I don't think a lot of people understand that cutting USAid means that we are cutting money from U.S. farmers and businessmen. We don't send money to Africa, we buy wheat and food from American farmers and send that (probably on U.S. ships that we pay). The money all stays here. We buy pharmaceuticals, etc., from U.S. businesses and send the products out as aid. While a small amount of money probably is used to pay local people to help us, the vast bulk is a subsidy for the U.S. economy. When we cut foreign aid, it simply harms our own economy. (Beyond all the other impacts on soft diplomacy, philanthropy, etc.) But Elon Musk doesn't care because we don't send Tesla's to people who are starving or space ships to combat Ebola and medical epidemics, so he is not affected.
Someone…SOMEONE in our government MUST be able to stop Elonia Musk! This is an absolute NIGHTMARE! I refuse to believe these domestic terrorists have free rein to destroy our government, especially since they are following a playbook to do that very thing! They need to be stopped NOW! RIGHT NOW! The longer they are allowed to go unchecked, the harder it will be to clean up their mess! ARREST THEM NOW!!!
I had no idea our government could be so weak against an inside attack. I always thought one of our National Security Departments would have swooped in to stop it! I am so embarrassed! So PISSED! I never thought I’d see the destruction of my beautiful country, but obviously, I was wrong. 🥺
Yeah! Where’s the Supreme Court??? Missing in action? This is no Profile In Courage! What is SCOTUS doing to stop these renegades dead in their tracks, legally? Are they worried that the Beast King will simply ignore their rulings if they go against his defiling of hundreds of laws designed to protect us from a Tyrant and his super-rich oligarchy? Has the Supine Senate stopped the hearings and voting on the nominees? No - they’re terrified of being targeted by armed Maggots! They should resign as the Senate Republicans seem to be sleeping at the wheel while the Dictatorship is installed. Rules of Decorum? What is the gawd-damned Senate doing to stop this tyrant? What is the Syccophant Lindsay Graham, who loves to go on tv, doing to stop this tyrant? Remember Virginia’s motto, sic semper tyrranis - thus always to tyrants. But heh, thanks so much for informing us of these nightmarish events, and the Elon Musk Act!!!!
The Supremes have a busy schedule this current nine-month term, including cases on gun control in cases of domestic violence; re-districting in South Carolina; the funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (assuming Musk hasn't abolished it before the case is heard); the SEC's in-house enforcement proceedings; Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement; and even the validity of a "Trump too small" trademark that cites remarks by Senator Marco Rubio about the size of "certain parts of (Trump's) anatomy, such as his hands." It's important to remember as well that Republican legislatures have been busy introducing legislation that supports the government's policies on abortion and many of these bills have eben challenged. The welter of unlawful actions by the administration are facing numerous legal challenges and the Supremes won't be able to adjudicate them all.
I'm completely stupefied that dems are allowing this - do some Mich McConnell moves, get down and dirty with the law, the procedural loopholes, the unflinching maneuvering that he used for decades! So, the gish gallop -" flood the zone" approach is working. God help us - this is on our watch.
There have been a flood of lawsuits filed and some temporary holds put on this but hey he, Musk, has the data now so who knows what has already been done with this. Remember they are throwing everything out there at once. Forget the Gaza thing right now as that is just another outrageous deflection. There are protests happening at state capitals in numerous states for a start. That lets DJT and the sycophants in his administration know we are paying attention and not happy. One thing stood out for me in HCR’s summation, Musk saying he identified abuse in Medicare, and a senator pushing back saying that Medicare already identifies this and takes action. Let’s speak loudly and remind the MAGA senators that one of those fraudsters was Rick Scott of Florida for which a fine of almost $2billon dollars was levied. So look in the mirror MAGA, you are the contributors not the saviors.
It's way past time for the major media in this country to begin telling us the truth of what is happening in the United States of America before it's too late. That truth they must tell us is that the Trump administration is doing a coup d' tat on our government.
The people who voted for Shitler and his henchmen do not hear this. They watch their own channels/stations/media. Which conveniently calls this fake and lies, if they even acknowledge it at all.
Avoid Ketamine addicts, as they often become psychotic, and should NEVER have control over your life. Tramp is crazy enough without help from a "Special K" freak.
It's frustrating to read the attacks on Democrats for not doing anything; Republicans control the government. Many government workers will or are losing their jobs. Pressure needs to go on Republicans who are toeing the line because they fear losing their jobs because Trump controls the purse strings of that party. Letters to Republicans in Congress to express your fears and concerns and letters to Democrats in Congress to offer support are a powerful tools. Speak up.
The list of influencers (of Trump) and disrupters is growing daily: Curtis Yarvin, Steve Bannon, Jessica Reed Kraus, Charle Kirk, Ben Shapiro and the billionaire techies and wealthy donors. They have enabled this President to instil fear in Congress and among the multitude of federal workers who fear retribution and losing their careers. Americans must flood the comment line of the White House, the talk shows, and the news on TV or in the newspapers while we wait for the courts, Democrats and disaffected Republicans to stand up against this frenzied madness. If we let them go unfettered for the proposed 180 days, we will have damaged our democracy.
Obvs…it was a joke. We could all use some laughs along with our existential terror, don’t you think? I laughed out loud at “doggy” that’s hilarious. I shared it with friends and my friend Korrie said, “dodgy” and I laughed out loud at that too. Let’s crack each other up while we’re standing against tyranny!
Tramp is a monster. See "Why Tramp Tantrums" on Greeley's Newsletter.substack.com, for the psychology of the Mad King, without which we can neither understand not resist his tantrums. Thanks, Heather, for all you do. We are not alone. Have a blessed day and keep on keepin' on.
No, narcissism is only a trait in the spectrum of traits included in Tramp's Borderline Personality Disorder, not to mention the Bipolar d/o, type 2, or the ADHD.
Thanks, Doc! I read up on bc my husband's mom was borderline...That said, he looks like he has all 4! antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic.
So, BPD can include anti-social, histrionic, and narcissistic traits, so morph in and out of those traits depending on circumstances, not to forget sociopathic, sadistic traits. The fundamental developmental pathology is typically very early childhood abandonment by the mother, as in Trump's case, when he was suddenly abandoned by his dying mother at 2yo, due to her near fatal hemorrhaging due to the complicated birth of her 5th child, Robert. The utter terror such a child can experience may drive him/her to do all in his/her power to NEVER have to feel that terror again, thus the key symptom: rejection sensitivity (aka loyalty obsession).
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves there, Citizen! That would be all that Shirley would need to declare martial law and do the full totalitarian treatment of anyone who’s not white and not Christian, and anyone who ever gave a $5 donation to a democrat or anyone who has a democrat in their family. This is a financial war that the billionaire class is waging not just against liberals, but also against all the same folks who voted for the big A.
They are on track to the full totalitarian treatment as we exchange texts. They will destroy everything in their midst just for the POWER
...either a bunch of states like CA, OR, WA, MA, VT, MN, MI, NY secede and form their own Commonwealth or it will end up in Civil War.....I can go both ways ...but what we are doing NOW is NOT a solution.
Trump befuddled. His particular mental issues befuddle us too because he does not *seem* incoherent, or too incoherent. He's surrounded not only by loyalists but the inference here is that he has been actually taken over by people who are using him... the Heritage people. So when Snyder says coup, I think this is a coup, he is right. Trump is really weak and is being used. We seem to be in deep trouble. Never mind the outrage and hypocrisy, the breaking of international law regarding Trumps proposal for Gaza. Some are considering it... And Marko Rubio is the supposed best of the worst, having sailed through the nomination process. He was never his own man with principle but a pretender, a sack of gelatinous substance.
I deeply appreciate your giving us not only the current events as reported by good sources, but the context and the truth about the profound impact. I also am grateful for your suggestions on what we can do individually and as communities, as well as the reminder to not be hard on our democratic leaders. I'm so concerned that the longer Elon Musk is free to do as he pleases in the name of "efficiency," the more normalized it is going to become. The Republicans are clearly normalizing it. Mike Johnson is fulfilling his primary job, which is to run the line for DJT in the House and make sure he gets everything he wants.
We're seeing the same pattern unfold as in Trump's first term when officials hastily try to walk back something he has said and he subsequently doubles down on what he originally said leaving them looking like idiots. It happened after he fired James Comey in 2017 when he admitted to NBC's Lester Holt that it was his decision alone (after officials had spent a week briefing otherwise); and also after his infamous support for Putin on the issue of Russian interference in the 2016 election at the Helsinki summit in 2018. He was then forced to read a prepared statement confirming his support for America's intelligence agencies after a storm of bipartisan criticism (those were heady days when Republicans would stand up to him!). He couldn't bear this ignominy for long and he went on Twitter and complained that his critics would rather go to war than see him get along with Putin. "It’s called Trump Derangement Syndrome!” he thundered. Now he's getting his revenge on those same agencies. The latest example of the volte face that wasn't is his shocking Gaza announcement. This wasn't off-the-cuff. He had prepared for it by inviting Jordan's King Abdullah to a meeting and a $929m arms shipment to Egypt - the two countries who would be asked to resettle the Gazans in "beautiful homes". He took his own officials by surprise, including apparently Marco Rubio and his chief of staff, Susan Wiles. They then hurriedly tried to 'clarify' his remarks. For example, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt openly contradicted him by saying that the relocation of Gazans would not be permanent and that it was not envisaged that American troops would be needed on the ground. Yet early the next morning Trump dug his heels in with a Truth Social post. “The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” he claimed, adding that Palestinians “would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region.” He added: “No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!” Sweetness and light!
What if there was a lawsuit against Musk and his team who are digging into multiple government programs and posing the potential for violations to personal privacy and FOUO programs?
I don't think a lot of people understand that cutting USAid means that we are cutting money from U.S. farmers and businessmen. We don't send money to Africa, we buy wheat and food from American farmers and send that (probably on U.S. ships that we pay). The money all stays here. We buy pharmaceuticals, etc., from U.S. businesses and send the products out as aid. While a small amount of money probably is used to pay local people to help us, the vast bulk is a subsidy for the U.S. economy. When we cut foreign aid, it simply harms our own economy. (Beyond all the other impacts on soft diplomacy, philanthropy, etc.) But Elon Musk doesn't care because we don't send Tesla's to people who are starving or space ships to combat Ebola and medical epidemics, so he is not affected.
Someone…SOMEONE in our government MUST be able to stop Elonia Musk! This is an absolute NIGHTMARE! I refuse to believe these domestic terrorists have free rein to destroy our government, especially since they are following a playbook to do that very thing! They need to be stopped NOW! RIGHT NOW! The longer they are allowed to go unchecked, the harder it will be to clean up their mess! ARREST THEM NOW!!!
I had no idea our government could be so weak against an inside attack. I always thought one of our National Security Departments would have swooped in to stop it! I am so embarrassed! So PISSED! I never thought I’d see the destruction of my beautiful country, but obviously, I was wrong. 🥺
Yeah! Where’s the Supreme Court??? Missing in action? This is no Profile In Courage! What is SCOTUS doing to stop these renegades dead in their tracks, legally? Are they worried that the Beast King will simply ignore their rulings if they go against his defiling of hundreds of laws designed to protect us from a Tyrant and his super-rich oligarchy? Has the Supine Senate stopped the hearings and voting on the nominees? No - they’re terrified of being targeted by armed Maggots! They should resign as the Senate Republicans seem to be sleeping at the wheel while the Dictatorship is installed. Rules of Decorum? What is the gawd-damned Senate doing to stop this tyrant? What is the Syccophant Lindsay Graham, who loves to go on tv, doing to stop this tyrant? Remember Virginia’s motto, sic semper tyrranis - thus always to tyrants. But heh, thanks so much for informing us of these nightmarish events, and the Elon Musk Act!!!!
The Supremes have a busy schedule this current nine-month term, including cases on gun control in cases of domestic violence; re-districting in South Carolina; the funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (assuming Musk hasn't abolished it before the case is heard); the SEC's in-house enforcement proceedings; Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement; and even the validity of a "Trump too small" trademark that cites remarks by Senator Marco Rubio about the size of "certain parts of (Trump's) anatomy, such as his hands." It's important to remember as well that Republican legislatures have been busy introducing legislation that supports the government's policies on abortion and many of these bills have eben challenged. The welter of unlawful actions by the administration are facing numerous legal challenges and the Supremes won't be able to adjudicate them all.
I'm completely stupefied that dems are allowing this - do some Mich McConnell moves, get down and dirty with the law, the procedural loopholes, the unflinching maneuvering that he used for decades! So, the gish gallop -" flood the zone" approach is working. God help us - this is on our watch.
There have been a flood of lawsuits filed and some temporary holds put on this but hey he, Musk, has the data now so who knows what has already been done with this. Remember they are throwing everything out there at once. Forget the Gaza thing right now as that is just another outrageous deflection. There are protests happening at state capitals in numerous states for a start. That lets DJT and the sycophants in his administration know we are paying attention and not happy. One thing stood out for me in HCR’s summation, Musk saying he identified abuse in Medicare, and a senator pushing back saying that Medicare already identifies this and takes action. Let’s speak loudly and remind the MAGA senators that one of those fraudsters was Rick Scott of Florida for which a fine of almost $2billon dollars was levied. So look in the mirror MAGA, you are the contributors not the saviors.
Flooding the zone with shit as Steve Bannon has referred to it.
Thank you for leading us through the woods!
It's way past time for the major media in this country to begin telling us the truth of what is happening in the United States of America before it's too late. That truth they must tell us is that the Trump administration is doing a coup d' tat on our government.
The people who voted for Shitler and his henchmen do not hear this. They watch their own channels/stations/media. Which conveniently calls this fake and lies, if they even acknowledge it at all.
Avoid Ketamine addicts, as they often become psychotic, and should NEVER have control over your life. Tramp is crazy enough without help from a "Special K" freak.
It's frustrating to read the attacks on Democrats for not doing anything; Republicans control the government. Many government workers will or are losing their jobs. Pressure needs to go on Republicans who are toeing the line because they fear losing their jobs because Trump controls the purse strings of that party. Letters to Republicans in Congress to express your fears and concerns and letters to Democrats in Congress to offer support are a powerful tools. Speak up.
The list of influencers (of Trump) and disrupters is growing daily: Curtis Yarvin, Steve Bannon, Jessica Reed Kraus, Charle Kirk, Ben Shapiro and the billionaire techies and wealthy donors. They have enabled this President to instil fear in Congress and among the multitude of federal workers who fear retribution and losing their careers. Americans must flood the comment line of the White House, the talk shows, and the news on TV or in the newspapers while we wait for the courts, Democrats and disaffected Republicans to stand up against this frenzied madness. If we let them go unfettered for the proposed 180 days, we will have damaged our democracy.
Though I enjoyed “doggy” isn’t DOGE pronounced “dodgy”?!?!
HCR knows she said she's calling it "doggie"
Obvs…it was a joke. We could all use some laughs along with our existential terror, don’t you think? I laughed out loud at “doggy” that’s hilarious. I shared it with friends and my friend Korrie said, “dodgy” and I laughed out loud at that too. Let’s crack each other up while we’re standing against tyranny!
Tramp is a monster. See "Why Tramp Tantrums" on Greeley's Newsletter.substack.com, for the psychology of the Mad King, without which we can neither understand not resist his tantrums. Thanks, Heather, for all you do. We are not alone. Have a blessed day and keep on keepin' on.
A Malignant Narcissist, Cluster B-4 Clusterf--k.
No, narcissism is only a trait in the spectrum of traits included in Tramp's Borderline Personality Disorder, not to mention the Bipolar d/o, type 2, or the ADHD.
Thanks, Doc! I read up on bc my husband's mom was borderline...That said, he looks like he has all 4! antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic.
So, BPD can include anti-social, histrionic, and narcissistic traits, so morph in and out of those traits depending on circumstances, not to forget sociopathic, sadistic traits. The fundamental developmental pathology is typically very early childhood abandonment by the mother, as in Trump's case, when he was suddenly abandoned by his dying mother at 2yo, due to her near fatal hemorrhaging due to the complicated birth of her 5th child, Robert. The utter terror such a child can experience may drive him/her to do all in his/her power to NEVER have to feel that terror again, thus the key symptom: rejection sensitivity (aka loyalty obsession).
Hey, Thanks so much for the simple, yet comprehensive overview.
40 years ago, my husband went to a psychiatrist and asked for an example of a Malignant Narcissist. The doctor told him "Saddam Hussein."
Let the Civil War begin......NOW
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves there, Citizen! That would be all that Shirley would need to declare martial law and do the full totalitarian treatment of anyone who’s not white and not Christian, and anyone who ever gave a $5 donation to a democrat or anyone who has a democrat in their family. This is a financial war that the billionaire class is waging not just against liberals, but also against all the same folks who voted for the big A.
They are on track to the full totalitarian treatment as we exchange texts. They will destroy everything in their midst just for the POWER
...either a bunch of states like CA, OR, WA, MA, VT, MN, MI, NY secede and form their own Commonwealth or it will end up in Civil War.....I can go both ways ...but what we are doing NOW is NOT a solution.
Trump befuddled. His particular mental issues befuddle us too because he does not *seem* incoherent, or too incoherent. He's surrounded not only by loyalists but the inference here is that he has been actually taken over by people who are using him... the Heritage people. So when Snyder says coup, I think this is a coup, he is right. Trump is really weak and is being used. We seem to be in deep trouble. Never mind the outrage and hypocrisy, the breaking of international law regarding Trumps proposal for Gaza. Some are considering it... And Marko Rubio is the supposed best of the worst, having sailed through the nomination process. He was never his own man with principle but a pretender, a sack of gelatinous substance.
In the meantime our eyes are diverted.
I deeply appreciate your giving us not only the current events as reported by good sources, but the context and the truth about the profound impact. I also am grateful for your suggestions on what we can do individually and as communities, as well as the reminder to not be hard on our democratic leaders. I'm so concerned that the longer Elon Musk is free to do as he pleases in the name of "efficiency," the more normalized it is going to become. The Republicans are clearly normalizing it. Mike Johnson is fulfilling his primary job, which is to run the line for DJT in the House and make sure he gets everything he wants.
This might seem petty, but the pronunciation of DOGE is doje, long O, silent E. One syllable.
Heather does this on purpose
Wouldn’t have thought of that!
We're seeing the same pattern unfold as in Trump's first term when officials hastily try to walk back something he has said and he subsequently doubles down on what he originally said leaving them looking like idiots. It happened after he fired James Comey in 2017 when he admitted to NBC's Lester Holt that it was his decision alone (after officials had spent a week briefing otherwise); and also after his infamous support for Putin on the issue of Russian interference in the 2016 election at the Helsinki summit in 2018. He was then forced to read a prepared statement confirming his support for America's intelligence agencies after a storm of bipartisan criticism (those were heady days when Republicans would stand up to him!). He couldn't bear this ignominy for long and he went on Twitter and complained that his critics would rather go to war than see him get along with Putin. "It’s called Trump Derangement Syndrome!” he thundered. Now he's getting his revenge on those same agencies. The latest example of the volte face that wasn't is his shocking Gaza announcement. This wasn't off-the-cuff. He had prepared for it by inviting Jordan's King Abdullah to a meeting and a $929m arms shipment to Egypt - the two countries who would be asked to resettle the Gazans in "beautiful homes". He took his own officials by surprise, including apparently Marco Rubio and his chief of staff, Susan Wiles. They then hurriedly tried to 'clarify' his remarks. For example, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt openly contradicted him by saying that the relocation of Gazans would not be permanent and that it was not envisaged that American troops would be needed on the ground. Yet early the next morning Trump dug his heels in with a Truth Social post. “The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” he claimed, adding that Palestinians “would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region.” He added: “No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!” Sweetness and light!
What if there was a lawsuit against Musk and his team who are digging into multiple government programs and posing the potential for violations to personal privacy and FOUO programs?