Shortly after 1:00 this morning, Vittoria Elliott, Dhruv Mehrotra, Leah Feiger, and Tim Marchman of Wired reported that, according to three of their sources, “[a] 25-year-old engineer named Marko Elez, who previously worked for two Elon Musk companies [SpaceX and X], has direct access to Treasury Department systems responsible for nearly all payments made by the US government.”
When It’s Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too. Legal Issues from the tic-tac-DOGE dept by Cathy Gellis
“I think a colorable, non-frivolous argument can be made that Elon Musk, and everyone on his DOGE team accessing the federal government’s computer infrastructure, is potentially personally liable for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).”
I think it's actually called TREASON...the TRESPASSING OF FEDERAL PROPERTY and ACCESS to SECURE DATA protected by a FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY. It's quite simple...YOU ARREST THE PERPETRATORS as they have no AUTHORIZATION nor do they have SECURITY CLEARANCE STATUS. The Media should frame it as 'ELONGATE'...and the MILITARY should send MUSK and his CRONIES to Guantanamo Bay indefinitely. SITUATION RESOLVED!
When Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid pmts don't go out... Modifying Code, on live Systems without testing will get you fired in most places... Why wasn't Security Called when they stormed in on a Weekend?... Untested Code? Have 'Trojan Horses', and 'Backdoors' been introduced... Are they there any logs of the changes, or Back-Out Plans if things go Bad?
Clearly, Trump has no idea what is going on and now wants to take over Gaza. The man is cray-cray and everything everyone warned about with Project 2025 is taking place in spades.
For most of the past 50 years I have been on-call to fix abends in various systems 24/7/365. When there is an abend, we used to fix the bug in the program and then run the fix live usually against millions of insurance policies. And if we messed up by changing financial values, it was caught immediately in the various balancing programs and audit trails required.
But starting in the late 1980's many companies found it difficult to hire people capable of fixing a problem on a timely basis so that systems would be available for the users first thing in the morning. And so they bypassed the bad data, until a fix could be implemented with proper testing and auditing protocols.
What these morons is doing, is putting live untested code into the systems, bypassing audit checks and balancing routines. If I had done this even once without proper sing-offs not only would I have been terminated, but I would have been black-balled from ever working for any financial services firm again.
I'm sure the Republicans in the Senate and House are totally and completely clueless as to the damage Musk is doing otherwise, they would stop it.
What makes anyone believe they will not come for your Social Security or Medicare or VA Benefits or even your income tax refund.
Next they will start changing the IRS systems so Congress needn't bother defunding it.
The oligarchs have won and there's no one to stop them.
Nobody has WON...yet ! You are right..every day they WILL be more ENTRENCHED AND MAKE IT HARDER. I am sorry to tell you .... that if you are Hungry, you will COMPLY. But we now SEE what they are doing and they must be STOPPED...and they can be stopped..WE HAVE THE NUMBERS of People, and The American People will resist ..........NEVER ever give up !!! ever.. :) Its not over but they did start a very big FIGHT xo
We clearly have new traitors showing their faces in the senate. Not Republicans, we know what they’re about. No. Our Democratic senators who’ve been voting along with Republican senators to confirm these completely unacceptable nominees for the Cabinet. You can’t get through to John Fetterman‘s office, just hangs up or busy. He’s a snake and not worth my time any longer.
We need to focus on who’s willing to be a leader and fight.
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is my focus. Support her! Listen to her! Send letters of support of her over Democrats voting with Republicans (copies to your traitor senators) phone calls, e-mails show up at heir offices. Too progressive for you? Now is not the time. We cannot continue to wallow in despair. We are people in search of a leader! She is speaking up! We can amplify her. Stop bothering with the traitors, we know who they are. I keep a running tab of which Democrats vote along with Republicans and I’m extremely disappointed whose names I’ve seen. Reuben Gallego? Right out of the gate? Really Reuben? Traitor.
I know! Why aren’t the federal courts not under his thump not stopping this. How is it possible for us to all just watch this and no one is doing anything. And the confirmation s. I’m speechless. What is hsppening?
Please do not use the term cray-cray, it is offensive to people within the mental health community. While he may be mentally ill, a better term for him would be deranged or insane.
The Gaza plan is a real and not a new thing. 3/19/2024 The Guardian reported on Jared Kushner’s interest in building on Gaza’s waterfront property. This would involve moving Palestinians to the Negev Desert.
The GAZA plan is the Shock Doctrine pure and simple. Billionaire want property held by poorer or powerless people. They initiate a focused disaster under whatever reason (natural or man made), and force those occupants out of the area. Then the change the rules to not allow them back home, and sell the property right out from under them, usually with pennies on the dollar going to the former occupants. But with war, it's ZERO payments to the former occupants. See The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein.
I can see Musk adjusting what people receive from SS, Medicare & Medicaid and VA benefits rather than totally cutting them off.
Something like an across the board 25% cut in benefit and claims. Or maybe he'll do it state by state. Whatever Musk decides, it won't be fair and the cruel Republicans won't bat an eye.
And when hospitals are underpaid, then some will go under or be forced to charge uninsured more, etc. This will lead to more personal bankruptcies. Few people understand or even care about the unintended consequences until it happens to them or someone they know.
I agree with you right up to the point where you assert that Republicans would do anything to stop Musk.
Look how many have medical backgrounds but still think all abortions are evil, including the ones that save the mother’s life. They don’t care about those lives.
We are fortunate that our Constitution is printed and written on paper, not that that solves all of these problems and sting doings. Thank you for the many explanations.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience!
I was not gifted with your great intellect or experience but I thank you so much for contributing .
I love this country. I am so grateful that we are filled with the wisdom and intellectual power and love for freedom and goodness of many of our citizens. We need to protect one another from this ie from individuals who are only working for their own private gain. These are not the true Americans who have shed their blood and sacrificed their fortune for something greater ie THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!
As I read today’s Letter the thought crossed my mind that while your Social Security check can be direct deposited into your accounts that also leaves the ability for them to claw it back. This is one of the reasons we always used a different account for payments from PayPal, eBay and others. It goes into that account and I transfer it to my regular account.
Perhaps I should do that with my Social Security payments too. That is if they even arrive next week.
My husband and I have both spent our careers as computer programmers. It’s hard to watch our country being handed over to a faulty AI system.
Good idea Sharon. What do you think about cash? The Nazi's raided homes owned by Jews. What happens to the homes of people that are deported? Do Musk thugs come in and pick it clean or maybe neighbors even? Would it be wise to keep some cash in case Trump and Musk thugs stop SS payments? Asking for a friend. 😱
So many excellent questions. I’m a white woman, I used to go out without my ID but I don’t anymore. I might get into a fray trying to defend someone. I never carried cash but I’ll start now. It’s a good idea to have some in case our banking and credit card systems don’t work.
I have plenty of non-white, non-Christian neighbors. How long before they come after them? It all makes me very nervous.
I’ve been paying my U.S. citizen Mexican landscaper by check for a year. Suddenly he comes last week and Wells Fargo didn’t accept my check because they said the account wasn’t found. My account. My immediate thought was the bank teller, or someone, looked at his name and face and decided he shouldn’t be paid. My bank never saw the check. This is how much I don’t trust the racists. I’m becoming more cynical about these little actions everyday.
That all depends. Having worked on many major systems in my career, there were systems set up that would make it virtually impossible to introduce changes that couldn't be tracked and there were others where you could relatively easily slip a "monkey patch" into the code that couldn't be tracked. The latter of course is VERY bad but it isn't always easy to prevent. Like anything else, especially in computer software, it depends on the code.
The worst part of this is that undoing the changes, assuming some level of normality actually was to return, might turn out to be very difficult or even virtually impossible. I have seen systems which got f**ked up by improper changes and we didn't have appropriate software and data backups required to undo the resulting disaster. One would hope that a system as critical as the one being screwed with would be more resilient but it is just as possible that most people involved in making changes all assumed that something like this could never happen so they might have not put the proper "restore" mechanisms in place. After 50 years doing software on systems of all sizes, this happens more often than anyone would ever want to acknowledge.
I have some hope that this could be reversed but not 100% faith that I am right.
I will preface this with the fact that I am not, nor have ever been, a programmer, but I have worked on or adjacent to many IT projects in my career. Jon, in your estimation, how possible is it to get into a system as complex as I presume the US Treasury payments system (or other govt systems) would be, and within 2 days or so understand enough about how it works and any nuances to be able to actually start coding changes? Could they be doing any more than perhaps simply copying or exporting data or code? That itself is worrying enough, not least because it would be a serious breach of data security, but what kind of changes might they realistically make at this point? I am having a hard time trying to even understand what possible legitimate reason there would be to allow Musk and his recently graduated tech bros to have pervasive access to such systems. How could they possibly understand how any of them work in such a short amount of time? Again, all honest questions. This is all very troubling.
GAAP Accounting requires companies backup and retain files for 7 years and then they can be shredded or, in the case of electronic backups -- erased or written over.
I have worked for around 100 corporations many of them Fortune 100 companies.
They all have processes that include review of changes, testing and implementation. They all keep backups of their major files like accounting transactions, policy files, etc. forever. But, in the case of the government if these secured backups are lost or destroyed, it would be impossible to recreate. And the program modifications are all saved as well. Daily balancing programs verify transactions and data for accuracy and balances to the penny. A large insurance company like the Prudential would process a small percentage of what the Federal government does in a day. And they have around 50 million policy owners.
Two stories -
We hired a consultant who left the State of TX HR department. He was responsible for the payroll systems for the TX state government. The first time they ran payroll after he came to work for us they couldn't get it to run. I received a call from the head of HR asking if they could hire him to run payroll. Of course, I said "yes." I'm not a monster. And we could have charged them thousands of dollars, but he had it up and running and explained how to avoid the problem again in about half a day. We charged the our standard rate of $100/hour.
The State of CA had taken over a small block of insurance policies and somewhere along the way, the source code for the programs that administered these policies was lost. This means that if a program abends, it is extremely difficult to determine the problem and fix the data to get it to run. They called me and asked if they could contract with us to get the system up and running again. Again, we had a person familiar with that block of business and he would have been able to fix the data in a day or two. But, we had no CA clients at the time and we would have had to pay the CA franchise fee before we could do business in CA. At the time, I think it was about $2,000. So we gave them an estimate of $5000. They declined.
According to the latest Medicare Board of Trustees report, the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is projected to be able to pay full benefits until 2036, meaning that is when the trust fund payouts are expected to start being impacted by depleted reserves; at that point, the fund will only be able to pay approximately 89% of scheduled benefits based on current projections.
Lots of ignorance. Musk is highly conflicted. Has a mesianic delusion that he is able to fix anything.
The trust funds are currently solvent. Use charitable deductions to save the SSA retirement Trust Fund.
The default of Trust Funds is supposed to apex in 2033 due to the increase of birth rates of baby boomers. After 2033, birth rates of later generations flatten and the funds can be solvent.
Social Security is the greatest anti-poverty program in US history. Social Security protects workers, widow(er)s, orphans and disabled people and is a major investment for many of us. Donations can flatten the default curve, extending the apex.
Sort of reminds me of the border separation "policies" of his last term. I believe there are still children - well maybe adults now - who never were reunited with their families because there NEVER WAS A PLAN FOR THAT!
More negativity in advance. That's all the site does everybody here is simply negative in advance. They don't wanna wait for any results to come out since Trump is only been in office for a couple weeks yeah four years of crap under Biden including $8 million for a politico subscription. And hundreds of millions of dollars of waste and finally somebody is uncovering it and you're pissed about that.
No Lizzy...it will take time, and it will be a fight, yes it will...but they do not deserve this beautiful Country !!!! That was the envy of the WORLD...no no no. Have faith that the 1,000,000 to 1 odds is the only way - and WHAT a WAY ...no other country that has that.... even Russia has only 1/3 and we have the advantage of KNOWING what is control is coming...and resisting the CONTROL.... Never ever loose faith (no matter what ;) xox
The other issue is that wingnuts want to sell this idea of the United States coming back again as an economic powerhouse. It won’t happen, and they will ensure that any gains from business success continue to go to oligarchs like Muskrat. We have a different economic system than we did, say, in the early 1960s. The shortsighted behavior of our manufacturers taking American production abroad allowed China to grow at our expense and to receive proprietary manufacturing information at our expense. The only way we can even get a larger piece of the pie is by unionizing, strengthening the Wagner (NLRB) Act and abolishing Taft Hartley in its entirety. We also need to attack monopolies and oligopolies. All of these ideas are anathema to people like Trump and Musk.
It’s so stupid because even without a a “larger piece of the pie” we were still the wealthiest country in the world. The problem is greed of the oligarchs. They can never have enough, and won’t share with the average American.
And maybe…we will emerge from our collective ennui with something better because we’ve been forced. (Trying to be optimistic here—don’t shoot the messenger.)
I think the same thing in my better moments. Then I have my panicked moments such as when I call off the sale of our big house (that my husband and I no longer need) because who knows how many of our children and grandchildren might need to come live with us in.
I applaud your optimism, but I just can't join you. We are all here, commenting on a letter written by America's foremost historian of American affairs, meaning that we appreciate her views from a historical point of view.
The timeline of recorded human history is littered with collapsed empires. I cannot think of any modern culture or society that has ever regained the glory (however you define it) of the empire that preceded it. If history is our guide, the best we can hope for is to be another "also-ran" in the world. But wait; there's more.
To demonstrate the extent of my pessimism, I note that Musk's having more wealth than he could spend in a lifetime is still not enough for him. I believe that he and his tech bros do not intend to stop with taking over only the U.S. He has already been swinging his pasty-white genitals in other nations. He is the literal, modern, iteration of the villain who wants to take over the world, as quaintly portrayed in mid-twentieth century movies.
If he succeeds in taking it all, everyone will have less.
Thank you very much finally somebody with some optimism instead of negativity in advance, which is the specialty of most posters here. Why don’t you wait to see a result? Might even be a good one
Oh I haven't given up, no, not at all, but with eyes opening wider each day, each hour about who THEY and WE are, have been, and why, I've decided that when this is all done, I want something much better for us than we've ever thought we had before. And I suspect I'm not alone in that.
Where is the tipping point from which there is no return? It passed, too late. We had an election, and this is what the people wanted. I hope you will not be directly affected, although most of Trump's voters will be. The last thing we want to hear from Trump voters is, "This is not what we expected."
Harvey, I've been saying for a while that the only apparent way out of this disaster movie (if only that's what this is) is that pain is widely distributed across all classes, or at least across the masses. It's unfortunate for those with the least who daily, perennialy, struggle to survive.
If enough of us are affected -- given Lone Skum's filthy fingers getting into every aspect of our lives from financial to food safety and security, perhaps then, and only then, will we decide that the Maga movement must be ripped root and branch from power.
But it maybe too late -- I fear Lone Skum is building redundancy and resilience in the systems he now controls.
Arab states have historically offered limited support to the Palestinians, both in terms of resettlement and financial aid. The Palestinians elected Hamas as their leadership, an organization that has shown little regard for their well-being. Hamas anticipated Israel’s response to the October massacre, calculating that the resulting devastation would serve as a propaganda victory against Israel. Meanwhile, Trump, ever the real estate developer, sees an opportunity—not to rebuild Gaza for its people, but to clear them out and establish his own Middle East Riviera. A visionary leader with grand ambitions—but for whose benefit?
Harvey, I'm glad I got back to you. I was looking for your post.
So tell me why do the people in Egypt and Jordan refused to take Palestinians? Why do you think that is since much of the population of Jordan consists of Palestinians already?
And have you ever seen the wire fence that Egypt has put up between Gaza and Egypt how long as border to prevent Palestinians from sneaking into Egypt? Now think to yourselves, why would that be?
Bottom line Gaza is nothing more than a bunch of rubble right now and anything to solve that problem would be welcome versus what's been happening for the Last hundred years or more
And by the way, my father was born Jewish in Palestine in 1911
When is it ever good to become the monsters you fought? What's next, selling condominiums in privatized National Parks, Gettysburg and Arlington National Cemeteries?
I suspect the US will lose the respect and trust of so much of the civilized world if we let Trump do what he wants to make Gaza a resort over the masses of dead Palestinians they would steal it from. The worldwide condemnation that will result from our former friends and enemies is not worth it.
Why don't you stop the nonsense? OK I just got done telling you that. My father who is Jewish was born in Palestine in 1911 and had to fly there because of the hatred of the Jews and why is it that Egypt doesn't allow Palestine's in and Jordan doesn't want them. Why don't you answer that question smarty-pants
Hakeem Jefferies ? And to Ted below yes we’re getting closer to the tipping point of nothing but success if you’ll just be patient stop whining and complaining like little sissies.
I've written to my reps to stop the takeover by unelected government contractor Musk, who is tied to China and Russia and has a conflict of interests.
I reminded them that Miami is the de-facto financial capitol of Venezuela and that hundreds of thousands of jobs depend on our international banking industry. Yesterday, Trump sent deportees to concentration camps in Git-mo. He has plans to denaturalize US citizens and deport them. Rep Carlos Gimenez was born in Cuba. Was a Democrat until 2020, when he switched parties. Was elected as a Democratic mayor. As # 45 Trump started the process. https://immpolicytracking.org/media/documents/ACLU_Fact_Sheet_on_Denaturalization.pdf Now, they will seek to denaturalize and deport people who made errors in their initial applications. https://immigrationforum.org/article/trumps-first-100-days-potential-immigration-actions/
Many voters here have dual citizenship -- like several Canadians in my building.
I think we are here. It's heartening to hear Democrats rail against what's happening. But they aren't DOING anything. The fact that they aren't DOING anything means they are complicit.
Why do you think the Democrats are not empower right now and why only 31% of the people believe positively in the Democrat party because they've lost their direction they've gone so far woke their unidentifiable
Playing by the rules is not woke. It is an attempt to assure that everyone is treated with equal justice. When you value the rule of law, like Democrats do...it is hard to believe, then react, quickly when you watch the Republican party break every law on the books and openly defile the constitution they are sworn to uphold. If you DO NOT believe in the Constitution and equal rights for everyone....you are living in the wrong country.
On the other hand, if you like a billionaire having access to all of your personal information, access to your bank account and the ability to drain your bank account when ever he feels like it, and he chooses you, because he thinks you are vulnerable and won't be able to stop him...then what is happening right now is perfect for you.
If you don't think by the way that the government had access to all your information before this, you're sorely mistaken. How the hell did you receive your Social Security? Check every year and adjusted where you live how much it is how much is the bank how much you earned last year? I don't think you could be any more naïve.
On the other hand, it certainly a relief to trust your government once again
Instead of having a semi cadaver, pretending to run the country, followed by a woman who is as articulate as a elephants butthole
I have yet to see a group of people as paranoid as the people here. I think you all need to chill. I think you all need to take a breath. I think you need a mirror to take a look at yourselves. And why you lost this election HUGELY Q you have no direction whatsoever all you have are accusations, baseless accusations at best. You need a new crystal ball and you need to throw away your Ouija board.
WHY DON'T YOU LOOK AND SEE WHAT HE'S DONE SO FAR AND ONLY TWO WEEKS TO DEPORTING CRIMINAL ILLEGALS UNCOVERING UNTOLD MILLIONS OR IN FACT BILLIONS OF WASTED TAX DOLLARS.
Has caused a cease-fire in Gaza that is going to lead to long-term peace one way or the other
Invited the president of Israel as the first visitor to the White House, even though everybody called him an antisemite
You call him a misogynist and yet he just banned male athletes from competing with women and protected women's rights as such
You call him a rabbit partisan but here he is bailing California out of its self-inflicted wounds and taking care of North Carolina as Biden ignored it.
And on the top of that, the lowest amount of illegal immigrants passed across the border in the last two weeks for the last four years
Elon Musk is going to find billions of dollars of waste and fraud which you should wait to see we've already seen the tip of the iceberg which is laughable that you're actually backing the stuff including us multimillion dollar sub subscription to politico
So if you want to be fair, I've got no problem with that
But if you wanna be the pessimist that you want to continue to be, there is no help for you
I hear a lot of hand-wringing. What’s actually being DONE, and who’s doing it? Who can we get behind? It’s hard to believe Generals Milley, Esher, Austin and a whole lot more, as well as CIA people being kicked out, etc., are taking all this sitting down. And I’m sure that millions would get behind them, both ex- and current military, police, etc. IF THE MUSKRAT CAN GO OUTSIDE THE LAW, SO CAN THEY. SO CAN WE.
Thank you. This is a coup of our country and a constitutional crisis. fuck Hegseth. where is the Military who "are only sworn to protect the constitution!" and against foreign invaders! we've got both!!~ a foreign invader obstructing the constitutional process of congress...
There is a Christian Nationalist element in the military, but the military takes seriously its position of being under civilian control. The problem is the supine Republicans in Congress and the Senate, and not enough Democrats are calling out this behavior as unconstitutional and illegal.
If you think you were panicking before, what do you think will happen if they shut Washington down good luck getting anything in the way of compensation like your ss checks.
Kathy, I agree, and I've thought for a while that Schumer is not the man for this moment in time. Perhaps we need a woman -- Elizabeth Warren would do a far better job.
The Democrats are outnumbered .... the courts became stacked...the last hope is the People ...... and I would always bet on the American People .... this will be hard but what choice have you ....give up and live as Russia does...today ??? Not without a fight xo
Do you know why the Democrats are outnumbered? That's where you should start
Because they lost their way, putting a semi cadaver in the presidency because of their hatred and then trying to put an incompetent human being as president when she couldn't even run a 711
Rs are long past caring. And with the last election’s results, I’d bet they’ve convinced themselves this is what people want because of the R trifecta. And I can’t blame them for thinking that, really.
Well, I had hope for you and your post above, but the comments like that are just ignorant. The reason we’re excited about what musk is doing is because there could be billions of dollars in waste as we’ve already found that can be reused to better the status of the United States as well as the world. Be patient wait for results stop being so fricking negative in advance.
This is the the cabinet is so critical as the first line of defense is to declare him incontinent and then we get Vance! I don’t want Vance! I hate to say it but for me Donny is safer than ‘smart’ stupid.
Well, they haven't broke the law number one which will be tested no doubt, but if you'd rather wait 10 years to see an outcome and all the legal wrangling and all the legal expenses, then fine but that's not what's gonna happen because Trump's not waiting and neither is the Middle East
Treason is very narrowly defined in the Constitution for a reason, but the breaking into government computer systems is highly illegal and is not in the best interest of the United States or its citizens. There is also a constitutional violation in that Trump is president and is attempting to usurp Congress’s control over the budget, and is delegating this power and access to government computers to a private citizen without Congressional authorization. This is total chutzpah on the part of Trump and Musk
Exactly. I get how most Republicans could be corrupted, stupid, selfish, bigoted and evil. But how could it be that 99% of them are marching lockstep behind President Musk?
I listened to Senator Ron Johnson last night on the NewsHour. He is just as crazy as the Orange Menace. He actually normalized RFK, Jr. WTF?
Senator Collins who is sometimes viewed as sane, just announced her support for Putin puppet Gabbard. Can't explain this....
This is not a Congress of the American People. This is a group of "nobles" kissing the ring of a Mad King. F*ck the peasants.
Wait, wait! I figured out what is motivating the Republicans in the kings courtage. They were promised beach front condos in "Mar a Gaza"!!!
It may not meet the definition of treason, but Trump’s and Musk’s actions over the last two weeks absolutely meet the definition of seditious conspiracy:
“2384. Seditious conspiracy
If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, §1, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)”
Only they're not breaking in. They're going in with permission executive permission.
And did you just hear how many millions of dollars are spending on subscriptions to politico as an example? Why don't you guys turn in and see how much money is being wasted abroad before you start complaining we could be helping the people in North Carolina and California with that money
It IS treason....as we come OUT of the shock and awe designed to overwhelm in a take over...NO MORE EVIDENCE NEEDED HERE........Listen for resistance as the USA will very soon be an Autocracy. That IS what is happening and the hurtful truth is that every day that passes is one more department or area of Government to use to their FULL control. Listen for what to DO as I have seen several write up's on these pages supporting Trump with disinformation here ! So they are reading these bits too to try to spread disinformation among the aware AND to listen to what we now KNOW. I am so sorry for the strong talk here, I understand how awful this is to read, but we have SEEN this exact play book in History as Ann Applebuam has reiterated last night on Bullark. To break all Democracies ...it had to break the US first....but this is the biggest and hardest domino to fall....however if it falls, and it could .....if we don't Wake Up fast...well then we will be very very unhappy. All except the very very rich xox
Shauna,extraordinary clear and visionary post. You mentioned that to break Democracies, the US should be broken first and the rest are going to fall, is the key point and final goal of the maga billionaires and Project 2025 architects. That scenario is not only the key point and the final point but also, the point of no return.
You know many of you crack me up with the term troll you have people here posting and posting and posting 3050 times a day but you never referred to them as trolls only when you get an opinion that is opposing yours are they a troll? I hope you're never a defendant in a courtroom under these circumstances.
"...At then end of this short but decisive war, the 1949 Armistice established Israel’s boundary well beyond that outlined by the U.N. partition plan, encompassing roughly 75 percent of formerly British Palestine. The West Bank would be controlled by Jordan, the Gaza Strip by Egypt, and the city of Jerusalem was divided between the western Israeli portion and the eastern Arab section. Israel’s national boundary came to be known as the “Green Line.” No permanent peace treaty was signed by the Arab nations, which refused to recognize Israel’s existence..."
I recognize that it could have been modified with land swaps that would have made lines more defensible for both side, but wasn't agreed to by the Arab Palestinians. My views are closest to an Israeli co-worker who to me was an exceptional hero in one of 4 tanks that left their defensive position to try to slow down the advance of 200 Syrian tanks enough to let Israeli reinforcements to be called up. They though they would all be killed within minutes but charged ahead anyway. The Syrian tanks retreated.
"...Israeli forces led by Ariel Sharon invaded in 1982 and succeeded in expelling the PLO, which moved to Tunisia. But Israel, and Sharon specifically, became associated with one of the worst atrocities in recent Mideast history when a Christian Phalangist militia allied with Israel killed hundreds of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in Lebanon. Sharon eventually resigned his post as defense minister and Israel slowly withdrew from Lebanon, leaving in its wake one of the most extreme anti-Israeli terror groups, Hezbollah..."
If you can square my views similar to theirs, and the individual Palestinian students who try to support a just peace as much as the better organized JVP, I'd welcome the potential progress.
If we try to resist or fight back, even militarily, can they hold us hostage by controlling our nation’s financial system?
Federal Courts? Trump has pardon power and he is immune. How close are they to “checkmate?”
Heather’s letter tonight is one of the most sobering. Each day we allow to slip past without stopping this coup brings us closer to completion of Project 2025.
True...the last hope is our sheer numbers of people and our determination...comply or resist ??? which will it be? .... that is now all that is left - they know it now we are catching on
Go away, Rick we don’t want you on here. We’re not listening to you. We see you’ve infiltrated trying to change minds, but we are all in the right mind and you’re wrong go away.
And the problem with me being here and that you don’t want me here is because you actually have to imagine a different outcome than any of your cohorts here supply.
I really don’t care that you’re not listening because it only makes the case even stronger that you don’t want American justice you want one-sided justice and that’s one of the reasons that your party is in disarray and that you’ve lost every facet of the election this past year that was possible And unless you start being introspective, it will only continue and get worse
And you don't have to listen to me you just have to pay attention and when it comes about that the Middle East is peaceful at some point in time and America becomes the intermediary there and we find billions of wasted dollars of tax money going to poor people and homeless and medicine here in America you might give it a second thought
I’ve tried to keep you in the now Jim. Why don’t you pretend like you’re an illegal criminal and see how you should be treated especially after causing harm to an American. Keep in mind this happened inside our borders, not in France or neighboring countries.
It is TREASON. But WHO is going to do anything about it. Spineless Republicans? The media could stand up, until the air waves are cut off like "they" are trying to defund NPR.
It's not the spineless Democrats it's just the misguided Democrats. They don't have a direction at all. They lost an election across-the-board. They don't know why and they don't want to figure out why, except they all raised their hands for racism and misogyny. What an effing joke.
Ryan it’s not about party. That’s the problem with the Democrats right now. They think everyone’s voting because they’re voting Republican and that’s just not the case. They’re voting for common sense they’re voting for anti-woke. They don’t want men competing with women in sports and I don’t think you want that either. There’s a typical policy that’s not necessarily driven by party. And by the way, even the NFL is removing the end racism rhetoric from its end zones.
The problem with your way of thinking Ryan is do you ever think that maybe nobody is voting on a party line vote that they’re voting for the policies that are being outlined and actually carried out. Regardless of party.
Federal laws are being broken! Someone call the FBI! Oh, wait, musk owns the FBI! Fortunately, there are Federal agents in the FBI, CIA who are ready, will, and able to fight against this evil. We have to find and mobilize them along with the rest of America.
And Trump just made it illegal for men to compete a woman's sports. I guess all of you were against that too unless you like an uneven playing field. Thank you, Mr. Trump.
They believe, and may be right, that the executive order creating DOGE gives them cover. Meanwhile, that executive order was an 'official act'. They believe they are untouchable. Are they?
But as the article pointed out, without a normally-functioning DOJ, who or what agency can prosecute the offence under criminal law? Who will do the arrest? How do you I prison someone legally if the normal system has been highjacked? Proof comes when the prosecution clearly demonstrates under the rules of evidence that the accused had violated the written law. Who is going to do all that when those in control are the the ones breaking the law?
I agree 100%. The question becomes, “Who is guilty of treason?” All of them, including the President who has allowed/facilitated this January 6th from the inside. Get Musk and his 6 henchmen first. Who has the guts to actually do this?
I’m just floating the idea that this is a ‘Treasonable Act’…waiting to see how Drumpf + his Sycophants and particularly the DOJ spins this one…as he’s backing them into a Legal Corner…they can’t box their way out of!
Let’s just see how Pam Bondi [DOJ] dances on this stage!?
Absolutely Stephen! Now we “The real patriotic Americans “might want to stand firmly as “grown ups” and say “hell no, go to your room” that translates to Impeach this thug now and Vance along with him, both are traitors .
Are we really so passive? I’ve experienced more outrage over whether or not people can’t own a gun. Good grief, hope to God we clear our heads and demand accountability toward our sworn loyalty to the Constitution. Impeach…. Impeach…. Impeach. Now
They should, but who is left to do it? That's the problem. That's why the blitzkrieg. The people are now in place who will allow all of this. Should anything get as far as the Supreme Court, well those corrupt crows have taken care of that already, haven't they?
Remember when Musk told us it would hurt. That is what Goebbels told the German people, and yet they were encouraged to be patriotic and tough it out. I am terrified for everyone. They are moving the money out of the economy.
Crash the dollar. Replace with crypto. So oligarchs of the world can unite, embezzle their respective countries wealth, avoid taxes, avoid sanctions, free to pilfer and pillage both earthly resources and wield ultimate control over all people and planet.
Unfortunately, they can never have enough money. Musk has an endless number of ways to part our money from us, and right now, just like Putin did, he is stealing it from us, but rigging the treasury computer to steal our hard earned money. He is also going to rig it for government contracts, to increase what he is getting. In fact, when I read the other day that Musk wants to have all government information on X, and says he is going to create a bank, I suppose the X Bank or the Bank of Musk, he says it will be the only bank Americans use. So, what is going to happen to all the bankers that are so happy about Musk's no holds bar treatment of our system? Perhaps they can all work at branches of the Musk bank, but I hear he want to use AI to do government work from now on, so no human beings. That would mean that Musk would be using his fellow species, of workers that are not human.
Demonstrations of solidarity assures those suffering in silence that they are not alone. They also pierce the veil of feigned normality and legitimacy about what the Republican Party is doing. It is essential, however, that participants in demonstrations are peaceful. The point is to pull others in from the sidelines.
I know exactly what you mean.. actually one of Their distractive strategies, over the years, was to have us all working 8 days a week, too busy to see what They’re doing.
Kathy, you ARE helping! Through your being here, through your words, you buttress up the solidarity with your presence. This is so in body, and in spirit. I suggest that even the most disabled among us has presence equally at the table. The tiny acts of solidarity we CAN find through our inventive genius, are incalculably valuable, and comforting to others. Smile, open a door, let someone in front of you, gladden the heart of a child, a new parent. In doing so, you're flooded with good hormones, your own happiness chemicals. Skip the addictive stuff, and go out and make some good news of your own. You likely will find an island of humanity previously unknown to you. Remember, they can NEVER have that in their miserable world of never having enough !
YES JL. As news overwhelms and distortions prevail, what reaches pro-Trump people who allow this, I hope that "Piercing the veil of feigned normality" can flip them. "The point is to pull others in from the sidelines." What information moves and how is critical, those images of people in the streets -- now and as history looking back, I'm praying it's a tipping point.
sorry..that isn't going to happen ... they stacked the deck and control everything ...when they got the Supreme Court that was a big big win. There are no other options left but to resist and stop anything they want. The many many good American People are IT - look to other Autocracies...to take back your Country WILL be a fight :( :( Listen for what to DO to help xo
First you have to resist, be successful and take control and then arrest are going to follow, not all the way around. Start fighting back and keep the faith.
We have to do what the Native Americans did in the 1970's -- take over Federal office buildings and demand access to their computer systems like Musk did.
Dozens of people inside the Senate and Congressional office building and their various satellite offices is the only way they will listen at this point. And take over the Supreme Court building as well.
Protests aren't going to change the minds of any Republicans in Congress or the Senate. Demand the personal laptops of Senators and Congressmen and confiscate all of their correspondence and publish their browsing history. Apparently, that's public information that each of us should have access to. If Musk and his tech-bros can access secured financial data, what harm is it in revealing correspondence and browsing history.
AGREED...Take BACK today what they are STEALING !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today .... as everyday their control is greater and greater ...but they can NEVER OUTNUMBER US....IMPOSSIBLE :) it is the one mistake they made !!!!!!!!!! ( And that we are AMERICAN ! )
RESIST, RESIST, RESIST....they started this War on the American People.... but what a Country to try to steal...1,000,000 to 1 !!! Not good odds for them !!!
I'll be at the state house in Concord, NH at noon on 2/5. I'm tired of complaining and waiting for someone to save us. We are the adults now. No one is coming to save us. Time to act now.
Bill, I’ve done a bit of reading about today’s protests. There are significant red flags around them - no one knows who the planners are, the usual precautions of medical teams, hydration etc are not present. There’s some concern that they might be a front for someone to get violent and provide an excuse for a declaration of martial law. I have advised my kids not to attend.
I hope I’m wrong. And to be fair, I do tend to catastrophize.
I read a LOT of news but was unaware of the protests planned for Feb. 5th. A properly planned and organized protest should be in the works - a general strike perhaps? I will drag my 71 year old bones to stand with all of us who demand to stop the steal and prosecute the criminal Musk/Trump gang.
The people are IT...no one can overcome the sheer volume of American People...NO OTHER (BEGINNING TAKE OVER ) has the numbers of the USA !!! I know this is the one and biggest mistake they made.............too many of us.....and too few of THEM !
Elon has added the Executive Branch to his asset portfolio. He paid $290 million for it. With Donald's help he has control of the Legislative Branch as well. And who in the Judicial Branch has the power to stop Elon and his team from committing crimes? The rules, the laws, the Constitution, do not apply to Elon. Like Russia, there are some people in America who are above the law.
you are right. BUT Russia doesn't have 3.5 Americans...who are NOT going to roll over...America has been thrown into in a Civil WAR with the Autocratic Take over of their Government...and it will be uncomfortable BUT we No Longer have a choice but to get our FREEDOM back. The only ways is how other countries topple their Governments....Putins only FEAR is his people rising up...and the longer we delay the more control and fear they instil, then the American people too will comply, out of fear. We ARE NOT there yet..but daily they win more control :(
Ed Nuhfer. It was clearly written down in actual writing, publicly, for all to see.
No I didn't vote for it, but I knew they would do this. It was very clear.
Everybody knew.
It's just that a lot of naive people thought it was silly, a bit far fetched. "They'll never really do that"
But they said very very clearly exactly what they were going to do. And they are doing it.
Do you really think that the millions of people that did vote for this thought "oh! they're not really going to do what they say..... and wrote down in great deal.
Yes. They said this is what they would do. Project 2025. We can't be Hungary because we are too big and diverse to end up that way. It will be something else, and I think a lot of something else's because we are 50 states and the D.C. and Puerto Rico and other territories.
There are things Trump has said that I have taken seriously, and they include his attacks on women, people of color, “DEI,” the right to vote, and mass deportation. Where I think he’s lying is that he claims he’ll do things to benefit his less affluent voters, or to do anything that will benefit anything or anyone except for the morbidly rich and big corporations.
And Canada, and Mexico, and Greenland ....... this is BIG plans here and I am so so sorry to say...it will be need a big fight BACK BUT as the red states SEE what is happening (remember they are being FED by Fox News that anything Trump does is perfection - daily !!!!) once they feel something...if not too late ..they will join in too xo
Now he reveals he wants Gaza, so which is his top priority? I'm afraid he wants Gaza for himself, his family, and those who will let him have big pieces of it. I'm guessing he has promised Canada, Mexico, Greenland, etc to those who will give his son-in-law (and him), a shiny object like Gaza, with other allied parts of the world he and they are willing to sacrifice to other spheres of oligarchical interest.
Sure the plan was written in a book that the cartel Party which installed this government divorced themselves from as they lied to their rank and file. It is disingenuous to say "Everybody knew." The percentage of voters who actually downloaded and read Project 2025 and most of them were probably progressives first and voters for Harris second was small.
This is a vote blue no matter who site, and I'll wager that, if honesty prevailed, less than a few percent of even paid subscribers to Letters downloaded or read the Heritage volume. If you are going to require people to procure and read a 900-page treatise to be sufficiently literate to know ("Every body knew."), expect less than 1% to be qualified through such knowing.
disingenuous or naive Ed. The project was a recruitment page. You only really needed to glance through the first couple of pages. Everybody knew about it.
Then there were the actual words that were said... come on, there are no surprises.. except maybe musk's speed.
Where was it written down that EVERYBODY knew Musk was going to be allowed to takeover our government? Please point me to the references. It wasn’t in my voting materials, no flyers or postcards were sent to me, my workplace didn’t give it to me. Even Fox didn’t tell their audience this.
How many people do you think read Project 2025? Why did Trump spend so much time disavowing it? Because he knew the people didn’t want it.
they will not stop being paid if they go along with the take over...Join "Hitlers team" to Protect themselves...they are now just pawns too :( BUT we have 1,000,0000 to 1 odds here in a fight...AND we have the best minds and strongest of people. Keep Faith , realize that there is way more good people than bad - they are ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED...help your neighbours - support yourself mentally and friends...there have been take overs before and the have People won back....with far less capabilities than the USA !!!!!! Never ever loose Faith... ever xo
The good people have not taken action in the past. "It's free speech so he's allowed to lie." Heaven forbid he be prosecuted for slander and liable. "Let him say what he wants. It's okay if it's not true, it's just alternative facts." The only person with the guts to stand up to him and push back was E. Jean Carroll. We let the Supreme Court give him immunity. Any judge who says someone is above the law should have been disbarred, especially the ones who lied during their confirmation hearings. We're too nice. In order to have a tolerant society you must be intolerant of intolerance. We let them get away with too much like an indulgent parent badly spoiling an unruly child instead of taking firm and decisive corrective action. Now they have turned into a monster. I fear there will have to be bloodshed.
Ed, this is from a friend's wife (actually, he was one of my recruits and is still active duty law enforcement):
"Loving watching a bunch of ineffective, inefficient, corrupt politicians melt down. They are so arrogant and threatened by competent, efficient, pro active adults who get shit done they can't handle it."
My 94yo Fox-watching, T💩p-voting mother was aghast that her Meals-on-Wheels would most likely be cut or demolished. She’s depended on it for a decade. “You voted for it, mom.” “No I didn’t!” The leopard will eat her face.
I told my GOP voting sister that our disabled former LEO MAGA brother would be going to live with HER, not me when his disability was cut off. She got pssed but then told me I was overreacting. Just wanted yo make it clear before shit hits the fan.
Derek, she was bamoozled like too many. Now the consequences will leave them without…. I must say I feel for older people dependent on social security plus all the other services WE all pay for through taxes.
No..most have NO IDEA and will be overwhelmed last as they took over FOX and feed them lies and disinformation for YEARS NOW......BUT Project 2025 knew...like Hitler..it is a small group of nefarious minds that create the PLAN...and this is very WELL PLANNED !!! But take heart and SEE the resistance starting(FBI) before they can stop it !!! And there will be more now that we KNOW what in fact they ARE DOING.
Yes they did. This time around everyone knew that trump is a liar and a con man. And a racist. They are too and this is exactly what they voted for. If they were upset musk has their SS numbers they would be protesting too.
Things I’ve heard: “he’s just doing an audit.” (Then why did he illegally shut down program established by Congress? That sounds like very “unauditor” behavior. Why wouldn’t they send in an auditor?) “Oh, our information is already out there anyway.” (Great, can I have your SSN, your date of birth, address, phone number, drivers license number and checking account number? Don’t worry “it’s out there anyway,” )
"...As is common with many online retailers, GameStation asks users to agree to Terms and Conditions in order to complete a sale. On April 1, the immortal soul clause was added. It read:
“By placing an order via this Web site on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant Us a non transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul. Should We wish to exercise this option, you agree to surrender your immortal soul, and any claim you may have on it, within 5 (five) working days of receiving written notification from gamesation.co.uk or one of its duly authorised minions...”
Do you really suppose that anybody understood what this Deep State malarkey was about and what was truly intended? Aren't you the least bit shocked by what has transpired? The administration is now in the position of having to face a blizzard of lawsuits before judges, Republican as well as Democrat, who will know that their own personal data is no longer private but in the hands of a racist South African billionaire and his team of Gen Z nerds. The language about the Deep State during the campaign was essentially about two things: the so-called weaponisation of law enforcement agencies and the DoJ and the culture war stuff - not this.
“So many of these things are so wildly illegal that I think they’re playing a quantity game and assuming the system can’t react to all this illegality at once.”
And that my friends is at the heart of this treason!
Time for a federal government wide 'go slow' effort. Show up for work, occupy your space so you can't be locked out, but do as little as possible. I once led a documentation strike at a group home to protest onerous practices there. We took care of the residents, but did not document anything except medications. No documentation meant no billing. Worked like a charm.
The question is who, or what, is going to stop this? The legislative branch is complicit and the judiciary is headed by a Supreme Court that has already granted immunity to the president. Trump’s first term was like the burglar testing all the locks in the neighborhood - the second term is like the burglar hitting all the vulnerable houses; which is turning out to be most of them. Welcome to the “imperial presidency.”
This might WORK !!!!!!!!! YES...lawsuits by "regular citizens harmed"...so hopeful !!! And "regular Citizens " can RESIST = Ie the Treasury Dept (too late here but there are many more departments ! ) The FBI ........all the departments can shutter or shut down or deny access ...as they are going to "shut down very soon anyway" with Loyalists of Trump.....Why not shut down 1st with the People who know how to work with their processes vs shut down with new Loyalists who haven't' a clue what to DO !!! What IS the saying " Power to the PEOPLE " Oh there IS Light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Faith :)
Christopher asks a question undeserving of sarcasm. There is a new consensus, albeit a narrow one. The people whom I know who voted for the '24-carrot' scheiße-head have expressed to me that they are fed up with career politicians and bureaucrats. Still, I can not believe that this bread-&-fracases is what they signed up for. They voted for cheaper eggs, not creepy dregs.
AND your economics where still the envy of the World ... as autocratic countries have internet too and SEE you ..they just cannot speak because they are not FREE to
" the government should regulate business, provide a basic social safety net, promote infrastructure, and protect civil rights. The idea was to use tax dollars to create national wealth. The government would hold the economic playing field level by protecting every American’s access to education, healthcare, transportation and communication, employment, and resources so that anyone could work hard and rise to prosperity."This is the definition of liberal government according to Professor. I think liberal government is the government of democracy, but the name needs to be changed. It is widely misunderstood now socialism and Marxist. I suggest a new name: "Lincoln government." President Lincoln is the one noone opposes. Even Trump says he is next to Lincoln.
He says it as he is the most opposite of Lincoln (and has Andrew Jackson as his hero displayed prominently).
P.S. I was surprised to find the largest statue in the center of Lafayette Park was Andrew Jackson. I must have passed on the north and south sides of the park dozens of times in the decades we visited DC. I've always considered Jackson as the most famous abuser of Presidential power before Trump, so I'm not surprised at his hero worship of Jackson.
I doubt he has as much McKinley stuff around though he seems his new favorite President
One must also wonder when the term 'Terrorist' could be applied to Musk and his Cronies!? Is this considered a 'Terrorist Attack'...I really don't know...I reckon it depends on 'Who's Framing It'?
If the shoe was on the other foot...FOX NEWS would frame it as 'Terrorism Against The State'...but since FOX is embedded with these Perpetrators Ideologically...they won't raise a finger in this direction.
There are better names for it, like espionage, CFAA violations and criminal negligence. But treason has to involve some direct act of giving aid and comfort to an enemy, and most legal scholars say it's limited to times when Congress has declared war on "the enemy." So as awful as it is, we need to find terms other than treason to describe it.
True. No one in their right minds could ever think it would be in the national interest to have a narcissistic sociopathic and morbidly rich private citizen have access to proprietary government information, and to strip the power of the purse from Congress. Congress and the Senate are loaded with Trump toadies or people who are too chicken to call out Trump’s and Muskrat’s behavior as both illegal and unconstitutional.
Agreed. Twitter is incredibly vulnerable - except that no one really cares about it any more, so you don't see a lot of hacks that disturb its operations.
Steve, every time I read someone's comment about this or that being treason, my eye twitches. In almost every case, what's being described does not meet the dictionary definition of treason. I feel guilty for being pedantic, but words matter to me.
I believe what Musk is engaged in would be accurately described as coup d'état, corroborated by all the popular online dictionaries.
A major part of why I try to avoid "treason" is because it's often the rallying cry of the right for anything that involves social services - they immediately jump to the conclusion that it's communist and therefore treason.
It may not meet the definition of treason, but Trump’s and Musk’s actions over the last two weeks absolutely meet the definition of seditious conspiracy:
“2384. Seditious conspiracy
If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, §1, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)”
1 : the betrayal of a trust or confidence : breach of faith : perfidy, treachery <corruption in public office is treason — A. E. Stevenson, born 1900>
2a : the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or his family — see high treason 1
b(1) : the betrayal in early English law of a lord by his vassal
(2) : the violation in early feudal law by a vassal of his allegiance to his superior by one or more undefined acts of a serious nature (as betrayal to an enemy, adultery with the superior's wife, or forgery of his seal) — see petit treason
3 obsolete : an act or an instance of treason <rebellions and treasons against their princes — Matthew Sutcliffe>
se·di·tion noun \ si-ˈdi-shən
\
inflected form(s): plural -s
1 : an insurrection against constituted authority : a tumult caused by dissension, partisan hatred, or discontent <by reason of inequalities, cities are filled with sedition — Benjamin Jowett>
2 : conduct consisting of speaking, writing, or acting against an established government or seeking to overthrow it by unlawful means : resistance to lawful authority : conduct tending to treason but without an overt act
Because. This doesnt fit the legal definition of treason, i.e. a proscutor could not match these actions to language of statutes. It’s the president enabling these actions through his cabinet appointees (with the ‘advise and consent’ of the Senate) and ‘special employee #1’ Elmo. “The crank call is coming from you own phone inside the house” - is not treason. Treason refers to aiding a foreign power, sorta. We here all feel outrage against what is happening, but in terms of what to do about it, “treason” is not the correct lever to pull.
Are we threatened with censorship soon on Heather’s site?
Yes.
Both Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell today broadcast news of the convicted criminal in the White House now moving to extend his criminality to kill the U.S. commercial free press with next us, the non-commercial voices, so none can question any of his criminality.
Nor none can question, either, his allies (Musk, Bondi, Bessent, Hegseth, Patel, Morocco, Gabbard). Nor the thug militias for more criminality.
Many here on Heather’s site dislike my focus on humanities being taught in schools, cited in media. Most take them for granted as if somehow, like democracy, private forums like Heather’s will always be available.
Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell beg to differ. The criminal-in-chief has already set criminality in motion like Orban’s in Hungary, Putin’s before that. And when the American free press is killed, need any be surprised that the criminality next comes for sites such as here?
You are right, they have told us what they plan and are well on the way “flooding the zone with Schitt.” What you think could never happen here, is happening here NOW
Yes, JDinTX -- what we've always loathed in pathetic history "is happening here," now.
I had one reason I wanted also to post something (somewhat) lighter accompanying this (mine a bit below on the orange felon on Gaza) -- my debt owed to Lawrence O'Donnell.
He's raging and well so most recently on the supine, dumb, elite, and "access"-mad Washington D.C. press corps. While deadly serious things are underway (Lawrence most angry at the damages to so many from Musk's killing of U.S.A.I.D.), the D.C. elites just ignore that -- zero refs or Qs to that at a most recent large press conference.
But they are jumping all over the orange felon's press conference with international criminal Netanyahu. They don't know, the D.C. idiot press, that they've been had. Trump's ideas are preposterous, outrageously, frivolously stupid. But the press eats it up, feasts on palpable nonsense, and for that ignores, can't see or care about the real and vast human damages the damaged fool Musk occasions to so many poor, unfortunate non-elite around the world.
The Gaza, and West Bank Initiatives are Extremely Dangerous for the USA... View the Press Conference with Netanyahu today... Seems that DJT is deteriorating Rapidly, and Netanyahu looks like that Alley Cat that just swallowed the Canary... Will the US Public Welcome being involved in a Guerilla War in Gaza just so there can be a Kushner/Trump Resort? Netanyahu definitely got the better end of the Deal... So much for DJT's Deal-Making Skills... This will aid Netanyahu by providing cover for the IDF to withdrawal... The insertion of U.S. forces would put the USA in another Guerilla War, and paint a Target on every American in the Middle-East... Once again, Israel would WIN. USA Lose... DJT has been bought, and has gone insane...
But the real reason for the Gaza pitch is distraction. Every minute spent worrying about Panama, Greenland, Canada, Mexico and now Gaza is a minute not focused on the complete takeover of the inner workings of our Federal Government by Chairman Musk.
Today or tomorrow, TV $Trump will announce something even crazier. Probably withdrawing from NATO, putting tariffs on Europe, "giving" Taiwan to China in a "deal" for some bullshit project.
Trump is the TV president. He likes to be on TV. He likes to watch TV.
But he has the intellectual depth of a guppy. He has a role as an actor in the biggest reality show ever. But he is really just the apprentice.
This TV series unfolding is funded, produced and directed by Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and friends. Take another look at who was at Trumps side when he was sworn in (did he really FORGET to put his hand on the Bible?).
Netanyahu's face at the Press Conference said it all, in my imagination: "President Trump is out of his gourd....I would have never believed this if I were not standing here! He did not consult me about this?
I am looking at all these news people taking this in as if this is actually a good idea....unbelievable.....why did I not try this??? Oh well, I did bomb and destroy everything with US equipment...maybe he will set me up with a nice place on the coast ?"
Sad that our media is a choice between Rupert and clones, and our MSM’s fascination with shinny objects. Their mascot must be the bower birds, but the birds have a reason to collect shinny objects. No excuse for our MSM
Alarming that Rubio is saying deport us citizens to ElSalvador prisons. WTF? Why isn’t that a headline? Steve Banon rule, “flood the zone with shit. MSM can only focus on one story, epically over the weekend. So we flood with st least three big outrage stories every day”
Please remember, though, too, that this hysteria comes in a package -- a calculated, pre-meditated, mega-well-funded package.
Nothing human about it. No conscience for lives hit. No humanities in any of the power-players and their many, many college-"educated" sycophants.
The corporate, and the billionaires (90% far-right) have schemes, abstractions to sell. The universities where they got their packaging all had zero humanities. These universities were administering only to the elite of standardized testing success.
Nothing human about them but greed, and more greed, as in the multiply-bankrupt, multiply rapist, all-his-life con man and finally convicted criminal in the White House.
Dems? Also dehumanized. Zero humanities in their educations, too.
For the same reason that no one seems concerned that the “Laken Riley Act” specifies that habeas corpus doesn’t apply to an undocumented immigrant who is accused of a crime and can be detained indefinitely without a hearing or conviction.
Here’s a PSA- If your US Passport is expiring soon, or you don’t currently have one, do so immediately. They’ll be checking everyone’s papers soon. And, they will undoubtedly add tripwires to the process for anyone with the “wrong” last name, zip code or profession.
"Many here on Heather’s site dislike my focus on humanities"...F***k 'em Phil, we all have some things we need to say, and we have a 1st amendment. Mine are: "'Restructure the DNC to be an effective opposition' and 'be prepared' and recently 'Kayfabe'"
So you just carry on, because you are right most of the time.
I may be correct, "bruce" (lower case yours), and it may be a bit of "me, me, mine."
But Dems really, really failed recently. Their emphasis on money, fund-raising, more money, more money, and celebrities.
No way a convicted criminal (and rapist, and life-long business fraud) and no way an insurrectionist (per the Constitution) should get to the White House.
The humanities could keep us in touch with what and who we love. Instead, without them (as Orwell plainly saw in "Politics and the English Language") we drift. We float into the inertia, magnetic force field, and momentum of abstracted language, abstracted categories (whereby for the billionaires the schools dehumanize, the legacy press dehumanizes).
The DNC should have kept their Ears to the Ground... Conducted more Focus Groups in Contested Areas... Why did essentially the whole County shift to 'Red'?...
There has been a plan to destroy the US Democracy for who knows how long ??? BUT in the last 10 years with Putin and Trumps 1st SECRET MEETING for hours (that..was treason ! ) I believe , right or wrong doesn't really matter now...came the PLAN...then Biden ( and the American People ) messed everythings up but only for 4 more years and BINGO...the won. Now...yes they did win ....and the Democrat were given NO POWER to resist... everything is stacked...EXCEPT WE HAVE 1,000,000. TO 1 odds against them....we can take back anything stolen and smell the SMOKE...we now HAVE TOO...we must resist everywhere as the FBI digs in 1st more must follow everywhere to SAVE the Country ... as every day they get more and more entrenched...it will be as ugly and Nazi Germany and we all know how that played out once Hitler got full control with the SS = our FBI ! this is a very serious time in American History and a full on call to Action or compliance ???
2024 was one of the highest voter turnouts in many years. 1/3 and more of the electorate have been disengaged for a very long time, you know that, right?
You are correct. About 66% of eligible voters participated. A record high. But still pathetic. Here is how it was in rough numbers:
Trump - 77 million
Harris - 75 million
Stayed Home - 89 million
"Stayed Home" were disillusioned, or high, lazy, ignorant, or didn't give a shit or think all politicians are the same or "GAZA"! - you name it. Oh, and there is the bunch that Phil refers to that are clueless about the "humanities" or civics or how a democracy is structured and who wants to vote for a black woman married to a Jew and the other guy is old and cuckoo. "Hon, grab me a beer...I said GRAB ME A Beer!"
Then there was the big one: the price of eggs. Damn those politicians. Why can't they just make the chickens lay more eggs?
In Australia, voter participation in Federal elections is over 90%. Why? Voting is mandatory. The penalty for not voting is $25. Sounds a little silly. But it works. But Americans have a strong opposition to doing things that work in other countries, so there you have it.
That is why there needs to be a massive housecleaning at the DNC. I am a Democrat, but the DNC offers employment to failed posters and political consultants who still are stuck in the Clinton wars of the 1990s. They need to elect younger people who are more in touch with what is actually happening, develop their own press outlets to correctly counter the misinformation of Fox and other right wing media outlets (it’s about 30 years late,) and start committing to all working people of all colors.
And all ages. We all have a stake and we all have agency in our society until we die, and the evil that we do (and often the good) lives after us. Climate abuse is only one (but frightening) example. In my lifetime as (as soon as I could register) a registered Democrat the DNC has always seemed autocratic, especially to the young. The 1968 Democratic Convention as one example. I think a lot a people disengage because they see little material indication that they are being heard. It seems like a lot of the big decisions are made behind closed doors.
Phil, have you watched The Great Hack? Netflix. Then read Zucked and Surveillance Capital-Zubloff
I mention this because the documentary and authors describe the power Meta has everyone addicted to their platform, collects personal data, then process the data (mining), Guage’s everyone’s persuadability, and then can use AI tools to influence.l not just buying but who to vote for, AND OR how to influence them not to vote too. Meta tech is not just about polarization and division. It’s really about predictive control in consumerism and in politics.
With this knowledge, does it matter how or how much Democrats spend? Can we ever trust Meta? Can we ever have fair and free elections ever again?
Deregulation meant dedemocratization. Sure, some regulations can be poorly constructed, some even counterproductive, and micromanagement can suffocate liberty, but a set of wise and aspirationally just regulation is what the Constitution is supposed to be, and the prime tool of social justice and harmony in a government of the people, by the people, for the people; all the people, not just the rich.
I'm not on Facebook, Meta, Twitter, or X, but I have read much on AI, voter suppression, gerrymandering, dark money, and the surveilling by algorithms.
Your last Q is key, given that those who hate democracy most love to claim free and fair elections always impossible. This includes all the organized native U.S. as well as Putin bots.
Hopefully private news/substack and blue sky can keep going...It would be hard, but it is done in Russia, but we have more on our side here and a history of democracy.
I think there’s a game of SQUIRREL going on here! We are all looking for that fine, funny, furry fellow climbing up some tree lookin’ for nuts, when in reality there is a tarantula traipsing up our trousers.
Is this Musk/Trump adventure happening to cut off funding to Congressionally approved programs? (Schumer and Jeffries think so.) Or HIDE Trump’s program to hide his potential waste, fraud & abuse!? OR, BOTH? I’m going with BOTH - the 2 birds with 1 stone theory! THAT is EFFICIENCY!!
Of course, then we have the Donnie & Bebe bromance going on at the same time! Is this a game of DOUBLE SQUIRREL (and Double Tarantula) going on? And do these “games” decimate the news media? Yup! I think Senator Chris Murphy has it right, but, watch out for a Triple Squirrel out there somewhere on the Ukrainian border!!
To think that just days ago Mexico and Canada sent firefighters to help put out the fires in LA. But who will put out the flames that are burning down our Constitutional Republic?
It’s almost too late for that. With Bondi now in charge of the cops who’s going to arrest Musk and his hacker ludites? And now Congress is now infertile as is SCOTUS. The coup has been accomplished. There will probably be a state visit by Putin next week.
We have reached the point where armed revolt looks more and more likely. In the face of such blatant illegality and disregard for our Constitution, these oligarch wannabes will stop at nothing until they are stopped by violence that they cannot, in their current hubris, believe could possibly be aimed at them.
Musk is a naturalized citizen, not native born. His citizenship can be revoked and he can be deported. All it takes is the will to put those wheels in motion and see it through.
Unfortunately there is now no one with the will, power and courage to do so.
It feels like we’re fighting this battle based on an old set of rules (US law and justice). To them, these rules don’t apply. We’re being steamrolled and it’s moving quickly.
Exactly. We are still playing by the rules and using lawsuits to stop this, as if Trump or Musk would even actually show up to face " legal consequences" We think mass protests will have impact. Public opinion does not matter to Trump/ Musk.. Wrong weapons to defeat this takeover and coup. This is war. This is treason.This is destruction of our country happening right in front of our eyes. Extreme measures must be taken. Where are our heros? Will it be this easy to defeat America?
When the time is ripe, a mass protest or general strike may work to put a spanner in the works. I remember how long we had to march and protest against the war in Vietnam and for civil rights. Gather together here and in person locally. Support the coming opposition.
Just to be clear: you Don’t have an argument to accuse “ minions who stole governed data” without proof, have you a link to that?
Theft of data is not even the biggest or sole issue.
What was outlined in HCR’s piece today: his minions have ****root access, **** which is not familiar to the non-tech reader but is well described today in plain language. Meaning, they have achieved a level of access as the system administrator: the highest level of trust in information systems, one hopes thoroughly vetted, and the potential to do literally anything. Yes, root access ***would allow*** a theft of data, but we don’t know what these RCG noobs from Tesla/Twitter/Elon are DOING. Because they have accessed the system and, presumably, apparently, locked sane actors out of access to what they are doing. One COULD look to what happened to twitter after elmo’s buyout: same people, same style of action thus far.
There are even ****worse outcomes**** than theft of people’s SSNs here. There is access to classified and sensitive programs, payments to and from, and access to account information, and are possibly querying the databases and scouring for information (they would say, looking for inefficiencies in government, with the help of AI). All in their first 5 days “on the job.” I’d say, “you’re fired”!
By the time the law wades through all this clearly illegal crap it won’t matter, because it will be a done deal and the damage may be irreparable. Those MAGAs who lose their Social Security and all other financial support will no doubt wail and gnash their teeth, but Elon and his mechanics will have moved on. Our laws were not designed to prosecute this monumental kind of “smash and grab “ brazen theft.
Yes, that’s why they’re sleeping there. They know they’re racing against time. It’s way too easy. No one stopping them, limited protest, full access without interruption, and help from employees.
Someone who works inside needs to take one for the team. Pull the plug somehow. Interrupt. They’re going to destroy things with or without the employees so people need to stop helping them.
The U.S. is going to move 1,8 million Palestinians out of Gaza so the World's Master Real Estate Developer can develop it as luxury, 3rd-home, and recreation haven for the world's billionaire and oligarch classes.
It's like that other Great Idea, the Trail of Tears when nearly 200 years ago that other happy racist in the White House, Andrew Jackson, had the U.S. military force off their land the Cherokee and all the other tribes then in southern Appalachia. So other racist speculators could profit from the good soil, many rivers, coal, timber, and abundant minerals there.
Jared and his real estate developer father-in-law have always had Gaza in their sites. Too bad so many Gen-Z sat out the election as a protest vote against the atrocities perpetrated on the Gazans.
The enemy of my enemy ... We need to unite with those who may not agree with us on everything but who are willing to speak out loudly and forcefully against this coup.
Trump/Netanyahu is an exercise in genocidal autocracy, and USA is about to abandon the UN. You could also say, Hamas bit off much more than it could chew, and the whole Gazan population is about to pay for it. What about all the Palestinians living in the West Bank which the settler side of Israel want to take over as well?
The thing that concerns me is that at some point, Israel may come to a point where they can no longer maintain control over the West Bank, and they will have to retreat into Israel proper. Israeli journalists Hirsh Goodman and Gershom Gorenberg have discussed this as a real possibility.
I believe the West Bank has abt 3 million Palestinians, not including those remaining in East Jerusalem, and they represent about 85% of the population there. Trump is unbelievable. American troops on the ground ?
I don’t like Hamas, who have an iron grip on Gaza and put their own people in danger, but does Trump really think Egypt and Jordan are going to take in Palestinians from Gaza? I think it’s a pipe dream more than anything else.
The Gaza Riviera is a glossy side show to distract the news cycle from what is really happening: absolute lack of action by Senators to stop this rot from the inside: rump wants all his incompetent lack-of-merit appointees approved by the senate, and he is getting it, with the distraction of “flooding the zone with sh!t.”
Your evening news from Nextar and Gray Media is 30 minutes including ads, say 22 minutes excluding ads. 7 minutes sports. 7 minutes weather. 7 minutes local news. Oops, we’re out of time, have a nice day.
Yeah, complete with hot and cold running terrorists too. I can't think of any better way of setting off them off than just saying we'll take over Gaza, much less trying to do it. Expect more terrorism in the Mideast and the US.
If it smells and looks like a skunk, you can be sure it’s a skunk. Now it’s too late for the good military generals to ironically save the union from itself. And it’s mostly our fault.
Last night I watched AOC’s livestream. She said that Musk is redirecting funds (pillaging) the Treasury in order to fund the tax cuts passed in 2017, which sunset soon. Anyone have thoughts on this?
I wish I didn’t live so far from DC because I’d take time off to protest there too. But I’m calling my reps, I’m steady the word, and when HCR gives an assignment I’m doing it with A+ effort.
I think all 435 members of Congress and 100 senators need to go home and file lawsuits in the states. because they are threatening the whole country. As weird as we all are, we still belong to this country.
What good are lawsuits? They do nothing. We have no justice department, the supreme court has said rumpy is above the law. If someone doesn't move fast with the loyal military we have left it's going to be a done deal and will take a very long time, if ever, to recover. It may already be too late. There's no longer time to go through the courts.
I’ve moved up to please - charging him with treason. Today clearly sealed it for me. Just read an interesting article - by Michael D Sellers, a deeper look at claims he was recruited by intelligence officers in Russia in the 1980’s. 2/23/25.
Are we sure the cuts are going to hit everyone? With AI involved and the masters of all our social media data -- Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter, TikTok -- in on this coup, can we be sure they won't be just for anyone who didn't vote R?
It should be. But when the person authorizing all this has immunity, he'll okay anything, and when the people he has doing it for him will be pardoned, I don't know that we have any legal bridges left standing.
Back in August Musk posted, "Civil war is inevitable." People thought he was just referring to what's happening in the UK. Yeah, I'm thinking he meant not just there.
I have been thinking this for a couple days. Individual party affiliation is easily discovered online. Simply using that information as a "filter" in the payment system would strain out all payments to registered Democrats. Donald would love that, as he values unidirectional loyalty almost as much as cash.
And I'm pretty sure the other move they'll make as a message to those who didn't vote or voted third party is an increase in payments, by a lot, to those who did vote for him. Cuz I mean, the whole game we thought they were playing of making these spending cuts so they can pay for the tax gift to the villainaires (I stole that from someone on Threads), and getting these cuts done "efficiently" being the excuse for infiltrating the Treasury, yeah, none of that's it. It's about dismantling everything, yes, but it's also about a monarch reaching into his velvet money pouch and buying allegiance from the hungry masses with his stolen treasure.
They are. The code being written and inserted will allow access to and control of payments to specific individuals. So SS payments to just registered Dems in a town can be cut off while payments to Reps continue unchanged.
There is no factual basis for this statement “ They are. The code being written and inserted will allow access to and control of payments to specific individuals. So SS payments to just registered Dems in a town can be cut off while payments to Reps continue unchanged.” I’m not saying it is impossible. It’s just speculation. And I doubt minions would be that obvious about it….
Those Dems are traitors. Exactly what happened with the election. Dems scream warnings, people yawn. What will it take. Rupert will never tell the MAGAts. Of course, Rupert is a magat
Why in the world aren't these criminals being arrested?!?!?!!!! I truly do not understand. They are no different than any other citizen (other than working for fascists and a dictator) who would be nailed by police in a minute.
We have him to thank for our Republican senators violating their oaths of office twice to acquit an obviously guilty president. History will teach about Mitch McConnell’s perfidy.
Yep, but without a hint of regret. I have hated his obvious evil since his comment about opposing Obama by whatever means from the git go. Just let the tea party nuts run rough shod over all efforts to fix the mess W made. Hope history is written by HCR.
The FOP is not too happy with Trump for pardoning and freeing people convicted of crimes in connection with their January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. They revoked their endorsement of Trump right after Trump freed the insurrectionists.
My Social Security check gets direct deposited in my checking account the fourth Wednesday of the month. I’m going to be a little nervous until then, and probably thereafter until that South African bastard gets destroyed.
Am I going to get a letter stating, “There are some questions about your eligibility….”?
I got mine on the 3rd and when I saw it in my account, the sound that escaped my lips was somewhere between relief and anguish. This kind of stress on people old enough to receive Social Security is a special kind of evil.
How are Fox, OAN, and other right-wing news and commentators reporting this? More lies and fantasy? Who will they blame when eggs go to $12, vaccines are no longer available, schools - especially special ed programs - close, immigrant employees and business owners disappear?
Right-wing news organizations have largely portrayed Elon Musk's recent actions with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as necessary interventions to reduce government waste and increase accountability.
Fox News Coverage:
Addressing Fraudulent Payments: Fox News reported that Musk criticized the Treasury Department for approving payments to known fraudulent or terrorist groups, highlighting DOGE's role in uncovering such inefficiencies.
Targeting USAID: The network described DOGE's focus on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an effort to reform an agency with a global footprint, suggesting that USAID had become a "viper's nest" of inefficiency.
Political Reactions: Fox News highlighted Democratic lawmakers' concerns over Musk's access to sensitive Treasury data, framing it as partisan opposition to necessary government reforms.
Support from Republican Senators: The outlet featured statements from Republican figures, such as Senator Joni Ernst, who defended DOGE's initiatives and advised critics to "get used to this," emphasizing the administration's commitment to reducing government waste.
Overall, right-wing media outlets have depicted Musk's actions through DOGE as bold and necessary steps to streamline government operations, reduce waste, and enhance efficiency, often downplaying or dismissing concerns about overreach or potential legal issues.
Who the hell is Musk to determine what are or are not fraudulent payments? The investigation of alleged fraudulent payments and activities and determination of enforcement action is the province of each agency's Inspector General . . .oh, oops! Ain't got no more of those.
Exactly. Without knowing the performance requirements of each program and how to evaluate compliance, they have no basis for making such determinations.
I love how they repeat government waste and no doubt there is some but now there's no oversight, but the biggest rebuttal to this is the reality that Trump chose to fly immigrants out on military planes costing $800,000 as opposed to commercial flights that would have cost $21,000. Clearly waste in government is another lie Trump choses to play.
The real waste in government comes from military contractors padding bills, from subsidies to wealthy corporations, and tax cuts to morbidly wealthy people. The corporations and wealthy can and should be paying much more in taxes, and the real complexities of the tax code come about from lobbying by the morbidly rich and corporations to create all sorts of dubious loopholes to avoid paying more taxes. Then, the same people turn around and encourage Congress and the Senate to reduce funds for IRS enforcement and oversight, which lets both groups abuse the tax system for their own personal gain.
Laurie, a friend's wife wrote this on FB last night:
""Loving watching a bunch of ineffective, inefficient, corrupt politicians melt down. They are so arrogant and threatened by competent, efficient, pro active adults who get shit done they can't handle it."
I have no idea how they will respond, but I can suspect that it will involve blaming Democrats and the Democratic Party.
Democrats always think laws, the legal system, and the Constitution will protect us.
They're lazy, and 'way too focused on fundraising for the next election.
They're as culpable as the magats. I will never donate another penny to them. In fact, I intend to change my registration to Independent.
I'm progressive. I refuse to identify as a Democrat anymore. They've proven, with very few exceptions, to be as weak-minded, craven and corrupt as the magats.
I took Trump seriously when he said to a supporter that he wouldn’t need to bother voting again. We will not see midterms, and I think Trump has every intention of becoming a dictator for life.
Frump may have immunity for illegal acts while he’s president but what about the people who do his bidding g? If they break the law they are not immune. Surely THEY can be charged? If everybody who broke the law, shat on the constitution could be held accountable?
If there is anything left of our justice system after, say, Thursday — maybe. This feels like doom. Am I crazy to hold out hope that if we keep fighting, if Congress protects its own power (if not ours), that something of our democracy can be salvaged?
You have no choice. The lassitude of the millions who didn’t vote, the ignorance of magas, the corruption of the voting systems, the gerrymandering, the slow grinding of the gears of the law, the vile vampires of the Supreme Court, all together put these evil men in power. The Constitution has been savaged.
US citizens have to resist, gave to fight back, have to bring them all down or the Republic will be unrevivable
The Supreme Court needs to change of the immunity clause and I believe there is something about the constitution in there - if not, they need to go to the Supreme Court because violations of the constitution and laws created (like Congress controls the purse) should be impeached. I'm hoping they have attorneys working on this now.
They control the Justice Dept as well as the Military now, if the cops are all corrupt who are you going to call? I know not all cops are corrupt but the leadership is. So again who are you going to call for help, that’s why they are still in there ransacking the Treasury and inserting malicious code for when they leave. Maybe all of the lunatics with their AR-15’s have a point, I have always thought they were crazy, but maybe they’re crazy smart. Within our system of government there is no one that can stop this from playing out into the total destruction of our way of life, all of the checks and balances presupposed good will on the part of all participants, we have arsonists controlling the levers of power now, got a match. 🤬🤬🤬
Here is an article that explains how maybe just maybe what he did and is doing is more than illegal
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/02/04/when-its-not-just-a-coup-but-a-cfaa-violation-too/
When It’s Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too. Legal Issues from the tic-tac-DOGE dept by Cathy Gellis
“I think a colorable, non-frivolous argument can be made that Elon Musk, and everyone on his DOGE team accessing the federal government’s computer infrastructure, is potentially personally liable for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).”
I think it's actually called TREASON...the TRESPASSING OF FEDERAL PROPERTY and ACCESS to SECURE DATA protected by a FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY. It's quite simple...YOU ARREST THE PERPETRATORS as they have no AUTHORIZATION nor do they have SECURITY CLEARANCE STATUS. The Media should frame it as 'ELONGATE'...and the MILITARY should send MUSK and his CRONIES to Guantanamo Bay indefinitely. SITUATION RESOLVED!
Where is the tipping point from which there is no return?????
When Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid pmts don't go out... Modifying Code, on live Systems without testing will get you fired in most places... Why wasn't Security Called when they stormed in on a Weekend?... Untested Code? Have 'Trojan Horses', and 'Backdoors' been introduced... Are they there any logs of the changes, or Back-Out Plans if things go Bad?
Clearly, Trump has no idea what is going on and now wants to take over Gaza. The man is cray-cray and everything everyone warned about with Project 2025 is taking place in spades.
For most of the past 50 years I have been on-call to fix abends in various systems 24/7/365. When there is an abend, we used to fix the bug in the program and then run the fix live usually against millions of insurance policies. And if we messed up by changing financial values, it was caught immediately in the various balancing programs and audit trails required.
But starting in the late 1980's many companies found it difficult to hire people capable of fixing a problem on a timely basis so that systems would be available for the users first thing in the morning. And so they bypassed the bad data, until a fix could be implemented with proper testing and auditing protocols.
What these morons is doing, is putting live untested code into the systems, bypassing audit checks and balancing routines. If I had done this even once without proper sing-offs not only would I have been terminated, but I would have been black-balled from ever working for any financial services firm again.
I'm sure the Republicans in the Senate and House are totally and completely clueless as to the damage Musk is doing otherwise, they would stop it.
What makes anyone believe they will not come for your Social Security or Medicare or VA Benefits or even your income tax refund.
Next they will start changing the IRS systems so Congress needn't bother defunding it.
The oligarchs have won and there's no one to stop them.
Nobody has WON...yet ! You are right..every day they WILL be more ENTRENCHED AND MAKE IT HARDER. I am sorry to tell you .... that if you are Hungry, you will COMPLY. But we now SEE what they are doing and they must be STOPPED...and they can be stopped..WE HAVE THE NUMBERS of People, and The American People will resist ..........NEVER ever give up !!! ever.. :) Its not over but they did start a very big FIGHT xo
We clearly have new traitors showing their faces in the senate. Not Republicans, we know what they’re about. No. Our Democratic senators who’ve been voting along with Republican senators to confirm these completely unacceptable nominees for the Cabinet. You can’t get through to John Fetterman‘s office, just hangs up or busy. He’s a snake and not worth my time any longer.
We need to focus on who’s willing to be a leader and fight.
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez is my focus. Support her! Listen to her! Send letters of support of her over Democrats voting with Republicans (copies to your traitor senators) phone calls, e-mails show up at heir offices. Too progressive for you? Now is not the time. We cannot continue to wallow in despair. We are people in search of a leader! She is speaking up! We can amplify her. Stop bothering with the traitors, we know who they are. I keep a running tab of which Democrats vote along with Republicans and I’m extremely disappointed whose names I’ve seen. Reuben Gallego? Right out of the gate? Really Reuben? Traitor.
BRAVO!!!
Right on, Shauna!
You GO, Girl!!!!
How is it the whole system appears to have just abandoned itself to this nazi in three days? Is there no one with the ovaries to stop this?
I know! Why aren’t the federal courts not under his thump not stopping this. How is it possible for us to all just watch this and no one is doing anything. And the confirmation s. I’m speechless. What is hsppening?
Please do not use the term cray-cray, it is offensive to people within the mental health community. While he may be mentally ill, a better term for him would be deranged or insane.
I go with evil.
I’d thought it was a dumb enough term to be seen as, well, insulting to those who are choosing to be perverse.
That’s your focus right now?
He is a malignant narcissist, a sociopath and a pathalogical liar.
The Gaza plan is a real and not a new thing. 3/19/2024 The Guardian reported on Jared Kushner’s interest in building on Gaza’s waterfront property. This would involve moving Palestinians to the Negev Desert.
Asking for a friend, would this new waterfront property have anything to do with the billions of dollars Kushner received from the Saudi's?
The GAZA plan is the Shock Doctrine pure and simple. Billionaire want property held by poorer or powerless people. They initiate a focused disaster under whatever reason (natural or man made), and force those occupants out of the area. Then the change the rules to not allow them back home, and sell the property right out from under them, usually with pennies on the dollar going to the former occupants. But with war, it's ZERO payments to the former occupants. See The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein.
Naomi Klein’s book, “ The Shock Doctrine” in action.
Still and again, over and over, children are slaughtered!
Gary Loft,
Trump has said that he wants to come for our Social Security and Medicare. With Musk and his minions in charge, it is possible.
Stop paying Social Security? Picture a scene in a movie where 70 million old people burn at the stake a fraud with orange makeup and dyed blonde hair.
I can see Musk adjusting what people receive from SS, Medicare & Medicaid and VA benefits rather than totally cutting them off.
Something like an across the board 25% cut in benefit and claims. Or maybe he'll do it state by state. Whatever Musk decides, it won't be fair and the cruel Republicans won't bat an eye.
And when hospitals are underpaid, then some will go under or be forced to charge uninsured more, etc. This will lead to more personal bankruptcies. Few people understand or even care about the unintended consequences until it happens to them or someone they know.
I agree with you right up to the point where you assert that Republicans would do anything to stop Musk.
Look how many have medical backgrounds but still think all abortions are evil, including the ones that save the mother’s life. They don’t care about those lives.
Republicans are just fine with all this, as their corporate donors demand.
Thank-You Gary...
He has always been Bat-shit Crazy, just appealed to the like-minded microdosers and fentanyl addicts…too harsh? I’m angry!!
No one to stop them. Good God in 16 days, they have taken over!!!!!!!!!!
Why aren't the Capitol police arresting the coup perpetrators if the FBI won't? Why aren't the Democrats in Congress demanding these arrests
We are fortunate that our Constitution is printed and written on paper, not that that solves all of these problems and sting doings. Thank you for the many explanations.
It's not stopping them. Nobody with the power is stopping them.
Paper burns. . .
Gary Loft,
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience!
I was not gifted with your great intellect or experience but I thank you so much for contributing .
I love this country. I am so grateful that we are filled with the wisdom and intellectual power and love for freedom and goodness of many of our citizens. We need to protect one another from this ie from individuals who are only working for their own private gain. These are not the true Americans who have shed their blood and sacrificed their fortune for something greater ie THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!
''When Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid pmts don't go out''
You're 100% correct - the shit will hit the proverbial fan from sea to shining sea!
See my comments above. Trust funds are not part of the budget and are solvent....for about 9 years.
the funds are solvent but if the system to distribute payments is broken...
As I read today’s Letter the thought crossed my mind that while your Social Security check can be direct deposited into your accounts that also leaves the ability for them to claw it back. This is one of the reasons we always used a different account for payments from PayPal, eBay and others. It goes into that account and I transfer it to my regular account.
Perhaps I should do that with my Social Security payments too. That is if they even arrive next week.
My husband and I have both spent our careers as computer programmers. It’s hard to watch our country being handed over to a faulty AI system.
That’s really clever.
I notice the change won’t take effect until April.
Good idea Sharon. What do you think about cash? The Nazi's raided homes owned by Jews. What happens to the homes of people that are deported? Do Musk thugs come in and pick it clean or maybe neighbors even? Would it be wise to keep some cash in case Trump and Musk thugs stop SS payments? Asking for a friend. 😱
So many excellent questions. I’m a white woman, I used to go out without my ID but I don’t anymore. I might get into a fray trying to defend someone. I never carried cash but I’ll start now. It’s a good idea to have some in case our banking and credit card systems don’t work.
I have plenty of non-white, non-Christian neighbors. How long before they come after them? It all makes me very nervous.
I’ve been paying my U.S. citizen Mexican landscaper by check for a year. Suddenly he comes last week and Wells Fargo didn’t accept my check because they said the account wasn’t found. My account. My immediate thought was the bank teller, or someone, looked at his name and face and decided he shouldn’t be paid. My bank never saw the check. This is how much I don’t trust the racists. I’m becoming more cynical about these little actions everyday.
Not knowing how this works, my question is: If they make changes, do we lose the original code? Or is it preserved somewhere, somehow?
That all depends. Having worked on many major systems in my career, there were systems set up that would make it virtually impossible to introduce changes that couldn't be tracked and there were others where you could relatively easily slip a "monkey patch" into the code that couldn't be tracked. The latter of course is VERY bad but it isn't always easy to prevent. Like anything else, especially in computer software, it depends on the code.
The worst part of this is that undoing the changes, assuming some level of normality actually was to return, might turn out to be very difficult or even virtually impossible. I have seen systems which got f**ked up by improper changes and we didn't have appropriate software and data backups required to undo the resulting disaster. One would hope that a system as critical as the one being screwed with would be more resilient but it is just as possible that most people involved in making changes all assumed that something like this could never happen so they might have not put the proper "restore" mechanisms in place. After 50 years doing software on systems of all sizes, this happens more often than anyone would ever want to acknowledge.
I have some hope that this could be reversed but not 100% faith that I am right.
Sigh...
I understand the software is in COBOL. The people who used that are probably all collecting SS themselves. Or already deceased.
I will preface this with the fact that I am not, nor have ever been, a programmer, but I have worked on or adjacent to many IT projects in my career. Jon, in your estimation, how possible is it to get into a system as complex as I presume the US Treasury payments system (or other govt systems) would be, and within 2 days or so understand enough about how it works and any nuances to be able to actually start coding changes? Could they be doing any more than perhaps simply copying or exporting data or code? That itself is worrying enough, not least because it would be a serious breach of data security, but what kind of changes might they realistically make at this point? I am having a hard time trying to even understand what possible legitimate reason there would be to allow Musk and his recently graduated tech bros to have pervasive access to such systems. How could they possibly understand how any of them work in such a short amount of time? Again, all honest questions. This is all very troubling.
And I guess John you don’t give a crap about what Trump is doing for Israel.
GAAP Accounting requires companies backup and retain files for 7 years and then they can be shredded or, in the case of electronic backups -- erased or written over.
I have worked for around 100 corporations many of them Fortune 100 companies.
They all have processes that include review of changes, testing and implementation. They all keep backups of their major files like accounting transactions, policy files, etc. forever. But, in the case of the government if these secured backups are lost or destroyed, it would be impossible to recreate. And the program modifications are all saved as well. Daily balancing programs verify transactions and data for accuracy and balances to the penny. A large insurance company like the Prudential would process a small percentage of what the Federal government does in a day. And they have around 50 million policy owners.
Two stories -
We hired a consultant who left the State of TX HR department. He was responsible for the payroll systems for the TX state government. The first time they ran payroll after he came to work for us they couldn't get it to run. I received a call from the head of HR asking if they could hire him to run payroll. Of course, I said "yes." I'm not a monster. And we could have charged them thousands of dollars, but he had it up and running and explained how to avoid the problem again in about half a day. We charged the our standard rate of $100/hour.
The State of CA had taken over a small block of insurance policies and somewhere along the way, the source code for the programs that administered these policies was lost. This means that if a program abends, it is extremely difficult to determine the problem and fix the data to get it to run. They called me and asked if they could contract with us to get the system up and running again. Again, we had a person familiar with that block of business and he would have been able to fix the data in a day or two. But, we had no CA clients at the time and we would have had to pay the CA franchise fee before we could do business in CA. At the time, I think it was about $2,000. So we gave them an estimate of $5000. They declined.
Security people were called, tried to stop them, and were then fired.
WHO had the Authority to Fire them???
Congratulations Heather for the most terrifying newsletter to date....
@ Apache. SSA Retirement and Disability checks come from trust funds that are not from general revenues, and are currently solvent but may default by 2033. At the end of 2023, the Social Security program was providing monthly benefits to 67.1 million people: 58.6 million from the OASI Trust Fund and 8.5 million from the DI Trust Fund.https://www.ssa.gov/policy/trust-funds-summary.html#:~:text=At%20the%20end%20of%202023,from%20the%20DI%20Trust%20Fund.
According to the latest Medicare Board of Trustees report, the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is projected to be able to pay full benefits until 2036, meaning that is when the trust fund payouts are expected to start being impacted by depleted reserves; at that point, the fund will only be able to pay approximately 89% of scheduled benefits based on current projections.
Medicaid, SSI may be toast.
Hello Daniel... Seems that Musk & His Wrecking Crew are targeting the System that makes Nearly All the Disbursements... Why?... Very Dangerous....
Lots of ignorance. Musk is highly conflicted. Has a mesianic delusion that he is able to fix anything.
The trust funds are currently solvent. Use charitable deductions to save the SSA retirement Trust Fund.
The default of Trust Funds is supposed to apex in 2033 due to the increase of birth rates of baby boomers. After 2033, birth rates of later generations flatten and the funds can be solvent.
Social Security is the greatest anti-poverty program in US history. Social Security protects workers, widow(er)s, orphans and disabled people and is a major investment for many of us. Donations can flatten the default curve, extending the apex.
https://www.ssa.gov/agency/donations.html
Why doesn't SSA advertise that donations can flatten the curve and extend the default date beyond 2033?
While you call it a wrecking crew he's just found almost $1 billion of waste. We need more wrecking crews like that.
You people should start worrying about other things
Put away your crystal balls put away your Ouija boards and think EGBOK
Sort of reminds me of the border separation "policies" of his last term. I believe there are still children - well maybe adults now - who never were reunited with their families because there NEVER WAS A PLAN FOR THAT!
Familiar?
Failure to get our Social Security checks will be the least of our problems.
More negativity in advance. That's all the site does everybody here is simply negative in advance. They don't wanna wait for any results to come out since Trump is only been in office for a couple weeks yeah four years of crap under Biden including $8 million for a politico subscription. And hundreds of millions of dollars of waste and finally somebody is uncovering it and you're pissed about that.
Honestly, with or without a tipping point, I don't see us ever returning to what we once thought we had, for better and for worse.
No Lizzy...it will take time, and it will be a fight, yes it will...but they do not deserve this beautiful Country !!!! That was the envy of the WORLD...no no no. Have faith that the 1,000,000 to 1 odds is the only way - and WHAT a WAY ...no other country that has that.... even Russia has only 1/3 and we have the advantage of KNOWING what is control is coming...and resisting the CONTROL.... Never ever loose faith (no matter what ;) xox
The other issue is that wingnuts want to sell this idea of the United States coming back again as an economic powerhouse. It won’t happen, and they will ensure that any gains from business success continue to go to oligarchs like Muskrat. We have a different economic system than we did, say, in the early 1960s. The shortsighted behavior of our manufacturers taking American production abroad allowed China to grow at our expense and to receive proprietary manufacturing information at our expense. The only way we can even get a larger piece of the pie is by unionizing, strengthening the Wagner (NLRB) Act and abolishing Taft Hartley in its entirety. We also need to attack monopolies and oligopolies. All of these ideas are anathema to people like Trump and Musk.
It’s so stupid because even without a a “larger piece of the pie” we were still the wealthiest country in the world. The problem is greed of the oligarchs. They can never have enough, and won’t share with the average American.
And maybe…we will emerge from our collective ennui with something better because we’ve been forced. (Trying to be optimistic here—don’t shoot the messenger.)
I think the same thing in my better moments. Then I have my panicked moments such as when I call off the sale of our big house (that my husband and I no longer need) because who knows how many of our children and grandchildren might need to come live with us in.
I applaud your optimism, but I just can't join you. We are all here, commenting on a letter written by America's foremost historian of American affairs, meaning that we appreciate her views from a historical point of view.
The timeline of recorded human history is littered with collapsed empires. I cannot think of any modern culture or society that has ever regained the glory (however you define it) of the empire that preceded it. If history is our guide, the best we can hope for is to be another "also-ran" in the world. But wait; there's more.
To demonstrate the extent of my pessimism, I note that Musk's having more wealth than he could spend in a lifetime is still not enough for him. I believe that he and his tech bros do not intend to stop with taking over only the U.S. He has already been swinging his pasty-white genitals in other nations. He is the literal, modern, iteration of the villain who wants to take over the world, as quaintly portrayed in mid-twentieth century movies.
If he succeeds in taking it all, everyone will have less.
I love your optimism. I think we need to hold onto that as we fight for our lives.
Thank you very much finally somebody with some optimism instead of negativity in advance, which is the specialty of most posters here. Why don’t you wait to see a result? Might even be a good one
Oh I haven't given up, no, not at all, but with eyes opening wider each day, each hour about who THEY and WE are, have been, and why, I've decided that when this is all done, I want something much better for us than we've ever thought we had before. And I suspect I'm not alone in that.
Where is the tipping point from which there is no return? It passed, too late. We had an election, and this is what the people wanted. I hope you will not be directly affected, although most of Trump's voters will be. The last thing we want to hear from Trump voters is, "This is not what we expected."
Harvey, I've been saying for a while that the only apparent way out of this disaster movie (if only that's what this is) is that pain is widely distributed across all classes, or at least across the masses. It's unfortunate for those with the least who daily, perennialy, struggle to survive.
If enough of us are affected -- given Lone Skum's filthy fingers getting into every aspect of our lives from financial to food safety and security, perhaps then, and only then, will we decide that the Maga movement must be ripped root and branch from power.
But it maybe too late -- I fear Lone Skum is building redundancy and resilience in the systems he now controls.
Love your moniker for him. My dyslexic brain did that for me yesterday, at least with the last name.
Best anagram yet!
No actually that is EXACTLY what I want to hear. Because then we can start to work together to throw the bums out.
There are no bums, just very successful business people and socially connected people and people with a brain that love America
Well, we didn’t expect for a positive future for Gaza, but it looks like it might happen and you should be happy as well. Harvey.
Arab states have historically offered limited support to the Palestinians, both in terms of resettlement and financial aid. The Palestinians elected Hamas as their leadership, an organization that has shown little regard for their well-being. Hamas anticipated Israel’s response to the October massacre, calculating that the resulting devastation would serve as a propaganda victory against Israel. Meanwhile, Trump, ever the real estate developer, sees an opportunity—not to rebuild Gaza for its people, but to clear them out and establish his own Middle East Riviera. A visionary leader with grand ambitions—but for whose benefit?
Harvey, I'm glad I got back to you. I was looking for your post.
So tell me why do the people in Egypt and Jordan refused to take Palestinians? Why do you think that is since much of the population of Jordan consists of Palestinians already?
And have you ever seen the wire fence that Egypt has put up between Gaza and Egypt how long as border to prevent Palestinians from sneaking into Egypt? Now think to yourselves, why would that be?
Bottom line Gaza is nothing more than a bunch of rubble right now and anything to solve that problem would be welcome versus what's been happening for the Last hundred years or more
And by the way, my father was born Jewish in Palestine in 1911
When is it ever good to become the monsters you fought? What's next, selling condominiums in privatized National Parks, Gettysburg and Arlington National Cemeteries?
I suspect the US will lose the respect and trust of so much of the civilized world if we let Trump do what he wants to make Gaza a resort over the masses of dead Palestinians they would steal it from. The worldwide condemnation that will result from our former friends and enemies is not worth it.
Why don't you stop the nonsense? OK I just got done telling you that. My father who is Jewish was born in Palestine in 1911 and had to fly there because of the hatred of the Jews and why is it that Egypt doesn't allow Palestine's in and Jordan doesn't want them. Why don't you answer that question smarty-pants
I think .. we are there - depending on if the People (like the FBI ) start to resist ...or stay in shock and are taken over
You’ve passed that point, sadly.
We need to think about tipping back. It’s sustained public protest. Sit ins. Marches. Disruption.
Stop the coup.
Hakeem Jeffries can identify about 20 House Republicans who possibly could flip. Three are Cuban Americans from Miami. Here's a letter from a MAGAT, my rep, who represents a majority Dem district. https://files.constantcontact.com/1849eea4801/cd2e90be-43c8-4171-b3c6-a357621f7db9.pdf?_gl=1*uo1jgf*_ga*MDMwMjhjMzctZTFlNy00YzExLWE3NTEtZGUxMmY1OGY0YjEw*_ga_14T5LGLSQ3*MTczNzc0NTk1My4zLjEuMTczNzc0Njg2Ny44LjAuMA..
Please identify all these reps and interview them. Pressure them.
Hakeem Jefferies ? And to Ted below yes we’re getting closer to the tipping point of nothing but success if you’ll just be patient stop whining and complaining like little sissies.
I've written to my reps to stop the takeover by unelected government contractor Musk, who is tied to China and Russia and has a conflict of interests.
I reminded them that Miami is the de-facto financial capitol of Venezuela and that hundreds of thousands of jobs depend on our international banking industry. Yesterday, Trump sent deportees to concentration camps in Git-mo. He has plans to denaturalize US citizens and deport them. Rep Carlos Gimenez was born in Cuba. Was a Democrat until 2020, when he switched parties. Was elected as a Democratic mayor. As # 45 Trump started the process. https://immpolicytracking.org/media/documents/ACLU_Fact_Sheet_on_Denaturalization.pdf Now, they will seek to denaturalize and deport people who made errors in their initial applications. https://immigrationforum.org/article/trumps-first-100-days-potential-immigration-actions/
Many voters here have dual citizenship -- like several Canadians in my building.
These first 100 days, at most. Every obey in advance the tipping point gets closer & closer.
I think we are here. It's heartening to hear Democrats rail against what's happening. But they aren't DOING anything. The fact that they aren't DOING anything means they are complicit.
Why do you think the Democrats are not empower right now and why only 31% of the people believe positively in the Democrat party because they've lost their direction they've gone so far woke their unidentifiable
Playing by the rules is not woke. It is an attempt to assure that everyone is treated with equal justice. When you value the rule of law, like Democrats do...it is hard to believe, then react, quickly when you watch the Republican party break every law on the books and openly defile the constitution they are sworn to uphold. If you DO NOT believe in the Constitution and equal rights for everyone....you are living in the wrong country.
On the other hand, if you like a billionaire having access to all of your personal information, access to your bank account and the ability to drain your bank account when ever he feels like it, and he chooses you, because he thinks you are vulnerable and won't be able to stop him...then what is happening right now is perfect for you.
If you don't think by the way that the government had access to all your information before this, you're sorely mistaken. How the hell did you receive your Social Security? Check every year and adjusted where you live how much it is how much is the bank how much you earned last year? I don't think you could be any more naïve.
On the other hand, it certainly a relief to trust your government once again
Instead of having a semi cadaver, pretending to run the country, followed by a woman who is as articulate as a elephants butthole
I have yet to see a group of people as paranoid as the people here. I think you all need to chill. I think you all need to take a breath. I think you need a mirror to take a look at yourselves. And why you lost this election HUGELY Q you have no direction whatsoever all you have are accusations, baseless accusations at best. You need a new crystal ball and you need to throw away your Ouija board.
WHY DON'T YOU LOOK AND SEE WHAT HE'S DONE SO FAR AND ONLY TWO WEEKS TO DEPORTING CRIMINAL ILLEGALS UNCOVERING UNTOLD MILLIONS OR IN FACT BILLIONS OF WASTED TAX DOLLARS.
Has caused a cease-fire in Gaza that is going to lead to long-term peace one way or the other
Invited the president of Israel as the first visitor to the White House, even though everybody called him an antisemite
You call him a misogynist and yet he just banned male athletes from competing with women and protected women's rights as such
You call him a rabbit partisan but here he is bailing California out of its self-inflicted wounds and taking care of North Carolina as Biden ignored it.
And on the top of that, the lowest amount of illegal immigrants passed across the border in the last two weeks for the last four years
Elon Musk is going to find billions of dollars of waste and fraud which you should wait to see we've already seen the tip of the iceberg which is laughable that you're actually backing the stuff including us multimillion dollar sub subscription to politico
So if you want to be fair, I've got no problem with that
But if you wanna be the pessimist that you want to continue to be, there is no help for you
Jhon, the tipping point will be the midterm election, if we have one at all.
I hear a lot of hand-wringing. What’s actually being DONE, and who’s doing it? Who can we get behind? It’s hard to believe Generals Milley, Esher, Austin and a whole lot more, as well as CIA people being kicked out, etc., are taking all this sitting down. And I’m sure that millions would get behind them, both ex- and current military, police, etc. IF THE MUSKRAT CAN GO OUTSIDE THE LAW, SO CAN THEY. SO CAN WE.
Thank you. This is a coup of our country and a constitutional crisis. fuck Hegseth. where is the Military who "are only sworn to protect the constitution!" and against foreign invaders! we've got both!!~ a foreign invader obstructing the constitutional process of congress...
Actually, it's neither. But continue your propaganda as well liked by those here.
We already passed it.
You'd think they'd be concerned about 2026 elections, but they don't seem to be. It's stunning that not a single Republican politician is protesting.
When Americans do nothing in response. That is the place of no return.
It is your Country. You can either get sunk down in outrage or you can do something. What is your plan?
It’s here!
Somewhere in the rear view mirror, I suspect.
That is the $64,000 question, John.
Why the fuck doesn’t someone in our military walk in and just arrest him?
They control the Military ...sorry
There is a Christian Nationalist element in the military, but the military takes seriously its position of being under civilian control. The problem is the supine Republicans in Congress and the Senate, and not enough Democrats are calling out this behavior as unconstitutional and illegal.
Rep LaMonica McIver is on it. “We are at war! Shut this city down!” She shouted at a speech outside the Treasury.
“WE WILL FIGHT BACK. We are at war. God damn it, shut down the city!” LaMonica McIver
https://youtu.be/P-s_rIJ0uYE?si=jp_cLkVHVd7vYRIN
Hey, if you're worried about not getting a check, go along with the protesters and shut the city down then see how you feel
If you think you were panicking before, what do you think will happen if they shut Washington down good luck getting anything in the way of compensation like your ss checks.
Kathy, I agree, and I've thought for a while that Schumer is not the man for this moment in time. Perhaps we need a woman -- Elizabeth Warren would do a far better job.
Nancy Pelosi knows how to handle a crisis but she's in the wrong house.
The Democrats are outnumbered .... the courts became stacked...the last hope is the People ...... and I would always bet on the American People .... this will be hard but what choice have you ....give up and live as Russia does...today ??? Not without a fight xo
I will NOT bet on any MAGAt. Ever. Well, except to do anything to feed their hateful, angry amygdalae.
Do you know why the Democrats are outnumbered? That's where you should start
Because they lost their way, putting a semi cadaver in the presidency because of their hatred and then trying to put an incompetent human being as president when she couldn't even run a 711
Rs are long past caring. And with the last election’s results, I’d bet they’ve convinced themselves this is what people want because of the R trifecta. And I can’t blame them for thinking that, really.
Well, I had hope for you and your post above, but the comments like that are just ignorant. The reason we’re excited about what musk is doing is because there could be billions of dollars in waste as we’ve already found that can be reused to better the status of the United States as well as the world. Be patient wait for results stop being so fricking negative in advance.
I somewhat agree but rather think it is not EVERY Republican in Congress calling out this behavior as unconstitutional and illegal, too.
And the FBI and Homeland Security.
This is the the cabinet is so critical as the first line of defense is to declare him incontinent and then we get Vance! I don’t want Vance! I hate to say it but for me Donny is safer than ‘smart’ stupid.
Have you checked Biden's diapers? By any chance you gotta be kidding me with that line?
Boy, everyone here is talking about illegal stuff and look what you're saying holy crap
I had the same thought: is our military coup the only hope of saving Democracy?
You don’t arrest people for being successful there Patricia.
You do if they break the law there Ricky.
Well, they haven't broke the law number one which will be tested no doubt, but if you'd rather wait 10 years to see an outcome and all the legal wrangling and all the legal expenses, then fine but that's not what's gonna happen because Trump's not waiting and neither is the Middle East
“Broken.” They haven’t “broken” the law. Except they have, and are.
Patricia, under whose authority? Hegseth's?
Well, he’s certainly not going to give the military the go-ahead.
Treason is very narrowly defined in the Constitution for a reason, but the breaking into government computer systems is highly illegal and is not in the best interest of the United States or its citizens. There is also a constitutional violation in that Trump is president and is attempting to usurp Congress’s control over the budget, and is delegating this power and access to government computers to a private citizen without Congressional authorization. This is total chutzpah on the part of Trump and Musk
What Congress Kathy, we don't have a Congress
Exactly. I get how most Republicans could be corrupted, stupid, selfish, bigoted and evil. But how could it be that 99% of them are marching lockstep behind President Musk?
I listened to Senator Ron Johnson last night on the NewsHour. He is just as crazy as the Orange Menace. He actually normalized RFK, Jr. WTF?
Senator Collins who is sometimes viewed as sane, just announced her support for Putin puppet Gabbard. Can't explain this....
This is not a Congress of the American People. This is a group of "nobles" kissing the ring of a Mad King. F*ck the peasants.
Wait, wait! I figured out what is motivating the Republicans in the kings courtage. They were promised beach front condos in "Mar a Gaza"!!!
Did I imagine the ''For Sale'' sign on the lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave?
Bill if no were tragic it would be funny.
Thanks for your reply 👍
Beach front CONDOMS?
The definition I remember of chutzpah is murdering your parents then pleading for mercy as an orphan.
Or a hot book could be finding fraud waste in the federal budget and fixing it which necessitates finding out where it is
With the current SCOTUS tee'd up to give them the authoriztion to continue according the the directives of a president!
It may not meet the definition of treason, but Trump’s and Musk’s actions over the last two weeks absolutely meet the definition of seditious conspiracy:
“2384. Seditious conspiracy
If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, §1, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)”
Only they're not breaking in oops.
Only they're not breaking in. They're going in with permission executive permission.
And did you just hear how many millions of dollars are spending on subscriptions to politico as an example? Why don't you guys turn in and see how much money is being wasted abroad before you start complaining we could be helping the people in North Carolina and California with that money
It IS treason....as we come OUT of the shock and awe designed to overwhelm in a take over...NO MORE EVIDENCE NEEDED HERE........Listen for resistance as the USA will very soon be an Autocracy. That IS what is happening and the hurtful truth is that every day that passes is one more department or area of Government to use to their FULL control. Listen for what to DO as I have seen several write up's on these pages supporting Trump with disinformation here ! So they are reading these bits too to try to spread disinformation among the aware AND to listen to what we now KNOW. I am so sorry for the strong talk here, I understand how awful this is to read, but we have SEEN this exact play book in History as Ann Applebuam has reiterated last night on Bullark. To break all Democracies ...it had to break the US first....but this is the biggest and hardest domino to fall....however if it falls, and it could .....if we don't Wake Up fast...well then we will be very very unhappy. All except the very very rich xox
Shauna,extraordinary clear and visionary post. You mentioned that to break Democracies, the US should be broken first and the rest are going to fall, is the key point and final goal of the maga billionaires and Project 2025 architects. That scenario is not only the key point and the final point but also, the point of no return.
No such thing will happen there Shana and I think you should dial down the medication.
Troll
You know many of you crack me up with the term troll you have people here posting and posting and posting 3050 times a day but you never referred to them as trolls only when you get an opinion that is opposing yours are they a troll? I hope you're never a defendant in a courtroom under these circumstances.
You are an ass….
That must've taken you a long time to think of that post
Not pretty obvious who and what you are! No thought, no point…troll? Maybe, maybe not…doesn’t really matter.
Asshole!
Why do I suspect you would look forward to a vacation at Mar A Gaza?
Tell me something, Jim would you like peace and Gaza just answer the question
I'd very much like a just peace in Gaza and a legitimate two state solution as outlined in https://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/uncategorized/timeline-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict-1914-1949/2770/
"...At then end of this short but decisive war, the 1949 Armistice established Israel’s boundary well beyond that outlined by the U.N. partition plan, encompassing roughly 75 percent of formerly British Palestine. The West Bank would be controlled by Jordan, the Gaza Strip by Egypt, and the city of Jerusalem was divided between the western Israeli portion and the eastern Arab section. Israel’s national boundary came to be known as the “Green Line.” No permanent peace treaty was signed by the Arab nations, which refused to recognize Israel’s existence..."
I recognize that it could have been modified with land swaps that would have made lines more defensible for both side, but wasn't agreed to by the Arab Palestinians. My views are closest to an Israeli co-worker who to me was an exceptional hero in one of 4 tanks that left their defensive position to try to slow down the advance of 200 Syrian tanks enough to let Israeli reinforcements to be called up. They though they would all be killed within minutes but charged ahead anyway. The Syrian tanks retreated.
He, to me, had the moral authority to do what he thought was right then, but he also showed more moral authority when he refused to be part of Sharon's protection of a Christian Phalangngist militia as described at: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/uncategorized/timeline-israeli-palestinian-conflict-1973-1993/2776/
"...Israeli forces led by Ariel Sharon invaded in 1982 and succeeded in expelling the PLO, which moved to Tunisia. But Israel, and Sharon specifically, became associated with one of the worst atrocities in recent Mideast history when a Christian Phalangist militia allied with Israel killed hundreds of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in Lebanon. Sharon eventually resigned his post as defense minister and Israel slowly withdrew from Lebanon, leaving in its wake one of the most extreme anti-Israeli terror groups, Hezbollah..."
He and the Jewish Voices for Peace are the ones I can support most strongly. See https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/
If you can square my views similar to theirs, and the individual Palestinian students who try to support a just peace as much as the better organized JVP, I'd welcome the potential progress.
If we try to resist or fight back, even militarily, can they hold us hostage by controlling our nation’s financial system?
Federal Courts? Trump has pardon power and he is immune. How close are they to “checkmate?”
Heather’s letter tonight is one of the most sobering. Each day we allow to slip past without stopping this coup brings us closer to completion of Project 2025.
True...the last hope is our sheer numbers of people and our determination...comply or resist ??? which will it be? .... that is now all that is left - they know it now we are catching on
I have a better alternative 4 you Shana try this. Watch and learn.
Go away, Rick we don’t want you on here. We’re not listening to you. We see you’ve infiltrated trying to change minds, but we are all in the right mind and you’re wrong go away.
And the problem with me being here and that you don’t want me here is because you actually have to imagine a different outcome than any of your cohorts here supply.
I really don’t care that you’re not listening because it only makes the case even stronger that you don’t want American justice you want one-sided justice and that’s one of the reasons that your party is in disarray and that you’ve lost every facet of the election this past year that was possible And unless you start being introspective, it will only continue and get worse
And you don't have to listen to me you just have to pay attention and when it comes about that the Middle East is peaceful at some point in time and America becomes the intermediary there and we find billions of wasted dollars of tax money going to poor people and homeless and medicine here in America you might give it a second thought
Trolling troll toll…pay if you want.
You remind me of the Norwegian Quislings, they learned the hard way that they were not the people's choice.
I’ve tried to keep you in the now Jim. Why don’t you pretend like you’re an illegal criminal and see how you should be treated especially after causing harm to an American. Keep in mind this happened inside our borders, not in France or neighboring countries.
Seditious Conspiracy
CFAA
Treason
The MAGA movement made perfectly clear on 1/6/21 that treason is not an impediment for them.
Sorry, but you'll have to point out where that statement was made there Syd
Maybe you should mirthlessly impeach him again. Then you'd really have an issue with putting him on Mount Rushmore.
It is TREASON. But WHO is going to do anything about it. Spineless Republicans? The media could stand up, until the air waves are cut off like "they" are trying to defund NPR.
Spineless Democrats???
It's not the spineless Democrats it's just the misguided Democrats. They don't have a direction at all. They lost an election across-the-board. They don't know why and they don't want to figure out why, except they all raised their hands for racism and misogyny. What an effing joke.
The troll toll of freedom for all…Vote GOP, it’s easier than thinking or reading your Bible.
Ryan it’s not about party. That’s the problem with the Democrats right now. They think everyone’s voting because they’re voting Republican and that’s just not the case. They’re voting for common sense they’re voting for anti-woke. They don’t want men competing with women in sports and I don’t think you want that either. There’s a typical policy that’s not necessarily driven by party. And by the way, even the NFL is removing the end racism rhetoric from its end zones.
The problem with your way of thinking Ryan is do you ever think that maybe nobody is voting on a party line vote that they’re voting for the policies that are being outlined and actually carried out. Regardless of party.
There’s your reality
Federal laws are being broken! Someone call the FBI! Oh, wait, musk owns the FBI! Fortunately, there are Federal agents in the FBI, CIA who are ready, will, and able to fight against this evil. We have to find and mobilize them along with the rest of America.
And Trump just made it illegal for men to compete a woman's sports. I guess all of you were against that too unless you like an uneven playing field. Thank you, Mr. Trump.
Funny but not true..Donny can’t make laws…enforce them them? Nope! Too tired…
Dan can’t make laws but he can do it. Every single president has done in the past and that sign executive orders which is exactly what he’s doing.
Why don’t you look up how many presidents have signed executive orders and how many they’ve signed and maybe you’ll awaken from your slumber.
They believe, and may be right, that the executive order creating DOGE gives them cover. Meanwhile, that executive order was an 'official act'. They believe they are untouchable. Are they?
But as the article pointed out, without a normally-functioning DOJ, who or what agency can prosecute the offence under criminal law? Who will do the arrest? How do you I prison someone legally if the normal system has been highjacked? Proof comes when the prosecution clearly demonstrates under the rules of evidence that the accused had violated the written law. Who is going to do all that when those in control are the the ones breaking the law?
The normal system is hijacked by Biden and Garland and Jack Smith. Those people should be arrested, not to mention the prosecutors in New York.
Troll toll of freedom…sheesh!
I agree 100%. The question becomes, “Who is guilty of treason?” All of them, including the President who has allowed/facilitated this January 6th from the inside. Get Musk and his 6 henchmen first. Who has the guts to actually do this?
I’m just floating the idea that this is a ‘Treasonable Act’…waiting to see how Drumpf + his Sycophants and particularly the DOJ spins this one…as he’s backing them into a Legal Corner…they can’t box their way out of!
Let’s just see how Pam Bondi [DOJ] dances on this stage!?
Why isn’t everyone saying THIS!!!
Absolutely Stephen! Now we “The real patriotic Americans “might want to stand firmly as “grown ups” and say “hell no, go to your room” that translates to Impeach this thug now and Vance along with him, both are traitors .
Are we really so passive? I’ve experienced more outrage over whether or not people can’t own a gun. Good grief, hope to God we clear our heads and demand accountability toward our sworn loyalty to the Constitution. Impeach…. Impeach…. Impeach. Now
FBI has been taken over. Federal prosecutors have been fired or are MAGA. tfg uses pardons liberally, and he owes Musk ..
They should, but who is left to do it? That's the problem. That's why the blitzkrieg. The people are now in place who will allow all of this. Should anything get as far as the Supreme Court, well those corrupt crows have taken care of that already, haven't they?
Remember when Musk told us it would hurt. That is what Goebbels told the German people, and yet they were encouraged to be patriotic and tough it out. I am terrified for everyone. They are moving the money out of the economy.
Crash the dollar. Replace with crypto. So oligarchs of the world can unite, embezzle their respective countries wealth, avoid taxes, avoid sanctions, free to pilfer and pillage both earthly resources and wield ultimate control over all people and planet.
They are called Libert-Aryans.
Here is what Olga Lauman is saying on her Trump Tyranny Tracker: Day 16
https://open.substack.com/pub/trumptyrannytracker/p/trump-tyranny-tracker-day-16?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Nice turn of phrase, Ted.
Musk is lying. He and Trump want to reduce the population to peonage, even as they suck up our tax dollars to live high on the hog at our expense.
they have enough money...They instead will stop giving you money to buy food :( that is the CONTROL and comply
Unfortunately, they can never have enough money. Musk has an endless number of ways to part our money from us, and right now, just like Putin did, he is stealing it from us, but rigging the treasury computer to steal our hard earned money. He is also going to rig it for government contracts, to increase what he is getting. In fact, when I read the other day that Musk wants to have all government information on X, and says he is going to create a bank, I suppose the X Bank or the Bank of Musk, he says it will be the only bank Americans use. So, what is going to happen to all the bankers that are so happy about Musk's no holds bar treatment of our system? Perhaps they can all work at branches of the Musk bank, but I hear he want to use AI to do government work from now on, so no human beings. That would mean that Musk would be using his fellow species, of workers that are not human.
More! More! MORE!
There is no end to the greed of the PayPal Mafia.
Lying is the name of the game in Autocracy 101!
Yes… so they are the only ones with power and as they crush us under their boots we beg for bread and a serf-like job from our Overlords.
There are rallies planned at every state capital in the nation later today. Come out.
That will do nothing. Only when the perpetrators and their enablers are arrested will this stop.
Demonstrations of solidarity assures those suffering in silence that they are not alone. They also pierce the veil of feigned normality and legitimacy about what the Republican Party is doing. It is essential, however, that participants in demonstrations are peaceful. The point is to pull others in from the sidelines.
I wish you luck, with your protests. But they should have happened years ago.
I wish I could, but I have to work. I’m not implying that the protesters don’t, and I agree with their protests.
I know exactly what you mean.. actually one of Their distractive strategies, over the years, was to have us all working 8 days a week, too busy to see what They’re doing.
Kathy, you ARE helping! Through your being here, through your words, you buttress up the solidarity with your presence. This is so in body, and in spirit. I suggest that even the most disabled among us has presence equally at the table. The tiny acts of solidarity we CAN find through our inventive genius, are incalculably valuable, and comforting to others. Smile, open a door, let someone in front of you, gladden the heart of a child, a new parent. In doing so, you're flooded with good hormones, your own happiness chemicals. Skip the addictive stuff, and go out and make some good news of your own. You likely will find an island of humanity previously unknown to you. Remember, they can NEVER have that in their miserable world of never having enough !
These 50501 protests run from noon to 7 pm to allow more people who work “9 to 5” to participate.
At the ballot box!
I hope everyone will be safe. Not everyone is able to take part.
YES JL. As news overwhelms and distortions prevail, what reaches pro-Trump people who allow this, I hope that "Piercing the veil of feigned normality" can flip them. "The point is to pull others in from the sidelines." What information moves and how is critical, those images of people in the streets -- now and as history looking back, I'm praying it's a tipping point.
sorry..that isn't going to happen ... they stacked the deck and control everything ...when they got the Supreme Court that was a big big win. There are no other options left but to resist and stop anything they want. The many many good American People are IT - look to other Autocracies...to take back your Country WILL be a fight :( :( Listen for what to DO to help xo
First you have to resist, be successful and take control and then arrest are going to follow, not all the way around. Start fighting back and keep the faith.
Yes, but who is available to arrest them?
We have to do what the Native Americans did in the 1970's -- take over Federal office buildings and demand access to their computer systems like Musk did.
Dozens of people inside the Senate and Congressional office building and their various satellite offices is the only way they will listen at this point. And take over the Supreme Court building as well.
Protests aren't going to change the minds of any Republicans in Congress or the Senate. Demand the personal laptops of Senators and Congressmen and confiscate all of their correspondence and publish their browsing history. Apparently, that's public information that each of us should have access to. If Musk and his tech-bros can access secured financial data, what harm is it in revealing correspondence and browsing history.
AGREED...Take BACK today what they are STEALING !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today .... as everyday their control is greater and greater ...but they can NEVER OUTNUMBER US....IMPOSSIBLE :) it is the one mistake they made !!!!!!!!!! ( And that we are AMERICAN ! )
In essence, Martial Law through our Military!
100%
“Shut this city down!” Rep LaMonica McIver
“”WE ARE AT WAR!””
RESIST, RESIST, RESIST....they started this War on the American People.... but what a Country to try to steal...1,000,000 to 1 !!! Not good odds for them !!!
Shauna, the odds are against us but the fight is worthy.
I'll be at the state house in Concord, NH at noon on 2/5. I'm tired of complaining and waiting for someone to save us. We are the adults now. No one is coming to save us. Time to act now.
Bill, I’ve done a bit of reading about today’s protests. There are significant red flags around them - no one knows who the planners are, the usual precautions of medical teams, hydration etc are not present. There’s some concern that they might be a front for someone to get violent and provide an excuse for a declaration of martial law. I have advised my kids not to attend.
I hope I’m wrong. And to be fair, I do tend to catastrophize.
I read a LOT of news but was unaware of the protests planned for Feb. 5th. A properly planned and organized protest should be in the works - a general strike perhaps? I will drag my 71 year old bones to stand with all of us who demand to stop the steal and prosecute the criminal Musk/Trump gang.
Hope this is just the beginning of a successful resistance movement.
The people are IT...no one can overcome the sheer volume of American People...NO OTHER (BEGINNING TAKE OVER ) has the numbers of the USA !!! I know this is the one and biggest mistake they made.............too many of us.....and too few of THEM !
A warning from another trusted Substack author:
https://open.substack.com/pub/roberthubbell/p/use-caution-attending-protests-on?r=1hg7g&utm_medium=ios
Thanks. I trust Robert Hubbell.
Elon has added the Executive Branch to his asset portfolio. He paid $290 million for it. With Donald's help he has control of the Legislative Branch as well. And who in the Judicial Branch has the power to stop Elon and his team from committing crimes? The rules, the laws, the Constitution, do not apply to Elon. Like Russia, there are some people in America who are above the law.
you are right. BUT Russia doesn't have 3.5 Americans...who are NOT going to roll over...America has been thrown into in a Civil WAR with the Autocratic Take over of their Government...and it will be uncomfortable BUT we No Longer have a choice but to get our FREEDOM back. The only ways is how other countries topple their Governments....Putins only FEAR is his people rising up...and the longer we delay the more control and fear they instil, then the American people too will comply, out of fear. We ARE NOT there yet..but daily they win more control :(
What happens if the consensus actually votes for an illegal takeover of the evil deep state..... actually votes for it to be destroyed?
Did you vote for Musk and his employees to take over the Treasury and your information? Where is that consensus of actual votes you are talking about?
Ed Nuhfer. It was clearly written down in actual writing, publicly, for all to see.
No I didn't vote for it, but I knew they would do this. It was very clear.
Everybody knew.
It's just that a lot of naive people thought it was silly, a bit far fetched. "They'll never really do that"
But they said very very clearly exactly what they were going to do. And they are doing it.
Do you really think that the millions of people that did vote for this thought "oh! they're not really going to do what they say..... and wrote down in great deal.
It will be.... you know, like in Hungary.
Yes. They said this is what they would do. Project 2025. We can't be Hungary because we are too big and diverse to end up that way. It will be something else, and I think a lot of something else's because we are 50 states and the D.C. and Puerto Rico and other territories.
There are things Trump has said that I have taken seriously, and they include his attacks on women, people of color, “DEI,” the right to vote, and mass deportation. Where I think he’s lying is that he claims he’ll do things to benefit his less affluent voters, or to do anything that will benefit anything or anyone except for the morbidly rich and big corporations.
And Canada, and Mexico, and Greenland ....... this is BIG plans here and I am so so sorry to say...it will be need a big fight BACK BUT as the red states SEE what is happening (remember they are being FED by Fox News that anything Trump does is perfection - daily !!!!) once they feel something...if not too late ..they will join in too xo
Now he reveals he wants Gaza, so which is his top priority? I'm afraid he wants Gaza for himself, his family, and those who will let him have big pieces of it. I'm guessing he has promised Canada, Mexico, Greenland, etc to those who will give his son-in-law (and him), a shiny object like Gaza, with other allied parts of the world he and they are willing to sacrifice to other spheres of oligarchical interest.
Sure the plan was written in a book that the cartel Party which installed this government divorced themselves from as they lied to their rank and file. It is disingenuous to say "Everybody knew." The percentage of voters who actually downloaded and read Project 2025 and most of them were probably progressives first and voters for Harris second was small.
This is a vote blue no matter who site, and I'll wager that, if honesty prevailed, less than a few percent of even paid subscribers to Letters downloaded or read the Heritage volume. If you are going to require people to procure and read a 900-page treatise to be sufficiently literate to know ("Every body knew."), expect less than 1% to be qualified through such knowing.
This IS a coup, Christopher.
disingenuous or naive Ed. The project was a recruitment page. You only really needed to glance through the first couple of pages. Everybody knew about it.
Then there were the actual words that were said... come on, there are no surprises.. except maybe musk's speed.
Read up on Curtis Yarvin. That’s exactly what he has been encouraging the gop do. He is Musk’s political technologists.
Exactly. And I read Project 2025 in a group that discussed it as we went along. All of this is expected except for the Musk-factor and the speed!
It is all the terrifying cartoons with the evil villain, only this is our lives.
Yes..Musk was a gift to them...hence the bromance and Hitler salute....
Where was it written down that EVERYBODY knew Musk was going to be allowed to takeover our government? Please point me to the references. It wasn’t in my voting materials, no flyers or postcards were sent to me, my workplace didn’t give it to me. Even Fox didn’t tell their audience this.
How many people do you think read Project 2025? Why did Trump spend so much time disavowing it? Because he knew the people didn’t want it.
Trump is the official president and Musk is the Acting President.
no Sharon.
Musk is new, and he's doing it faster than expected.
You are not going to tell me you didn't know about the project. I won't believe you.
Reread my post and see if you can address what I actually said.
You sound like you support everything Musk is being allowed to do.
I assume that Republicans in Congress will be motivated to stop Musk when they stop getting paid.
they will not stop being paid if they go along with the take over...Join "Hitlers team" to Protect themselves...they are now just pawns too :( BUT we have 1,000,0000 to 1 odds here in a fight...AND we have the best minds and strongest of people. Keep Faith , realize that there is way more good people than bad - they are ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED...help your neighbours - support yourself mentally and friends...there have been take overs before and the have People won back....with far less capabilities than the USA !!!!!! Never ever loose Faith... ever xo
The good people have not taken action in the past. "It's free speech so he's allowed to lie." Heaven forbid he be prosecuted for slander and liable. "Let him say what he wants. It's okay if it's not true, it's just alternative facts." The only person with the guts to stand up to him and push back was E. Jean Carroll. We let the Supreme Court give him immunity. Any judge who says someone is above the law should have been disbarred, especially the ones who lied during their confirmation hearings. We're too nice. In order to have a tolerant society you must be intolerant of intolerance. We let them get away with too much like an indulgent parent badly spoiling an unruly child instead of taking firm and decisive corrective action. Now they have turned into a monster. I fear there will have to be bloodshed.
Remember Ghandi and MLK - the only way to defeat hate is with love, to defeat lies is with truth.
Musk can afford to make every Congress critter a ten millionaire or more. Republicans folded. Took the money over the constitution.
They are on a Separate System... They always get Paid....
You will be paid if you COMPLY...that is next and that will be a great shock
As HCR has said, they are messing with the algorithms. Always is apparently over.
Their salary isn’t where their $$ comes from
Yes. I did think about it how wealthy one has to be to finance a campaign these days.
Ed, this is from a friend's wife (actually, he was one of my recruits and is still active duty law enforcement):
"Loving watching a bunch of ineffective, inefficient, corrupt politicians melt down. They are so arrogant and threatened by competent, efficient, pro active adults who get shit done they can't handle it."
This is what they think.
I think the 70 or so million that voted for Trump Vance did vote for it to be destroyed.
My 94yo Fox-watching, T💩p-voting mother was aghast that her Meals-on-Wheels would most likely be cut or demolished. She’s depended on it for a decade. “You voted for it, mom.” “No I didn’t!” The leopard will eat her face.
Wow, Derek. Send this idea to The Lincoln Project. Get that little story up on the airwaves!
I told my GOP voting sister that our disabled former LEO MAGA brother would be going to live with HER, not me when his disability was cut off. She got pssed but then told me I was overreacting. Just wanted yo make it clear before shit hits the fan.
Derek, she was bamoozled like too many. Now the consequences will leave them without…. I must say I feel for older people dependent on social security plus all the other services WE all pay for through taxes.
I’m speechless however.
We need an army of computer whizzes. More…..
No..most have NO IDEA and will be overwhelmed last as they took over FOX and feed them lies and disinformation for YEARS NOW......BUT Project 2025 knew...like Hitler..it is a small group of nefarious minds that create the PLAN...and this is very WELL PLANNED !!! But take heart and SEE the resistance starting(FBI) before they can stop it !!! And there will be more now that we KNOW what in fact they ARE DOING.
Yes they did. This time around everyone knew that trump is a liar and a con man. And a racist. They are too and this is exactly what they voted for. If they were upset musk has their SS numbers they would be protesting too.
Things I’ve heard: “he’s just doing an audit.” (Then why did he illegally shut down program established by Congress? That sounds like very “unauditor” behavior. Why wouldn’t they send in an auditor?) “Oh, our information is already out there anyway.” (Great, can I have your SSN, your date of birth, address, phone number, drivers license number and checking account number? Don’t worry “it’s out there anyway,” )
Not actually, a good example of what people don't realize is in Cullen Hoback's "Terms and Conditions May Apply" at https://watchdocumentaries.com/terms-and-conditions-may-apply/
We met him and saw it on Embassy Row after the Restore the 4th Protest in DC.
It seems 7,500 or so didn't read the GameStop terms and agreement section described at https://www.gottabemobile.com/who-owns-your-soul-do-you-terms-and-conditions/
"...As is common with many online retailers, GameStation asks users to agree to Terms and Conditions in order to complete a sale. On April 1, the immortal soul clause was added. It read:
“By placing an order via this Web site on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant Us a non transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul. Should We wish to exercise this option, you agree to surrender your immortal soul, and any claim you may have on it, within 5 (five) working days of receiving written notification from gamesation.co.uk or one of its duly authorised minions...”
Do you really suppose that anybody understood what this Deep State malarkey was about and what was truly intended? Aren't you the least bit shocked by what has transpired? The administration is now in the position of having to face a blizzard of lawsuits before judges, Republican as well as Democrat, who will know that their own personal data is no longer private but in the hands of a racist South African billionaire and his team of Gen Z nerds. The language about the Deep State during the campaign was essentially about two things: the so-called weaponisation of law enforcement agencies and the DoJ and the culture war stuff - not this.
That’s what happened
Christopher, we have a front row seat to watch this...
- Pulled Quote -
“So many of these things are so wildly illegal that I think they’re playing a quantity game and assuming the system can’t react to all this illegality at once.”
And that my friends is at the heart of this treason!
Time for a federal government wide 'go slow' effort. Show up for work, occupy your space so you can't be locked out, but do as little as possible. I once led a documentation strike at a group home to protest onerous practices there. We took care of the residents, but did not document anything except medications. No documentation meant no billing. Worked like a charm.
How about treasonous??
Arrest the little intern perps and put them in jail cells.
The question is who, or what, is going to stop this? The legislative branch is complicit and the judiciary is headed by a Supreme Court that has already granted immunity to the president. Trump’s first term was like the burglar testing all the locks in the neighborhood - the second term is like the burglar hitting all the vulnerable houses; which is turning out to be most of them. Welcome to the “imperial presidency.”
This might WORK !!!!!!!!! YES...lawsuits by "regular citizens harmed"...so hopeful !!! And "regular Citizens " can RESIST = Ie the Treasury Dept (too late here but there are many more departments ! ) The FBI ........all the departments can shutter or shut down or deny access ...as they are going to "shut down very soon anyway" with Loyalists of Trump.....Why not shut down 1st with the People who know how to work with their processes vs shut down with new Loyalists who haven't' a clue what to DO !!! What IS the saying " Power to the PEOPLE " Oh there IS Light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Faith :)
Here is Olga Lautman's Trump Tyranny Tracker Day 16.
https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/february-4-2025?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Gee, helpful question.
Christopher asks a question undeserving of sarcasm. There is a new consensus, albeit a narrow one. The people whom I know who voted for the '24-carrot' scheiße-head have expressed to me that they are fed up with career politicians and bureaucrats. Still, I can not believe that this bread-&-fracases is what they signed up for. They voted for cheaper eggs, not creepy dregs.
Career politicians who listened to lobbyists and ignored their constituents.
AND your economics where still the envy of the World ... as autocratic countries have internet too and SEE you ..they just cannot speak because they are not FREE to
" the government should regulate business, provide a basic social safety net, promote infrastructure, and protect civil rights. The idea was to use tax dollars to create national wealth. The government would hold the economic playing field level by protecting every American’s access to education, healthcare, transportation and communication, employment, and resources so that anyone could work hard and rise to prosperity."This is the definition of liberal government according to Professor. I think liberal government is the government of democracy, but the name needs to be changed. It is widely misunderstood now socialism and Marxist. I suggest a new name: "Lincoln government." President Lincoln is the one noone opposes. Even Trump says he is next to Lincoln.
He says it as he is the most opposite of Lincoln (and has Andrew Jackson as his hero displayed prominently).
P.S. I was surprised to find the largest statue in the center of Lafayette Park was Andrew Jackson. I must have passed on the north and south sides of the park dozens of times in the decades we visited DC. I've always considered Jackson as the most famous abuser of Presidential power before Trump, so I'm not surprised at his hero worship of Jackson.
I doubt he has as much McKinley stuff around though he seems his new favorite President
One must also wonder when the term 'Terrorist' could be applied to Musk and his Cronies!? Is this considered a 'Terrorist Attack'...I really don't know...I reckon it depends on 'Who's Framing It'?
If the shoe was on the other foot...FOX NEWS would frame it as 'Terrorism Against The State'...but since FOX is embedded with these Perpetrators Ideologically...they won't raise a finger in this direction.
Nice thought, except that Trump's Justice Department will not enforce the law. Still, interesting article. Good luck
How are all these actions not treason?
They are.
they ARE
There are better names for it, like espionage, CFAA violations and criminal negligence. But treason has to involve some direct act of giving aid and comfort to an enemy, and most legal scholars say it's limited to times when Congress has declared war on "the enemy." So as awful as it is, we need to find terms other than treason to describe it.
True. No one in their right minds could ever think it would be in the national interest to have a narcissistic sociopathic and morbidly rich private citizen have access to proprietary government information, and to strip the power of the purse from Congress. Congress and the Senate are loaded with Trump toadies or people who are too chicken to call out Trump’s and Muskrat’s behavior as both illegal and unconstitutional.
Those computers are all at risk. The hacking by our enemies has most likely already begun.
Agreed. Twitter is incredibly vulnerable - except that no one really cares about it any more, so you don't see a lot of hacks that disturb its operations.
Sabotage... CyberWar... This is the 21st Century...
Cyber war.. against your own citizens..
Steve, every time I read someone's comment about this or that being treason, my eye twitches. In almost every case, what's being described does not meet the dictionary definition of treason. I feel guilty for being pedantic, but words matter to me.
I believe what Musk is engaged in would be accurately described as coup d'état, corroborated by all the popular online dictionaries.
At least as a matter of law.
A major part of why I try to avoid "treason" is because it's often the rallying cry of the right for anything that involves social services - they immediately jump to the conclusion that it's communist and therefore treason.
I don't want t be like them
It may not meet the definition of treason, but Trump’s and Musk’s actions over the last two weeks absolutely meet the definition of seditious conspiracy:
“2384. Seditious conspiracy
If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, §1, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)”
Excellent, thank you.
We often confuse treason with sedition.
The Webster's definitions:
trea·son noun \ ˈtrē-zᵊn
\
inflected form(s): plural -s
1 : the betrayal of a trust or confidence : breach of faith : perfidy, treachery <corruption in public office is treason — A. E. Stevenson, born 1900>
2a : the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or his family — see high treason 1
b(1) : the betrayal in early English law of a lord by his vassal
(2) : the violation in early feudal law by a vassal of his allegiance to his superior by one or more undefined acts of a serious nature (as betrayal to an enemy, adultery with the superior's wife, or forgery of his seal) — see petit treason
3 obsolete : an act or an instance of treason <rebellions and treasons against their princes — Matthew Sutcliffe>
se·di·tion noun \ si-ˈdi-shən
\
inflected form(s): plural -s
1 : an insurrection against constituted authority : a tumult caused by dissension, partisan hatred, or discontent <by reason of inequalities, cities are filled with sedition — Benjamin Jowett>
2 : conduct consisting of speaking, writing, or acting against an established government or seeking to overthrow it by unlawful means : resistance to lawful authority : conduct tending to treason but without an overt act
“Treason.” Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/treason. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
and
“Sedition.” Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/sedition. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.
my thoughts exactly!
Treasonous acts of malicious intent and sabotage.
“ How are all these actions not treason?”
Because. This doesnt fit the legal definition of treason, i.e. a proscutor could not match these actions to language of statutes. It’s the president enabling these actions through his cabinet appointees (with the ‘advise and consent’ of the Senate) and ‘special employee #1’ Elmo. “The crank call is coming from you own phone inside the house” - is not treason. Treason refers to aiding a foreign power, sorta. We here all feel outrage against what is happening, but in terms of what to do about it, “treason” is not the correct lever to pull.
It's not treason if you are rich enough and belong to the "in" crowd...
They're not treason but rather "patriotism" from the perspective of the traitors. That's what we're up against...
Are we threatened with censorship soon on Heather’s site?
Yes.
Both Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell today broadcast news of the convicted criminal in the White House now moving to extend his criminality to kill the U.S. commercial free press with next us, the non-commercial voices, so none can question any of his criminality.
Nor none can question, either, his allies (Musk, Bondi, Bessent, Hegseth, Patel, Morocco, Gabbard). Nor the thug militias for more criminality.
Many here on Heather’s site dislike my focus on humanities being taught in schools, cited in media. Most take them for granted as if somehow, like democracy, private forums like Heather’s will always be available.
Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell beg to differ. The criminal-in-chief has already set criminality in motion like Orban’s in Hungary, Putin’s before that. And when the American free press is killed, need any be surprised that the criminality next comes for sites such as here?
You are right, they have told us what they plan and are well on the way “flooding the zone with Schitt.” What you think could never happen here, is happening here NOW
Yes, JDinTX -- what we've always loathed in pathetic history "is happening here," now.
I had one reason I wanted also to post something (somewhat) lighter accompanying this (mine a bit below on the orange felon on Gaza) -- my debt owed to Lawrence O'Donnell.
He's raging and well so most recently on the supine, dumb, elite, and "access"-mad Washington D.C. press corps. While deadly serious things are underway (Lawrence most angry at the damages to so many from Musk's killing of U.S.A.I.D.), the D.C. elites just ignore that -- zero refs or Qs to that at a most recent large press conference.
But they are jumping all over the orange felon's press conference with international criminal Netanyahu. They don't know, the D.C. idiot press, that they've been had. Trump's ideas are preposterous, outrageously, frivolously stupid. But the press eats it up, feasts on palpable nonsense, and for that ignores, can't see or care about the real and vast human damages the damaged fool Musk occasions to so many poor, unfortunate non-elite around the world.
The Gaza, and West Bank Initiatives are Extremely Dangerous for the USA... View the Press Conference with Netanyahu today... Seems that DJT is deteriorating Rapidly, and Netanyahu looks like that Alley Cat that just swallowed the Canary... Will the US Public Welcome being involved in a Guerilla War in Gaza just so there can be a Kushner/Trump Resort? Netanyahu definitely got the better end of the Deal... So much for DJT's Deal-Making Skills... This will aid Netanyahu by providing cover for the IDF to withdrawal... The insertion of U.S. forces would put the USA in another Guerilla War, and paint a Target on every American in the Middle-East... Once again, Israel would WIN. USA Lose... DJT has been bought, and has gone insane...
All probably true and nuts.
But the real reason for the Gaza pitch is distraction. Every minute spent worrying about Panama, Greenland, Canada, Mexico and now Gaza is a minute not focused on the complete takeover of the inner workings of our Federal Government by Chairman Musk.
Today or tomorrow, TV $Trump will announce something even crazier. Probably withdrawing from NATO, putting tariffs on Europe, "giving" Taiwan to China in a "deal" for some bullshit project.
Trump is the TV president. He likes to be on TV. He likes to watch TV.
But he has the intellectual depth of a guppy. He has a role as an actor in the biggest reality show ever. But he is really just the apprentice.
This TV series unfolding is funded, produced and directed by Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and friends. Take another look at who was at Trumps side when he was sworn in (did he really FORGET to put his hand on the Bible?).
I really think you are right.
Apache,
Netanyahu's face at the Press Conference said it all, in my imagination: "President Trump is out of his gourd....I would have never believed this if I were not standing here! He did not consult me about this?
I am looking at all these news people taking this in as if this is actually a good idea....unbelievable.....why did I not try this??? Oh well, I did bomb and destroy everything with US equipment...maybe he will set me up with a nice place on the coast ?"
Republicans are destroying our favorable relationship with much of the world in short order.
Sad that our media is a choice between Rupert and clones, and our MSM’s fascination with shinny objects. Their mascot must be the bower birds, but the birds have a reason to collect shinny objects. No excuse for our MSM
Alarming that Rubio is saying deport us citizens to ElSalvador prisons. WTF? Why isn’t that a headline? Steve Banon rule, “flood the zone with shit. MSM can only focus on one story, epically over the weekend. So we flood with st least three big outrage stories every day”
Yes, Ted.
Please remember, though, too, that this hysteria comes in a package -- a calculated, pre-meditated, mega-well-funded package.
Nothing human about it. No conscience for lives hit. No humanities in any of the power-players and their many, many college-"educated" sycophants.
The corporate, and the billionaires (90% far-right) have schemes, abstractions to sell. The universities where they got their packaging all had zero humanities. These universities were administering only to the elite of standardized testing success.
Nothing human about them but greed, and more greed, as in the multiply-bankrupt, multiply rapist, all-his-life con man and finally convicted criminal in the White House.
Dems? Also dehumanized. Zero humanities in their educations, too.
For the same reason that no one seems concerned that the “Laken Riley Act” specifies that habeas corpus doesn’t apply to an undocumented immigrant who is accused of a crime and can be detained indefinitely without a hearing or conviction.
Here’s a PSA- If your US Passport is expiring soon, or you don’t currently have one, do so immediately. They’ll be checking everyone’s papers soon. And, they will undoubtedly add tripwires to the process for anyone with the “wrong” last name, zip code or profession.
"Many here on Heather’s site dislike my focus on humanities"...F***k 'em Phil, we all have some things we need to say, and we have a 1st amendment. Mine are: "'Restructure the DNC to be an effective opposition' and 'be prepared' and recently 'Kayfabe'"
So you just carry on, because you are right most of the time.
I may be correct, "bruce" (lower case yours), and it may be a bit of "me, me, mine."
But Dems really, really failed recently. Their emphasis on money, fund-raising, more money, more money, and celebrities.
No way a convicted criminal (and rapist, and life-long business fraud) and no way an insurrectionist (per the Constitution) should get to the White House.
The humanities could keep us in touch with what and who we love. Instead, without them (as Orwell plainly saw in "Politics and the English Language") we drift. We float into the inertia, magnetic force field, and momentum of abstracted language, abstracted categories (whereby for the billionaires the schools dehumanize, the legacy press dehumanizes).
The DNC should have kept their Ears to the Ground... Conducted more Focus Groups in Contested Areas... Why did essentially the whole County shift to 'Red'?...
Why did so many people fail to vote?
There has been a plan to destroy the US Democracy for who knows how long ??? BUT in the last 10 years with Putin and Trumps 1st SECRET MEETING for hours (that..was treason ! ) I believe , right or wrong doesn't really matter now...came the PLAN...then Biden ( and the American People ) messed everythings up but only for 4 more years and BINGO...the won. Now...yes they did win ....and the Democrat were given NO POWER to resist... everything is stacked...EXCEPT WE HAVE 1,000,000. TO 1 odds against them....we can take back anything stolen and smell the SMOKE...we now HAVE TOO...we must resist everywhere as the FBI digs in 1st more must follow everywhere to SAVE the Country ... as every day they get more and more entrenched...it will be as ugly and Nazi Germany and we all know how that played out once Hitler got full control with the SS = our FBI ! this is a very serious time in American History and a full on call to Action or compliance ???
Difficult to read all of these !!!!!!!!!! and CAPITALS, CAPITALS,CAPITALS…again and again and again…
2024 was one of the highest voter turnouts in many years. 1/3 and more of the electorate have been disengaged for a very long time, you know that, right?
Frank,
You are correct. About 66% of eligible voters participated. A record high. But still pathetic. Here is how it was in rough numbers:
Trump - 77 million
Harris - 75 million
Stayed Home - 89 million
"Stayed Home" were disillusioned, or high, lazy, ignorant, or didn't give a shit or think all politicians are the same or "GAZA"! - you name it. Oh, and there is the bunch that Phil refers to that are clueless about the "humanities" or civics or how a democracy is structured and who wants to vote for a black woman married to a Jew and the other guy is old and cuckoo. "Hon, grab me a beer...I said GRAB ME A Beer!"
Then there was the big one: the price of eggs. Damn those politicians. Why can't they just make the chickens lay more eggs?
In Australia, voter participation in Federal elections is over 90%. Why? Voting is mandatory. The penalty for not voting is $25. Sounds a little silly. But it works. But Americans have a strong opposition to doing things that work in other countries, so there you have it.
Fewer Votes were cast in 2024 than 2020... Maybe more People have tuned out... More Despair.... Societal Breakdown.... etc...
Yes, Frank. I work the polls and we had a higher turnout than 2020, which was a very big year.
90 million of 'em
That is why there needs to be a massive housecleaning at the DNC. I am a Democrat, but the DNC offers employment to failed posters and political consultants who still are stuck in the Clinton wars of the 1990s. They need to elect younger people who are more in touch with what is actually happening, develop their own press outlets to correctly counter the misinformation of Fox and other right wing media outlets (it’s about 30 years late,) and start committing to all working people of all colors.
And all ages. We all have a stake and we all have agency in our society until we die, and the evil that we do (and often the good) lives after us. Climate abuse is only one (but frightening) example. In my lifetime as (as soon as I could register) a registered Democrat the DNC has always seemed autocratic, especially to the young. The 1968 Democratic Convention as one example. I think a lot a people disengage because they see little material indication that they are being heard. It seems like a lot of the big decisions are made behind closed doors.
did they ? I am no longer CERTAIN Elon ( who knew the winner of the election prior to anyone ? ) did not just interfere with DISINFORMATION ????????
Phil, have you watched The Great Hack? Netflix. Then read Zucked and Surveillance Capital-Zubloff
I mention this because the documentary and authors describe the power Meta has everyone addicted to their platform, collects personal data, then process the data (mining), Guage’s everyone’s persuadability, and then can use AI tools to influence.l not just buying but who to vote for, AND OR how to influence them not to vote too. Meta tech is not just about polarization and division. It’s really about predictive control in consumerism and in politics.
With this knowledge, does it matter how or how much Democrats spend? Can we ever trust Meta? Can we ever have fair and free elections ever again?
Deregulation meant dedemocratization. Sure, some regulations can be poorly constructed, some even counterproductive, and micromanagement can suffocate liberty, but a set of wise and aspirationally just regulation is what the Constitution is supposed to be, and the prime tool of social justice and harmony in a government of the people, by the people, for the people; all the people, not just the rich.
Thanks, Ted.
I'm not on Facebook, Meta, Twitter, or X, but I have read much on AI, voter suppression, gerrymandering, dark money, and the surveilling by algorithms.
Your last Q is key, given that those who hate democracy most love to claim free and fair elections always impossible. This includes all the organized native U.S. as well as Putin bots.
When Google first appeared, I admired it. I clicked on ads just to support it. Then it got power. I use Duck Duck Go these days.
Hopefully private news/substack and blue sky can keep going...It would be hard, but it is done in Russia, but we have more on our side here and a history of democracy.
I think there’s a game of SQUIRREL going on here! We are all looking for that fine, funny, furry fellow climbing up some tree lookin’ for nuts, when in reality there is a tarantula traipsing up our trousers.
Is this Musk/Trump adventure happening to cut off funding to Congressionally approved programs? (Schumer and Jeffries think so.) Or HIDE Trump’s program to hide his potential waste, fraud & abuse!? OR, BOTH? I’m going with BOTH - the 2 birds with 1 stone theory! THAT is EFFICIENCY!!
Of course, then we have the Donnie & Bebe bromance going on at the same time! Is this a game of DOUBLE SQUIRREL (and Double Tarantula) going on? And do these “games” decimate the news media? Yup! I think Senator Chris Murphy has it right, but, watch out for a Triple Squirrel out there somewhere on the Ukrainian border!!
To think that just days ago Mexico and Canada sent firefighters to help put out the fires in LA. But who will put out the flames that are burning down our Constitutional Republic?
Deb Pierce McCabe,
Trump gave his response to Mexico and Canada and to our Constitution: "My way or the highway!"
Why isn't musk in jail yet? And his minions who stole governed data? There are still jails and jailers, right?
It’s almost too late for that. With Bondi now in charge of the cops who’s going to arrest Musk and his hacker ludites? And now Congress is now infertile as is SCOTUS. The coup has been accomplished. There will probably be a state visit by Putin next week.
We have reached the point where armed revolt looks more and more likely. In the face of such blatant illegality and disregard for our Constitution, these oligarch wannabes will stop at nothing until they are stopped by violence that they cannot, in their current hubris, believe could possibly be aimed at them.
Musk is a naturalized citizen, not native born. His citizenship can be revoked and he can be deported. All it takes is the will to put those wheels in motion and see it through.
Unfortunately there is now no one with the will, power and courage to do so.
It feels like we’re fighting this battle based on an old set of rules (US law and justice). To them, these rules don’t apply. We’re being steamrolled and it’s moving quickly.
Exactly. We are still playing by the rules and using lawsuits to stop this, as if Trump or Musk would even actually show up to face " legal consequences" We think mass protests will have impact. Public opinion does not matter to Trump/ Musk.. Wrong weapons to defeat this takeover and coup. This is war. This is treason.This is destruction of our country happening right in front of our eyes. Extreme measures must be taken. Where are our heros? Will it be this easy to defeat America?
When the time is ripe, a mass protest or general strike may work to put a spanner in the works. I remember how long we had to march and protest against the war in Vietnam and for civil rights. Gather together here and in person locally. Support the coming opposition.
ACLU
The last option is to shut down DC. Like Maidan in Ukraine. Practice corporeal politics. Physically present in the sit in.
Yes, sit-ins. And I really like the idea of closing down freeways such as in LA. We need to mob the capitol.
Peaceful protest. Not a mob.
The DoJ, and FBI have become DJT's Weapon...
But the perps are the judge and jury.
it appears that jail and jailers are only for us.
Who controls law enforcement in the capitol and federal buildings?
The Department of Injustice
or, TC. The Department of Silly Works. or the Department of Redundancy Department.
Doge is dodgy.
Every department, including ones with all our information. No one will escape
Ministry of Love.
We the People. But most of us got fooled, distracted and discouraged. I hope we can take our country back.
Who would put him there?
Just to be clear: you Don’t have an argument to accuse “ minions who stole governed data” without proof, have you a link to that?
Theft of data is not even the biggest or sole issue.
What was outlined in HCR’s piece today: his minions have ****root access, **** which is not familiar to the non-tech reader but is well described today in plain language. Meaning, they have achieved a level of access as the system administrator: the highest level of trust in information systems, one hopes thoroughly vetted, and the potential to do literally anything. Yes, root access ***would allow*** a theft of data, but we don’t know what these RCG noobs from Tesla/Twitter/Elon are DOING. Because they have accessed the system and, presumably, apparently, locked sane actors out of access to what they are doing. One COULD look to what happened to twitter after elmo’s buyout: same people, same style of action thus far.
There are even ****worse outcomes**** than theft of people’s SSNs here. There is access to classified and sensitive programs, payments to and from, and access to account information, and are possibly querying the databases and scouring for information (they would say, looking for inefficiencies in government, with the help of AI). All in their first 5 days “on the job.” I’d say, “you’re fired”!
Not for long. Purge. Privatize.Pardons.
Rubio just said he wants to send US Citizens to ElSalvadorian Prisons. Offshoring the US Department of Corrections.
By the time the law wades through all this clearly illegal crap it won’t matter, because it will be a done deal and the damage may be irreparable. Those MAGAs who lose their Social Security and all other financial support will no doubt wail and gnash their teeth, but Elon and his mechanics will have moved on. Our laws were not designed to prosecute this monumental kind of “smash and grab “ brazen theft.
Sadly, I am beginning to understand the appeal of vigilantism 😔
Yes, that’s why they’re sleeping there. They know they’re racing against time. It’s way too easy. No one stopping them, limited protest, full access without interruption, and help from employees.
Someone who works inside needs to take one for the team. Pull the plug somehow. Interrupt. They’re going to destroy things with or without the employees so people need to stop helping them.
Whoo-ee! -- yippie kai-yi! -- hurrah! -- hot dog! -- hubba-hubba!
The U.S. is going to move 1,8 million Palestinians out of Gaza so the World's Master Real Estate Developer can develop it as luxury, 3rd-home, and recreation haven for the world's billionaire and oligarch classes.
It's like that other Great Idea, the Trail of Tears when nearly 200 years ago that other happy racist in the White House, Andrew Jackson, had the U.S. military force off their land the Cherokee and all the other tribes then in southern Appalachia. So other racist speculators could profit from the good soil, many rivers, coal, timber, and abundant minerals there.
Happy times, no? So good to be an American!
....and he has insulted Dubai, Egypt, UAE, Qatar...etc....Israel....Turkiye, Greece, Italy, France (Mon Dieu).....
I think he just broke the Guiness Book of World Records for insults in one statement.
Canada and Denmark too.
Trump could rate a whole chapter in that book.
Jared and his real estate developer father-in-law have always had Gaza in their sites. Too bad so many Gen-Z sat out the election as a protest vote against the atrocities perpetrated on the Gazans.
Sad but true, and all repubs are on board. Cheney and Kinzinger hardly qualify anymore.
I still appreciate them! Just started subscribing to Kinzinger. He makes sense and is ready to defend the committee on Jan 6th. Check it out!
No Kinzinger to for me. Full stop 🛑for his anti-abortion stance. Nope.
The enemy of my enemy ... We need to unite with those who may not agree with us on everything but who are willing to speak out loudly and forcefully against this coup.
Yes, too bad they are like the Lone Ranger.
We need to build an army of Lone Ranger. Hy-o Slllvver
Yep, we need Tontos and a whole tribe of “others”
Trump/Netanyahu is an exercise in genocidal autocracy, and USA is about to abandon the UN. You could also say, Hamas bit off much more than it could chew, and the whole Gazan population is about to pay for it. What about all the Palestinians living in the West Bank which the settler side of Israel want to take over as well?
The thing that concerns me is that at some point, Israel may come to a point where they can no longer maintain control over the West Bank, and they will have to retreat into Israel proper. Israeli journalists Hirsh Goodman and Gershom Gorenberg have discussed this as a real possibility.
I believe the West Bank has abt 3 million Palestinians, not including those remaining in East Jerusalem, and they represent about 85% of the population there. Trump is unbelievable. American troops on the ground ?
That is a truly insane idea.
I don’t like Hamas, who have an iron grip on Gaza and put their own people in danger, but does Trump really think Egypt and Jordan are going to take in Palestinians from Gaza? I think it’s a pipe dream more than anything else.
With genocide to follow
The Gaza Riviera is a glossy side show to distract the news cycle from what is really happening: absolute lack of action by Senators to stop this rot from the inside: rump wants all his incompetent lack-of-merit appointees approved by the senate, and he is getting it, with the distraction of “flooding the zone with sh!t.”
Your evening news from Nextar and Gray Media is 30 minutes including ads, say 22 minutes excluding ads. 7 minutes sports. 7 minutes weather. 7 minutes local news. Oops, we’re out of time, have a nice day.
Yeah, complete with hot and cold running terrorists too. I can't think of any better way of setting off them off than just saying we'll take over Gaza, much less trying to do it. Expect more terrorism in the Mideast and the US.
Thank you Heather for everything. Your video chat and this letter
If it smells and looks like a skunk, you can be sure it’s a skunk. Now it’s too late for the good military generals to ironically save the union from itself. And it’s mostly our fault.
Last night I watched AOC’s livestream. She said that Musk is redirecting funds (pillaging) the Treasury in order to fund the tax cuts passed in 2017, which sunset soon. Anyone have thoughts on this?
I wish I didn’t live so far from DC because I’d take time off to protest there too. But I’m calling my reps, I’m steady the word, and when HCR gives an assignment I’m doing it with A+ effort.
I think all 435 members of Congress and 100 senators need to go home and file lawsuits in the states. because they are threatening the whole country. As weird as we all are, we still belong to this country.
What good are lawsuits? They do nothing. We have no justice department, the supreme court has said rumpy is above the law. If someone doesn't move fast with the loyal military we have left it's going to be a done deal and will take a very long time, if ever, to recover. It may already be too late. There's no longer time to go through the courts.
I’ve moved up to please - charging him with treason. Today clearly sealed it for me. Just read an interesting article - by Michael D Sellers, a deeper look at claims he was recruited by intelligence officers in Russia in the 1980’s. 2/23/25.
Did she say what they were DOING about it? I realize there are minority and maybe all they can do is make noise. But I'm not even hearing noise.
I think you arent looking at independent journalism or BlueSky then. It isnt going to come and bite you
It's coming out now.
" She said that Musk is redirecting funds (pillaging) the Treasury in order to fund the tax cuts passed in 2017, which sunset soon. "
Directly or indirectly. Also to bypass rule of law.
I am waiting for the first howls of anguish from the MAGA dupes who were sure Trump meant that those drastic cuts were just for Democrats…
Are we sure the cuts are going to hit everyone? With AI involved and the masters of all our social media data -- Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter, TikTok -- in on this coup, can we be sure they won't be just for anyone who didn't vote R?
Exactly, Lizzy. I think that is exactly what they’re doing. AI can cross reference all of that shit very quickly.
We shall see! I think that could well be a legal bridge too far!
It should be. But when the person authorizing all this has immunity, he'll okay anything, and when the people he has doing it for him will be pardoned, I don't know that we have any legal bridges left standing.
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
speech at the White House, 13 March 1962
Back in August Musk posted, "Civil war is inevitable." People thought he was just referring to what's happening in the UK. Yeah, I'm thinking he meant not just there.
I have been thinking this for a couple days. Individual party affiliation is easily discovered online. Simply using that information as a "filter" in the payment system would strain out all payments to registered Democrats. Donald would love that, as he values unidirectional loyalty almost as much as cash.
And I'm pretty sure the other move they'll make as a message to those who didn't vote or voted third party is an increase in payments, by a lot, to those who did vote for him. Cuz I mean, the whole game we thought they were playing of making these spending cuts so they can pay for the tax gift to the villainaires (I stole that from someone on Threads), and getting these cuts done "efficiently" being the excuse for infiltrating the Treasury, yeah, none of that's it. It's about dismantling everything, yes, but it's also about a monarch reaching into his velvet money pouch and buying allegiance from the hungry masses with his stolen treasure.
But they still have to buy groceries!
That’s my fear honestly.
They are. The code being written and inserted will allow access to and control of payments to specific individuals. So SS payments to just registered Dems in a town can be cut off while payments to Reps continue unchanged.
But maybe not just continue unchanged but increased. Stick and carrot.
There is no factual basis for this statement “ They are. The code being written and inserted will allow access to and control of payments to specific individuals. So SS payments to just registered Dems in a town can be cut off while payments to Reps continue unchanged.” I’m not saying it is impossible. It’s just speculation. And I doubt minions would be that obvious about it….
I swear that’s what they thought!
Shame on the Democrats who voted in favor of Scott Bessent to be Secretary of the Treasury who then in turn handed over the keys to Elon Musk.
Those Dems are traitors. Exactly what happened with the election. Dems scream warnings, people yawn. What will it take. Rupert will never tell the MAGAts. Of course, Rupert is a magat
Why in the world aren't these criminals being arrested?!?!?!!!! I truly do not understand. They are no different than any other citizen (other than working for fascists and a dictator) who would be nailed by police in a minute.
Hitler made every action the Nazi’s did legal. I don’t think these cretins care because our SC is complicit in treason.
This is true. We are completely fucked.
And Mitch says he’s still a Republican. Sad that he’s proud that he sold his soul for such and betrayed his country…
We have him to thank for our Republican senators violating their oaths of office twice to acquit an obviously guilty president. History will teach about Mitch McConnell’s perfidy.
Yep, but without a hint of regret. I have hated his obvious evil since his comment about opposing Obama by whatever means from the git go. Just let the tea party nuts run rough shod over all efforts to fix the mess W made. Hope history is written by HCR.
That douchebag is gross. He looks like a Podling (and not a cute one) that got his lifeforce sucked out of him. Pathetic.
he has the look of the Dorian Gray portrait.
Lol! Oh yes. :DD
By whom?
Couldn't some staffer have made a call to the police when Musk and bad nerds broke in? Unless the local cops already sold out, which is possible.
The FOP is not too happy with Trump for pardoning and freeing people convicted of crimes in connection with their January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection. They revoked their endorsement of Trump right after Trump freed the insurrectionists.
My Social Security check gets direct deposited in my checking account the fourth Wednesday of the month. I’m going to be a little nervous until then, and probably thereafter until that South African bastard gets destroyed.
Am I going to get a letter stating, “There are some questions about your eligibility….”?
I got mine on the 3rd and when I saw it in my account, the sound that escaped my lips was somewhere between relief and anguish. This kind of stress on people old enough to receive Social Security is a special kind of evil.
That surety may become a thing of the past. They will likely destroy agencies before individuals. But we all are in the cross hairs.
it's going to be the longest instead of the shortest month for that 4th Wednesday.
Indeed!
I'm right there with you, Ralph. For extra concern, I'm having knee replacement in two weeks, on Medicare.
How are Fox, OAN, and other right-wing news and commentators reporting this? More lies and fantasy? Who will they blame when eggs go to $12, vaccines are no longer available, schools - especially special ed programs - close, immigrant employees and business owners disappear?
Right-wing news organizations have largely portrayed Elon Musk's recent actions with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as necessary interventions to reduce government waste and increase accountability.
Fox News Coverage:
Addressing Fraudulent Payments: Fox News reported that Musk criticized the Treasury Department for approving payments to known fraudulent or terrorist groups, highlighting DOGE's role in uncovering such inefficiencies.
Targeting USAID: The network described DOGE's focus on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an effort to reform an agency with a global footprint, suggesting that USAID had become a "viper's nest" of inefficiency.
Political Reactions: Fox News highlighted Democratic lawmakers' concerns over Musk's access to sensitive Treasury data, framing it as partisan opposition to necessary government reforms.
Support from Republican Senators: The outlet featured statements from Republican figures, such as Senator Joni Ernst, who defended DOGE's initiatives and advised critics to "get used to this," emphasizing the administration's commitment to reducing government waste.
Overall, right-wing media outlets have depicted Musk's actions through DOGE as bold and necessary steps to streamline government operations, reduce waste, and enhance efficiency, often downplaying or dismissing concerns about overreach or potential legal issues.
Who the hell is Musk to determine what are or are not fraudulent payments? The investigation of alleged fraudulent payments and activities and determination of enforcement action is the province of each agency's Inspector General . . .oh, oops! Ain't got no more of those.
And, what exactly do they define as "inefficiencies"?
Exactly. Without knowing the performance requirements of each program and how to evaluate compliance, they have no basis for making such determinations.
Trump could care less, but yes, of course. That's what adults do.
Not going fast enough into their pockets.
I love how they repeat government waste and no doubt there is some but now there's no oversight, but the biggest rebuttal to this is the reality that Trump chose to fly immigrants out on military planes costing $800,000 as opposed to commercial flights that would have cost $21,000. Clearly waste in government is another lie Trump choses to play.
The real waste in government comes from military contractors padding bills, from subsidies to wealthy corporations, and tax cuts to morbidly wealthy people. The corporations and wealthy can and should be paying much more in taxes, and the real complexities of the tax code come about from lobbying by the morbidly rich and corporations to create all sorts of dubious loopholes to avoid paying more taxes. Then, the same people turn around and encourage Congress and the Senate to reduce funds for IRS enforcement and oversight, which lets both groups abuse the tax system for their own personal gain.
“Get used to this” republicans cowards who will support the treason. No surprise
Laurie, a friend's wife wrote this on FB last night:
""Loving watching a bunch of ineffective, inefficient, corrupt politicians melt down. They are so arrogant and threatened by competent, efficient, pro active adults who get shit done they can't handle it."
I have no idea how they will respond, but I can suspect that it will involve blaming Democrats and the Democratic Party.
I’m curious hope the conversations are going on the far right chat rooms and websites, too
You won't like what they're saying. They are all in with this garbage.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the usual passive/aggressive "Wait until the mid-terms" approach ain't gonna work now.
I see that Trump's promise that his supporters won't ever have to vote after this election wasn't just bombast.
Not sure why anybody ever took it as bombast.
Democrats always think laws, the legal system, and the Constitution will protect us.
They're lazy, and 'way too focused on fundraising for the next election.
They're as culpable as the magats. I will never donate another penny to them. In fact, I intend to change my registration to Independent.
I'm progressive. I refuse to identify as a Democrat anymore. They've proven, with very few exceptions, to be as weak-minded, craven and corrupt as the magats.
I’m on that limb with you.
I took Trump seriously when he said to a supporter that he wouldn’t need to bother voting again. We will not see midterms, and I think Trump has every intention of becoming a dictator for life.
Exactly. Our last election, has been had, I fear.
What midterms? Ain't gonna happen.
Frump may have immunity for illegal acts while he’s president but what about the people who do his bidding g? If they break the law they are not immune. Surely THEY can be charged? If everybody who broke the law, shat on the constitution could be held accountable?
If there is anything left of our justice system after, say, Thursday — maybe. This feels like doom. Am I crazy to hold out hope that if we keep fighting, if Congress protects its own power (if not ours), that something of our democracy can be salvaged?
You have no choice. The lassitude of the millions who didn’t vote, the ignorance of magas, the corruption of the voting systems, the gerrymandering, the slow grinding of the gears of the law, the vile vampires of the Supreme Court, all together put these evil men in power. The Constitution has been savaged.
US citizens have to resist, gave to fight back, have to bring them all down or the Republic will be unrevivable
Trunp would pardon them
If they are charged under State laws I don’t think he can
like if all states start suing the federal government...
not if he's impeached. We have to reach out to members of the Republican Party.
And he can pardon them
The Supreme Court needs to change of the immunity clause and I believe there is something about the constitution in there - if not, they need to go to the Supreme Court because violations of the constitution and laws created (like Congress controls the purse) should be impeached. I'm hoping they have attorneys working on this now.
They control the Justice Dept as well as the Military now, if the cops are all corrupt who are you going to call? I know not all cops are corrupt but the leadership is. So again who are you going to call for help, that’s why they are still in there ransacking the Treasury and inserting malicious code for when they leave. Maybe all of the lunatics with their AR-15’s have a point, I have always thought they were crazy, but maybe they’re crazy smart. Within our system of government there is no one that can stop this from playing out into the total destruction of our way of life, all of the checks and balances presupposed good will on the part of all participants, we have arsonists controlling the levers of power now, got a match. 🤬🤬🤬
So who’s gonna be around to charge them?
There is, effectively, no justice system.