that for decades. Stop trying to out-special people.
We could be sliding into nightmare totalitarianism, but it's still early in the game. Trump's doing his "shock and awe" blitzkrieg, but much of it seems more impulsive than cunning. I have been waiting for the tide to turn for decades and perhaps it just never will, but Trump is pissing a lot of people off, and more are going to have a grievance than as yet have realized it. The public always has power, unless they surrender it.
Even Steve Bannon is warning that Trump is hurting MAGAs.
They call it "shock and awe" but it's just shockingly awful
I see you translate Geopease. It's a much needed skill.
Many skill sets will be needed to defeat this fascist scourge destroying and rampaging our republic if we are to keep it. Resistance to and refusal to use their Newspeak lingo and terms is an important skill indeed.
Just as the pettiness of renaming the Gulf of Mexico has no validity no matter what the petulant blowhard grifter and his cronies say.
Heck, JL, I’m pissed off as hell!!!!! Don’t think His Heinous cares a whit.
I think the "can't catch me" bad boys are glorying in our contempt for their behavior right now, but it could yet become a threat to them, including their dissing of the whole non-authoritarian world. Sociopathy lurks in human DNA. SO does solidarity.
As I have posted here before….the words of Susan Sontag: “Courage is as contagious as fear”. I try to breathe that in as a mantra of the times.
Reading the urgent headlines in France this morning, I must confess to feeling as though I am living in the 1930s. This time the US is with the AXIS. But I also remember as a historian, history is not written and full of a myriad of black swan events that can change things in an instant.
Trump's first wife said the he kept a book of Hitler's speeches by his bedside, but while Trump evil enough to be a Hitler, He may not be smart enough, or at least not smooth enough not to be his own impediment. That is not to say he not extremely dangerous, and I could be wrong about the ongoing passivity; but I expect to see resistance mount.
I have to believe that at least 2 of the Supreme Court justices will not support Trump’s treason. The legal system prevents them from stepping in until the appeals to district courts reach them. It’s the rule of law. They blew it over the last 2 years, but I don’t think they will blow it this time.
The MAGA justices seem to have though in the past that they were the highest, most unquestionable power. They crowned Trump King, but are they ready to relinquish their own power to their creation? At this point it's hard to know.
As I have implied in another comment, if SCOTUS rules in Donald's favor, they are signing their own "pink slips." When a man is placed above the law, he BECOMES the law and has no need for any court. The Gang of Six need to be very careful if they want to keep receiving those luxury vacations.
That's my hope. Rule of law is necessarily methodical, and that extra time and effort frustrates those who prefer an autocrat, but the latter is a cheap fix with all sorts of harmful side effects. Rule of law at it best is an effort to do things right.
Never underestimate the will of people. Convicted Felon Donald Trump is hoping we don’t show up to fight.
Got my marching boots, Mike, they may be old and worn, but still sturdy enough to stand my ground and push back. For the first time in my 75 years have I been thinking about why I never pursued tactical, armed or unarmed, resistance training/scenarios (I have never held a firearm other than a toy “cap pistol” in the early 50’s whilst playing “cops & robbers” w/ my sibs). Perhaps I should have….dunno….even the thought alarms me.
Hup, 2, 3, 4! etc. etc. Hence my pricing of 'flak jackets' at 88 YOA.
And mine as well. It has been the playbook for decades.
Never in my entire life did I imagine I would be prouder of Germany than my own country.
Very good episode of 60 Minutes tonight, about Germany's approach to free speech. They should be proud - they are attempting to have integrity instead of trickery.
CBS will be sued tomorrow. Oops, Tuesday
And then they’ll settle with Trump.
“To Cave” will have a new picture in the dictionary/encyclopedia/wikipedia….it will be of the US billionaires, media moguls, Congress critters, (some of) SCOTUS, corporations…and the list goes on. SMH….I did not realize so many Americans have evolved w/o spines/backbones/cojones!!!!
Yikes !
I think our country still has much good in it, but the regime sucks. We will see where that goes. I know what you mean, though. I was born shortly after WWII and always heard the Nazis were terrible. That racism was wrong, even if it was evident, and that our society was an admirable "melting pot". Lincoln was our biggest hero. All my teachers seemed to agree on that.
Yeah, JL, I “bought” that vision too as a kid…until I “saw” what was happening in our country….AND then saw the pushback and, as King said, the “arc of justice” bending toward equality & justice….we are a work in progress….
”progress” being the operative word….making strides against stiffer headwinds in recent years (thank you Biden/Harris for mitigating the backsliding!). We have work to do…am heartened by so many ready to pitch in.
Is anyone lucky enough to be getting a decent night sleep anymore? Everything I grew up believing in about Americans, our democracy, and our government , was either a lie, or has been trashed. I can’t believe I am reading about Americans who celebrate Musk actions, who would turn Ann Frank over to the Gestapo, who now call Canada our enemy, who now defile our allies, and our sacred honor with Ukraine, and who actually support state sponsored ethnic cleansing in Gaza. I am angry. I am disgusted. We are either stupid, or lemmings, or we are imperialists.
I usually get a good night's sleep, but I am having weirder dreams than usual. Anyone who has read in depth about behavior in Nazi Germany should not be surprised at the behavior of so many.
I know, Steve, it’s like being whacked upside the head with a 2x4….have I been coexisting with these other “Americans” this whole time….or has something seeped into our national psyche….or, perhaps, been reborn from it? Scary indeed.
Steve, I believe a fourth option explains it. We are capitalists without consciences. When everything is for sale, when the only things worth doing are the things you can make a buck from, when "every man has his price," you get what we've got. "I want it, so I'll buy it. If I don't have the money, I'll get it on credit." Unlike other nations around the world, when you remove commerce from the U.S., you have nothing left.
And no, I'm not getting enough sleep.
Not me.
OK, PK, now take a deep breath and get back to the sane work of active citizenship!! ;-)
Thank you, Heather. We need to call our Congress person and our senators about the support for Ukraine against annexation by Russia
Next, we need to tell them that we do not want Elon Musk and crew to fire civil servants without cause and to rewrite the computer programs in the various departments.
Lastly, we need to urge them to vote against the SAVE bill that will not allow anyone whose current ID doesn’t match their birth certificate (every woman who chooses to take her husband’s last name) to vote.
Not to mention no annexation nor even it's reckless discussion, or Gaza, Greenland, Canada the Panama Canal, or Mexico.
Hope women wake up to this. Woke is a good thing…
Yes ‘woke’ is a good thing…thinking, feeling and remembering that racism and sexism is culture as well as laws…but culture first!
Cannot believe how these people have been so bent on destroying institutions.
And they will get away with it, because what does the average Trump voter know about how USAID helps stop the spread of tuberculosis, feeds starving children peanut paste, and stops the spread of HIV in Africa? The success of Trump and Musk is based on the profound ignorance and intellectual sloth of our people.
And by underfunding their public school they contribute to the perpetuation of ignorance over and over again, which is also at its core the most basic form of voter suppression.
Underfunding is an issue but not the main issues…the issues are a fear of science, a fear of thinking, the standardization of testing, limiting range of thoughts and ideas, and undermining the professional teachers power to teach to their classroom reach their children. The reality-based teaching has always been the clear fear of zealots! Teaching, making wise and professional choices, is as well.
They don’t want truth and beauty, arts and music, reading and poetry…they want indoctrination to a white Christian nation! And want you to pay for their schools, and to pollute our schools! No science at the ES level to speak of at all! No natural world! No joy of discovery! Jesus Christ!
If only I hadn't failed in persuading my fellow teacher educators (when I was one) that the peculiar mission and burning responsibility of teachers in a democracy is to prepare future citizens to exercise THEIR STUDENTS' responsibilities as citizens. I retired from the role just before the turn of the century. It haunts me still . . .
I am not convinced that you failed, since even holding that awareness would have affected your teaching, and while I think machine learning has a place, there are additional dimensions to human to human instruction. When my daughter began college, we parents were addressed by an official of the college who asked us to think of a teacher who had profoundly affected our lives, and while there were duds, I could think of several.
The trend, so far as I can correctly detect it, has been to make schools more focused on trade training than preparation for a successful and rewarding life or our role as citizen/managers of the outcomes of our own society. Wise statecraft, more than ever, is daunting and complex, and of necessity involves duties beyond satisfying our personal preferences. If we truly believe in the virtue of " government of the people, by the people, for the people" we need to be serious about it.
Allow, even encourage children to question, and they'll start to question you. That is, ultimately, a good sort of trouble; a gift we can pass to posterity. It means having to be a real adult to cultivate and bear it, though.
We’re more like Russia in those respects than we realized, maybe?
Not suggesting higher standards for American schools, might you be, Philoctetes?
Like maybe students should actually read whole books again?
That essaying more might be key to thinking better? -- and key also to learning some skills for referencing more widely?
Criminality reigns atop the U.S. now, from the Clarence court, to the cabinet, to the Congress where fools like Crenshaw sit. This disease of course comes largely through our rafts of nihilist billionaires, and of course through Putin's agents. But it could never have gotten so rooted as it has now had schools had higher standards than the criminal connivance whose results we daily reap.
The reenabling of billionaire control of media has a lot to do with it. As in the past, centralization of financial power has enabled centralization of political power. Follow the money.
Newt and Bill…they created the ability to consolidate media and allowed a the foreign player to create a toxic empire! We all pay the price for deregulation! Unsafe food, unsafe water, unsafe airways and newspapers, polluted by propaganda’s toxins.
It seems to me that our aggregated public conversation is chock full of words attached to "half-baked" concepts; and "Deregulation" is one of them. Like Reagan's unfocused smear of "government", the category is too too vague and broad to justify any specific action. Is regulation good or bad? How long is a rope?
Should we cancel all vehicular traffic laws? Withdraw fire and building codes? Before cheering "deregulation", we should know what the hell it was meant to do, and why; otherwise we'll do stupid stuff like this:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/14/climate/nuclear-nnsa-firings-trump/index.html
There are good governments and bad governments, no? That's not rocket science as a fundamental concept. There are helpful, even essential regulations, and also excessive or counter-productive ones. Is surgery good or bad? Yes, when it saves lives, no, when unnecessary.
There is a long list of words that are regularly used in ways that create more confusion than clarity; often quite deliberately, to sell something you would be unlikely to buy if you had the full story.
You are blaming schools and teachers for what Musk, Trump, and Republicans are doing? If so, you are part of the problem.
No, Bonnie! This started decades ago, with the Republicans of course. An uneducated citizenry is moldable, influenced by advertising and misled by moneyed ministers and partisan politicians. That's the plan. Teachers are saints, doing whatever they're allowed to do to actually educate.
Against strong political headwinds. My wife was a lifelong teacher. See and fighting others I have known knew peers who left the profession, demoralized by impediments devised by politicians.
I am grateful to those faithful teachers! My sister is one of them.
Margaret, I saw what Reagan did to gut California’s crown jewel—the education system…from grade school thu college….and then move it on to the national stage. CA, despite efforts, never quite recovered. I say this as someone who worked in the UC/CSU system for over 40 years…starting just a couple of years after the Fed’s 1965 Higher Education Act was passed….watched educational opportunities/programs/support erode since his tenure.
Ah yes, St. Ronnie rears his unholy ass again! A neighbor, back when he was gov of CA, had a poster of Ronnie in his cowboy outfit and two six-shooters blazing…the caption was, ‘Thanks for the Votes Suckers!’ My God! So he did to you’all what he did to us! Arms for hostages, James Watt, and now here we go again but on MuskyMan Steriods!
I was a Fed from 1964 to 71 when all that Johnson legislation was being, formulated, passed, and implementing. Fundamentally changed me, though now seems like just a dream that's turned horrid.
Growing up in the Midwest during my K-12 years, I recall the California school system as an object of envy in my circles. My mother was working as clerical staff at Kent State University. Republican Gov. Rhodes (the same one who called the National Guard that shot students) was doing a Musk thing that demoted her from a position where she essentially managed three university functions to "typist", at least title and pay wise. She was bitter about that for the rest of her life. Rhodes closed my school after I graduated, and I'm bitter about that. Where did all the "savings" from the tax cuts go? The middle class is proportionately shrinking. We are being had.
Rupert had the task of entertaining us to death with the likes of O’Riley. The cretins came out of the woodwork in the 80’s. They never went away.
It's a horrendous problem, Bonnie.
Did you think the orange felon, Putin, Musk, and Vance come from nowhere?
We've tens millions of pro-criminality, pro-despotism, pro-racism, pro-nihilist billionaire, and pro-rape Americans. And you think the schools have nothing to do with how "educated" so many got?
Please have a look at this, from today's NY Times, with many stats, experienced people's experience, and astute observations (on the U.S.'s major decline in reading and reading skills):
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/16/opinion/read-books-learning.html?unlocked_article_code=1.xU4.Wc0A.A6A1R81ZOfMt&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
I think a lot of Trump supporters are pretty clueless. That has been my personal experience. It seems to be a group identity more than a philosophy. Like doing stuff in high school that was considered "cool".
I agree completely. It's really all about "team spirit." The MAGA world is exactly like sports fans who cheer and holler for their team, even when the team loses game after game. They are die-hard fans and nothing will shake them from their fandom.
I think this phenomenon can be attributed, at least in part, to network TV's treating elections like professional sporting events, with colorful graphics, color commentators, behind-the-scenes drama coverage, etc. This sensationalist treatment focuses people's attention on the competition rather than the consequences.
And that is my experience as well.
They. All it Jersey politics, not for the state but for the team you follow, MAGA Maggits!
We need the Calvary, not new rules for curriculum
Bonnie, Phil's position is well known here. He is not blaming the schools as much as he is blaming the decline of the teaching of humanities and instead teaching to the test that measures the lowest common denominator of mediocrity.
The real issue is that teachers are union members and are well prepared professionals. And left to their own devises and resources they do a very good! Job to reach and engage their students! Overall, not perfect but better than what we have now! The top-down, cam and and control, is to reduce joy, remove fun, ignore the arts and truth and beauty…and certainly no science! Notice, we test reading and math…in]gnome the rest, ignore community and communication. And ignore evidentiary processes! No science!
I was, in some ways a classic science (also arts) nerd. Without knowing what I was doing I was absorbed in proto fossil collecting, botany, etc. before kindergarten. I was presumed to be a scientist in the making, but had unrecognized learning disabilities in language mechanics and math. My eventual take on "science" was that it is, at it's core, a an epistemology, a theory of knowing, more than (the way it is primarily presented) a catalog of procedures and findings. That said, it is procedural too, and the Scientific Method is a cultivated skill, not unlike learning to read, that can be applied to any endeavor; nominally "science" related, or not. It can guide choices in the supermarket as well as our grasp of "what is matter".
We may lack the training to play football or baseball as well as a "pro" but we can play something like it in sandlots. Similarly, what a major scientist in my acquaintance calls "scientific habits of mind" can extend far beyond the walks of life of the professional scientist. Subjected to even slightly disciplined conformance to logic and evidence, Mr. Trump's positions inspire little confidence.
Yes, I know Phil’s position and disagree because it over-simplifies the problems we face. I’m a PhD trained social scientist and 30-year university educator from a family of many elementary, secondary, and university teachers. Additional courses in humanities and older methods of testing will not address the complete lack of college education among many MAGA voters. Look at the statistics. Voters without a college education are supporting the likes of Trump. We are a country of greedy people who refuse to support college and trade education for all. And this greedy approach to higher education might kill our democracy.
Yes, Bonnie, humanities per se is no panacea.
Nor is any additional niche.
But please don't, on the other hand, blame lack of more college ed.
All the standardized tests -- all of them -- gear to the depersonalized, silo-set, abstracted, group identity forms of thinking (and massively student-loan-based) which college has devolved into since the Powell memo of 1971.
Bonnie— I to have a family of teachers and professors…and no one thing makes it all right. One real issue is that the wage and wealth gap is real for many workers who see college for their kids as out of reach, who see others gaining support and access while they don’t…it seems unfair! And Faux/Fux feeds them this drug! Of course it is the GOP who refuses to fund and support learning and education for political reasons and foment the fears while they blame the liberals. If you are qualified, at any point in your life, you should be able to get training, go the college, learn skills. The AAUW paid my Mom to go back to college after a career as an elementary teacher and author, at 36/37 years old!
This progressive, this is investing! We all benefit!
San Jose State created the Silicon Valley! GI bill, young engineers, many many thousands! No tuition in California and the GI bill supported them and often their families! Damn! And we are still running on the fumes of this innovation…really! And home ownership as well through a Veterans loan.
Invest in minds, in thinking, in people, in ideas, and support all! Tax cuts for the rich are DTUPID, that dumb/stupid!
The only things that my MAGA affiliated friends are seeing is what they are calling "waste", which is code for "things we don't like". They harp on the "$150M in condoms sent to Gaza to be used as aerial bombs" without knowing the purchase was for condoms to go to Africa.
They hate the USA and its people. Simple as that.
The all want to be the turtle at the top of the pile. They want someone they can look down on.
Steve Bannon told us. I just thought he was a nut. But he left the WH and did world tours stirring the wannabe dictators all over the planet.
A real life Wreck-It-Ralph…..Burn It Down Bannon. Somehow I don’t think he has an inkling of how to put it back together again.
He has no intention of doing so. He's a self described anarchist.
I believed them when the idiot told us, which Project 2025 confirmed. Yet many of our loved ones said sure, why not
A certain syndrome of madness seems to envelope the minds of those who year to seem the many subjugated by the few. Especially the underlings with so little to gain that support it. It is always a human catastrophe.
It's so much easier to break things than to build. Entropy is on your side. Human brings and life itself tacks against the wind; but its unending work to do so. There can be a high in smashing things, but less reward to live amidst the rubble. What was and is truly "great" about America? And what not so much?
As Krugman pointed out, they are better at blowing things up than building this! This is the arsonist, terrorist, fear-monger if that becomes self fulfilling prophesy!
We are still strong, there are people getting sick of this already, the amount of money from billionaires does not compare to the anger and money of the collective that still exists, if it can be focused! That is the ‘if’
WE’LL BACK AND EVEN STRONGER
“Vance and the Trump administration have the support of billionaire Elon Musk in their attempt to shift the globe toward the rejection of democracy in favor of far-right authoritarianism. David Ingram and Bruna Horvath of NBC News reported today that Musk has “encouraged right-wing political movements, policies and administrations in at least 18 countries in a global push to slash immigration and curtail regulation of business.””
People that voted for Trump voted against having a woman, against having a flow of immigrants into this country, against the price of groceries, but NOT for us to declare war against Europe and our allies for centuries.
A country and man that we defeated in WWII that took friends to do. To stop a fascist that we are now mimicking. This is embarrassing as a citizen of United States and state here:
THIS PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, AND ELON MUSK DOES NOT REPRESENT ME OR, MINIMALLY, TWO THIRDS OUR CITIZENS WITH THIS BEHAVIOR.
If they want to go to war, they have to first go to war against us.
They have already gone to war with us.
Musk seemed to have a nasty, impulsive streak, but appeared to support liberal values, at least so long as it helped sell Teslas. Now he Musk Can be Musk. His history is not reassuring.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/26/elon-musk-peter-thiel-apartheid-south-africa
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2025/jan/29/silicon-valley-rightwing-technofascism
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-homeless-trump-vivek-ramaswamy-b2663740.html
It seems apparent trhe only touch of liberal in Musk is his treatment of his own seed. /s
Gather ye rosebuds where ye may!
, Hendrik, who and what are these women? Surrogates?
But we haven’t fought back.
I am fighting.
Evil often goes unrecognized to a sufficient extent until it's far too late, but we're now able to see its 21st-century manifestation in real time through Trump, Putin, Musk and their errand boy, Vance. It's bone-chilling, to say the least. And this time, unlike in the 20th century, America is on the side of evil.
Never again?
No, again.
Yes... evil, again. It was stopped when WWII ended... but not defeated. It was stopped when the Civil War ended too... but not defeated then either.
Some evils were stopped, but evil comes in many forms, racism, sexism, homophobia among them. Evil was DDT killing eagles or pollution in breast milk. Evil is "perfectly legal" ways to dilute and frustrate one's legitimate right to vote. It's screwing workers for fun and profit. Evil is conscienceless, deliberate misuse of power, physical power, financial power, or governmental power, to cause harm to others.
They say they're Christians. Is that the source of evil?
They're the worst sort of so-called "Christians" – from the Whited Sepulchre denomination, including Christofascists, Christonationalists and various other racists, bigots, misogynists, fearmongers, hatemongers and deviants. You'll find them in the "H" file, under Hypocrites.
Even the Pope speaks out about the very American conservative Catholics! They are evil! And like Donny-John, screeching at the top of their voices! And JD is a recent convert…wonder why?!
They say a lot of things. War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength. Did Jesus ever sanctify war or slavery? Was Biden a Marxist? Are decades of meticulous climate record keeping a hoax? What does the evidence tell us?
You have to destroy the village to save it!
The sociopath's perspective. No effort to distinguish baby from bathwater.
Looks like it to me.
The source of evil is people following the devil who has convinced them he is actually God. The devil is very good at manipulating weak minded, scared people.
If you read the Jeffersonian Bible, that ignores the mythology, you get a really nice neoliberal view of the possible in community…Jefferson borrowed a lot, the structure of the United States government from the Native Americans, and the ideas for a more perfect Union, community, ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident.’
If Christian’s woke up…when we’re all woken up, we would be strong centrist liberals! Might be worth the time…there’s a pretty good Episcopal bishop out there trying her best, but needs our help! We are her choir!
Time for a reminder…I’m not saying Donny is the antiChrist but perhaps his minion! No hand on the Bible? Maybe a fear of lightening! Or sharks Or electricity…sheesh! And Stephen Miller is one for sure!
And had Obama or Biden not used the Bible, imagine the fury from the hypocritical right. From my perspective I think they should be required to put a hand on a copy of the Constitution. That might burn Trumps hand as well.
Were there were to be a "second coming" of Jesus, a nameless non-European looking man, un-stylishly dressed; who condemned avarice, and preached inclusion, how would that person likely impress Trump? Or Musk? Or MAGA?
Convicted Felon Donald Trump and weeny JD Vance do not speak for all of America. Elon Musk can go back to South Africa. The second amendment does not only apply to those on the right.
The South Africa that spawned Musk has changed. Not enough, but changed.
My one-word descriptor for Trump, and now also for Musk and Vance, is evil.
Perhaps I say it too often, but it appears to me that malicious sociopathy is identical to evil.
Ouch -- Heather's conclusion: that it's exactly one year since Putin had Alexei Navalny murdered.
Given the attempts by Putin to kill democracies -- from his own country, to Georgia, to Syria, to Ukraine, and the U.S., it's hilarious to see MAGA Republicans such as Crenshaw crow, as Heather quotes him, saying the fat orange felon "will not let himself go down in history as having sold out to Putin.
Also rip-roaring how the adolescent Peter Hegseth, as Heather also observes "seemed to move the U.S. toward the ideology of Russian president Vladimir Putin." That's good of Heather, especially the "seemed to," given the total incompetence of the Fox boy-idiot.
We've a quartet of adults, however: the orange felon, Putin, Musk, and Vance all on the same page as to killing democracies. And for the best insight on the pathos of these sociopaths, here's Rebecca Solnit at her best today:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQZTMKhCKVwwBkGfWsdhDnCMRxJ
Now I am become death, destroyer of democracies.
Compare and contrast..are they Christian or anti-Christian? If they are anti-Christian values and teaching, are they the anti-Christ? Stephen Miller gets my vote!
I also hear the term christofacist being thrown around.
!
Do you have another (functional) link - ?
I clicked on it, and it took me there, Hugh.
I subscribe to Rebecca Solnit's Substack, but I thought anyone could access her article, if not also to the subscribers-only commenting section.
Ah - what I got was a request to join Meta (NBL). That is a Google mail link - not a substack one -
NBL - Not Bloody Likely!
Really, really, really do not understand, Hugh, what's with these tech bros.
Different ones of us get targeted apparently in ways with no logic any of us can understand.
I, too, have never joined Meta, or Facebook, or Twitter, or X or anything that, like all of them, play the dopamine games.
At what point will ‘real’ Christians begin to see the anti-Christ in all this breaking and wreaking?
VERY, VERY INTERESTING and VERY, VERY DISTURBING that White Supremacist Hegseth - Trump's pick for, and now our current, U.S. Secretary of Defense - INVITED White Supremacist, Racist, Scumbag, Antisemite, Neo-Nazi Jack Psobiec to accompany him on his trip to Europe.
https://www.rawstory.com/pete-hegseth-2671153995/
Brilliant thinking and writing, Heather! The way you pull the present and the past together, so that we can see the parallels over time is nothing short of brilliant. We are lucky to have your light shedding over all the horror of this unfortunate time.