Heather's correct to count China in her story today of the madness of Trump, Musk, Vought, etc.
I’ve a friend who’s a bit obsessed with China lately. To wit, he’s flummoxed how much more greatly China has been outperforming the U.S. in tech, high speed rail, and alliances, working partnerships with many countries in Africa, south Asia, and elsewhere.
The U.S. billionaire class numbers about 800 persons total. That’s it. And they rule us. Morbidly growing the wealth gap. And with Elon Musk as sociopath exhibit number one, they are bent on destroying just about everything in national governance that has served us. Along with the orange felon still looking for scripts -- as Heather notes -- for every day "vanquishing rivals."
But my friend worries about a sick jealousy U.S. billionaires have regarding China – and especially now, drumbeats of war, military build-ups, so by that to curtail China’s successes.
And yet, look at us. Our Congress can’t do anything except sit by while Musk with a few Project 2025 agents kills all the best in our government.
Our highest court won’t do anything except approve Trump’s criminality.
I have friends from China in the US, and because I live abroad I do not contact them because I don't want to get them in trouble, even over Signal. I also have a guy in my political reading, discussion, action group that is working on his doctorate in foreign affairs with a focus on China and Iran. I subscribe to many foreign policy journals so I find China interesting too. All of the fascism experts point out how Xi benefits in the end from everything going on, even if Putin benefits too, Xi expands China's global influence. But the US is run by White Supremacists not globalists.
Understanding history, and public affairs, gets a distorted view -- a grossly insufficient view -- if one stays only within the easily measurable, quantifiable parameters. And that's how U.S. schools narrow, neuter themselves.
Why? -- because since the Powell memo of 1971 commercial interests, first, then the standardized testers, and finally the dark money billionaires have all insisted on only the dehumanized views of life. Life reduced to abstractions, categories, relentless linearity, like the forms of biology that are molecular only.
Even our best Dems show impotence only when it has come to the Constitution's disqualification by insurrection clause. When Chuck Schumer still had the majority in the U.S. Senate -- up to five weeks ago -- he could have called a Senate vote. The orange felon, not getting 2/3 clearance in either house of Congress would have meant final disqualification from any public office. Last lines of Article 14, Section Three are so clear -- not even the Clarence court could have again bailed out its favorite criminal.
Of course, Musk's little frat boys having access to the US Treasury payment system is a disaster. And nothing but a tepid response from Republicans and a short-lived response from Democrats. The protests seemed to have ended.
Perhaps having easy access to the US payment system isn't a terrible thing for all of us after all. It is very likely that Musk's toy boys made it easy to hack into the US Treasury system and/or into their downloads of data.
It's time we run some audits against all of the payments made to Trump's and his cronies by year from the system. And then do it for all of his family members and businesses. Eventually, Musk's boys will hack into the IRS systems where someone can pull Trump's tax returns, plus those of all of his family members and businesses.
And then publish just the totals which are likely to be damning. Total up all of the payments to Trump related to the failed US Post Office Hotel in DC.
Hackers have an opportunity to expose "the deep state" like they never have before. In fact, Musk now has "dirt" on hundreds of Trump allies. If Trump moves against Musk he could do all of this for us.
It's hard to think of Musk as anyone's hero, but he has an incredible opportunity to win over "the libs" and expose the deep MAGA state.
"If Trump moves against Musk he could do all of this for us" - I don't really understand what you mean - Trump brought him in and gave him authority, so it seems ultimately everything is on Trumps shoulders, so what is he doing for you?
You do not honestly believe Musk will dig out dirt on Trump? Why would he, he bought him, he knows who he is. I don't understand the logic.
Only in the U.S. would we allow charlatans and crooks to take over government. Pam Bondi has placed her loyalty to Trump over her duty as an attorney to uphold the Constitution, laws, and statutes of the United States and those of her state where she was licensed. She is John Mitchell to Trump’s Richard Nixon. That is why Mitchell was criminally convicted and disbarred in California.
As I continued to read Heather's letter today, I thought, "How can this be happening??" Sentence after sentence of Trump's, Musk's,and Project 2025's
proposals and actions put me in a blind rage.😣
MAGAnites need to be reading this information, but if they did, they would claim, "fake news!!" It's up to people like Heather, and the independent news media to keep THOSE WHO CARE informed and to ready them for action. Those who are ignorant to the fact that Trump is following Orban's lead and will take us to a terrible place, need not be surprised when he "takes over" our country. Of course, so many Trumpers are religious fanatics who want us all to live as THEY think we should, so they may not care about Trump's plans to become Victor Orban.
I know I can't let blind rage take over my life, but if people don't get upset about THIS situation, then there's nothing else left to get upset about.
I think I'll go for a walk to clear my head of my anger and dissolutionment, and then start emailing Congress members who SHOULD be in a rage.
But at the time of Mitchell and Nixon we had a court System and Republicans in Congress who believed in America. Republicans and the Courts have dismantled that starting with Reagan.
America has learned that "government of the people, by the people and for the people" works if income and wealth inequality is not too skewed. If it is so skewed as is now, it will become the government of a few, by the few and for the few." The founding fathers never predicted this.
Doesn't Timothy Snyder say that all autocracies eventually fail? This has all been going at a break-neck pace. Sooner or later the energy is going to get sloppy and there is not a lot of emotional maturity in this group to recoup from mistakes. People are going to get blamed. Maybe Elon is going to get blamed. If he does, he's not going to take it well. Who knows, but Gary's thoughts give me hope and a smile, and I'll take it. And I will also write my sorry Senator today and tell him that I and all my Senior friends are worried about Elon messing with Treasury computers.
Doug Muder, who writes the Weekly Sift on Wordpress wrote this on Monday regarding the limits of propaganda:"Trump will likely have consolidated his influence over most major media platforms (both broadcast and social), but there are limits to propaganda's effectiveness when it tells you that you ought to be happy when you're not." Muder also says that Trump was perceived as the change candidate and when change does not happen or most likely when things get worse, voters will likely look to someone else. He also quotes HCR in this week's post. https://weeklysift.com/2025/02/03/campaign-or-movement/
Maybe Autocracies eventually fail. But look at the evil that is done in the years they wield power. Americans chose Musk/Trump/Vance and they will put more Republicans in place in the next election. We are the ones who chose authoritarian RULE. For lower taxes and the price of eggs.
Both men are narcissists. Musk is getting way more of the media attention. If enough of it is bad, Trump will start referring to Musk as someone who "brought him coffee once." He'll throw ANYONE under the bus.
"Narcissist " ? YES !! And people like Trump, Musk, etc. are textbook examples of that particular personality disorder. Worse, they are MALIGNANT narcissists. In his classic book on the subject , "People of the Lie . . " psychiatrist M. Scott Peck wrote that if Evil could be diagnosed, Evil would be a malignant narcissist. Hitler was malignant narcissist. So is Trump, who adds a topping of senile dementia to it.
I believe that it might be too late for Trump to throw Musk under the bus. Musk is in a position, in the data mine of the Treasury, to back that bus right over Trump. When push comes to shove Trump is a stupid evil narcissist, while Musk is a smart evil narcissist. Trump is blinded by all the attention he is getting, while Musk is setting up for the kill. Only one of the two can stay standing.
Key statement [or question]: “I don’t understand the logic”? Sabine there is NO rational logic - other than let’s see how we can add less or minimize the impact on the country’s debt so that trump can extend or grant more tax cuts to the GREEDY class in American society!
Also, the Republicans in the Senate who could "do something about it" will not because they believe in SMALL GOVERNMENT. Musk is just willing to do what Republicans have always wanted - dismantle government programs to lower taxes.
Gary, it's somewhat random that I choose to say this here as a comment to your post because it's common that I see references to Musk's team of 18 to 26 year olds in insulting ways. Ageist slurs don't help the predicament we're in. My long-term thinking guides me to build dialogical bridges with young people whenever I can -- and yes, I am horrified at the people and systems that have given these young men the access they have to do what they're doing.
It looks to me as if “Wired” magazine is going to be the hands-down winner of the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Without their work, one would think that the DOGE posse was mostly a gaggle of underage and clueless TikT-k influencers (at best). Instead, as is becoming increasingly apparent, these hand-picked DOGEttes are not your typical code-monkeys, good at a few languages in mainstream tech.
Don’t be fooled by “youth” and”inexperience.”
These are bros whose mothers’ milk is hacking; who consort with known cyber-criminals; who are madly obsessed with crypto and the worst possible elements of AI; who are very aligned with “the only good government is no government” views; who exist in Elon M-usk’s twisted orbit and are his chosen tools to weaponize the government on Mus-k’s own behalf.
Understand that they are not just eliminating departments, firing civil servants, and blowing up foreign and domestic policies with nuclear force. They are very likely adding to those systems — back doors, traps, tripwires, malware, monitoring. They have been given access to steal anything they want —contracts, emails, medical records. Anything. They. Want.
And/or, can sell to the highest bidder, be that a country, billionaire or dictator.
Tru-mp is both mentally and physically depleted; he is busy with his fever dreams of real estate in Gaza and internment camps at Gitmo. As long as he can add zeros to his titular net worth, he isn’t going to breathe a word against the coup for which he is figurehead.
Robert Reich:According to the best source I’ve found on this (Nathan Tankus’s Crises Notes), Musk and his rats have now gained unrestricted access to your Social Security number, your confidential bank information, your confidential medical information, and much more.
“When you combine this with the previous reporting, understanding that “insert only” only applies to data and the dishonest reading of the court order that seems to be available it seems like “read only” is just a total sham and Marko Elez still has read and write code access even if he “only” has “read only” access to data.”
Joan, respectfully I ask if you have seen their biographies. While, there isn't a lot of detail available, they certainly aren't Boy Scouts. And age does matter, because they are being led by someone who is obviously taking advantage of them due to there naivety.
I am seeing some nasty stuff come out today and no -- I didn't research their bios. I'm saying how I react to reading ageist slurs because they might alienate young people and yes, age matters, it defines them (and me); I'm in awe at all I do not know about the brain development of digital natives amidst influences that shaped and are shaping them. Add trauma, predatory algorithms, mind-altering chemistries and a reckoning none of us seem ready for. I do want Musk and anyone operating on "demon mode" to be disabled.
(from NY Times Daily podcast, "Walter Isaacson wrote a biography about Elon Musk where people who know him talk about “quote unquote, “demon mode,” which he goes into, which is this sort of manic energy, staying up all night, sleeping on the floor of the factory — He’s done this at Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter — setting unrealistic deadlines, doing mass layoffs, because he thinks staff aren’t hardcore enough. He’s effectively trying to do that to the federal government.
Oh yeah. Let's blame Musk for hiring those whose biographies are being shouted to the public by those who have the computer skills to trace their public personas. Those personas are the exact reason they were hired!
Joan, when you study computer science at university you learn concepts and basics. Then you need a mentor who understands all the intricacies of how to make systems work together. They’re fragile and one mistake made and put into place that hasn’t been tested properly can bring everything crashing. What these guys are doing is quick and dirty and their mentor, Musk, doesn’t really understand these intricacies. He’s shown us this in his Teslas, X, and his failing rockets. Now imagine putting thousands of people in planes and having those failures.
Having careers in the computer field there has rarely been a new programmer that understands this. Most of them can write code but not test it. My husband spends everyday trying to teach his teams how to test for failures and how to fix without crashing the whole system. It takes experience. I don’t think it’s ageist to worry about these people based on their leader being a do it quickly and don’t worry about these people based fallout. If X crashes for the day no one will die. Not so with cars, airplanes and rockets.
Sharon, true, I don't think that Musk has the ability to do want he wants to do in the Treasury. That's why he needs people to do it for him. He is a user, a manipulator, not a coder.
I could have been clearer about my ageism comment -- I didn't have a collection of examples but I've been seeing some demeaning descriptions tied to the age that seemed inflammatory -- Gary's "boy toy" is a mild one.
MLMinET, am I supposed to be laughing? (I did). I'm in over my head since I'm not an arguer. I like to see conversations widen while we can each learn (am I part of the problem or solution?) If we have good leadership, vetting, oversight I could applaud a 10-year-old savant working with a 37-year-old paired up with an 80-year-old. In service to the Constitution!
It makes sense to a degree. Musk & Trump will have to come to blows eventually. Musk now has more power than Trump because he has access to all the information that could destroy Trump. Two egos can not be in the same place at the same time.
I think you & Phil Balla are on the right track. When I put aside my emotional thinking & go to reasoning it makes a lot of sense.
Musk put Trump in office by throwing in $330M & whatever hacking or other methods he employed in order to "use" him. Trump has always been an easy mark by those more evil & smarter(who isn't), like Putin, Orban, Musk, etc. Trump loves dictators. Trump uses his followers, as they are easier marks than he is, and Musk uses Trump to get into the Treasury where he is able to dig up all kinds of information(dirt) on T & all of his henchmen. T continues to think he is in charge, as his ego is too blinding for him to see what M is into, and continues to lose his mind while his ego runs away with him.
When Musk & his easy to manipulate boy toys dig up enough dirt & expose the MAGA "Deep State" he will be able to eliminate Trump & MAGA, leaving only some Project 2025ers & the other billionares. Now are the other billionares actively in on it or not?
Musk wants to go to Mars and he wants the US government (taxpayers) to pay for it. Trump is an easy dupe for Musk. Musk bought the election for Trump. The MAGAs love him. They hate Musk. So, Trump will keep saying his kofefe crap and the MAGAs will pretend it makes sense. All the while, Musk and his minions will be dismantling and bankrupting the government and the reps in Congress will pretend they don't see, hear or smell any of it.
When Elon is done with his destruction, Trump will tell his MAGAs that "it was all Elon's plan, all the destruction, that's not what he told him to do. It was supposed to be so beautiful, that's what was said, but something went wrong. It must have been the deep state, so deeply hidden in government servers, that they just destroyed themselves and all your information." And being true believers, they'll believe him.
The protests have not ended and more are planned. As I noted above, even the middle school kids were walking home carrying signs and flags. I did see that protests are planned for every week. Here is Oregon, the weather was dismal, yet many people turned out. I think we do not see the work done by many people despite, in some instances, having their federal funding cut off. As an example the Ecumenical Ministries (not sure exactly what they call themselves) does work with refugees and immigrants here in Oregon.
Protesters were in Augusta, Maine also. And yet, they vote for Susie Collins who loves Trump and all his choices for the Cabinet and the Supreme Court. They should have protested at the Ballot Box.
Musk, being a psychopath & extreme narcissist like Trump, doesn't have the desire to do good. Again, like Trump, the only good he does is by accident in the process of feeding his insatiable ego.
You say "does have the desire to do good," Michael.
But you know, too, that that means "doesn't have the humanities."
Has never cited a novel, film, memoir, work of history, or anything human (or related to nature).
Who knew that the Powell memo, and its craving for rule by business, commerce, abstractions, and packaging would so easily turn but to all these incel techies?
Musk speaks often about an “extinction event” which he says will befall the earth, while he sits placidly on his throne on Mars. With AI technology, he believes most of humanity will become irrelevant to the global coterie of oligarchs and their acolytes. No need for nuclear war, which would damage too many beautiful baubles of civilization. Whether it is withholding vaccines, stopping medical research, depriving mass populations of basic services, or introducing new pathogens, there are many ways to “achieve” this goal (among them, setting populations against each other so they themselves do the messy dirty work of killing each other.). Congress appears to be hyptonized into believing they will be spared in this scenario. But the “spheres of influencers” — Putin, Musk and Xi — will let these hangers-on alone only so long as they serve their imperial designs.
My thoughts exactly, Jean. i doubt that the wealthy will in the end escape like they think they will. And they don't need nuclear war to destroy the earth because we are well along with that.
Phil, agree with your assessment of what is happening to schools, but I know plenty of very good teachers who do what they can. We have a friend who is president of the teacher's union in the very Hispanic city north of us. He is making clear where the teachers stand. His wife is Ecuadoran, so I don't know if I should worry about her because being a citizen apparently does not matter.
But they haven't coveted power. They've assumed the standardized testing as just an extra feature, allowing numbers to play a role, too. And they've not seen how the billionaires rule by these numbers, this turning all life into units, machine-gradable scores, easily-measurable-categories.
I do have to disagree that they assume that standardized teaching is just an extra feature. They hate it. Also the ones I know are very cognizant of exactly what is going on. Some, even though retired, are doing what they can in various ways. None of them want widget teaching. I will say, and I am likely to offend someone here, that the teachers who favor machine or student aide grading belong almost always to the coaching corner. In fact, I can't think of one that didn't. That way they could sit on their butts in the teachers' room and discuss sports or in the male gym office so they could diss the females on the staff and be as racist and homophobic as they wanted to be.
Thank you again for your input. I am not so well informed yet I get so disgusted with Senator Schumer looking over his reading glasses and pontificating and verbal masturbating in place of taking effective measures to protect our democracy. I may be way off base but……
Accurate synapse, Linda. The world watches in dismay as the coup cult, creating chaos , and China chuckles at the calamity.
Can’t remember which cartoonist drew the cliff with hoards of people following Chief liar ( now plural …LIARS) off that cliff screaming ‘trust me , we’ll make America Great Again ‘ …the lemmings scenario…
Linda, having lived in China, I am certain that the current US policies will benefit Xi, not US. And sadly during the current Chinese New Year, I have not dared to reach out to US-based Chinese friends, not because of Chinese Govt., but because I fear the US Govt. on their behalf.
That too Pam. Both. I have read about the Chinese keeping an eye on their citizens abroad. My friend is the only one left with Chinese citizenship in her family. Her husband has taken on US citizenship, and her children were born in the US and China does not allow both. It is important for his work as a scientist that he gets the travel flexibility. Her daughter is one of my daughter's oldest friends, and she spent the summer in China in a program for developing language and culture. My daughter used to take Chinese and her friend German so that they would learn each other's languages. Now that my daughter is in university and studying linguistics she is considering doing that again.
It has been of interest to me that Trump is not going after Chinese immigrants because I know that there are undocumented Chinese in the US. Still, that is not the group. Happy Year of the Snake.
Given everything going on I am moving to Threema. Just waiting for my daughter's semester to be over and then she, my husband and I are moving to that and trying to convince our friends to move to Threema. Friends in my city in Germany are already on it.
I was just discussing politics with one of the people working on my house and he was saying that the AfD is in danger of making Germany what the US is now under Trump. He uses Threema, not Signal. We got all of our family and most friends on Signal and now we are switching. I won't get rid of Signal because I need my account for a court case, but after that case is over, I am going to move fully to non-US platformed media. I don't trust the Trump/Musk administration any more now that they are in office than before they bought the presidency.
I'll do my due diligence regards Threema and let you know. As I understand it, Signal is not U.S. based. It's based in the Carribean on an island outside of U.S. jurisdiction. *edit - I stand corrected; Signal is based in Mountain View, California, contrary to info I got before.
Perhaps that is why the Intelligence Community uses it. However, I have read that the people that control it are based in Mountain View CA. That is still within the Musk/Trump reach.
A friend had sent me a link a while ago comparing Signal, Whats App and Threema, and I will try to find it. That is what convinced us. Her husband has been using it for years, back when it cost 2 €, now it is 6€ one time fee. She explained why,
When comparing Signal, WhatsApp, and Threema, Signal and Threema are generally considered more privacy-focused than WhatsApp, with Threema offering the most anonymity by allowing usage without providing any personal information, while Signal is praised for its open-source code and strong encryption, but still requires some user data; WhatsApp, owned by Meta, collects more user data for targeted advertising even though it uses end-to-end encryption like the other two.
Key Differences:
Privacy Focus:
Threema: Highest level of privacy, allows complete anonymity with no phone number or email required, generates minimal metadata.
Signal: Strong focus on privacy, open-source code, minimal data collection, considered very secure.
WhatsApp: Uses end-to-end encryption but collects more user data for targeted advertising, linked to phone number.
Data Collection:
Accessibility:
Overall:
For maximum privacy and anonymity: Choose Threema.
For strong privacy with a large user base: Choose Signal.
For convenience and ease of use with most contacts: Choose WhatsApp (but be aware of potential privacy concerns).
Also, I am surprised you have not joined our weekly Democrats Abroad Anti Authoritarian Book Club. You could come one time and get on our Signal group.
It is usually posted on Sundays under DAG Bremen activities and takes place Tuesday evening at 18 to around 19:30.
It never occurred to me to join them, as I'm here in the U.S. I just had a look in there. I like their work; I'm not sure I favor the information they require. I got myself into a world of trouble back in the day (pre tfg 1) battling trolls at different dem sites on FB, particularly defending my U.S. senator. I have the ability to be very, very annoying and persistent. It ended up costing me financially and earned me zero for my efforts. Hence, I'm very cautious anymore. As well, I'm a bit disabled and quite vulnerable. I wouldn't care if only I suffered, but I've a spouse to consider.
I will look into it, and Threema as well. Thanks. That's a lot to unpack; the methodologies still point to Signal as secure, especially if used correctly and messages are deleted. I will dig further into Threema. I also use (occasionally) an email system mentioned, based in Germany. I have a friend living there, in Eastern Central Germany. I should reach out and check on her as I think about it now... I hope she's still well and ticking. She lived in my neighborhood forever. Then her hubby passed, and she moved back to DE. * I do also use WhatsApp for some stuff. I've a dear friend in New Zealand I chat with pretty often on that.
Yes, the US is run by White supremacists. That's why Musk has reached the pinnacle. Another example of how the MSM and white folks in general, missed the elephant in the room. South Africa adopted apartheid from Jim Crow laws in the US. Musk is getting revenge for his fellow Afrikaners by reintroducing Jim Crow in the US and destabilizing South Africa by shutting down USAID. Americans need to understand that whether the oppressed majority is Black (in South Africa) or multi race (in the US), the same White oligarchy oppresses all.
You’re nothing but a racist no, I’m sorry. I think I made a mistake. Not only a racist, but an ignorant one in my opinion. This country is run by Americans of every race and creed.
Rick there is one race! Human. Everything else is just physical variation such as skin color, eye shape, hair color, eye color, attached and unattached earlobes, longer first or second toe, and many, many other characteristics that make us varied and interesting. So, I am a non-racist in that I don't believe in the concept of races.
Race is not a biological construct, it is a social construct built upon the mistaken belief that some people are superior to others. Too many still buy into the mythology, and it is noxiously pervasive and persistent.
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
Rick, Not sure if I trust any study released under Trump, but I will assume this is from Biden's reign. I have known that fentanyl comes to us from China via Mexico. In fact, I was reading that it is often coming in with clothing from those cheap companies like Shein. The upset I endured when my daughter wanted clothing from them and knowing nothing about them, and not being able to find enough that made me trust them as a company I said no. Now she has her own vintage/used clothing shop online and would never consider "fast" fashion. Still, I told her that I had read that and she found that somehow made up for the fact that I had not supported her buying from them. However, I believe this is in Europe that fentanyl gets in this way. I am not so sure about the US.
Yeah, you probably missed the last four years since you’re abroad and I hope you’ve got your teeth fixed. Biden took this country apart and just four years. I think he touched, turned to crap. Then he started a war and allow the war. It is well and allowing a war in Ukraine and Russia.
He allowed some 11 million or more illegal immigrants in the country by opening the gates of illegal immigration and fentanyl killing 100,000 of our innocent Americans. Anything else you want to know the trump needs to fix?
It was all a favor, pay attention to British politics, because you haven’t got a clue of ours
Here’s the first article I came across and the rest is pretty much the same but I’ll send you a few more if you’d like
In the US, 97% of fentanyl seized is sourced from the southern border with Mexico, with China being the primary source of the precursor chemicals used in the production of the drug.
Well, my first question Linda would be why so much distrust did you trust everything Biden put out including the fact that he had to pardon his son and his entire family not to mention Anthony Fauci
Perfect for you that we don’t have to look at fax at all. You can just see one side of the aisle and believe that it’s all true. Very sad maybe you oughta check out your popularity of the liberals right now.
It is not, "run by Americans of every race and creed" with equal access to voting rights and equal counting of ballots. If it was, Harris would have won. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UiB3xwyfPQ
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
Makes you wonder why long-time Republicans and members of the Supreme Court are rolling over for 4547. He loves pushing the “mob boss” FAFO narrative; some off the record comments from legislators reference being afraid for their family if they vote against the White House agenda.
I am encouraged by the effect of the fire hose of calls to our legislators. We need to Lee up the pressure.
Lawmakers afraid of voting against something should resign. It’s better for their conscience and the country. The governor can appoint someone in their place and they can go on to live happily ever after.
Specifically, a Republican senator from Maine, PA, WI, NC, or KY could have some integrity and let the Dem governors replace them.
The Republican Senator for ME, is up for reelection in 2026. She relies on Leonard Leo to find millions to fund her campaign. In return, she votes for MAGA judges like Kavanaugh and Alito. And for all of the far-right cabinet members.
Hopefully, she pisses off Trump and Musk "primaries" her. She'll be almost 80 at the end of her term if she is re-elected in 2026. Let's get rid of her once and for all.
Sure, she's chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee (for now), but with Musk and Trump overriding Congress, she's as worthless as tits on a boar.
RoJo will never let Governor Evers, a democrat, replace him, because he's apparently born again as a handmaiden of cffdumpf. Promised he'd leave at least 1 term ago, when the competition was Russ Feingold. Wisconsin dreams were shattered.
Is Wisconsin really red, purple, or blue? I’m not sure being an outsider. Hoping he gets hammered with phone calls and faces a tough reception when he goes home. He should be afraid of his constituents- not a felon who can’t even run a casino without losing money.
I like to believe Wisconsin is purple. Gerrymandering our state legislature has been a Republican set dream, but our newst supreme court changed the situation a little. Now another supreme Court election could reverse that if the latest scumball gets elected. Our other senator is Tammy Baldwin, who is great.
I KY, laws were changed before Beshear’s election so that the sitting governor cannot replace a senator. There needs to be a special election should McConnell leave his position before 2026.
Ugh, I wondered if that included a senator replacement. They’ve made so many moves like they’ll never be out of power again. Kind of strange. Most elected officials wouldn’t set a precedent like that if they thought they’d lose power in the future. Can you imagine if Democrats stripped a governor from power like that?
In NY, they will need to do a special election for Stefanik too. But I think they can stall for a few months (3) and sounds like they might try to drag it out longer. It’s a long shot, but the first two weeks were terrible. What will it be like after two years?
It was disgusting to see Lindsay Graham take a position in which he rolled over and played dead for Trump. His first impression that Trump would destroy our country was the correct one.
None of this makes any sense. I do not believe that every Republican Senator approves of the destruction of our democracy. They might be for big tax cuts for the rich. They may be anti-abortion. But these GOP stalwarts have always been strong on national defense, the rule of law and the Constitution. Until now.
I think Graham is being threatened, blackmailed or bought off. There is a common thread here of leading Republicans just caving on all manner of horrible beasts presented for their approval. Something really smells bad.
Ernst and Hegseth - she could have stopped him, she had been an advocate for women in the military. He is obviously a piece of unqualified shit. She knows that.
Collins as a member of the Intelligence Committee, KNOWS about Russian interference in our elections and yet she votes for Gabbard. She couldn't have the courage to ask the president for a qualified nominee?
This administration is using tactics reminiscent of JD Rockefeller, J.Edgar Hoover and Putin/Stalin/Gotti. First, use money. Then threaten to reveal. Ultimately, have punks threaten family.
Even John Thune. Mr. Get Along with Everybody, work to build consensus, nice guy Senate leader is willing to support monsters. He is either frightened or taking in big bucks.
I tried to write a reply to this hours ago. My screen spontaneously scrolled and I lost the reply box I was working in. (Did I mention that Substack's comment utility is only slightly better than none at all?) I've now forgotten what I'd written, but here's a version:
My money is on threats and kompromat. I think this because it's a poorly kept secret that Donald has worked with Bratva-controlled businesses for the entirety of his so-called real estate development career. Unlike Cosa Nostra, which tends to murder heads of families and destroy their places of business, Bratva takes a subtler approach: threatening to expose one's deepest, darkest secrets or harm one's loved ones is effective at getting cooperation without making such a mess. This is the Russian way.
Ms. Lindsey's weird flip-flopping suggests that every time she steps out of line, she gets a phone call from Donald's operative with a reminder of that large manila envelope full of photos depicting Princess Graham in all sorts of embarrassing situations.
Hmmm ….IS it possible…Trump made a deal with the devil in the Two secret meetings Trump had with Putin ? Is the rumour Trump was beholden financially to Putin possibly true OR perhaps is it true that Putin did promise to get Trump get elected in the 2016 election…the interference was substantiated. Hmmmm AND the TAKING of Sovereign Land talking points …....Greenland, Panama, Canada, GAZA…then why can’t Russia TAKE Ukraine and China TAKE Taiwan - of course they then can !!! AND if Trump/Musk succeed in crippling the US Government SOON!!! = If the USA Democracy FALLS all other Democracies will also FALL. = Checkmate
Trump has been financially beholden to Russian for years. If it was a big secret (which it wasn't to anyone paying attention) his two idiot sons shoved that cat right out of the bag years ago when the bank scandals were fresh. They both admitted they got all the cash they needed from Russia and didn't need the US banks. Much of his real estate fraud was because he was laundering money for the oligarchs.
Hmmm ….IS it possible…Trump made a deal with the devil in the Two secret meetings Trump had with Putin ? Is the rumour Trump was beholden financially to Putin possibly true OR perhaps is it true that Putin did promise to get Trump get elected in the 2016 election…the interference was substantiated. Hmmmm AND the TAKING of Sovereign Land talking points …....Greenland, Panama, Canada, GAZA…then why can’t Russia TAKE Ukraine and China TAKE Taiwan - of course they then can !!! AND if Trump/Musk succeed in crippling the US Government SOON!!! = If the USA Democracy FALLS all other Democracies will also FALL. = Checkmate
I don't think all democracies will fall - the US will just no longer be the leader of the West, the allies will drop one by one. BRICS don't try and force a political system onto their members - it will look more and more interesting to join in one way or another, I could imagine. I hope the government of my country, Australia, will look into it, in particular considering China is our biggest trading partner.
When the insurrectionists were all released from prison, it sent the unmistakable message to every Republican/NAZI. Toe the line, or else. They all know that just one misstep will have the American Gestapo at their door.
Just the other day a court blocked Musk and his minions from Treasury payments data. The judge said only Treasury officials could access the data and they were not allowed to share it with Musk. The Democrats in Congress are also mobilising. The administration is offering more than 2 million federal workers a buyout that will place on gardeing leave until September but the government only has funding up until March. They need Democrat votes in the House to appropriate money for this scheme and the Democrats have made it clear that they will exact a heavy price. Another court has ordered the government to extend the deadline of today. The Democrats just now pulled an all-night filibuster in the Senate to express their displeasure at Trump's nomination of a Christian Nationalist crackpot.
I think anyone who takes this buyout should understand there is a very good chance they’ll be stiffed. They will never receive the payouts they were promised, and we are operating under a continuing revolution for funding until March. The GQP will play hardball with funding, and the unelected Elon Musk will make his own demands on spending. Musk’s unlawful and unauthorized hacking and data harvesting into government computer systems needs to be permanently enjoined and he should be forced to hand over what he has obtained as well as any coding changes his hackers have made to these systems.
40,000 have accepted the offer so far and who can blame them? It must be miserable for career civil servants at the moment. As for Musk, it may depend on whether the judge construes his retention of the coding information (and I don't pretend to understand this!) as a contempt of court because she clearly does not want Musk and his minions to proceed with their unlawful behaviour.
$Trump is a specialist in stiffing people. All those contractors he never paid. He will promise and then reneg. He promised infrastructure. Nothing happened. He promised a "better health plan". It's still a "concept". Everything he says is a lie.
I feel terrible for these employees. They are in an impossible situation. But trusting $Trump and his henchmen is a naive gambit. They don't care about people. They simply don't care.
I visualize a national awakening. Perhaps it will start in the Red States that are the largest beneficiaries of Federal Assistance. Blue States have less to lose. And we have the resources and compassion to step in to help our fellow citizens.
I blame them! My husband is a federal worker and he and most of his colleagues are digging in and promising to hold strong for the American people. Those 40,000 are selling out their colleagues and America and for what? So they can get stiffed? Trump always stiffs working people and Musk stiffed the Twitter employees to whom he gave the same offer. That this offer isn't going to work out the way the rabbits who took it think it will is almost guaranteed.
Not everyone has the cojones to fight the good fight and not everyone can. I don't know the circumstances that each of these workers and their families face so I can't bring myself to condemn them.
I get your point. But all they had to do was not reply to the email. If the offer was genuine and they'd actually get what was promised, I'd be more understanding.
"This guy doesn’t wanna dime he has everything he needs and more."
You mean Musk? The guy in competition with Bezos (and others) to become the world's first $trillionaire? The guy who is richer than more than 8 billion others on the planet, yet constantly schemes to get even more (at others' expense)? The guy whose fortunes are built, partly, on billions of dollars of taxpayer-funded subsidies and grants? The guy who just picked the pockets of America for his own gain?
Or do you mean Trump. A guy whose lust for $$$, power, and adulation has no bounds? The guy negotiating quid pro quos to line his own pockets while selling America out? The guy who famously, over a lifetime, stiffs those working for him, including laborers, caterers, lawyers, etc. -- you know, the working class?
Both are greedy, greedy men who'd sell their mothers if it'd help them get ahead. And who are burning down America for their own fun and profit.
"This guy doesn’t wanna dime he has everything he needs and more." LOLOLOLOL! Yeah, and Steve Bannon is an ace truth teller; and there's a bridge for sale in Brooklyn.
Serious, deadly, mortal damage already done and continuing, Russell.
USAID abruptly had to close its life-saving programs -- all its programs -- regardless of the fact Congress mandated and funded those programs (as per the Constitution).
Elon Musk and his fellow male, racist terrorists are all illegal vandals -- still at large, free to push any criminality they choose.
Bessent still at Treasury, still lying.
A convicted criminal is still free for his criminality in the White House.
"Wired" magazine has accounts of these Musk thugs having contacts in Chinese with China and in Russian in Russia.
What exactly are you doing here, Rick? There are no kindred spirits here, there'll all tooling up after being released from jail preparing for the Apocalypse (currently being hastened by this crackpot administration). You should be building a bunker or something instead of wasting your time here. Did you enjoy your cruise, by the way? I would check your bank account if I were you since Trump is still looking for around $2 trillion for his tax cuts and Musk and his Gen Z lost boys has all your details. Good luck, mate!
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
So what you’re telling me if facts don’t matter and I need Kindred spirits to display facts and evidence I shouldn’t be here Good thing all the Black people who fought against racism initially didn’t feel that way like Rosa Parks, who should’ve just sat in her seat and shut her mouth ?
Yikes. And with every post, we understand why you no longer live here.
So, Phil, just curious. What are you going to do about it? That’s what I’d like to know. Endlessly repetitive doomsday rhetoric does not get us any closer to winning. It’s the actions that speak louder than the words.
I listened to a lecture by Richard D. Wolff. He was talking about the declining US empire. And why? Because China and the BRICS countries as a whole are outperforming the US. For reasons. It was an interesting talk, to say the least. https://youtu.be/eVAQoLZKSRw?si=EFQVUmA5003IOfvD
It’s also because for the last 40 years, with the exception of Lina Khan’s tenure at the FTC, the government has refused to enforce its antitrust and anti monopoly laws. The oligarchs are fattening themselves at our expense the same way they did during the Gilded Age.
Hmmm ….IS it possible…Trump made a deal with the devil in the Two secret meetings Trump had with Putin ? Is the rumour Trump was beholden financially to Putin possibly true OR perhaps is it true that Putin did promise to get Trump elected in the 2016 election…the interference was substantiated. Hmmmm AND the TAKING of Sovereign Land talking points …....Greenland, Panama, Canada, GAZA…then why can’t Russia TAKE Ukraine and China TAKE Taiwan - of course they then can !!! AND if Trump/Musk succeed in crippling the US Government SOON!!! = If the USA Democracy FALLS all other Democracies will also FALL. = Checkmate
"Critics of the idea of Musk taking over the nation’s air traffic control systems note that his Tesla electric vehicles have the highest fatal accident rate among all car brands in America" We need to worry about Musk's ultimate goal of controlling America's air control system. We need to tell Republicans that they and their families fly, planes do not care if there are Republicans on board. When you or your family are about to die from a plane clash, it is too late to vote.
....while more prisons are being built for persons with souls whom God placed in beautiful brown and black bodies by those of us whom God placed in "white" bodies, those of us who also claim to be Christian but for some reason have chosen to hate our brothers and sisters of color when our own Savior, Jesus Christ came to us in a brown body.....physically born in the Middle East. This is insanity!!!!
What is wrong with those of you who think that any of this is good???? We are no better...obviously, we are the "subpar" creations in body and soul as we allow this horror to happen before us.
How can we sit around and allow this to happen to our fellow men and women of color?
Phil, I agree with you!!!!
"Our highest court won't do anything except approve Trump's criminality!!!! What can we do to help to stop this insanity????
Your friend is probably aware of BRICS...(Brazil, Russia, India,China,S.Africa) an alliance of countries formed apx 10 yrs ago. They have expanded to include more countries...UAE,Saudi Arabia, Egypt,Iran and more. No one in the US talks about BRICS and their growing influence around the world. They have food alliances,oil alliances, economic alliances and military alliances btwn their members.
Phil, death star and his minions are working very hard to destroy public schools. Teachers have to teach to standardized tests which do nothing but enrich the testing companies. We live in a diverse neighborhood with the middle school down the street from us and the students walk by our house daily. The other day some of them had flags and signs. Schools here stand against ICE coming in and even the local LE does. Sadly, lots of R Nazi rats live our neighborhood. The state is following the order about transgendered men participating in female sports. I think they are picking their battles. As for the rest of your post, I agree totally. China is cheering this on. I notice on posts put out by local D pols that a whole bunch of trolls are parroting the nonsense and some of it is so very ugly. For example, they have no idea that USAID spends about 2 billion to buy US ag products, but those condoms. They have no idea of soft diplomacy and how China will fill that vacuum.
There’s a lot to digest in this letter tonight. I’m so disappointed that not even a handful of GOP leaders will stand up for what is right. Just gobsmacked to be honest.
I think it would be easier to prove the idiocy of the left and 73 million people that voted for Miss kneepad word salad. Did you see her mangled Cbs edited I don’t think she could teach third grade.
I looked at your profile. I don’t think with the language you are using that you voted with facts and logic. It sounds like you have been radicalized by the cult. The terms you use to describe Kamala Harris are misogynistic and demeaning. You dare to throw the term word salad at Harris? My God, look at (or rather, listen to) the President of the United States of America. You need to check yourself.
Sue, don't engage. Take the language in your comment here and utilize the "report" function (the three dots to the right margin of the name line). You won't be the first.
And true. Factual Kamala History. My profile. ? Why don’t you check out her profile with the X mayor of San Francisco Willie brown. You have no idea who I am. I can only tell you that I’ve been a rabbid independent voter for over 40 years and one of my favorite presidents despite his many peccadillos and lies under oath and adventures is Bill Clinton.
It’s the true believers that they come for first.. I hate to admit it but I’m kinda lookin forward to that happening to this Rick Sender troll .. who ever or whatever the hell he is..
Well I’m glad you live in the UK we socialism is now king. Enjoy yourself we won’t miss you. But you’re missing living in the best country in the world.
"I’m the only one here who doesn’t have blinders on."
Seriously?! LOLOLOL! You are the EPITOME of the Steve Bannon school of lies and propaganda graduate. I listen to Bannon (and others) regularly to learn what crap he spews each day, and you parrot him perfectly.
Don't listen to Bannon, perhaps? Doesn't matter, they all say the same thing with their huge, well-funded, well-organized and very profitable network of experts (built over decades) designed to trick people into thinking the corrupt robber barons are their saviors. That $gazillionaires like Musk are working "for the people," when they're really reaching into our pockets and stealing from us, and convincing the choir to vote against themselves.
And, a huge border wall Bannon (Fox, AON, NewsMax, etc.) begged donations for from hardworking, gullible, people that turned out to be a scam to line Bannon's pockets. Hah, imagine that!
Again, there's a bridge in Brooklyn for sale. Cheap, too. Maybe go check that out.
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
Not much new here vis a vis corruption, Oligarchs, bad government, and the rest. My problem is that I don't see a lot of blowback from the Democrats. Yes, they're upset like the rest of us, but WE don't have the Bully Pulpit or control of anything but positions and voices. I want to hear Dems Bellowing loudly about every single bit of this destructive, Illegal Regime. And WE should be in the streets! RESIST! RESIST! RESIST!!!
I listened to Amy Klobuchar's interview from yesterday on The Daily Beast podcast. I got the sense that the Dems are using the tools available to them in a systematic way. Some of what they do -- like last night's attempt to stall the Vought vote -- are symbolic, but it's on the record. Speaking of records, she is encouraging everyone to call their senators, especially if they have been affected by the regime's actions. She says they will use this as they fight these things through the courts.
As I understand, their doing a lot that gets no coverage. I have as much or more reason to be po'ed with the Dems, but I won't shoot myself in the foot, seeing that they are the only meaningful opposition.
FYI: Indivisible Twin Cities, the activist organization, put together a zoom call with our two Minnesota senators and their senior staffers this week and 1,000 people were on the webinar. Sen. Klobuchar and Sen. Smith both spoke about what the Democrats are trying to do in DC and urged us citizens to call, email, "flood the zone," with our outrage.
The senators especially asked us to talk with any Trump supporters we know about the fact that Musk has been given control of our private information through the Treasury coup. Because an unelected person is capable of getting into all our personal data, the issue is not partisan. We should be urging those Trump supporters to contact their Republican legislators at every level of government. Republicans may listen to Republicans.
The senior staffers answered our questions and Indivisible Twin Cities is now planning a regular webinar for keeping people informed. I was encouraged to be able to hear what the Democrats in DC are up against, what they are planning, how they need us to do our part.
Melinda, I have engaged with MAGAts with that exact information. To a man (and maybe 2 women) their reply is they'd rather curtail government "waste" of USAID than have their personal information compromised.
It's Trump who's saying that America is broken. Don't you get what Make America Great Again means? He's the one who's running down America, not the communists. He's thick as thieves with Putin. Yesterday, his new AG, Pam Bondi, disbanded a taskforce targeting Russian oligarchs. If you'd bothered to read the substack you would see that she's also cut back enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. She's a stooge who will not act to stop Trump's flagrantly unlawful behaviour. His order curtailing birthright citizenship was blocked by a federal judge in Seattle who said: "The rule of law is, according to him, something to navigate around or simply ignore, whether that be for political or personal gain,” he added. “In this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow.” Another federal judge in Maryland, also blocking the order said: “No court in the country has ever endorsed the president’s interpretation. This court will not be the first.” Did you really vote for the occupation and reconstruction of Gaza?
Yes I know, but you've got to admire someone like Rick who keeps turning up here when he'd be much happier chatting with the retards on Telegram or 4Chan.
You know more and more Russell this group reminds me of a group that I mentioned earlier when I was a kid in one of the many parks in Miami Beach there was always a section on Saturday morning of all these older men sitting there, complaining about America… when I asked around I found out all they do is talk and they’re just old communists. Lotta similarity here, pal. Sad to say.
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
Russell: You are spot on, of course. But ignore RS. He is trolling for fun. Nothing we say will ever penetrate his loyalty to the fascists. Best to scroll past.
Actually no I’m not trolling for fun. I’m trolling to make a point to have many of you. Take a look in the mirror be a little bit more or maybe much more introspective and realize why the Democrat party is now only a 31% favoritism.
I’d be careful if I were you there talking about Trump and Putin being as thick as thieves. And everything will work. It’s way out in time.
There’s a reason about birthright citizenship that he is protesting maybe you should think this through a little bit further. If the parents are here illegally, but their children have birthrights citizenship. Then all he has to do is send the parents back to where they came from since they’re not here legally how about that so would you rather have the children without parents here? Would you rather have the whole family sent away. Since they didn’t come here legally in the first place. Think try that.
Boy, you are really naïve. You actually think that Trump put that thought out there so that he or the United States would run Gaza man you were one of the most gullible people here. He put that out so that the locals would bite like Saudi Arabia or Iran, even to all get together and rebuild the place US is not about to start building or rebuilding Gaza. I’ve seen naïvere before, but never like this.
And by the way, do you know that Egypt nor Jordan wants to accept any Palestinians back in their country? Do you know why why don’t you think about that for a second?
You seem incapable of understanding the ordinary meaning of his own words. He very clearly said that he wanted Gazans to be permanently removed. When asked whether US troops would be needed on the ground there to effect this stupid plan he said the government would do whatever was necessary. In a rambling post on Truth Social he said that the Gazans would be resettled in neighbouring Egypt and Jordan in "far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes". There are 700,000 Palestinians in Jordan and most of them are living in refugee camps. He continues: " The U.S., working with great development teams from all over the World, would slowly and carefully begin the construction of what would become one of the greatest and most spectacular developments of its kind on Earth. No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!" You don't even know what he actually said and you call me naive!
Na na na na na na. You really got him that time! Hah! /s
Did you check out that bridge in Brooklyn, yet? Real cheap, I hear. A real steal. Trump wants to paint it gold (pyrite is his favorite color!) to match all that crap he's filled the White House with. It's now more low-class than a brothel (apologies to brothels). LOL. You're an absolute hoot!
Pretty big words, Kathy, for someone who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word fascist. Trump is probably the most democratic president in recent history and he’s just trying to write the ship that is $36 trillion in debt.
Well, then ..you hypocrite in denial. You then should believe in duly executed democratic elections and let Trump run the government as he won the presidency. You won’t do that. So who’s the fascist?
Shana, one of the best replies today. But now things are even looking better because musk and Zuckerberg and Google and Bezos and even Gates are all beginning to understand and agree.
Barbara - I've been seeing protests in cities across the country mentioned on Bluesky and wondering where those protesters are learning about the gatherings. How are you learning in advance about the protests you attend? Thanks in advance for sharing!
"How are you learning in advance about the protests you attend?"
Heather Cox Richardson talks about some of this stuff on her YouTube channel, and when she's a guest on channels organizing against Trump and his robber barons. She's been all over the place the last year and a half or so; just search for her name on YouTube and Facebook to find tons of Heather's interviews and other things.
Also, individual members of the House and Senate have their own channels (on YouTube, Facebook, etc.) and webpages where you can see them organizing and protesting in the senate and the house. The PBS News Hour YouTube channel often posts videos and live feeds of the protests when members of the House and Senate participate. I see posts on Facebook for meetings and protests, too.
MSM seems to be hiding the building opposition, but the info *is* out there. Again, Heather's podcast is a great source of info and, yes, optimism.
This will launch you into the world of Bluesky. This app is the sane approach to X or Facebook. You can click on protests happening in cities all across the US.
Yes, these are the images I've been seeing through my own Bluesky account. I can't seem to tap into the organizing vein to find out about events before they've occurred in my area. I'll keep trying, maybe Indivisible...
Republican collaborators in the destruction of the government. They succeeded in convincing Americans that all things government is wasteful and corrupt. Now they will fix things by privatizing, i.e. making the oligarchs richer.
Shana let me warn you don’t ever make any comparisons between America today or Nazi Germany because you lose not only every ounce of credibility you ever gained here, but you become a laughing stock of ignorance
Yes you do you need to watch and learn John. America is going to be coming back from the dead very quickly respect it again in the world respected again at home and fixing problems like California’s wildfires like like our borders like our criminal element like our financial success watch and learn
Why are we continuing to call Elon Musk's unoffical “department” the Dept of Government Efficiency”? It is the Department of Government INefficiency,” pronounced “dodgy” (dodge-ee). It is creating chaos and intent seems to be cruelty toward Federal employees and the people they serve. I am just livid.
It is happening too fast…and that is the intent. They are Breaking up the US Goverment right before our eyes and that doesn’t make any sense..ie emotional FREEZE…but we ae waking up and the SMOKE is obvious now
Well just a quick question what if you by some chance stumbled across 40 or $50 billion of government waste would you keep it quiet or wait to report it to somebody in anger
First of all, I would make damn sure that I knew what I was looking at and had at least a basic working knowledge of the agency's systems and the programs they oversee. Before tossing around accusations I would document these billions of dollars I "stumbled across" was really fraud. Then I would actually go to the agency involved to see how they possibly could let that happen. I would do none of this in anger, only from genuine concern. I would sure as hell not set about bringing down an entire agency based on bogus information that I somehow "stumbled across" based on what I conjured out of thin air.
The idea IS to BREAK the US functioning = The Democracy will then fall when people have no money for food - unless they COMPLY…Welcome to the New Order of Disorder coming SOON … and all we have left is our American Peoples resistance..and at 3.5 million we resist BEFORE we are made hungry !!! No time to waste any longer
By the way, I’m not the one making the accusations. I’m just reporting what I’m reading from government sources. And unlike the lady above, who suggested that if the Pentagon feels the money should go to certain places that’s where it should go that’s a bit misguided to say the least. In any event, I think you’re gonna be happy with the end result because we’re gonna find out a bunch of money at the end of the rainbow and we’re gonna put it to work here in America now if that’s something you don’t like perhaps you might choose somewhere else to live.
What you don’t see is that the popularity of the Democratic Party and the liberals is that a 50 or 60 year low and you might start to wonder why that is. You might want to see the CNN and MSNBC have their lowest ratings ever the other day CNN had a poultry 98,000 people watching in primetime. Unfortunately, for you also apparently Fox is now the third most watched TV channel in the country even beating out the major networks and 70% of the political audience rating. You might want to wonder why that is and you might wanna start thinking about why you lost this last election?
I don’t think they’re gonna bring down an entire agency. I think they’re going to cherry pick the money that’s been going to the wrong place either on purpose or in error and stop it from going there simple as that and then if the government allocated money to places they’ll make sure that it goes to those places and validate where it’s being spent. The GAO report speaks for itself if you’ll go ahead and look at that, but in addition there’s been literally billions of dollars found out that’s been sent to causes by USA ID for reasons and issues that the logic and rational thought. I don’t wanna pay $20 million for example for a Sesame Street program in Iraq or Afghanistan. Or instruct countries on how to implement DEI in countries around the world.
You people are supposed to be very well read and intelligent and I’m sure if you really wanted to find out this information. It’s right at your fingertips but for most of you here all it is is denial and find your way out of of a situation that you don’t wanna believe that you’re in. Not my problem, but the money will and redirected as appropriate.
I guess your news sources haven't got the news that Trump has "laid off" all but 200 or so of USAID staff. If that isn't an attempt to bring down that agency, then I'm not sure what it is.
And who are these "you people" you keep referring to? Do you have a stereotype set in your mind?
The stereotype that I see here is very simple to recognize
I am occasionally referred to as a troll here. However, when I think of a troll, it’s somebody that posts and posts and posts and repost constantly, however until I came on here and just was an observer, I saw the same people here day and day out with multiple posts and not once that I see the word troll. But as soon as I gave my input and it didn’t agree with 98% of the people posting here I became that troll so you determined the stereotype I’m referring to. And it’s really sad that many people here and I’m sure many people that used to be on X Are now here rather than here a dissenting opinion because it is evident that there are none further many people have left X and gone to blue sky for the very same reason. It’s a very sad state of affairs in my opinion X used to be 70% democrat and 30% republican and now that it’s 50-50 blue sky is the Haven of people who don’t wanna hear both sides of a story
What I’ve said in the past, and I’ll say it again here I wish that the people here that feel this way are never a defendant in a courtroom and use the same processes to determine their innocence or guilt because they’ll all be guilty because you’ll never hear from the defense
I hope that clears things up, but all the evidence will become apparent in the future when billions of dollars show up on the bank accounts of the federal government versus the bank accounts of a lot of foreign countries that are milking us
I would suggest that it’s a reduction and force based on the flow of the monies and waste abuse and fraud and I’m sure if the agency needs more people to put the money out as it should then they will rehire, but if they don’t need the people in the first place then yes you would be correct Oh as I understand it. Also if you follow it through a number of the projects that USA was doing has now been transferred to the state department since much of it was sent overseas, which makes perfect sense to me. But if we are over spending and we need a reduction enforce, then it doesn’t matter really where it comes from as long as the agency is properly staffed for what it does. You also have heard I’m sure that 40 to 60,000 federal workers have apparently chosen to relieve their respective agencies with a retirement offer and they’re taking it rather than come back to the office. Once again, if they need the staff, they’ll rehire the staff, but they certainly don’t need 60,000 people working from home rather than in an office environment being a lot more productive
Well, as a retired Fed myself, I don't blame them for taking a "reduction in force" buy out package. It beats putting up with this crap. And the likely alternative is that they'd be fired, or I mean "laid off" anyway.
This has nothing to do with staffing levels, which are evaluated and adjusted periodically based on workload, etc. It is based on Trump wanting to fill the ranks of Fed workers with those who will swear loyalty to him and the MAGA agenda.
I'm skeptical about the supposed "get paid until 9/30' scheme. I'm willing to bet he'll find away to renege on that.
You might want to check this out, but there are many websites showing exactly the same thing and this is just a tip of the iceberg so to speak. Apparently a couple hundred billion from Medicaid and Medicare. Sent out in error Actually, it’s been on the news. I’m not your research assistant, but the News is available for the public. Go for it
Yeah, News Nation. You're even more ignorant than I was giving you credit for. The news network for the half of America that can't read and comprehend on a 5th grade level. Like you.
Well, that’s a pretty ignorant statement coming from someone who has no idea who I am what I do what I did, etc. Why don’t you look up GAO findings for the monies that have been appropriate for the last 22 years?
I am not your research assistant, and if you’re supposedly as smart as you are and can read as well as you do, then you’ll find all the information you need to verify and validate all this money that has been sent incorrectly, fraudulently, wastefully, and needlessly and unfortunately for you all, this will become very apparent in the next days, weeks and months. By the way, I lived in LA for 30 years in Calabasas by the way if that gives you any clue
And you certainly stepped in your own Doodoo by stating that half of America can’t read and comprehend a fifth grade level since for the last 30 years, the education system has been controlled by Democrats ooooooooops. And I have no idea what news nation is either.
I checked it out. I went to this site: https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Williams-Brown-Statement.pdf, which shows the government study reported in September 2024 showing overpayments, etc. for the past 21 years. It's a good thing. I'm all for it. I wouldn't be surprised if many who read this Substack would "like it," too. What I'm not in agreement with is assigning people (Musk and his team of IT/AI developers) who have not been confirmed by Congress to solve these problems. The same people do not know how these government programs work and are attempting to solve problems with them by destroying the programs and subsequently hurting Americans and people in other countries. For example, if your home needs repairs, do you allow someone else to knock it down and cause your family to be homeless to build a new one? Do you allow the demolitionists and builders who have shut you out, to have access to your family's private information? Anyway, you're right, it's a good idea to go to the source. I prefer to skip News Nation, though.
Except it’s not APPROVE BY THE CONGRESS YOU SO WANT TO LOVE. OOOOOPS.
why do people here keep bringing up news national. I never even heard of it.
Btw. None of what you think is happening is happening. They are simply finding fraud waste and abuse whether OR NOT YOU AGREE WITH THE FRAUD WASTE AND ABUSE.
Ps. There are millions of non Congress approved employeees that have access to your personal info at SSN AND IRS. FINALLY tell all the people in Pacifica palisades not to rebuild? Under your misguided. theory
It ALL NEEDS GOVERNMENTAL APPROVAL. whether in Cali or in Gaza
Hahhahahahhaha GO FOR it lol or FALL for it !!! You are everywhere trying to spread mis information - listen…there is enought SHIT with the real news = GIT
Nope. But you seem like a rather intelligent person why don’t you just Google a few sites or whatever browser you use and you’ll see already they found substantial poor uses of our money including apparently some $571 billion that’s been misused in the past two years by mistake and over 2.7 trillion. Who’s been given to people who shouldn’t have gotten it 10 years ago. It should’ve been canceled. You have your sites go check it out yourself.
Actually, Substack Inc is violating its own contract with "Readers" & "Authors" by allowing repeated contractual violations of its own 9/24 TOU under its own choice of CA law.
By the way, I’m not entering your sub stack and it’s amazing that you talk about my Bible and my religion and my political affiliation and you call it my party. You see how ignorant you are beyond ignorant.
I’ve been an independent for 40 some odd years voted for Bill Clinton twice despite him being the horny president on the planet and lying to his wife and under oath, he was still a great president.
I’m telling you if you don’t put your hate in check it’s gonna put an early end to your life.
Well, that’s a typical liberal moronic uneducated response when you don’t have a rational defense for your position, you end up on another planet and cursing, which is perfect. Because it absolutely defines you.
On the other hand, Trump is in the White House for at least another four years although he may pass it on to Vance before that, Advanced may stay in another eight years so good luck
IM sorry to say..this won’t last 4 months vs 2 OR 4 years..the US will topple as someone has planned and when that Democracy falls - they all then fall…so…we HAVE work to DO to SAVE our Country …. :) ps and the bad guys read these notes and try to goat us !!!!
Now we can see what a Trumpscum who flunked the IQ test low enough to qualify for membership looks like. Crawl back to Flyover Loserville with the rest of the MAGAt hayseeds, where you belong, you fucking dumbassed moron.
Not sure yet, but it certainly appears so so far And I frankly don’t care who finds the fraud waste and abuse so long if it’s found and returned to America so I can help it’s own people
What Rick, our resident MAGA troll, fails to understand is what actually constitutes fraud. If a hospital, say, submits a charge to Medicare for something that isn't covered that isn't fraud. That could be an error in coding, or perhaps not a clear understanding of the criteria for an acceptable charge. Those things happen. Medicare reviews the charges and either kicks them back to the hospital or approves them for payment and sends them on to treasury. If, on the other hand, someone knowingly charges Medicare for something that was not delivered, that would be potentially fraud. Every Fed agency that I know of used to have inspectors general who would investigate those claims (I say used to, because my understanding is that Trump fired them all) and take the appropriate action, which might be requiring the agency to recoup the $$ paid out, or if there is a history of flagrant violations by the care provider, enforcement action may be taken.
It doesn’t have to be fraud pal. It could be error, which is just fine but it’s gonna stop and it’s gonna come back to America to those who need it here. You’re missing the total point. The money doesn’t belong to where it’s being sent. I don’t care why I don’t care what the reason is if it’s wrong it’s wrong and it will be caught and it will be directed where it’s supposed to be sent. Period.
And maybe you haven’t read the report on Medicare and Medicaid pack E24 $7 billion has been paid fraudulently and another $253 billion paid in error. And if you don’t think people are ripping off the system well you’ve got a rude awakening.
Once again, it doesn’t matter if these people aren’t deserving of this money or it’s not directed to them then they will not get it. It will go to those more in need who QUALIFY.
Brian why don’t you understand that there are two sides to every story but nobody here wants to hear the other side and that’s all I’m reporting. I’m hoping it’s not in sub tax platform terms that anybody that tells the truth should be removed.
if they don’t deserve it then it’s not a fraud. It’s just an error, but in any event, the money should not have but I’m not talking about that money. I’m talking about the hundreds of millions of dollars we sent the countries on a fool’s errand and all of you hear. Better wake up because it’s gonna be on the news and you’re gonna have pie on your face if you don’t see it
Watching Fox are we? Newsmax? OAN? Where else could you find such misinformation? If you're referring to the funds we give via USAID, you haven't listened to any of the Pentagon folks who, sanely, support those expenditures - it saves their lives, in the long run. If you lived in a destitute country, which would you rather have, an invading military force, or a food shipment?
Medicare and medicaid fraud are already investigated at the state and federal levels by experienced agents and essential support staff.
The FBI shares all of their fraud/abuse cases with the public. Anyone can visit their site to stay informed on the investigations.
We don’t need Musk or any other inexperienced individuals, who have no working knowledge of those agencies, bloviating, through the press, their suppositions.
The job is already being done - who do you think exposed Rick Scott’s crimes? (And then brain dead republican voters send him to the Senate - smh)
I don’t see even a scratch on the constitution to be honest with you.
How many federal employees are there? How many federal employees are involved with Social Security and IRS they all have your information.
None of them were elected tell the people ravaged by the fires in California that they could have $50 billion to help them rebuild and see if they think it’s a pittance.
Rick, this may be an opinion to investigate across reporting platforms. Recent reports indicate that past audit investigations reveal Musk and Trump have been involved with profits from USAID funds across the years. There is likely to be more to the outcry for audit reporsts
Well, I certainly like to see those reports. Because neither one of those men need ill-gotten gains. And the more audit reports the better we are. This may take a while but when all of a sudden it done if you don’t appreciate the couple billion or even trillion dollars that is found I feel sorry for everybody here. I don’t care who finds it. I would rather have you find it doesn’t matter if it’s found and it’s wrong and it gets fixed that’s all you should be caring about.
I am particularly sorry to learn that Russell Vought has been approved for Management and Budget. Judging from his refusal to answer questions that he believes go against his secret agenda, he appears to think he is a law unto himself. He is not. Instead, he is a radical who wants to destroy the idea of the United States as he masquerades as a responsible bureaucrat. We need to keep a watch on him.
TRUMP/MUSK BLITZKRIEG IS TOTALLY DESTRUCTIVE, LACKING ANY POSITIVITY
Bone Spur Donald and MUSKrat, his foreign born billionaire buddy, have caused greater distraction and destruction in two weeks than has any White House accomplished in a four year term.
Trump, by uninformed whim and ‘throwing ketchup at the wall’, has:
1) threatened Greenland (Denmark), Panama, and others with economic or military takeovers;
2) reiterated his intention to seize Gaza for the US, expel nearly 2,000,000 Palestinians, and eventually create a ‘Riviera in the Middle East;’
3) throws around tariff threats like an ax thrower in a local pub;
4) permits Musk to destroy USAID and its entire aid program with total disregard to those countries being assisted as well as the well being of thousands of employees in an agency established in 1961;
5) withdrawing the US from international climate change, health, and UNRWA institutions; and
6) engaging in a ‘deep state’ retaliation Blitzkrieg with massive domestic and international implications.
Trump is acting like a ‘crazy uncle’ in the White House. Americans and others are horrified by his bizarre distractions.
This permits Musk, his loose cannon sidekick, to employ his personal team of computer Stormtroopers to disrupt and destroy core checks and balances of traditional American government.
No one can keep track of the broad illegality of the havoc that Musk is sowing:
1) seizing and blocking the mandated payment of federal funds;
2) giving over 2,000,000 federal employees a February 6th deadline illegal order to either ‘retire’ or face possible/probable firing;
3) having his Stormtroopers break into federal offices and secure computer systems, while firing those federal employees who stand their legal ground; and
4) a broad range of unprecedented and extralegal activities intended to disrupt and destroy traditional federal government.
I find this a frightening and destructive Blitzkrieg intended to overwhelm the checks and balances of our Constitution and numerous laws and individual employee rights that subsequently have been enacted.
I shout shame at the Republican senators who cowardly ignore their ‘advise and consent’ constitutional responsibility, when presented with the absolutely worst candidates for senior government positions in American history.
ALL THIS IS OCCURRING WITH CASCADING MISINFORMATION FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AND ELSEWHERE.
As a 91-year-old former history professor, as well as an ex-Foreign Service Officer, I clearly see a parallel between Hitler’s initial 53 day Blitzkrieg as Chancellor and the Trump/Musk destructive Blitzkrieg that, in two weeks, is ahead of Hitler’s schedule.
WHAT I FIND ABSOLUTELY CLEAR IS THAT THE TRUMP/MUSK BLITZKRIEG IS TOTALLY DESTRUCTIVE, WITH NOTHING POSITIVE EXCEPT FOR THE VERY WEALTHY AND THE BANKS AND CORPORATIONS THAT SEEK FURTHER TAX BENEFITS AND DEREGULATION TO LINE THEIR GREEDY POCKETS.
I have missed your wise & experienced contributions here of late….and am SO very glad to see you weigh in on the alarming, no make that hair-on-fire, state of governmental affairs—he certainly came out of the gate with a flamethrower this time. What you share just confirms that I should also be running around with my hair on fire worried about our democracy. That this is being “allowed” to happen, that many feel powerless to stop it, that many actually support it (or is it posturing vs real belief?), or are uninterested and sitting it out…is so very shocking to me. Has it always been thus and I was just unaware or is it a newer phenomenon? For me, a growing awareness since Reagan, is how there is a sharply divided “vision” of what “America” means & should be/aspire to. And that some of the “visions” so clearly are counter to our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc., does make me wonder about those who seek to reframe/rewrite history (just as some are attempting to do with the insurrection of 1/6). So much drama on this pale blue dot…and that’s just our country…sigh. ☮️🗽🇺🇸
Barbara I have been continually commenting on Substacks and the NYT. Of course there is the problem of timing. Tonight, for example, I awoke about 2 am and was able to riff on Heather. You and other night owls are awake to read my rantings.
When I am able to sleep through the night, any commentary is posted by midmorning. I find that relatively few folks read through hundreds of comments to find my stuff.
If you click on ‘Keith Wheelock’ you can find my recent postings. You will find a common theme—AWWRRK!
Thanks…I, too, have a hard time plowing through all the comments and still have a life…however much I want to read them all. There are several commenters, such as yourself, that I am drawn to and appreciate their perspective and often learn something new or a new way to consider things….and often new “rabbit holes” to explore! Keep on keepin’ on!!!!
Barbara At 91 with four compression fractures of my lower back, I relish any night when I can sleep soundly without a mid-night interlude. Almost always I riff on what is triggered by Heather’s Joyce’s, and Jim Fallows’ Substacks, as well as the New York Times.
Same thing here Keith since I live in the EMT zone. If I woke up in the middle of the night, I feel a rush to read HCR' letter of the day ,brain storm for few minutes and post my foggy post. In November I spent some time in Barcelona, Canary Islands and Morocco and it was wonderful and much productive, since we were 6 hours ahead, to clearly read and post at 8 or 9 am local time while getting a wonderful breakfast with a nice ocean view...😃
Richard What a joy to be in a time zone where you can read Heather and post while eating breakfast. Too bad that the Caribbean is in the EMT. Back when I was mobile, I enjoyed awakening, going for a snorkel and a brief hot tub, and then picking up coffee for my wife. Of course this’d. Was long before Heather.
I always look forward to reading your comments Keith, you have more wisdom in your toe nail clippings than the insipid orange turd has gathered in a lifetime of lies. Reading his quotes on the air traffic control system was chilling, he’s clueless and he’s the head of the government, we are so fucked. Sleep isn’t what it used to be, is it. Take care of yourself, your counsel is important to many of us. 🙏
Dick I was planning to clip my toe nails, but now you make me fearful that this might sharply reduce my ‘wisdom.’ Is there any danger getting a hair cut (Sampson, where art thou?)
Keith, so I clicked on your name and clicked on the option to Subscribe, and then my IPad froze! So I guess I’ll find out tomorrow if I can access your posts. Here’s hoping.
Anne Marie I haven’t mastered the Substack system. I do know that I click ‘notes’ to put a number of my commentaries on my ‘Keith Wheelock’ site. If you click on my name, you should see my bio and a green ball that provides access to my my notes. Otherwise, if you send me your e-mail (kwheelock1@comcast.net) I can include you in the e-mails that I send to about a dozen people.
I do scroll and scroll to find your posts, Keith, since 700 posts are too much to read. Will try clicking on your name to see if there are posts I missed. Wish there was a way daily to check if you have a post, rather than scrolling. Please keep up your good work!
I am in the Pacific time zone. I CANNOT read HCR before bed, and am usually up between 5 and 6 a.m. In the "before times" I could spend 1.5 hours reading and perusing the 200-300 comments, engaging with many fellow readers that I have come to count as friends. Now, there are far more readers (519 comments when I started today, 618 as of this moment (and not all of them mine!!). I also notice that some of my readerfriends are not posting as much or even any longer.
I am thrilled that the Professor's reach is expanding, but sad to lose some "friends" here.
I cannot tell you how angry I am with my former work cohort who served our community alongside me for 20+ years, and who see "weeding out government waste" from USAID (their biggest go to is the now 150 Million to condoms that can be used as bombs from Gaza to Israel, never mind that the number is 7 million and goes predominantly to Africa, where AIDS is rampant, and men have sex with virgins as a cure) as more important than the breach of social security data.
I have also missed your wise posts lately Mr Wheelock. How do we fight back? I know there are numerous law suits being filed- see Just Security . There were statewide protests on Wednesday, and a Tuesday protest at Treasury. And we are calling our Representatives in Congress, and Senators. But what else can we do? The GOP in Congress are bowing down to Trump and Musk. What else could and should we be doing? Is it too late?
Keith, given your many in Central Africa, can you gives us your take on the disruption of USAID programs in Africa if you have a moment. Thanks in advance 🙏
Bryan Even by the incredibly debilitating and backward-focused criteria of the Trump/Musk duo, the apparent initiative to summarily abolish USAID, recall all personnel from abroad within 30 days, block virtually all project funding, and oblige ongoing programs to close down immediately is EXTRAORDINARY STUPID AND HARMFUL TO US INTERESTS.
Long ago I had boots on the ground in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. More recently, from afar I am a reasonably well informed observer.
My impression is that much of USAID is what Albert Hirschman (my good friend who should have won a Nobel Prize Prize for his views on economic development)) would call ‘oil spot’ investments.. [Working, whenever possible, with local participants, these would often support local social,, health, and educational development. What Albert had not envisaged was that such assistance could include food for those people starving—especially in Africa and the Middle East, and even Haiti.]
There is a ‘soft power’ competition in Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere. China has been noted for its major development projects. We have been appreciated for our support for humanitarian projects that overwhelmingly include what national governments are unable to provide.
Overwhelming this aid is funneled through nonprofit organizations, either local or American.
It seems that Musk and his Stormtroopers have declared USAID bad and have assassinated it. It seems doubtful that Trump is 1) aware of the ramifications 2) or cares.
Whoever initiated this illegal action, in my lifetime the precipitous killing of US AID and virtually all ongoing AID projects would be virtually impossible to reverse.
I was appalled that President Biden acquiesced to Netanyahu starving 2,000,000 Gazans. Ditto with our withdrawing funding for UNRWA.
In Central America AID programs intended to improve local working and living conditions have been summarily terminated. Also large quantities of American food en route to starving people are now in limbo.
Hi Keith. I'm just a well educated person, well read in history. I came to the same obvious conclusion. I keep remembering the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times."
My wife and I adopted & raised 4 disabled kids, and we couldn’t have done it if not for the help we got from Medicaid—money we all pooled together to make life possible for the poor and disabled. 3 of our kids are out on their own now, earning a living. My wife & I are in our mid-60’s, with one kid still home—the most disabled, a person who lives every day to express his love to everyone he meets, also the one with the most to give our fellow human beings, if anyone outside our house still remembered what we’re supposed to be doing here.
When I look in that kid’s eyes, theories end. My son came into this life being beaten by his own mom. The resulting injuries were too great for his little body to ever overcome. But, if I’m reading the Republicans right, he should’ve been let to die instead of allowed to be a drain on the public trough. And some of you are feeling betrayed because you thought these reptiles might stand up for right?
Have you checked on the nation’s homeless, lately?
Years of living, watching, and studying these people have left me with the certain knowledge that these politicians were bought and put into place to do exactly what they’re doing. They’ve destroyed our society, slowly, surely, and with nothing but callous regard for all of us. Many have already died from their tax cuts and millions more are slotted for the same. My wife and our son will no doubt be among them—judging by our lack of resources, probably soon.
Vought is going to take office shortly, and the damage he’ll do will be catastrophic to people like us. And when he doesn’t do his job and doesn’t respond to lawsuits, who will make him get in line? You, with a theory?
Many people have died and are dying, already, from their tax cuts, and it’s not enough death yet to persuade you that this is war? Theorizing and chatting it up online isn’t going to save you & your loved ones. Your money won’t save you, either.
There is one thing that might—going out to meet your communities most vulnerable, looking into their eyes, daring to ask questions about their lives. Because if you do that, if you’re still capable of compassion, it’s going to hit you that there is nothing more important in life than giving your life in service. Service springs from love, and love guides us to fight—not for ourselves, but for others.
Notchomama, I have been moved by your post today, especially the line: “And some of you are feeling betrayed because you thought these reptiles might stand up for right? “. It has been hard for me to learn, and wrap my head around a party of people who fight to have fetal-personhood made the law of the land, yet actively foment contempt for caring for the other. Your daily road, to the eyes of many able-bodied persons, seems tragic and harsh and frightening. Yet you, like my dear friend’s experience with her severely disabled son, have been open to the most resisted wisdom of Life: Caring for others holds untold riches of the spirit. In what matters most to humanity, you are richer than the Muskrat.
They want to ruin our health by making medical care unaffordable and inaccessible, and discouraging vaccinations. It is only a matter of time before we see the next Trump pandemic, this time it will be H5N1 bird flu, and Trump along with RFK, Jr. will discourage any effort to contain its spread. For Trump believers, it’s become an article of faith not to vaccinate, and many of them will fall ill, and some will die.
You are not alone. There are many others young and old whether their hearts have been as generous and beautiful as yours...or not, who will soon suffer from decisions being made within our current administration.
"Service springs from love, and love guides us to fight-not for ourselves, but for others."
As a Mainer, I ask where is Susan Collins. Why isn’t she using every waking moment to raise Holy Hell about what Trump and Musk are doing? She should be screaming from the rooftops. She needs to get out of her gilded cage, and hit the air waves and the streets. We need real backbone and opposition to Trump and his thugs. Mainers know that they are stealing their Social Security numbers and they will shortly come gunning for Social Security on Medicare. It is not acceptable that Collins remains largely mute to the coup that is occurring. And the rest of the Maine delegation isn’t much better.
Susan Collins hasn't stood up for anything for years, she always caves like a paper cup. But I implore you as a Mainer to contact her office every day and say exactly what you've just written. It helps. It's what we have to do.
I know she was bought years ago by the Federalist Society and like Republican packs/money machines. I know she is a coward. A scared rabbit. I know she is dumber than a post. I know she her judgment is very compromised and she has little common sense. I know her public statements are carefully crafted by others to make her sound thoughtful. I know her occasional votes against the most wretched of Trump’s appointees are framed to curry favor with Maine’s Democratic majority while offending her Trump and MAGA masters as least as possible. I know she hides from public view.
I know she needs the MAGA voters in the northern part of the state, and that many of those voters are getting scared with what Trump and Musk are doing and are likely to do to jeopardize their Social Security, Medicaid and drug prices. The word here is that they are calling her office and she’s getting nervous.
Dan, I'm glad that Main MAGAts are scared - they should be. I'm thrilled they're calling her office and making her nervous. She should be. Thanks for the update.
Dan, our other Senator, Angus King, gave a great Speech on the floor of the Senate, when the Democrats were filibustering the nomination of Russell Vought to be head of the office of Management & Budget. Sen. King urged Republicans not to confirm Vought.
There's a link on the Portland Press Herald web site.
You would think Murkowski would be more strategic, but maybe she sees the Cheney’s and wondering where future is? Is it artic oil? Or much cheaper in the lower 48 fracking fields.
Murkowski is the oil industry & lobby. And now technology and social media have a higher capitalization than the entire oil industry. It’s really quite amazing how fast that happened. It’s ironic though because technology is gonna take a lot more energy. I think that’s why Bill Gates has invested so much and they make generation for reactors kind of a lot to weave there…sorry
Miss Susan is busy thinking all these malevolent folks have learned their lessons and will be better. She’s as delusional as my two Republican Senators. Delusion has infected all of them.
Thinking they're deluded gives them the benefit of the doubt. I lean more toward either cowardice (in the face of threats from T**** himself) or greed. They've consistently voted for things that would enrich themselves: it's why the economy tanks under Republican regimes and recovers under Democratic ones. Been that way all my time.
Delusional state brought on from getting filthy rich from insider trading. How will the corruption get better once Elon and the PayPal mafia are trillionaires?
Pain. It’s how humans learn. Protests protest protest. They won’t learn without experiencing discomfort. Never elect someone that can’t talk story about what they have suffered. No empathy, vote no.
Wait, what??? Teslas have twice the average crash rate than the industry average? How did I not know that? That seems like information we would wanna rub u know who daily. No wonder he doesn’t like business regulation!
I have two friends who drive Teslas... I've been trying to not bring up their ownership. I know they had the best intentions when they bought them, but are probably wondering what to do now, especially since the sales have tanked (France is down sixty percent, per Rachel Maddow tonight).
A friend bought the first Tesla I ever saw. He would be the last person to support MAGA. I thought is was a cool car at the time. I caught Musk's vibe after he baselessly called the leader of the team who, with great difficulty, rescued students from a sea cave a "pedophile". Musk was miffed because the mini sub he sent wasn't used, but it was totally ill suited to the terrain. It was a difficult passage even for humans. Musk was forced to back off his claim by a lawsuit.
Senator Susan Collins is a jellyfish, with no discernible spine – the polar opposite of (and an insult to) a woman of integrity, Margaret Chase Smith. Mainers deserve much, much better, don't they?
Maine still allows women of integrity, proven by the fact that Heather Cox Richardson lives there.
It has been highly disturbing and frustrating that our elected members of Congress have been mostly feckless, asleep at the wheel. They had to spurred to action by our young and unafraid progressives such as AOC, Jasmine Crockett, and Maxwell Frost. This tells us that Chuck Schumer and others were acting as if things were normal until these fiery three said it was a five alarm fire! The majority of our members were asleep at the wheel! It is infuriating, to say the least. We have a pastey-white Nazi who has been given free rein to do what he wants with OUR government money. He employs 6 boys, barely out of high school, to be his army corp of tech engineers. I wonder what he promised them. All of the ketamine that they could have? All of the money they’ll never get? Small children? Porn? How is it that heir parents don’t know about this? Or do they?
Sheldon Whitehouse, Senator from Rhode Island has been investigating and openly talking about Project 2025 for the last 8 years. He brought his findings to the Senate floor. He was ignored. Yesterday, Mitch McConnell fell down twice and is unfortunately still alive. He is the devil incarnate and really, the reason that we are in the state that we’re in, although, I don’t believe he ever counted on Musk taking over the role of a devil larger than he. We fight! WE DON”T GIVE IN NOR DO WE GIVE UP! Bombard your senators and congresspeople relentlessly with calls and emails. Support businesses like Microsoft and Costco, Apple, Delta Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Tractor Supply for not getting rid of their programs.
"When Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) joined the chorus parroting the lie, fact-checkers noted that her office is a subscriber: it paid $7,150 for a yearlong subscription starting last January."
If her office subscribes to Politico Pro, it's probably the only information she gets that's anywhere near the truth. The rest of her sources are probably all Fox or its ilk: no wonder she comes off as such a twit.
On her part James, it's a total waste of money, not her money, but a a waste nevertheless. I don't think anybody in her office read a single line of Politico Pro, or anything else.
the aviation thing is so dangerous I cannot believe that this is being allowed by Republicans to happen. Do they want to be crashing. I hope other countries respond by not allowing their planes to fly into the US as long as there is not a vetted Air Traffic control system.
This is terrifying. Let's just turn our air over to the sidekick musk. I worked in trying to upgrade various federal IT systems 30 years ago, and even then it was a mountain range of adaptations to so many considerations. I won't fly if he who won't be named comes even close to this nightmare.
That is how I feel. My daughter and I had to return to Europe after the holidays, and I wanted to be sure to be gone before Trump took over for just this reason. A friend of mine is already looking into getting to Canada by car and flying from there if she wants to go to Europe to get away. She is also looking into how to get to Europe by ship.
Her daughter is flying back to the US from Europe next week, so I know we hope Musk does not get this going yet, and I wonder how Air Force One is getting around with on air traffic controllers. And, my husband is coming to Europe soon. I hope he makes it here also before this happens.
Recently I read a piece about the dangerous stresses on air traffic controllers, but I would take an overtired controller who knows what they are doing over AI any day.In fact over AI run by Elon Musk, whose cars crash more than others. In fact, even though Musk has a big factory here in Germany, the European Musk hub, I just read that sales of Teslas have dropped 60% in January. My friend sold his and bought a Chinese E-car, because it is shameful in most states of Germany to be seen driving one. It is the opposite of a status symbol. And Germans who could not offload them are also putting on bumper stickers or magnets saying that they bought theres before Elon Musk went crazy. I would have never bought one, but I still would not drive one.
My recommendation is that Americans drive or take a train to a destination south to Mexico or North to Canada and then take a plane from there if Musk puts in AI in aviation.
I'm a retired airline professional and I just quit flying for the foreseeable future. A bunch of teenagers on ketamine and pizza can't possibly "fix" the FAA and ATC systems without f***ing things up. And now I hear that they're using AI. 🙄😬 I think we'll see a lot of dead people soon.
I'm surprised that, as I read chronologically through the 500+ comments as of 0630 PST, you are making the first comment regarding air traffic safety. I have three commercial pilots in my family (FedEx, United, and Horizon) and I am beyond terrified of what garbage the wunderkids are going to install. It. Ain't. A. Video. Game. There is a reason that, when declaring an emergency, ATC asks for "how many souls on board". It reminds us that it is living, breathing humans aboard the aircraft in distress.
I understand your worry and it is legitimate. It is something we should be writing to our elected representatives and asking them to write another bill for. It is not quite as bread and butter to ask for aviation to remain safe as it is to stop the White Supremacist haters working with Musk the WSH supreme from destroying our treasury, but it is part of the system that gets goods around and transports people. I am hoping all pilots in the US strike as well as Air traffic controllers if they mess with the system.
My first husband was a pilot which has upped my worry. Actually he was an architect first and he switched over to being a pilot. We lived in the Caribbean for his first job, where he was flying German, Austrian and Swiss tourists around and I was teaching in an international school. I learned about all sorts of corruption on that island as regards aviation and other things. So, I am fully aware of how fragile the system is, and where we were there were accidents. In fact, my husband lost his best friend there that way. That could have been him but we were in the States at the time, and his friend flew what would have been his flight. The planes were not properly maintained and his friend went down. My husband grew up on a farm in Germany and learned not only to fly planes but the maintain them too. I would be up in the air with him in the cockpit flying to the other side of the island and there were problems on that island with the air traffic controllers communications because they would ignore the pilots when they were busy. Hope for no distress. And, I think some of them did not have that good English. Anyway, there are rules, and Elon Musk, the great rule breaker is just a danger to the country and the planet.
As Nancy Pelosi once told Donald to his face, "With you, all roads lead to Russia."
We are about to witness an unsafe air travel environment that resembles that of Russia's.
I believe this is a component of a larger plan. When Hitler rose to power, the average citizen did not travel more than a few miles from home; news was not transmitted in real time. The only actions people knew about was what was happening in front of their own eyes down the street or across town, after the fact, on the radio, and even later, on movie newsreels.
Today, we get news from correspondents who fly to where it's happening and report from the scene. If air travel becomes sufficiently dangerous, journalists will be afraid and refuse to board planes, either private or commercial. When networks decide to rely on local affiliates, that may be impossible when the Trump-controlled FCC pulls their licenses. Trump's handlers have already demonstrated their plan to attack on almost innumerable fronts at once. A key factor in Donald's rise to power was his ability to manipulate the media. A key factor in his remaining in power is to CONTROL the media. One way to do that is to paralyze domestic travel.
Trump Establishes Task Force to Enforce Christian Nationalism
What Happened: Trump signed an executive order creating a task force to eliminate "anti-Christian bias," framing it as a defense of religious freedom. The move mirrors Russia’s state-backed Orthodox nationalism, where the government weaponizes religion to consolidate power and suppress dissent.
Why It Matters: This is a clear step toward state-enforced Christian nationalism, using federal power to privilege one religion while marginalizing others. Like Putin’s use of the Russian Orthodox Church to justify authoritarian control, Trump is leveraging Christianity to undermine secular governance and erode the separation of church and state.
Source: CNN
Now Andra Watkins explained Christian Nationalism to me in her Substack, and how Project 2025 was a CN Theocracy blueprint. We could see that in our Project 2025 reading group. I did not expect things to happen this quickly, but I can see why CNs do not care if aviation is safe because they believe that everything happens because God wills it, so they are willing to suspend disbelief. I am not anything close to a CN and so I cannot do that. In her piece on What is the New Apostolic Reformation, she explains how they have a different end of times beliefs from the other older branch of CNs.
Well here's my bottom line regarding the takedown, eliminations and wipe out of our Government Institutions. After spending half a life working in massive institutions these takedowns will result in massive chaos. First thing about bureaucracy is to never completely decapitate the head from the BEAST. To disregard the institutional memory results in a constant state of reinventing the wheel. It will take months maybe years to revamp these systems. Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security payments and health care reimbursement will come to a SCREECHING HALT AND WHO WILL SUFFER !
I spent enough of my very long career in three nations working for government and non-government international companies to know what you mean. Are they really so ignorant? Total destruction is their aim? And what will they do with it then - war games across the continent?
That's my thought, too. Do they really think what they are doing will make things better? Anarchy or dictatorship isn't fun to live in, even if you have money.
When there are important court filings and victories, it does no one any good to chime in with, “Yeah, but too late” or “They won’t abide by the court order anyway.”
There are at least three big problems with this response.
First, you are capitulating in advance. The first rule in fighting authoritarianism is not to give an inch. Saying we will lose or that it doesn’t matter is contributing to this cynicism.
Second, they are actually counting on your cynicism to win. If the left believes it cannot win, then it will not win. Don’t give them that victory so easily. Fight the urge to give voice to your darkest fears. As I like to remind folks, “Would you walk up to a paramedic trying to save a life and say, ‘Just give up, they’re going to die anyway’?” No. Then please don’t say that to the lawyers and the acitivists who are on the front lines in the court battles against the fascists.
Third, there is no evidence that this administration wants to expend political capital defying court orders. That is a quick ticket to losing a lot more later, as it gives the judicary reason to come down even harder. The goal of the ‘flood the zone’ technique is not to defy the orders in the cases they lose but to throw enough crap around that someone gets nailed with it or they draw a sympathetic judge. And remember, even this Supreme Court has some limits on what it will do for Trump, and it absolutely cannot hear every case. Not even close.
So when I or others post wins, please amplify them, and check yourself if you’re inclined to pee in the Cheerios in the comments. If you’re feeling that way, remind yourself that this is EXACTLY what Trump and Musk want you to feel, then resist it with all you have.
It's no longer a rarity in America, but a daily happening – the default setting – in the horrifying Trump-Musk regime. We're seeing, in real time, two massive egos ruining this once-admirable nation of ours.
And everyone's missed that the final memo the Bimbo of Belsen put out yesterday after she was sworn in as Attorney General of the Department of Injustice is to direct the Civil Rights Office - once the government's leader in the fight to end Jim Crow - to go after PRIVATE COMPANIES that have DEI programs (Like Costco, which just reaffirmed their commitment to an open and fair system) and prosecute them for "violating the law." So now the people who fought Jim Crow are directed to reimpose Jim Crow. "If my thought dreams could be seen, they'd put my head in a guillotine." Let us please have the bird flu pandemic and the scumbags are all unvaccinated and they catch it and DIE.
I hope no one here has even the germ of an idea that John Cornyn is a good guy. He only looks good when compared with the biggest idiot in Texas Ted Cruz. But Texas has bigger and better idiots than any other state. Include Kay Granger with the idiots. Texas is in the bully brigade. More evil and MAGAts than any other state, and that’s an accomplishment
TC, your wish is predicated on there being a vaccine available to save the sane. With JFKJR in charge of policy and Musk cutting off funding, I think that availability is quickly vanishing. You might be able to get vaccinated in another country, but do you really want to fly in Musk's skies?
Heather's correct to count China in her story today of the madness of Trump, Musk, Vought, etc.
I’ve a friend who’s a bit obsessed with China lately. To wit, he’s flummoxed how much more greatly China has been outperforming the U.S. in tech, high speed rail, and alliances, working partnerships with many countries in Africa, south Asia, and elsewhere.
The U.S. billionaire class numbers about 800 persons total. That’s it. And they rule us. Morbidly growing the wealth gap. And with Elon Musk as sociopath exhibit number one, they are bent on destroying just about everything in national governance that has served us. Along with the orange felon still looking for scripts -- as Heather notes -- for every day "vanquishing rivals."
But my friend worries about a sick jealousy U.S. billionaires have regarding China – and especially now, drumbeats of war, military build-ups, so by that to curtail China’s successes.
And yet, look at us. Our Congress can’t do anything except sit by while Musk with a few Project 2025 agents kills all the best in our government.
Our highest court won’t do anything except approve Trump’s criminality.
And our schools?
I have friends from China in the US, and because I live abroad I do not contact them because I don't want to get them in trouble, even over Signal. I also have a guy in my political reading, discussion, action group that is working on his doctorate in foreign affairs with a focus on China and Iran. I subscribe to many foreign policy journals so I find China interesting too. All of the fascism experts point out how Xi benefits in the end from everything going on, even if Putin benefits too, Xi expands China's global influence. But the US is run by White Supremacists not globalists.
Your last line here, Linda -- the killer line.
Understanding history, and public affairs, gets a distorted view -- a grossly insufficient view -- if one stays only within the easily measurable, quantifiable parameters. And that's how U.S. schools narrow, neuter themselves.
Why? -- because since the Powell memo of 1971 commercial interests, first, then the standardized testers, and finally the dark money billionaires have all insisted on only the dehumanized views of life. Life reduced to abstractions, categories, relentless linearity, like the forms of biology that are molecular only.
Even our best Dems show impotence only when it has come to the Constitution's disqualification by insurrection clause. When Chuck Schumer still had the majority in the U.S. Senate -- up to five weeks ago -- he could have called a Senate vote. The orange felon, not getting 2/3 clearance in either house of Congress would have meant final disqualification from any public office. Last lines of Article 14, Section Three are so clear -- not even the Clarence court could have again bailed out its favorite criminal.
Of course, Musk's little frat boys having access to the US Treasury payment system is a disaster. And nothing but a tepid response from Republicans and a short-lived response from Democrats. The protests seemed to have ended.
Perhaps having easy access to the US payment system isn't a terrible thing for all of us after all. It is very likely that Musk's toy boys made it easy to hack into the US Treasury system and/or into their downloads of data.
It's time we run some audits against all of the payments made to Trump's and his cronies by year from the system. And then do it for all of his family members and businesses. Eventually, Musk's boys will hack into the IRS systems where someone can pull Trump's tax returns, plus those of all of his family members and businesses.
And then publish just the totals which are likely to be damning. Total up all of the payments to Trump related to the failed US Post Office Hotel in DC.
Hackers have an opportunity to expose "the deep state" like they never have before. In fact, Musk now has "dirt" on hundreds of Trump allies. If Trump moves against Musk he could do all of this for us.
It's hard to think of Musk as anyone's hero, but he has an incredible opportunity to win over "the libs" and expose the deep MAGA state.
"If Trump moves against Musk he could do all of this for us" - I don't really understand what you mean - Trump brought him in and gave him authority, so it seems ultimately everything is on Trumps shoulders, so what is he doing for you?
You do not honestly believe Musk will dig out dirt on Trump? Why would he, he bought him, he knows who he is. I don't understand the logic.
Only in the U.S. would we allow charlatans and crooks to take over government. Pam Bondi has placed her loyalty to Trump over her duty as an attorney to uphold the Constitution, laws, and statutes of the United States and those of her state where she was licensed. She is John Mitchell to Trump’s Richard Nixon. That is why Mitchell was criminally convicted and disbarred in California.
As I continued to read Heather's letter today, I thought, "How can this be happening??" Sentence after sentence of Trump's, Musk's,and Project 2025's
proposals and actions put me in a blind rage.😣
MAGAnites need to be reading this information, but if they did, they would claim, "fake news!!" It's up to people like Heather, and the independent news media to keep THOSE WHO CARE informed and to ready them for action. Those who are ignorant to the fact that Trump is following Orban's lead and will take us to a terrible place, need not be surprised when he "takes over" our country. Of course, so many Trumpers are religious fanatics who want us all to live as THEY think we should, so they may not care about Trump's plans to become Victor Orban.
I know I can't let blind rage take over my life, but if people don't get upset about THIS situation, then there's nothing else left to get upset about.
I think I'll go for a walk to clear my head of my anger and dissolutionment, and then start emailing Congress members who SHOULD be in a rage.
But at the time of Mitchell and Nixon we had a court System and Republicans in Congress who believed in America. Republicans and the Courts have dismantled that starting with Reagan.
I’m sure it was a condition of her nomination.
America has learned that "government of the people, by the people and for the people" works if income and wealth inequality is not too skewed. If it is so skewed as is now, it will become the government of a few, by the few and for the few." The founding fathers never predicted this.
Doesn't Timothy Snyder say that all autocracies eventually fail? This has all been going at a break-neck pace. Sooner or later the energy is going to get sloppy and there is not a lot of emotional maturity in this group to recoup from mistakes. People are going to get blamed. Maybe Elon is going to get blamed. If he does, he's not going to take it well. Who knows, but Gary's thoughts give me hope and a smile, and I'll take it. And I will also write my sorry Senator today and tell him that I and all my Senior friends are worried about Elon messing with Treasury computers.
Doug Muder, who writes the Weekly Sift on Wordpress wrote this on Monday regarding the limits of propaganda:"Trump will likely have consolidated his influence over most major media platforms (both broadcast and social), but there are limits to propaganda's effectiveness when it tells you that you ought to be happy when you're not." Muder also says that Trump was perceived as the change candidate and when change does not happen or most likely when things get worse, voters will likely look to someone else. He also quotes HCR in this week's post. https://weeklysift.com/2025/02/03/campaign-or-movement/
Nah. Everybody will carry on doing what Emperor Musk wants and in the meanwhile "blame the Dems" for everything bad that happens.
Maybe Autocracies eventually fail. But look at the evil that is done in the years they wield power. Americans chose Musk/Trump/Vance and they will put more Republicans in place in the next election. We are the ones who chose authoritarian RULE. For lower taxes and the price of eggs.
The word eventually bothers me. Eventually we too will fail.
Yes, they fail. It's the damage they do in the meantime that's the problem.
Both men are narcissists. Musk is getting way more of the media attention. If enough of it is bad, Trump will start referring to Musk as someone who "brought him coffee once." He'll throw ANYONE under the bus.
"Narcissist " ? YES !! And people like Trump, Musk, etc. are textbook examples of that particular personality disorder. Worse, they are MALIGNANT narcissists. In his classic book on the subject , "People of the Lie . . " psychiatrist M. Scott Peck wrote that if Evil could be diagnosed, Evil would be a malignant narcissist. Hitler was malignant narcissist. So is Trump, who adds a topping of senile dementia to it.
I believe that it might be too late for Trump to throw Musk under the bus. Musk is in a position, in the data mine of the Treasury, to back that bus right over Trump. When push comes to shove Trump is a stupid evil narcissist, while Musk is a smart evil narcissist. Trump is blinded by all the attention he is getting, while Musk is setting up for the kill. Only one of the two can stay standing.
I keep hoping that muskrat will go under the bus. Actually, my true hope is that someone will channel the Praetorian Guard.
Key statement [or question]: “I don’t understand the logic”? Sabine there is NO rational logic - other than let’s see how we can add less or minimize the impact on the country’s debt so that trump can extend or grant more tax cuts to the GREEDY class in American society!
Well, that is a logic, that's his plan, I just didn't read that from the post because I can't see how that works for the average American.
Musk wants to be an autogolpe as much as Trump does. Do you really think there's room for two.
Nope. One has to fall. I don't think it will be Musk.
Also, the Republicans in the Senate who could "do something about it" will not because they believe in SMALL GOVERNMENT. Musk is just willing to do what Republicans have always wanted - dismantle government programs to lower taxes.
Unfortunately Musk is as egotistical, self-obsessed and transactional a psychopath is his buddy Trump.
Although, in the battle of wits, Trump has brought a banana to a gunfight.
Gary, it's somewhat random that I choose to say this here as a comment to your post because it's common that I see references to Musk's team of 18 to 26 year olds in insulting ways. Ageist slurs don't help the predicament we're in. My long-term thinking guides me to build dialogical bridges with young people whenever I can -- and yes, I am horrified at the people and systems that have given these young men the access they have to do what they're doing.
It looks to me as if “Wired” magazine is going to be the hands-down winner of the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Without their work, one would think that the DOGE posse was mostly a gaggle of underage and clueless TikT-k influencers (at best). Instead, as is becoming increasingly apparent, these hand-picked DOGEttes are not your typical code-monkeys, good at a few languages in mainstream tech.
Don’t be fooled by “youth” and”inexperience.”
These are bros whose mothers’ milk is hacking; who consort with known cyber-criminals; who are madly obsessed with crypto and the worst possible elements of AI; who are very aligned with “the only good government is no government” views; who exist in Elon M-usk’s twisted orbit and are his chosen tools to weaponize the government on Mus-k’s own behalf.
Understand that they are not just eliminating departments, firing civil servants, and blowing up foreign and domestic policies with nuclear force. They are very likely adding to those systems — back doors, traps, tripwires, malware, monitoring. They have been given access to steal anything they want —contracts, emails, medical records. Anything. They. Want.
And/or, can sell to the highest bidder, be that a country, billionaire or dictator.
Tru-mp is both mentally and physically depleted; he is busy with his fever dreams of real estate in Gaza and internment camps at Gitmo. As long as he can add zeros to his titular net worth, he isn’t going to breathe a word against the coup for which he is figurehead.
Robert Reich:According to the best source I’ve found on this (Nathan Tankus’s Crises Notes), Musk and his rats have now gained unrestricted access to your Social Security number, your confidential bank information, your confidential medical information, and much more.
“When you combine this with the previous reporting, understanding that “insert only” only applies to data and the dishonest reading of the court order that seems to be available it seems like “read only” is just a total sham and Marko Elez still has read and write code access even if he “only” has “read only” access to data.”
https://www.crisesnotes.com/treasury-secretary-bessents-lawlessness-sorry-readers-read-and-write-code-still-seems-in-play/
"Tru-mp is both mentally and physically depleted . . . " YES!
I have no doubts about their abilities. That's what terrifies me the most.
Joan, respectfully I ask if you have seen their biographies. While, there isn't a lot of detail available, they certainly aren't Boy Scouts. And age does matter, because they are being led by someone who is obviously taking advantage of them due to there naivety.
I am seeing some nasty stuff come out today and no -- I didn't research their bios. I'm saying how I react to reading ageist slurs because they might alienate young people and yes, age matters, it defines them (and me); I'm in awe at all I do not know about the brain development of digital natives amidst influences that shaped and are shaping them. Add trauma, predatory algorithms, mind-altering chemistries and a reckoning none of us seem ready for. I do want Musk and anyone operating on "demon mode" to be disabled.
(from NY Times Daily podcast, "Walter Isaacson wrote a biography about Elon Musk where people who know him talk about “quote unquote, “demon mode,” which he goes into, which is this sort of manic energy, staying up all night, sleeping on the floor of the factory — He’s done this at Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter — setting unrealistic deadlines, doing mass layoffs, because he thinks staff aren’t hardcore enough. He’s effectively trying to do that to the federal government.
His team have moved beds into agency offices."
Absolutely. Obviously Musk has been able to easily manipulate them or he wouldn't have chosen them.
Oh yeah. Let's blame Musk for hiring those whose biographies are being shouted to the public by those who have the computer skills to trace their public personas. Those personas are the exact reason they were hired!
Joan, when you study computer science at university you learn concepts and basics. Then you need a mentor who understands all the intricacies of how to make systems work together. They’re fragile and one mistake made and put into place that hasn’t been tested properly can bring everything crashing. What these guys are doing is quick and dirty and their mentor, Musk, doesn’t really understand these intricacies. He’s shown us this in his Teslas, X, and his failing rockets. Now imagine putting thousands of people in planes and having those failures.
Having careers in the computer field there has rarely been a new programmer that understands this. Most of them can write code but not test it. My husband spends everyday trying to teach his teams how to test for failures and how to fix without crashing the whole system. It takes experience. I don’t think it’s ageist to worry about these people based on their leader being a do it quickly and don’t worry about these people based fallout. If X crashes for the day no one will die. Not so with cars, airplanes and rockets.
Sharon, true, I don't think that Musk has the ability to do want he wants to do in the Treasury. That's why he needs people to do it for him. He is a user, a manipulator, not a coder.
Mind-boggling responsibility. I hear you.
I could have been clearer about my ageism comment -- I didn't have a collection of examples but I've been seeing some demeaning descriptions tied to the age that seemed inflammatory -- Gary's "boy toy" is a mild one.
Joan, that’s a very good point; would be okay if 37-year-olds were doing the dirty work instead?
MLMinET, am I supposed to be laughing? (I did). I'm in over my head since I'm not an arguer. I like to see conversations widen while we can each learn (am I part of the problem or solution?) If we have good leadership, vetting, oversight I could applaud a 10-year-old savant working with a 37-year-old paired up with an 80-year-old. In service to the Constitution!
Now that’s a hopeful thought! Musk making mayhem on MAGA! Let me sleep a little longer……
Thank you, Gary. This is fascinating. I like this.
Incel bois, not frat boys.
It makes sense to a degree. Musk & Trump will have to come to blows eventually. Musk now has more power than Trump because he has access to all the information that could destroy Trump. Two egos can not be in the same place at the same time.
The protests definitely have not ended. Probably only begun. We even have the possibility of a counter coup if all else fails.
I think you & Phil Balla are on the right track. When I put aside my emotional thinking & go to reasoning it makes a lot of sense.
Musk put Trump in office by throwing in $330M & whatever hacking or other methods he employed in order to "use" him. Trump has always been an easy mark by those more evil & smarter(who isn't), like Putin, Orban, Musk, etc. Trump loves dictators. Trump uses his followers, as they are easier marks than he is, and Musk uses Trump to get into the Treasury where he is able to dig up all kinds of information(dirt) on T & all of his henchmen. T continues to think he is in charge, as his ego is too blinding for him to see what M is into, and continues to lose his mind while his ego runs away with him.
When Musk & his easy to manipulate boy toys dig up enough dirt & expose the MAGA "Deep State" he will be able to eliminate Trump & MAGA, leaving only some Project 2025ers & the other billionares. Now are the other billionares actively in on it or not?
Musk wants to go to Mars and he wants the US government (taxpayers) to pay for it. Trump is an easy dupe for Musk. Musk bought the election for Trump. The MAGAs love him. They hate Musk. So, Trump will keep saying his kofefe crap and the MAGAs will pretend it makes sense. All the while, Musk and his minions will be dismantling and bankrupting the government and the reps in Congress will pretend they don't see, hear or smell any of it.
When Elon is done with his destruction, Trump will tell his MAGAs that "it was all Elon's plan, all the destruction, that's not what he told him to do. It was supposed to be so beautiful, that's what was said, but something went wrong. It must have been the deep state, so deeply hidden in government servers, that they just destroyed themselves and all your information." And being true believers, they'll believe him.
The protests have not ended and more are planned. As I noted above, even the middle school kids were walking home carrying signs and flags. I did see that protests are planned for every week. Here is Oregon, the weather was dismal, yet many people turned out. I think we do not see the work done by many people despite, in some instances, having their federal funding cut off. As an example the Ecumenical Ministries (not sure exactly what they call themselves) does work with refugees and immigrants here in Oregon.
Protesters were in Augusta, Maine also. And yet, they vote for Susie Collins who loves Trump and all his choices for the Cabinet and the Supreme Court. They should have protested at the Ballot Box.
Musk also has an incredible opportunity to do good with his vast wealth, but I'm not holding my breath.
Musk, being a psychopath & extreme narcissist like Trump, doesn't have the desire to do good. Again, like Trump, the only good he does is by accident in the process of feeding his insatiable ego.
You say "does have the desire to do good," Michael.
But you know, too, that that means "doesn't have the humanities."
Has never cited a novel, film, memoir, work of history, or anything human (or related to nature).
Who knew that the Powell memo, and its craving for rule by business, commerce, abstractions, and packaging would so easily turn but to all these incel techies?
Musk speaks often about an “extinction event” which he says will befall the earth, while he sits placidly on his throne on Mars. With AI technology, he believes most of humanity will become irrelevant to the global coterie of oligarchs and their acolytes. No need for nuclear war, which would damage too many beautiful baubles of civilization. Whether it is withholding vaccines, stopping medical research, depriving mass populations of basic services, or introducing new pathogens, there are many ways to “achieve” this goal (among them, setting populations against each other so they themselves do the messy dirty work of killing each other.). Congress appears to be hyptonized into believing they will be spared in this scenario. But the “spheres of influencers” — Putin, Musk and Xi — will let these hangers-on alone only so long as they serve their imperial designs.
Bravo, Jean.
My thoughts exactly, Jean. i doubt that the wealthy will in the end escape like they think they will. And they don't need nuclear war to destroy the earth because we are well along with that.
Quite frankly - the writing is on the wall already since a long time.
Phil, agree with your assessment of what is happening to schools, but I know plenty of very good teachers who do what they can. We have a friend who is president of the teacher's union in the very Hispanic city north of us. He is making clear where the teachers stand. His wife is Ecuadoran, so I don't know if I should worry about her because being a citizen apparently does not matter.
Yes, Michele: many good teachers.
But they haven't coveted power. They've assumed the standardized testing as just an extra feature, allowing numbers to play a role, too. And they've not seen how the billionaires rule by these numbers, this turning all life into units, machine-gradable scores, easily-measurable-categories.
I do have to disagree that they assume that standardized teaching is just an extra feature. They hate it. Also the ones I know are very cognizant of exactly what is going on. Some, even though retired, are doing what they can in various ways. None of them want widget teaching. I will say, and I am likely to offend someone here, that the teachers who favor machine or student aide grading belong almost always to the coaching corner. In fact, I can't think of one that didn't. That way they could sit on their butts in the teachers' room and discuss sports or in the male gym office so they could diss the females on the staff and be as racist and homophobic as they wanted to be.
Thank you, Michele.
How I long for the U.S. having teachers rule, as they do in the best schools in the world (Finland's).
We are F_CKing FURIOUS ! Or we’d better get that way fast.
Thank you again for your input. I am not so well informed yet I get so disgusted with Senator Schumer looking over his reading glasses and pontificating and verbal masturbating in place of taking effective measures to protect our democracy. I may be way off base but……
Off-base only in the sense, Gjay15, that you've rounded 3rd & are heading home.
Heh. Vivid image from my days on the sandlot
Wait a minute isn’t Chuck Schumer a white supremacist. Lmfao
What is Constitution’s disqualification by insurrection clause?
Article 14, Section Three.
Please, Linda, enter it into your search engine. Read especially the last lines.
are you sure the Dems controled the Senate up to five weeks?
No dem would ever do such a thing - particularly wimpy schumer...
Accurate synapse, Linda. The world watches in dismay as the coup cult, creating chaos , and China chuckles at the calamity.
Can’t remember which cartoonist drew the cliff with hoards of people following Chief liar ( now plural …LIARS) off that cliff screaming ‘trust me , we’ll make America Great Again ‘ …the lemmings scenario…
ALL the complicit …Will Guantanamo be big enough?
Thank you , Heather ,another masterpiece🫶
Linda, having lived in China, I am certain that the current US policies will benefit Xi, not US. And sadly during the current Chinese New Year, I have not dared to reach out to US-based Chinese friends, not because of Chinese Govt., but because I fear the US Govt. on their behalf.
That too Pam. Both. I have read about the Chinese keeping an eye on their citizens abroad. My friend is the only one left with Chinese citizenship in her family. Her husband has taken on US citizenship, and her children were born in the US and China does not allow both. It is important for his work as a scientist that he gets the travel flexibility. Her daughter is one of my daughter's oldest friends, and she spent the summer in China in a program for developing language and culture. My daughter used to take Chinese and her friend German so that they would learn each other's languages. Now that my daughter is in university and studying linguistics she is considering doing that again.
It has been of interest to me that Trump is not going after Chinese immigrants because I know that there are undocumented Chinese in the US. Still, that is not the group. Happy Year of the Snake.
I use signal. We should chat sometime.
Given everything going on I am moving to Threema. Just waiting for my daughter's semester to be over and then she, my husband and I are moving to that and trying to convince our friends to move to Threema. Friends in my city in Germany are already on it.
I was just discussing politics with one of the people working on my house and he was saying that the AfD is in danger of making Germany what the US is now under Trump. He uses Threema, not Signal. We got all of our family and most friends on Signal and now we are switching. I won't get rid of Signal because I need my account for a court case, but after that case is over, I am going to move fully to non-US platformed media. I don't trust the Trump/Musk administration any more now that they are in office than before they bought the presidency.
I'll do my due diligence regards Threema and let you know. As I understand it, Signal is not U.S. based. It's based in the Carribean on an island outside of U.S. jurisdiction. *edit - I stand corrected; Signal is based in Mountain View, California, contrary to info I got before.
Perhaps that is why the Intelligence Community uses it. However, I have read that the people that control it are based in Mountain View CA. That is still within the Musk/Trump reach.
A friend had sent me a link a while ago comparing Signal, Whats App and Threema, and I will try to find it. That is what convinced us. Her husband has been using it for years, back when it cost 2 €, now it is 6€ one time fee. She explained why,
https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/wnfg77/where_are_signal_servers_located_and_how_is_it/
https://threema.ch/en/blog/posts/messenger-comparison-2021
Here is the AI overview,
When comparing Signal, WhatsApp, and Threema, Signal and Threema are generally considered more privacy-focused than WhatsApp, with Threema offering the most anonymity by allowing usage without providing any personal information, while Signal is praised for its open-source code and strong encryption, but still requires some user data; WhatsApp, owned by Meta, collects more user data for targeted advertising even though it uses end-to-end encryption like the other two.
Key Differences:
Privacy Focus:
Threema: Highest level of privacy, allows complete anonymity with no phone number or email required, generates minimal metadata.
Signal: Strong focus on privacy, open-source code, minimal data collection, considered very secure.
WhatsApp: Uses end-to-end encryption but collects more user data for targeted advertising, linked to phone number.
Data Collection:
Accessibility:
Overall:
For maximum privacy and anonymity: Choose Threema.
For strong privacy with a large user base: Choose Signal.
For convenience and ease of use with most contacts: Choose WhatsApp (but be aware of potential privacy concerns).
Also, I am surprised you have not joined our weekly Democrats Abroad Anti Authoritarian Book Club. You could come one time and get on our Signal group.
It is usually posted on Sundays under DAG Bremen activities and takes place Tuesday evening at 18 to around 19:30.
It never occurred to me to join them, as I'm here in the U.S. I just had a look in there. I like their work; I'm not sure I favor the information they require. I got myself into a world of trouble back in the day (pre tfg 1) battling trolls at different dem sites on FB, particularly defending my U.S. senator. I have the ability to be very, very annoying and persistent. It ended up costing me financially and earned me zero for my efforts. Hence, I'm very cautious anymore. As well, I'm a bit disabled and quite vulnerable. I wouldn't care if only I suffered, but I've a spouse to consider.
I will look into it, and Threema as well. Thanks. That's a lot to unpack; the methodologies still point to Signal as secure, especially if used correctly and messages are deleted. I will dig further into Threema. I also use (occasionally) an email system mentioned, based in Germany. I have a friend living there, in Eastern Central Germany. I should reach out and check on her as I think about it now... I hope she's still well and ticking. She lived in my neighborhood forever. Then her hubby passed, and she moved back to DE. * I do also use WhatsApp for some stuff. I've a dear friend in New Zealand I chat with pretty often on that.
Yes, the US is run by White supremacists. That's why Musk has reached the pinnacle. Another example of how the MSM and white folks in general, missed the elephant in the room. South Africa adopted apartheid from Jim Crow laws in the US. Musk is getting revenge for his fellow Afrikaners by reintroducing Jim Crow in the US and destabilizing South Africa by shutting down USAID. Americans need to understand that whether the oppressed majority is Black (in South Africa) or multi race (in the US), the same White oligarchy oppresses all.
You’re nothing but a racist no, I’m sorry. I think I made a mistake. Not only a racist, but an ignorant one in my opinion. This country is run by Americans of every race and creed.
Rick there is one race! Human. Everything else is just physical variation such as skin color, eye shape, hair color, eye color, attached and unattached earlobes, longer first or second toe, and many, many other characteristics that make us varied and interesting. So, I am a non-racist in that I don't believe in the concept of races.
Race is not a biological construct, it is a social construct built upon the mistaken belief that some people are superior to others. Too many still buy into the mythology, and it is noxiously pervasive and persistent.
THEY have their readers / voices EVERY WHERE - even here
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
Rick, Not sure if I trust any study released under Trump, but I will assume this is from Biden's reign. I have known that fentanyl comes to us from China via Mexico. In fact, I was reading that it is often coming in with clothing from those cheap companies like Shein. The upset I endured when my daughter wanted clothing from them and knowing nothing about them, and not being able to find enough that made me trust them as a company I said no. Now she has her own vintage/used clothing shop online and would never consider "fast" fashion. Still, I told her that I had read that and she found that somehow made up for the fact that I had not supported her buying from them. However, I believe this is in Europe that fentanyl gets in this way. I am not so sure about the US.
Yeah, you probably missed the last four years since you’re abroad and I hope you’ve got your teeth fixed. Biden took this country apart and just four years. I think he touched, turned to crap. Then he started a war and allow the war. It is well and allowing a war in Ukraine and Russia.
He allowed some 11 million or more illegal immigrants in the country by opening the gates of illegal immigration and fentanyl killing 100,000 of our innocent Americans. Anything else you want to know the trump needs to fix?
It was all a favor, pay attention to British politics, because you haven’t got a clue of ours
This is from the DEA website
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf
Here’s the first article I came across and the rest is pretty much the same but I’ll send you a few more if you’d like
In the US, 97% of fentanyl seized is sourced from the southern border with Mexico, with China being the primary source of the precursor chemicals used in the production of the drug.
Well, my first question Linda would be why so much distrust did you trust everything Biden put out including the fact that he had to pardon his son and his entire family not to mention Anthony Fauci
Perfect!
Hi Rick..we know you found out about the GOOD WORK being done here … so you troll and troll - JUST IGNORE THIS GUY
Yes a big troll alert!
And by the way, Trump is Dunmore press conferences in 17 days then Biden did in four years
Perfect for you that we don’t have to look at fax at all. You can just see one side of the aisle and believe that it’s all true. Very sad maybe you oughta check out your popularity of the liberals right now.
👍👍
It's currently being run into the ground, you priceless ninny.
It is not, "run by Americans of every race and creed" with equal access to voting rights and equal counting of ballots. If it was, Harris would have won. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UiB3xwyfPQ
Puleeeeeze.
You're a bot, aren't you? Enjoy your borscht.
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
Ignorance is bliss for you huh. You can just dismiss a fact on a false and useless belief. I hate borscht. Lmfao.
??? For you. Do you want world peace. ? SO DOES TRUMP
Phil,
Makes you wonder why long-time Republicans and members of the Supreme Court are rolling over for 4547. He loves pushing the “mob boss” FAFO narrative; some off the record comments from legislators reference being afraid for their family if they vote against the White House agenda.
I am encouraged by the effect of the fire hose of calls to our legislators. We need to Lee up the pressure.
Lawmakers afraid of voting against something should resign. It’s better for their conscience and the country. The governor can appoint someone in their place and they can go on to live happily ever after.
Specifically, a Republican senator from Maine, PA, WI, NC, or KY could have some integrity and let the Dem governors replace them.
The Republican Senator for ME, is up for reelection in 2026. She relies on Leonard Leo to find millions to fund her campaign. In return, she votes for MAGA judges like Kavanaugh and Alito. And for all of the far-right cabinet members.
Hopefully, she pisses off Trump and Musk "primaries" her. She'll be almost 80 at the end of her term if she is re-elected in 2026. Let's get rid of her once and for all.
Sure, she's chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee (for now), but with Musk and Trump overriding Congress, she's as worthless as tits on a boar.
AMEN, Mr. Loft, Amen!
Gary Loft -- "The Republican Senator for ME" does have a name -- Susan Collins.
We expect soldiers to put the welfare of their nation before their own fate. Not so politicians.
Yes, and these are not typical times, sadly. It will require more fortitude from all. Compliance will not make anything better.
RoJo will never let Governor Evers, a democrat, replace him, because he's apparently born again as a handmaiden of cffdumpf. Promised he'd leave at least 1 term ago, when the competition was Russ Feingold. Wisconsin dreams were shattered.
They can NEVER leave the power behind. No matter how long, how old, they CANNOT leave.
See: DiFi, NaPo, MiMc
Is Wisconsin really red, purple, or blue? I’m not sure being an outsider. Hoping he gets hammered with phone calls and faces a tough reception when he goes home. He should be afraid of his constituents- not a felon who can’t even run a casino without losing money.
I like to believe Wisconsin is purple. Gerrymandering our state legislature has been a Republican set dream, but our newst supreme court changed the situation a little. Now another supreme Court election could reverse that if the latest scumball gets elected. Our other senator is Tammy Baldwin, who is great.
I KY, laws were changed before Beshear’s election so that the sitting governor cannot replace a senator. There needs to be a special election should McConnell leave his position before 2026.
Ugh, I wondered if that included a senator replacement. They’ve made so many moves like they’ll never be out of power again. Kind of strange. Most elected officials wouldn’t set a precedent like that if they thought they’d lose power in the future. Can you imagine if Democrats stripped a governor from power like that?
In NY, they will need to do a special election for Stefanik too. But I think they can stall for a few months (3) and sounds like they might try to drag it out longer. It’s a long shot, but the first two weeks were terrible. What will it be like after two years?
It was disgusting to see Lindsay Graham take a position in which he rolled over and played dead for Trump. His first impression that Trump would destroy our country was the correct one.
None of this makes any sense. I do not believe that every Republican Senator approves of the destruction of our democracy. They might be for big tax cuts for the rich. They may be anti-abortion. But these GOP stalwarts have always been strong on national defense, the rule of law and the Constitution. Until now.
I think Graham is being threatened, blackmailed or bought off. There is a common thread here of leading Republicans just caving on all manner of horrible beasts presented for their approval. Something really smells bad.
Ernst and Hegseth - she could have stopped him, she had been an advocate for women in the military. He is obviously a piece of unqualified shit. She knows that.
Collins as a member of the Intelligence Committee, KNOWS about Russian interference in our elections and yet she votes for Gabbard. She couldn't have the courage to ask the president for a qualified nominee?
This administration is using tactics reminiscent of JD Rockefeller, J.Edgar Hoover and Putin/Stalin/Gotti. First, use money. Then threaten to reveal. Ultimately, have punks threaten family.
Even John Thune. Mr. Get Along with Everybody, work to build consensus, nice guy Senate leader is willing to support monsters. He is either frightened or taking in big bucks.
I think Fetterman’s family was threatened.
And now, they cannot get help from the FBI since DOJ is in on it.
I tried to write a reply to this hours ago. My screen spontaneously scrolled and I lost the reply box I was working in. (Did I mention that Substack's comment utility is only slightly better than none at all?) I've now forgotten what I'd written, but here's a version:
My money is on threats and kompromat. I think this because it's a poorly kept secret that Donald has worked with Bratva-controlled businesses for the entirety of his so-called real estate development career. Unlike Cosa Nostra, which tends to murder heads of families and destroy their places of business, Bratva takes a subtler approach: threatening to expose one's deepest, darkest secrets or harm one's loved ones is effective at getting cooperation without making such a mess. This is the Russian way.
Ms. Lindsey's weird flip-flopping suggests that every time she steps out of line, she gets a phone call from Donald's operative with a reminder of that large manila envelope full of photos depicting Princess Graham in all sorts of embarrassing situations.
Graham has been rolled over with his belly exposed like a submissive pack dog ever since CF4547 gave out his cell phone number during a rally in 2015.
> CF4547 — decode for us ignoramuses pls?
Ah, this fellow ignoramus figured it out. Convicted Felon (prez) 45 (&) 47.
Mary, they are either cowards, or they agree with the authors of 2025 who understand this 👇 all too well.
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/
https://bsky.app/profile/justinsg.bsky.social
Hmmm ….IS it possible…Trump made a deal with the devil in the Two secret meetings Trump had with Putin ? Is the rumour Trump was beholden financially to Putin possibly true OR perhaps is it true that Putin did promise to get Trump get elected in the 2016 election…the interference was substantiated. Hmmmm AND the TAKING of Sovereign Land talking points …....Greenland, Panama, Canada, GAZA…then why can’t Russia TAKE Ukraine and China TAKE Taiwan - of course they then can !!! AND if Trump/Musk succeed in crippling the US Government SOON!!! = If the USA Democracy FALLS all other Democracies will also FALL. = Checkmate
Carving up the world into “spheres of influence”
Trump has been financially beholden to Russian for years. If it was a big secret (which it wasn't to anyone paying attention) his two idiot sons shoved that cat right out of the bag years ago when the bank scandals were fresh. They both admitted they got all the cash they needed from Russia and didn't need the US banks. Much of his real estate fraud was because he was laundering money for the oligarchs.
But Goebbels didn't win.
Only because we had a strong coalition of Allies, good relationships with them. Not so today…
Hmmm ….IS it possible…Trump made a deal with the devil in the Two secret meetings Trump had with Putin ? Is the rumour Trump was beholden financially to Putin possibly true OR perhaps is it true that Putin did promise to get Trump get elected in the 2016 election…the interference was substantiated. Hmmmm AND the TAKING of Sovereign Land talking points …....Greenland, Panama, Canada, GAZA…then why can’t Russia TAKE Ukraine and China TAKE Taiwan - of course they then can !!! AND if Trump/Musk succeed in crippling the US Government SOON!!! = If the USA Democracy FALLS all other Democracies will also FALL. = Checkmate
I don't think all democracies will fall - the US will just no longer be the leader of the West, the allies will drop one by one. BRICS don't try and force a political system onto their members - it will look more and more interesting to join in one way or another, I could imagine. I hope the government of my country, Australia, will look into it, in particular considering China is our biggest trading partner.
When the insurrectionists were all released from prison, it sent the unmistakable message to every Republican/NAZI. Toe the line, or else. They all know that just one misstep will have the American Gestapo at their door.
Good for you, Phil. We need people who tell the straight unfettered truth.
People are not just sitting back. Look at all the cases the administration is facing: https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/
Just the other day a court blocked Musk and his minions from Treasury payments data. The judge said only Treasury officials could access the data and they were not allowed to share it with Musk. The Democrats in Congress are also mobilising. The administration is offering more than 2 million federal workers a buyout that will place on gardeing leave until September but the government only has funding up until March. They need Democrat votes in the House to appropriate money for this scheme and the Democrats have made it clear that they will exact a heavy price. Another court has ordered the government to extend the deadline of today. The Democrats just now pulled an all-night filibuster in the Senate to express their displeasure at Trump's nomination of a Christian Nationalist crackpot.
I think anyone who takes this buyout should understand there is a very good chance they’ll be stiffed. They will never receive the payouts they were promised, and we are operating under a continuing revolution for funding until March. The GQP will play hardball with funding, and the unelected Elon Musk will make his own demands on spending. Musk’s unlawful and unauthorized hacking and data harvesting into government computer systems needs to be permanently enjoined and he should be forced to hand over what he has obtained as well as any coding changes his hackers have made to these systems.
40,000 have accepted the offer so far and who can blame them? It must be miserable for career civil servants at the moment. As for Musk, it may depend on whether the judge construes his retention of the coding information (and I don't pretend to understand this!) as a contempt of court because she clearly does not want Musk and his minions to proceed with their unlawful behaviour.
Trump will definitely stiff them.
Guaranteed.
$Trump is a specialist in stiffing people. All those contractors he never paid. He will promise and then reneg. He promised infrastructure. Nothing happened. He promised a "better health plan". It's still a "concept". Everything he says is a lie.
I feel terrible for these employees. They are in an impossible situation. But trusting $Trump and his henchmen is a naive gambit. They don't care about people. They simply don't care.
I visualize a national awakening. Perhaps it will start in the Red States that are the largest beneficiaries of Federal Assistance. Blue States have less to lose. And we have the resources and compassion to step in to help our fellow citizens.
^^ What I was going to say, Bill.
Yeah thats why he got elected TWICE.
I'm not a betting man, but that's where the smart money is.
Not up to Trump. You poor dears
I blame them! My husband is a federal worker and he and most of his colleagues are digging in and promising to hold strong for the American people. Those 40,000 are selling out their colleagues and America and for what? So they can get stiffed? Trump always stiffs working people and Musk stiffed the Twitter employees to whom he gave the same offer. That this offer isn't going to work out the way the rabbits who took it think it will is almost guaranteed.
Not everyone has the cojones to fight the good fight and not everyone can. I don't know the circumstances that each of these workers and their families face so I can't bring myself to condemn them.
I get your point. But all they had to do was not reply to the email. If the offer was genuine and they'd actually get what was promised, I'd be more understanding.
Working from home =hard? Yikes.
?
Well Kathy Congress has to vote to allocate the money so don’t blame musk.
Pay attention, Rick. Try to keep up.
Do you have a mirror at home Thomas. What can we report all this information to Trump but musk himself can’t do a thing
This guy doesn’t wanna dime he has everything he needs and more. I don’t know what’s the matter with you people
"This guy doesn’t wanna dime he has everything he needs and more."
You mean Musk? The guy in competition with Bezos (and others) to become the world's first $trillionaire? The guy who is richer than more than 8 billion others on the planet, yet constantly schemes to get even more (at others' expense)? The guy whose fortunes are built, partly, on billions of dollars of taxpayer-funded subsidies and grants? The guy who just picked the pockets of America for his own gain?
Or do you mean Trump. A guy whose lust for $$$, power, and adulation has no bounds? The guy negotiating quid pro quos to line his own pockets while selling America out? The guy who famously, over a lifetime, stiffs those working for him, including laborers, caterers, lawyers, etc. -- you know, the working class?
Both are greedy, greedy men who'd sell their mothers if it'd help them get ahead. And who are burning down America for their own fun and profit.
"This guy doesn’t wanna dime he has everything he needs and more." LOLOLOLOL! Yeah, and Steve Bannon is an ace truth teller; and there's a bridge for sale in Brooklyn.
Serious, deadly, mortal damage already done and continuing, Russell.
USAID abruptly had to close its life-saving programs -- all its programs -- regardless of the fact Congress mandated and funded those programs (as per the Constitution).
Elon Musk and his fellow male, racist terrorists are all illegal vandals -- still at large, free to push any criminality they choose.
Bessent still at Treasury, still lying.
A convicted criminal is still free for his criminality in the White House.
"Wired" magazine has accounts of these Musk thugs having contacts in Chinese with China and in Russian in Russia.
Deadly coup still underway, Russell.
Timothy Snyder and Robert Reich have reached the same conclusion as you.
Appreciate, Russell, being in the same sentence with those two.
Robert reich? Yikes. Enjoy your padded cell
What exactly are you doing here, Rick? There are no kindred spirits here, there'll all tooling up after being released from jail preparing for the Apocalypse (currently being hastened by this crackpot administration). You should be building a bunker or something instead of wasting your time here. Did you enjoy your cruise, by the way? I would check your bank account if I were you since Trump is still looking for around $2 trillion for his tax cuts and Musk and his Gen Z lost boys has all your details. Good luck, mate!
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
So what you’re telling me if facts don’t matter and I need Kindred spirits to display facts and evidence I shouldn’t be here Good thing all the Black people who fought against racism initially didn’t feel that way like Rosa Parks, who should’ve just sat in her seat and shut her mouth ?
Yikes. And with every post, we understand why you no longer live here.
So, Phil, just curious. What are you going to do about it? That’s what I’d like to know. Endlessly repetitive doomsday rhetoric does not get us any closer to winning. It’s the actions that speak louder than the words.
This is not far-fetched 😥
Phil, we have a Kleptocracy in the making. The authors of 2025 understand this 👇 all too well.
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/
https://bsky.app/profile/justinsg.bsky.social
If we let it.
It looks to me more like a kakistocracy with Trump surrounding himself with other crackpots.
I listened to a lecture by Richard D. Wolff. He was talking about the declining US empire. And why? Because China and the BRICS countries as a whole are outperforming the US. For reasons. It was an interesting talk, to say the least. https://youtu.be/eVAQoLZKSRw?si=EFQVUmA5003IOfvD
They are billionaires because we all bought their stock.
It’s also because for the last 40 years, with the exception of Lina Khan’s tenure at the FTC, the government has refused to enforce its antitrust and anti monopoly laws. The oligarchs are fattening themselves at our expense the same way they did during the Gilded Age.
Hmmm ….IS it possible…Trump made a deal with the devil in the Two secret meetings Trump had with Putin ? Is the rumour Trump was beholden financially to Putin possibly true OR perhaps is it true that Putin did promise to get Trump elected in the 2016 election…the interference was substantiated. Hmmmm AND the TAKING of Sovereign Land talking points …....Greenland, Panama, Canada, GAZA…then why can’t Russia TAKE Ukraine and China TAKE Taiwan - of course they then can !!! AND if Trump/Musk succeed in crippling the US Government SOON!!! = If the USA Democracy FALLS all other Democracies will also FALL. = Checkmate
Geeeeez. This has turned into the conspiracy network. Get it together folks or you will continue to LOSE
"Critics of the idea of Musk taking over the nation’s air traffic control systems note that his Tesla electric vehicles have the highest fatal accident rate among all car brands in America" We need to worry about Musk's ultimate goal of controlling America's air control system. We need to tell Republicans that they and their families fly, planes do not care if there are Republicans on board. When you or your family are about to die from a plane clash, it is too late to vote.
Well they are the fastest and the most popular. AND THE BEST. Driven four since 2014. Stop worrying and live your life
Trust me he doesn’t want to control our air traffic long term.
Phil Balla,
....while more prisons are being built for persons with souls whom God placed in beautiful brown and black bodies by those of us whom God placed in "white" bodies, those of us who also claim to be Christian but for some reason have chosen to hate our brothers and sisters of color when our own Savior, Jesus Christ came to us in a brown body.....physically born in the Middle East. This is insanity!!!!
What is wrong with those of you who think that any of this is good???? We are no better...obviously, we are the "subpar" creations in body and soul as we allow this horror to happen before us.
How can we sit around and allow this to happen to our fellow men and women of color?
Phil, I agree with you!!!!
"Our highest court won't do anything except approve Trump's criminality!!!! What can we do to help to stop this insanity????
And this is your last lost cause. Stop using terms like racist for starters
Trump Voters…you got mail! 📬
Your friend is probably aware of BRICS...(Brazil, Russia, India,China,S.Africa) an alliance of countries formed apx 10 yrs ago. They have expanded to include more countries...UAE,Saudi Arabia, Egypt,Iran and more. No one in the US talks about BRICS and their growing influence around the world. They have food alliances,oil alliances, economic alliances and military alliances btwn their members.
Phil, death star and his minions are working very hard to destroy public schools. Teachers have to teach to standardized tests which do nothing but enrich the testing companies. We live in a diverse neighborhood with the middle school down the street from us and the students walk by our house daily. The other day some of them had flags and signs. Schools here stand against ICE coming in and even the local LE does. Sadly, lots of R Nazi rats live our neighborhood. The state is following the order about transgendered men participating in female sports. I think they are picking their battles. As for the rest of your post, I agree totally. China is cheering this on. I notice on posts put out by local D pols that a whole bunch of trolls are parroting the nonsense and some of it is so very ugly. For example, they have no idea that USAID spends about 2 billion to buy US ag products, but those condoms. They have no idea of soft diplomacy and how China will fill that vacuum.
Read Will Bundi's latest he compares Trump to Mao's Cutural Revolution - the process, not so far, the murders
Phil, this is well written and articulated. The last four topics, however, are on-target bullet points that are aimed at the heart of the problems.
There’s a lot to digest in this letter tonight. I’m so disappointed that not even a handful of GOP leaders will stand up for what is right. Just gobsmacked to be honest.
I agree Sue, the Trump-Republican playbook should be titled ‘How To Sell A Shit Sandwich.’
Kazz, it's amazing how many people are buying that sandwich.
I think it would be easier to prove the idiocy of the left and 73 million people that voted for Miss kneepad word salad. Did you see her mangled Cbs edited I don’t think she could teach third grade.
Hey Rick, word of advice from Oscar Wilde, ‘It is better to remain silent and appear ignorant, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.’
You should take that advice to Heart there, Caz
I looked at your profile. I don’t think with the language you are using that you voted with facts and logic. It sounds like you have been radicalized by the cult. The terms you use to describe Kamala Harris are misogynistic and demeaning. You dare to throw the term word salad at Harris? My God, look at (or rather, listen to) the President of the United States of America. You need to check yourself.
Sue, don't engage. Take the language in your comment here and utilize the "report" function (the three dots to the right margin of the name line). You won't be the first.
And true. Factual Kamala History. My profile. ? Why don’t you check out her profile with the X mayor of San Francisco Willie brown. You have no idea who I am. I can only tell you that I’ve been a rabbid independent voter for over 40 years and one of my favorite presidents despite his many peccadillos and lies under oath and adventures is Bill Clinton.
This guy wants to give Elon Musk all the money in his bank account, I guess
It’s the true believers that they come for first.. I hate to admit it but I’m kinda lookin forward to that happening to this Rick Sender troll .. who ever or whatever the hell he is..
Do. Not. Feed. The. Troll. That’s what he wants. Never give a troll what they want.
I’m not the one that needs the feeding.
Trump is an idiot. Here's the evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MyLwAokINc
Lmao. U tube? Omg. You will not be happy 25 years from now when he will place as the second or third best president of all time.
By the way, I suggest you also get yourself a mirror because your opinion is now favored by 31% of the population.
Placed by whom? And what population? I live in the UK. I won't be alive in 25 years time! Get a grip, man.
Well I’m glad you live in the UK we socialism is now king. Enjoy yourself we won’t miss you. But you’re missing living in the best country in the world.
No one cares what you think. Really. With the exception of idiots known as traitorous MAGA (Many Assholes Going Astray).
Good to see you on here peaking around your blinders again.
I’m the only one here who doesn’t have blinders on, but thanks for your input…
"I’m the only one here who doesn’t have blinders on."
Seriously?! LOLOLOL! You are the EPITOME of the Steve Bannon school of lies and propaganda graduate. I listen to Bannon (and others) regularly to learn what crap he spews each day, and you parrot him perfectly.
Don't listen to Bannon, perhaps? Doesn't matter, they all say the same thing with their huge, well-funded, well-organized and very profitable network of experts (built over decades) designed to trick people into thinking the corrupt robber barons are their saviors. That $gazillionaires like Musk are working "for the people," when they're really reaching into our pockets and stealing from us, and convincing the choir to vote against themselves.
And, a huge border wall Bannon (Fox, AON, NewsMax, etc.) begged donations for from hardworking, gullible, people that turned out to be a scam to line Bannon's pockets. Hah, imagine that!
Again, there's a bridge in Brooklyn for sale. Cheap, too. Maybe go check that out.
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
👍🏻👍🏻💥
Not much new here vis a vis corruption, Oligarchs, bad government, and the rest. My problem is that I don't see a lot of blowback from the Democrats. Yes, they're upset like the rest of us, but WE don't have the Bully Pulpit or control of anything but positions and voices. I want to hear Dems Bellowing loudly about every single bit of this destructive, Illegal Regime. And WE should be in the streets! RESIST! RESIST! RESIST!!!
I listened to Amy Klobuchar's interview from yesterday on The Daily Beast podcast. I got the sense that the Dems are using the tools available to them in a systematic way. Some of what they do -- like last night's attempt to stall the Vought vote -- are symbolic, but it's on the record. Speaking of records, she is encouraging everyone to call their senators, especially if they have been affected by the regime's actions. She says they will use this as they fight these things through the courts.
Maybe it’s time to start fighting dirty….just sayin
As I understand, their doing a lot that gets no coverage. I have as much or more reason to be po'ed with the Dems, but I won't shoot myself in the foot, seeing that they are the only meaningful opposition.
FYI: Indivisible Twin Cities, the activist organization, put together a zoom call with our two Minnesota senators and their senior staffers this week and 1,000 people were on the webinar. Sen. Klobuchar and Sen. Smith both spoke about what the Democrats are trying to do in DC and urged us citizens to call, email, "flood the zone," with our outrage.
The senators especially asked us to talk with any Trump supporters we know about the fact that Musk has been given control of our private information through the Treasury coup. Because an unelected person is capable of getting into all our personal data, the issue is not partisan. We should be urging those Trump supporters to contact their Republican legislators at every level of government. Republicans may listen to Republicans.
The senior staffers answered our questions and Indivisible Twin Cities is now planning a regular webinar for keeping people informed. I was encouraged to be able to hear what the Democrats in DC are up against, what they are planning, how they need us to do our part.
Melinda, I have engaged with MAGAts with that exact information. To a man (and maybe 2 women) their reply is they'd rather curtail government "waste" of USAID than have their personal information compromised.
AND they HAVE NO POWER…...
Not true.
Power is accorded. The millions who did not vote for him have given the power to the Democrats. Remember this:
He only won by a 1.48% margin
1.7 % did not vote for either
15 million did not vote
The margins in the House and Senate are razor thin
Biden appointed a historic number of Federal Judges
Please redefine what power is.
Having “no power” is a chosen state of mind. Mitch McConnell taught me that.
THAT my friend is ALL THAT IS LEFT and the only way other countries took back thiers ….backs are to the wall
We are doing so Craig, it's taking shape.
How do you know they aren’t protesting?
The largest issue facing each and every person in America is how much effort they are willing to spend saving our Democracy.
Did you see Wednesday’s and Thursday’s demonstrations?
Oooooooh demonstrations, you mean, like the one after George Floyd
i don’t think you and I are seeing the same news. The Dem Congress are playing by the rules so far, but they are far from silent.
Yes , I agree. We must have massive protests all over the states.
@ Craig https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-legal-challenges-trump-administration-actions/
Thank you for the link! Information that's good to learn.
You're thinking of the people who have been run out of the Trump Cult. The MAGAts wouldn't have a clue about the kind of values you're thinking of.
You know, as a kid, he used to sit in the park and listen to a group of communists talk about how bad America is. I don’t see much difference here.
It's Trump who's saying that America is broken. Don't you get what Make America Great Again means? He's the one who's running down America, not the communists. He's thick as thieves with Putin. Yesterday, his new AG, Pam Bondi, disbanded a taskforce targeting Russian oligarchs. If you'd bothered to read the substack you would see that she's also cut back enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. She's a stooge who will not act to stop Trump's flagrantly unlawful behaviour. His order curtailing birthright citizenship was blocked by a federal judge in Seattle who said: "The rule of law is, according to him, something to navigate around or simply ignore, whether that be for political or personal gain,” he added. “In this courtroom and under my watch, the rule of law is a bright beacon which I intend to follow.” Another federal judge in Maryland, also blocking the order said: “No court in the country has ever endorsed the president’s interpretation. This court will not be the first.” Did you really vote for the occupation and reconstruction of Gaza?
Russ, you waste your time. When you see his name, just scroll by. He has nothing to offer here unless you favor repeats of the gop line.
Yes I know, but you've got to admire someone like Rick who keeps turning up here when he'd be much happier chatting with the retards on Telegram or 4Chan.
Right ? Did it ever occur to you that he might be compensated to flood our zones and gather info ?
You know more and more Russell this group reminds me of a group that I mentioned earlier when I was a kid in one of the many parks in Miami Beach there was always a section on Saturday morning of all these older men sitting there, complaining about America… when I asked around I found out all they do is talk and they’re just old communists. Lotta similarity here, pal. Sad to say.
The Council of Economic Advisers, an agency within the executive office that advises the president on economic policy, released a study on Friday, detailing that the opioid epidemic cost the U.S. $2.7 trillion in 2023 when considering costs related to loss of life, loss of quality of life, loss of labor force productivity, crime and costs to the health care system.
The opioid epidemic has raged for years, primarily inflamed by the use of fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that chiefly originates in China and comes to the U.S. over the Mexico
Russell: You are spot on, of course. But ignore RS. He is trolling for fun. Nothing we say will ever penetrate his loyalty to the fascists. Best to scroll past.
Actually no I’m not trolling for fun. I’m trolling to make a point to have many of you. Take a look in the mirror be a little bit more or maybe much more introspective and realize why the Democrat party is now only a 31% favoritism.
And in many cases, Trump is correct. And that’s why he was elected. AGAIN.
"And in many cases, Trump is correct."
Only in Bannon's (& Fox's) school of lies and propaganda.
And what about reducing prices - was he lying about that because as the Federal Reserve has warned they're going up not coming down!
I’d be careful if I were you there talking about Trump and Putin being as thick as thieves. And everything will work. It’s way out in time.
There’s a reason about birthright citizenship that he is protesting maybe you should think this through a little bit further. If the parents are here illegally, but their children have birthrights citizenship. Then all he has to do is send the parents back to where they came from since they’re not here legally how about that so would you rather have the children without parents here? Would you rather have the whole family sent away. Since they didn’t come here legally in the first place. Think try that.
Boy, you are really naïve. You actually think that Trump put that thought out there so that he or the United States would run Gaza man you were one of the most gullible people here. He put that out so that the locals would bite like Saudi Arabia or Iran, even to all get together and rebuild the place US is not about to start building or rebuilding Gaza. I’ve seen naïvere before, but never like this.
And by the way, do you know that Egypt nor Jordan wants to accept any Palestinians back in their country? Do you know why why don’t you think about that for a second?
You seem incapable of understanding the ordinary meaning of his own words. He very clearly said that he wanted Gazans to be permanently removed. When asked whether US troops would be needed on the ground there to effect this stupid plan he said the government would do whatever was necessary. In a rambling post on Truth Social he said that the Gazans would be resettled in neighbouring Egypt and Jordan in "far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes". There are 700,000 Palestinians in Jordan and most of them are living in refugee camps. He continues: " The U.S., working with great development teams from all over the World, would slowly and carefully begin the construction of what would become one of the greatest and most spectacular developments of its kind on Earth. No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!" You don't even know what he actually said and you call me naive!
"Boy, you are really naïve."
Na na na na na na. You really got him that time! Hah! /s
Did you check out that bridge in Brooklyn, yet? Real cheap, I hear. A real steal. Trump wants to paint it gold (pyrite is his favorite color!) to match all that crap he's filled the White House with. It's now more low-class than a brothel (apologies to brothels). LOL. You're an absolute hoot!
We are not Communists. We support democratic government, and Trump is a fascist.
Pretty big words, Kathy, for someone who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word fascist. Trump is probably the most democratic president in recent history and he’s just trying to write the ship that is $36 trillion in debt.
Right the ship
Well, then ..you hypocrite in denial. You then should believe in duly executed democratic elections and let Trump run the government as he won the presidency. You won’t do that. So who’s the fascist?
When you are successful……unhappy people WILL be jealous …and want to take or break what you have created
?
Shana, one of the best replies today. But now things are even looking better because musk and Zuckerberg and Google and Bezos and even Gates are all beginning to understand and agree.
Sue, they are either cowards or they agree with the authors of Project 2025 who understand this 👇 all too well.
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/
https://bsky.app/profile/justinsg.bsky.social
53 days! Well, Trump et al are not progressing too badly I would say. They may meet the deadline. Well, maybe not I hope not.
I am disappointed that more Americans are not in the streets protesting. This is on us. We can stop expecting the leopard to change its spots.
Barbara - I've been seeing protests in cities across the country mentioned on Bluesky and wondering where those protesters are learning about the gatherings. How are you learning in advance about the protests you attend? Thanks in advance for sharing!
"How are you learning in advance about the protests you attend?"
Heather Cox Richardson talks about some of this stuff on her YouTube channel, and when she's a guest on channels organizing against Trump and his robber barons. She's been all over the place the last year and a half or so; just search for her name on YouTube and Facebook to find tons of Heather's interviews and other things.
Also, individual members of the House and Senate have their own channels (on YouTube, Facebook, etc.) and webpages where you can see them organizing and protesting in the senate and the house. The PBS News Hour YouTube channel often posts videos and live feeds of the protests when members of the House and Senate participate. I see posts on Facebook for meetings and protests, too.
MSM seems to be hiding the building opposition, but the info *is* out there. Again, Heather's podcast is a great source of info and, yes, optimism.
https://bsky.app/hashtag/USprotests
This will launch you into the world of Bluesky. This app is the sane approach to X or Facebook. You can click on protests happening in cities all across the US.
Yes, these are the images I've been seeing through my own Bluesky account. I can't seem to tap into the organizing vein to find out about events before they've occurred in my area. I'll keep trying, maybe Indivisible...
It do not believe there is one organization in charge of these. It is state by state.
Good luck. I admire your activism so much.
Republican collaborators in the destruction of the government. They succeeded in convincing Americans that all things government is wasteful and corrupt. Now they will fix things by privatizing, i.e. making the oligarchs richer.
2/7 Fridy 4:24 am Pacific:
Democracy Docket: "Trump hunt's won court even once since taking office"
MAYBE most of them are afraid and are now powerless too by the sheer momentum …not supporting..just makes sense !
It's more of that unchecked self-righteousness. Some folks are inclined to believe their own BS, unchecked.
I wonder…this feels way way more like the Nazi Germany/ Hitler TAKE OVER with the FBI as the SS……..way way way too similar !!
They are certainly working towards it. There are many, many opposed and doing good work. Let's try to keep each other 'up' shall we.
Shana let me warn you don’t ever make any comparisons between America today or Nazi Germany because you lose not only every ounce of credibility you ever gained here, but you become a laughing stock of ignorance
This is happening and our families and friends NEED to be witnesses.
Yes you do you need to watch and learn John. America is going to be coming back from the dead very quickly respect it again in the world respected again at home and fixing problems like California’s wildfires like like our borders like our criminal element like our financial success watch and learn
Why are we continuing to call Elon Musk's unoffical “department” the Dept of Government Efficiency”? It is the Department of Government INefficiency,” pronounced “dodgy” (dodge-ee). It is creating chaos and intent seems to be cruelty toward Federal employees and the people they serve. I am just livid.
Marcia - "Dodgy" is great. Will start using that immediately.
Not on this Platform but, "Who Let the DOGE Out?"
🤣
Isn't there something about a flea-infested monster in there? 😈
DODG-E: Department of DESTRUCTIVE Government Efficiency, have to give F-Elon credit, he’s extremely efficient at destroying the government.
They have no official status. Only Congress can authorize them, not Trump in his self appointed power grab.
It is happening too fast…and that is the intent. They are Breaking up the US Goverment right before our eyes and that doesn’t make any sense..ie emotional FREEZE…but we ae waking up and the SMOKE is obvious now
Well just a quick question what if you by some chance stumbled across 40 or $50 billion of government waste would you keep it quiet or wait to report it to somebody in anger
First of all, I would make damn sure that I knew what I was looking at and had at least a basic working knowledge of the agency's systems and the programs they oversee. Before tossing around accusations I would document these billions of dollars I "stumbled across" was really fraud. Then I would actually go to the agency involved to see how they possibly could let that happen. I would do none of this in anger, only from genuine concern. I would sure as hell not set about bringing down an entire agency based on bogus information that I somehow "stumbled across" based on what I conjured out of thin air.
Muskrat and Trump have no idea how the government operates, and they could care less except for directing taxpayer money into their own pockets.
The idea IS to BREAK the US functioning = The Democracy will then fall when people have no money for food - unless they COMPLY…Welcome to the New Order of Disorder coming SOON … and all we have left is our American Peoples resistance..and at 3.5 million we resist BEFORE we are made hungry !!! No time to waste any longer
By the way, I’m not the one making the accusations. I’m just reporting what I’m reading from government sources. And unlike the lady above, who suggested that if the Pentagon feels the money should go to certain places that’s where it should go that’s a bit misguided to say the least. In any event, I think you’re gonna be happy with the end result because we’re gonna find out a bunch of money at the end of the rainbow and we’re gonna put it to work here in America now if that’s something you don’t like perhaps you might choose somewhere else to live.
GIT …. we SEE ya
What you don’t see is that the popularity of the Democratic Party and the liberals is that a 50 or 60 year low and you might start to wonder why that is. You might want to see the CNN and MSNBC have their lowest ratings ever the other day CNN had a poultry 98,000 people watching in primetime. Unfortunately, for you also apparently Fox is now the third most watched TV channel in the country even beating out the major networks and 70% of the political audience rating. You might want to wonder why that is and you might wanna start thinking about why you lost this last election?
I don’t think they’re gonna bring down an entire agency. I think they’re going to cherry pick the money that’s been going to the wrong place either on purpose or in error and stop it from going there simple as that and then if the government allocated money to places they’ll make sure that it goes to those places and validate where it’s being spent. The GAO report speaks for itself if you’ll go ahead and look at that, but in addition there’s been literally billions of dollars found out that’s been sent to causes by USA ID for reasons and issues that the logic and rational thought. I don’t wanna pay $20 million for example for a Sesame Street program in Iraq or Afghanistan. Or instruct countries on how to implement DEI in countries around the world.
You people are supposed to be very well read and intelligent and I’m sure if you really wanted to find out this information. It’s right at your fingertips but for most of you here all it is is denial and find your way out of of a situation that you don’t wanna believe that you’re in. Not my problem, but the money will and redirected as appropriate.
I guess your news sources haven't got the news that Trump has "laid off" all but 200 or so of USAID staff. If that isn't an attempt to bring down that agency, then I'm not sure what it is.
And who are these "you people" you keep referring to? Do you have a stereotype set in your mind?
The stereotype that I see here is very simple to recognize
I am occasionally referred to as a troll here. However, when I think of a troll, it’s somebody that posts and posts and posts and repost constantly, however until I came on here and just was an observer, I saw the same people here day and day out with multiple posts and not once that I see the word troll. But as soon as I gave my input and it didn’t agree with 98% of the people posting here I became that troll so you determined the stereotype I’m referring to. And it’s really sad that many people here and I’m sure many people that used to be on X Are now here rather than here a dissenting opinion because it is evident that there are none further many people have left X and gone to blue sky for the very same reason. It’s a very sad state of affairs in my opinion X used to be 70% democrat and 30% republican and now that it’s 50-50 blue sky is the Haven of people who don’t wanna hear both sides of a story
What I’ve said in the past, and I’ll say it again here I wish that the people here that feel this way are never a defendant in a courtroom and use the same processes to determine their innocence or guilt because they’ll all be guilty because you’ll never hear from the defense
I hope that clears things up, but all the evidence will become apparent in the future when billions of dollars show up on the bank accounts of the federal government versus the bank accounts of a lot of foreign countries that are milking us
You're not a troll - I see you more as a residential chester 😊
YUP you are a troll …… GIT
I would suggest that it’s a reduction and force based on the flow of the monies and waste abuse and fraud and I’m sure if the agency needs more people to put the money out as it should then they will rehire, but if they don’t need the people in the first place then yes you would be correct Oh as I understand it. Also if you follow it through a number of the projects that USA was doing has now been transferred to the state department since much of it was sent overseas, which makes perfect sense to me. But if we are over spending and we need a reduction enforce, then it doesn’t matter really where it comes from as long as the agency is properly staffed for what it does. You also have heard I’m sure that 40 to 60,000 federal workers have apparently chosen to relieve their respective agencies with a retirement offer and they’re taking it rather than come back to the office. Once again, if they need the staff, they’ll rehire the staff, but they certainly don’t need 60,000 people working from home rather than in an office environment being a lot more productive
Well, as a retired Fed myself, I don't blame them for taking a "reduction in force" buy out package. It beats putting up with this crap. And the likely alternative is that they'd be fired, or I mean "laid off" anyway.
This has nothing to do with staffing levels, which are evaluated and adjusted periodically based on workload, etc. It is based on Trump wanting to fill the ranks of Fed workers with those who will swear loyalty to him and the MAGA agenda.
I'm skeptical about the supposed "get paid until 9/30' scheme. I'm willing to bet he'll find away to renege on that.
Do tell. USAID stole $50 billion? The black and gay people at the FAA stole it? Hunter Biden stole if from his laptop?
Hahahhaha they are onto the good work being done here ….. IGNORE
That is discrimination.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/government-waste-inefficiency-trump-doge/
You might want to check this out, but there are many websites showing exactly the same thing and this is just a tip of the iceberg so to speak. Apparently a couple hundred billion from Medicaid and Medicare. Sent out in error Actually, it’s been on the news. I’m not your research assistant, but the News is available for the public. Go for it
Yeah, News Nation. You're even more ignorant than I was giving you credit for. The news network for the half of America that can't read and comprehend on a 5th grade level. Like you.
Well, that’s a pretty ignorant statement coming from someone who has no idea who I am what I do what I did, etc. Why don’t you look up GAO findings for the monies that have been appropriate for the last 22 years?
I am not your research assistant, and if you’re supposedly as smart as you are and can read as well as you do, then you’ll find all the information you need to verify and validate all this money that has been sent incorrectly, fraudulently, wastefully, and needlessly and unfortunately for you all, this will become very apparent in the next days, weeks and months. By the way, I lived in LA for 30 years in Calabasas by the way if that gives you any clue
And you certainly stepped in your own Doodoo by stating that half of America can’t read and comprehend a fifth grade level since for the last 30 years, the education system has been controlled by Democrats ooooooooops. And I have no idea what news nation is either.
It is THEM..IGNORE
You "have no idea what news nation is" while sending link from it at the same time? Does the word "thick" mean anything to you?
Ouch…meany ! LOL GIT
Just happened to be the first link I came across just read some of the content and saw 20 more websites that said essentially the same thing.
But back to your education system, LMAO
GIT
I checked it out. I went to this site: https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Williams-Brown-Statement.pdf, which shows the government study reported in September 2024 showing overpayments, etc. for the past 21 years. It's a good thing. I'm all for it. I wouldn't be surprised if many who read this Substack would "like it," too. What I'm not in agreement with is assigning people (Musk and his team of IT/AI developers) who have not been confirmed by Congress to solve these problems. The same people do not know how these government programs work and are attempting to solve problems with them by destroying the programs and subsequently hurting Americans and people in other countries. For example, if your home needs repairs, do you allow someone else to knock it down and cause your family to be homeless to build a new one? Do you allow the demolitionists and builders who have shut you out, to have access to your family's private information? Anyway, you're right, it's a good idea to go to the source. I prefer to skip News Nation, though.
Except it’s not APPROVE BY THE CONGRESS YOU SO WANT TO LOVE. OOOOOPS.
why do people here keep bringing up news national. I never even heard of it.
Btw. None of what you think is happening is happening. They are simply finding fraud waste and abuse whether OR NOT YOU AGREE WITH THE FRAUD WASTE AND ABUSE.
Ps. There are millions of non Congress approved employeees that have access to your personal info at SSN AND IRS. FINALLY tell all the people in Pacifica palisades not to rebuild? Under your misguided. theory
It ALL NEEDS GOVERNMENTAL APPROVAL. whether in Cali or in Gaza
Hahhahahahhaha GO FOR it lol or FALL for it !!! You are everywhere trying to spread mis information - listen…there is enought SHIT with the real news = GIT
Nope. But you seem like a rather intelligent person why don’t you just Google a few sites or whatever browser you use and you’ll see already they found substantial poor uses of our money including apparently some $571 billion that’s been misused in the past two years by mistake and over 2.7 trillion. Who’s been given to people who shouldn’t have gotten it 10 years ago. It should’ve been canceled. You have your sites go check it out yourself.
Wow, what's the weather like there on Earth II, where the sky is green and the grass is blue, you braindead fuck?
Tom Could you be more expressive? How do you really feel?
Lol....
He is a TROLL..they are every where and now here too
Actually, Substack Inc is violating its own contract with "Readers" & "Authors" by allowing repeated contractual violations of its own 9/24 TOU under its own choice of CA law.
By the way, I’m not entering your sub stack and it’s amazing that you talk about my Bible and my religion and my political affiliation and you call it my party. You see how ignorant you are beyond ignorant.
I’ve been an independent for 40 some odd years voted for Bill Clinton twice despite him being the horny president on the planet and lying to his wife and under oath, he was still a great president.
I’m telling you if you don’t put your hate in check it’s gonna put an early end to your life.
Well, that’s a typical liberal moronic uneducated response when you don’t have a rational defense for your position, you end up on another planet and cursing, which is perfect. Because it absolutely defines you.
On the other hand, Trump is in the White House for at least another four years although he may pass it on to Vance before that, Advanced may stay in another eight years so good luck
IM sorry to say..this won’t last 4 months vs 2 OR 4 years..the US will topple as someone has planned and when that Democracy falls - they all then fall…so…we HAVE work to DO to SAVE our Country …. :) ps and the bad guys read these notes and try to goat us !!!!
Now we can see what a Trumpscum who flunked the IQ test low enough to qualify for membership looks like. Crawl back to Flyover Loserville with the rest of the MAGAt hayseeds, where you belong, you fucking dumbassed moron.
Don’t feed the noisome troll, Tom.
Rick Sender, It sounds like you’re saying you believe Elon Musk is a hero who is eliminating massive waste. Is that what you’re saying?
RICK SENDER is a TROLL - just ignore
Rick Sender is a troll. Don’t feed him and maybe he will go away.
Not sure yet, but it certainly appears so so far And I frankly don’t care who finds the fraud waste and abuse so long if it’s found and returned to America so I can help it’s own people
Who’s to say it’s fraud? Is it fraud to keep people alive with medicine? Or food? Or are you truly this hateful evil?
What Rick, our resident MAGA troll, fails to understand is what actually constitutes fraud. If a hospital, say, submits a charge to Medicare for something that isn't covered that isn't fraud. That could be an error in coding, or perhaps not a clear understanding of the criteria for an acceptable charge. Those things happen. Medicare reviews the charges and either kicks them back to the hospital or approves them for payment and sends them on to treasury. If, on the other hand, someone knowingly charges Medicare for something that was not delivered, that would be potentially fraud. Every Fed agency that I know of used to have inspectors general who would investigate those claims (I say used to, because my understanding is that Trump fired them all) and take the appropriate action, which might be requiring the agency to recoup the $$ paid out, or if there is a history of flagrant violations by the care provider, enforcement action may be taken.
It doesn’t have to be fraud pal. It could be error, which is just fine but it’s gonna stop and it’s gonna come back to America to those who need it here. You’re missing the total point. The money doesn’t belong to where it’s being sent. I don’t care why I don’t care what the reason is if it’s wrong it’s wrong and it will be caught and it will be directed where it’s supposed to be sent. Period.
And maybe you haven’t read the report on Medicare and Medicaid pack E24 $7 billion has been paid fraudulently and another $253 billion paid in error. And if you don’t think people are ripping off the system well you’ve got a rude awakening.
Once again, it doesn’t matter if these people aren’t deserving of this money or it’s not directed to them then they will not get it. It will go to those more in need who QUALIFY.
I’M LISTENING PERFECTLY WELL
gretchen I havre reported each & every violation of this platforms 9/24 Terms of Use & Misuse to Substack Inc.
Yeah and here’s another troll who keeps reporting stuff they don’t wanna hear.
Brian why don’t you understand that there are two sides to every story but nobody here wants to hear the other side and that’s all I’m reporting. I’m hoping it’s not in sub tax platform terms that anybody that tells the truth should be removed.
IGNORE this guy !! waste to time and lots and lots to DO to the Country !!
if they don’t deserve it then it’s not a fraud. It’s just an error, but in any event, the money should not have but I’m not talking about that money. I’m talking about the hundreds of millions of dollars we sent the countries on a fool’s errand and all of you hear. Better wake up because it’s gonna be on the news and you’re gonna have pie on your face if you don’t see it
Watching Fox are we? Newsmax? OAN? Where else could you find such misinformation? If you're referring to the funds we give via USAID, you haven't listened to any of the Pentagon folks who, sanely, support those expenditures - it saves their lives, in the long run. If you lived in a destitute country, which would you rather have, an invading military force, or a food shipment?
FBI
DOJ
DHHS
OPM
STATE AG’S
Medicare and medicaid fraud are already investigated at the state and federal levels by experienced agents and essential support staff.
The FBI shares all of their fraud/abuse cases with the public. Anyone can visit their site to stay informed on the investigations.
We don’t need Musk or any other inexperienced individuals, who have no working knowledge of those agencies, bloviating, through the press, their suppositions.
The job is already being done - who do you think exposed Rick Scott’s crimes? (And then brain dead republican voters send him to the Senate - smh)
Fox watching kool-aid drinker.
So you'll tear up the constitution so we can find a piddling $50 billion? What meds are you on?
I don’t see even a scratch on the constitution to be honest with you.
How many federal employees are there? How many federal employees are involved with Social Security and IRS they all have your information.
None of them were elected tell the people ravaged by the fires in California that they could have $50 billion to help them rebuild and see if they think it’s a pittance.
Let me point you to your nearest optician. Your prescription is failing you.
As if.
Rick, this may be an opinion to investigate across reporting platforms. Recent reports indicate that past audit investigations reveal Musk and Trump have been involved with profits from USAID funds across the years. There is likely to be more to the outcry for audit reporsts
Well, I certainly like to see those reports. Because neither one of those men need ill-gotten gains. And the more audit reports the better we are. This may take a while but when all of a sudden it done if you don’t appreciate the couple billion or even trillion dollars that is found I feel sorry for everybody here. I don’t care who finds it. I would rather have you find it doesn’t matter if it’s found and it’s wrong and it gets fixed that’s all you should be caring about.
DODG-E: Department of DESTRUCTIVE Government Efficiency, have to give F-Elon credit, he’s extremely efficient at destroying the government.
I am particularly sorry to learn that Russell Vought has been approved for Management and Budget. Judging from his refusal to answer questions that he believes go against his secret agenda, he appears to think he is a law unto himself. He is not. Instead, he is a radical who wants to destroy the idea of the United States as he masquerades as a responsible bureaucrat. We need to keep a watch on him.
Keep a watch on him, and what then?
He is also a Christian Nationalist and bears watching.
I don't think I can bear watching any of them. :) So, "Christian Nationalist" is the American equivalent of "Nazionalsozialismus", aka "Nazi".
Even if we keep a watch on him, he won't do anything that we don't expect from him.
Anne-Louise, I don’t know; it’s too soon to decide that. It depends on what he does.
Yes he is radical who is ruthless and who is the mastermind of project 2025.
He started with this idea of thinking when Trump was first elected in 2017. He is dangerous.
We should all be horrified about it.
All of these things brought to us by the complicit gop, who have basically completely ceded their role in and of democratic government.
TRUMP/MUSK BLITZKRIEG IS TOTALLY DESTRUCTIVE, LACKING ANY POSITIVITY
Bone Spur Donald and MUSKrat, his foreign born billionaire buddy, have caused greater distraction and destruction in two weeks than has any White House accomplished in a four year term.
Trump, by uninformed whim and ‘throwing ketchup at the wall’, has:
1) threatened Greenland (Denmark), Panama, and others with economic or military takeovers;
2) reiterated his intention to seize Gaza for the US, expel nearly 2,000,000 Palestinians, and eventually create a ‘Riviera in the Middle East;’
3) throws around tariff threats like an ax thrower in a local pub;
4) permits Musk to destroy USAID and its entire aid program with total disregard to those countries being assisted as well as the well being of thousands of employees in an agency established in 1961;
5) withdrawing the US from international climate change, health, and UNRWA institutions; and
6) engaging in a ‘deep state’ retaliation Blitzkrieg with massive domestic and international implications.
Trump is acting like a ‘crazy uncle’ in the White House. Americans and others are horrified by his bizarre distractions.
This permits Musk, his loose cannon sidekick, to employ his personal team of computer Stormtroopers to disrupt and destroy core checks and balances of traditional American government.
No one can keep track of the broad illegality of the havoc that Musk is sowing:
1) seizing and blocking the mandated payment of federal funds;
2) giving over 2,000,000 federal employees a February 6th deadline illegal order to either ‘retire’ or face possible/probable firing;
3) having his Stormtroopers break into federal offices and secure computer systems, while firing those federal employees who stand their legal ground; and
4) a broad range of unprecedented and extralegal activities intended to disrupt and destroy traditional federal government.
I find this a frightening and destructive Blitzkrieg intended to overwhelm the checks and balances of our Constitution and numerous laws and individual employee rights that subsequently have been enacted.
I shout shame at the Republican senators who cowardly ignore their ‘advise and consent’ constitutional responsibility, when presented with the absolutely worst candidates for senior government positions in American history.
ALL THIS IS OCCURRING WITH CASCADING MISINFORMATION FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AND ELSEWHERE.
As a 91-year-old former history professor, as well as an ex-Foreign Service Officer, I clearly see a parallel between Hitler’s initial 53 day Blitzkrieg as Chancellor and the Trump/Musk destructive Blitzkrieg that, in two weeks, is ahead of Hitler’s schedule.
WHAT I FIND ABSOLUTELY CLEAR IS THAT THE TRUMP/MUSK BLITZKRIEG IS TOTALLY DESTRUCTIVE, WITH NOTHING POSITIVE EXCEPT FOR THE VERY WEALTHY AND THE BANKS AND CORPORATIONS THAT SEEK FURTHER TAX BENEFITS AND DEREGULATION TO LINE THEIR GREEDY POCKETS.
I have missed your wise & experienced contributions here of late….and am SO very glad to see you weigh in on the alarming, no make that hair-on-fire, state of governmental affairs—he certainly came out of the gate with a flamethrower this time. What you share just confirms that I should also be running around with my hair on fire worried about our democracy. That this is being “allowed” to happen, that many feel powerless to stop it, that many actually support it (or is it posturing vs real belief?), or are uninterested and sitting it out…is so very shocking to me. Has it always been thus and I was just unaware or is it a newer phenomenon? For me, a growing awareness since Reagan, is how there is a sharply divided “vision” of what “America” means & should be/aspire to. And that some of the “visions” so clearly are counter to our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc., does make me wonder about those who seek to reframe/rewrite history (just as some are attempting to do with the insurrection of 1/6). So much drama on this pale blue dot…and that’s just our country…sigh. ☮️🗽🇺🇸
Barbara I have been continually commenting on Substacks and the NYT. Of course there is the problem of timing. Tonight, for example, I awoke about 2 am and was able to riff on Heather. You and other night owls are awake to read my rantings.
When I am able to sleep through the night, any commentary is posted by midmorning. I find that relatively few folks read through hundreds of comments to find my stuff.
If you click on ‘Keith Wheelock’ you can find my recent postings. You will find a common theme—AWWRRK!
Thanks…I, too, have a hard time plowing through all the comments and still have a life…however much I want to read them all. There are several commenters, such as yourself, that I am drawn to and appreciate their perspective and often learn something new or a new way to consider things….and often new “rabbit holes” to explore! Keep on keepin’ on!!!!
Barbara At 91 with four compression fractures of my lower back, I relish any night when I can sleep soundly without a mid-night interlude. Almost always I riff on what is triggered by Heather’s Joyce’s, and Jim Fallows’ Substacks, as well as the New York Times.
Same thing here Keith since I live in the EMT zone. If I woke up in the middle of the night, I feel a rush to read HCR' letter of the day ,brain storm for few minutes and post my foggy post. In November I spent some time in Barcelona, Canary Islands and Morocco and it was wonderful and much productive, since we were 6 hours ahead, to clearly read and post at 8 or 9 am local time while getting a wonderful breakfast with a nice ocean view...😃
Richard What a joy to be in a time zone where you can read Heather and post while eating breakfast. Too bad that the Caribbean is in the EMT. Back when I was mobile, I enjoyed awakening, going for a snorkel and a brief hot tub, and then picking up coffee for my wife. Of course this’d. Was long before Heather.
Keith, I can't think in terms of without Heather, whether before, as you remember or after as eventually might happen.
Keep those memories of happier times alive and thanks for your nice reply.
I always look forward to reading your comments Keith, you have more wisdom in your toe nail clippings than the insipid orange turd has gathered in a lifetime of lies. Reading his quotes on the air traffic control system was chilling, he’s clueless and he’s the head of the government, we are so fucked. Sleep isn’t what it used to be, is it. Take care of yourself, your counsel is important to many of us. 🙏
Dick I was planning to clip my toe nails, but now you make me fearful that this might sharply reduce my ‘wisdom.’ Is there any danger getting a hair cut (Sampson, where art thou?)
🤣
🫣🤣
Keith, so I clicked on your name and clicked on the option to Subscribe, and then my IPad froze! So I guess I’ll find out tomorrow if I can access your posts. Here’s hoping.
Anne Marie I haven’t mastered the Substack system. I do know that I click ‘notes’ to put a number of my commentaries on my ‘Keith Wheelock’ site. If you click on my name, you should see my bio and a green ball that provides access to my my notes. Otherwise, if you send me your e-mail (kwheelock1@comcast.net) I can include you in the e-mails that I send to about a dozen people.
I do scroll and scroll to find your posts, Keith, since 700 posts are too much to read. Will try clicking on your name to see if there are posts I missed. Wish there was a way daily to check if you have a post, rather than scrolling. Please keep up your good work!
Ditto Barb.
I am in the Pacific time zone. I CANNOT read HCR before bed, and am usually up between 5 and 6 a.m. In the "before times" I could spend 1.5 hours reading and perusing the 200-300 comments, engaging with many fellow readers that I have come to count as friends. Now, there are far more readers (519 comments when I started today, 618 as of this moment (and not all of them mine!!). I also notice that some of my readerfriends are not posting as much or even any longer.
I am thrilled that the Professor's reach is expanding, but sad to lose some "friends" here.
Yup, Ally, you you nailed the conundrum!
Remember Sandy Lewis? So many familiar names/handles are no longer posting😢
YES Keith! We have a Kleptocracy in the making. The authors of 2025 understand this 👇 all too well.
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/
AND the destruction IS the point! 👇
https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/the-logic-of-destruction?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2rctb
https://bsky.app/profile/justinsg.bsky.social
Thank you, Keith.
I cannot tell you how angry I am with my former work cohort who served our community alongside me for 20+ years, and who see "weeding out government waste" from USAID (their biggest go to is the now 150 Million to condoms that can be used as bombs from Gaza to Israel, never mind that the number is 7 million and goes predominantly to Africa, where AIDS is rampant, and men have sex with virgins as a cure) as more important than the breach of social security data.
Ally And of course Trump/Musk any assistance to needy Americans should be stopped—including food, health care, and other ‘unnecessary luxuries.’
Luxuries like eggs:)
I have also missed your wise posts lately Mr Wheelock. How do we fight back? I know there are numerous law suits being filed- see Just Security . There were statewide protests on Wednesday, and a Tuesday protest at Treasury. And we are calling our Representatives in Congress, and Senators. But what else can we do? The GOP in Congress are bowing down to Trump and Musk. What else could and should we be doing? Is it too late?
Keith, given your many in Central Africa, can you gives us your take on the disruption of USAID programs in Africa if you have a moment. Thanks in advance 🙏
Bryan Even by the incredibly debilitating and backward-focused criteria of the Trump/Musk duo, the apparent initiative to summarily abolish USAID, recall all personnel from abroad within 30 days, block virtually all project funding, and oblige ongoing programs to close down immediately is EXTRAORDINARY STUPID AND HARMFUL TO US INTERESTS.
Long ago I had boots on the ground in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. More recently, from afar I am a reasonably well informed observer.
My impression is that much of USAID is what Albert Hirschman (my good friend who should have won a Nobel Prize Prize for his views on economic development)) would call ‘oil spot’ investments.. [Working, whenever possible, with local participants, these would often support local social,, health, and educational development. What Albert had not envisaged was that such assistance could include food for those people starving—especially in Africa and the Middle East, and even Haiti.]
There is a ‘soft power’ competition in Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere. China has been noted for its major development projects. We have been appreciated for our support for humanitarian projects that overwhelmingly include what national governments are unable to provide.
Overwhelming this aid is funneled through nonprofit organizations, either local or American.
It seems that Musk and his Stormtroopers have declared USAID bad and have assassinated it. It seems doubtful that Trump is 1) aware of the ramifications 2) or cares.
Whoever initiated this illegal action, in my lifetime the precipitous killing of US AID and virtually all ongoing AID projects would be virtually impossible to reverse.
I was appalled that President Biden acquiesced to Netanyahu starving 2,000,000 Gazans. Ditto with our withdrawing funding for UNRWA.
In Central America AID programs intended to improve local working and living conditions have been summarily terminated. Also large quantities of American food en route to starving people are now in limbo.
ARE MY USAID VIEWS CLEAR?
You put this so well! Liz
ensuring chaos.
Hi Keith. I'm just a well educated person, well read in history. I came to the same obvious conclusion. I keep remembering the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times."
It’s all very theoretical, isn’t it?
My wife and I adopted & raised 4 disabled kids, and we couldn’t have done it if not for the help we got from Medicaid—money we all pooled together to make life possible for the poor and disabled. 3 of our kids are out on their own now, earning a living. My wife & I are in our mid-60’s, with one kid still home—the most disabled, a person who lives every day to express his love to everyone he meets, also the one with the most to give our fellow human beings, if anyone outside our house still remembered what we’re supposed to be doing here.
When I look in that kid’s eyes, theories end. My son came into this life being beaten by his own mom. The resulting injuries were too great for his little body to ever overcome. But, if I’m reading the Republicans right, he should’ve been let to die instead of allowed to be a drain on the public trough. And some of you are feeling betrayed because you thought these reptiles might stand up for right?
Have you checked on the nation’s homeless, lately?
Years of living, watching, and studying these people have left me with the certain knowledge that these politicians were bought and put into place to do exactly what they’re doing. They’ve destroyed our society, slowly, surely, and with nothing but callous regard for all of us. Many have already died from their tax cuts and millions more are slotted for the same. My wife and our son will no doubt be among them—judging by our lack of resources, probably soon.
Vought is going to take office shortly, and the damage he’ll do will be catastrophic to people like us. And when he doesn’t do his job and doesn’t respond to lawsuits, who will make him get in line? You, with a theory?
Many people have died and are dying, already, from their tax cuts, and it’s not enough death yet to persuade you that this is war? Theorizing and chatting it up online isn’t going to save you & your loved ones. Your money won’t save you, either.
There is one thing that might—going out to meet your communities most vulnerable, looking into their eyes, daring to ask questions about their lives. Because if you do that, if you’re still capable of compassion, it’s going to hit you that there is nothing more important in life than giving your life in service. Service springs from love, and love guides us to fight—not for ourselves, but for others.
Lucky me. My son, the warrior, taught me that.
Notchomama, I have been moved by your post today, especially the line: “And some of you are feeling betrayed because you thought these reptiles might stand up for right? “. It has been hard for me to learn, and wrap my head around a party of people who fight to have fetal-personhood made the law of the land, yet actively foment contempt for caring for the other. Your daily road, to the eyes of many able-bodied persons, seems tragic and harsh and frightening. Yet you, like my dear friend’s experience with her severely disabled son, have been open to the most resisted wisdom of Life: Caring for others holds untold riches of the spirit. In what matters most to humanity, you are richer than the Muskrat.
They want to ruin our health by making medical care unaffordable and inaccessible, and discouraging vaccinations. It is only a matter of time before we see the next Trump pandemic, this time it will be H5N1 bird flu, and Trump along with RFK, Jr. will discourage any effort to contain its spread. For Trump believers, it’s become an article of faith not to vaccinate, and many of them will fall ill, and some will die.
GOP suffers from cognitive immunization syndrome
I'm sure they'll be quietly immunized. The Hell with everyone else. 😢
I’m in tears, N. I envy your strength and perseverance in the face of such abject pain. Be well; stay safe.
Thank you for your message, Derek. Same to you.
💖
Again: UBUNTU- I AM BECAUSE WE ARE !
Very touched by your story and very sad for the ignorance and cruelty of so many, now in charge of the government 😢
Notchomama,
You are not alone. There are many others young and old whether their hearts have been as generous and beautiful as yours...or not, who will soon suffer from decisions being made within our current administration.
"Service springs from love, and love guides us to fight-not for ourselves, but for others."
Wow. Thank you, Notchomama. Wisdom comes from everywhere. Not everyone has the eyes to see it.
A Good Samaritan in the purest sense. Thank you for sharing.
My son has always been very giving. I will tell him you saw him.
As a Mainer, I ask where is Susan Collins. Why isn’t she using every waking moment to raise Holy Hell about what Trump and Musk are doing? She should be screaming from the rooftops. She needs to get out of her gilded cage, and hit the air waves and the streets. We need real backbone and opposition to Trump and his thugs. Mainers know that they are stealing their Social Security numbers and they will shortly come gunning for Social Security on Medicare. It is not acceptable that Collins remains largely mute to the coup that is occurring. And the rest of the Maine delegation isn’t much better.
Susan Collins hasn't stood up for anything for years, she always caves like a paper cup. But I implore you as a Mainer to contact her office every day and say exactly what you've just written. It helps. It's what we have to do.
I know she was bought years ago by the Federalist Society and like Republican packs/money machines. I know she is a coward. A scared rabbit. I know she is dumber than a post. I know she her judgment is very compromised and she has little common sense. I know her public statements are carefully crafted by others to make her sound thoughtful. I know her occasional votes against the most wretched of Trump’s appointees are framed to curry favor with Maine’s Democratic majority while offending her Trump and MAGA masters as least as possible. I know she hides from public view.
I know she needs the MAGA voters in the northern part of the state, and that many of those voters are getting scared with what Trump and Musk are doing and are likely to do to jeopardize their Social Security, Medicaid and drug prices. The word here is that they are calling her office and she’s getting nervous.
Dan, I'm glad that Main MAGAts are scared - they should be. I'm thrilled they're calling her office and making her nervous. She should be. Thanks for the update.
Dan, our other Senator, Angus King, gave a great Speech on the floor of the Senate, when the Democrats were filibustering the nomination of Russell Vought to be head of the office of Management & Budget. Sen. King urged Republicans not to confirm Vought.
There's a link on the Portland Press Herald web site.
Yes, she's always "concerned," then usually votes with the Right. She's useless.
Good advice. I nag my representative and senators almost daily.
Collins folded way back in 2017. She’s do oragam-i ed, that she probably tucks herself into an envelope before bed
So true but I am disappointed in Murkowski. Thought she had some spine left. Obviously not.
You would think Murkowski would be more strategic, but maybe she sees the Cheney’s and wondering where future is? Is it artic oil? Or much cheaper in the lower 48 fracking fields.
Murkowski is the oil industry & lobby. And now technology and social media have a higher capitalization than the entire oil industry. It’s really quite amazing how fast that happened. It’s ironic though because technology is gonna take a lot more energy. I think that’s why Bill Gates has invested so much and they make generation for reactors kind of a lot to weave there…sorry
Miss Susan is busy thinking all these malevolent folks have learned their lessons and will be better. She’s as delusional as my two Republican Senators. Delusion has infected all of them.
Thinking they're deluded gives them the benefit of the doubt. I lean more toward either cowardice (in the face of threats from T**** himself) or greed. They've consistently voted for things that would enrich themselves: it's why the economy tanks under Republican regimes and recovers under Democratic ones. Been that way all my time.
Delusional state brought on from getting filthy rich from insider trading. How will the corruption get better once Elon and the PayPal mafia are trillionaires?
Susan C doesn’t scream. She just frowns thoughtfully. She’s very concerned.
She only engages in pearl clutching in and expressing faux concern while she caves into Trump’s demands.
As all the rest of republican senators. I don't know why to expect something better ot of her.
Pain. It’s how humans learn. Protests protest protest. They won’t learn without experiencing discomfort. Never elect someone that can’t talk story about what they have suffered. No empathy, vote no.
Ted, you are 💯 % on target, now you have to shoot. 😄
Peaceful protest.
Wait, what??? Teslas have twice the average crash rate than the industry average? How did I not know that? That seems like information we would wanna rub u know who daily. No wonder he doesn’t like business regulation!
I have two friends who drive Teslas... I've been trying to not bring up their ownership. I know they had the best intentions when they bought them, but are probably wondering what to do now, especially since the sales have tanked (France is down sixty percent, per Rachel Maddow tonight).
A friend bought the first Tesla I ever saw. He would be the last person to support MAGA. I thought is was a cool car at the time. I caught Musk's vibe after he baselessly called the leader of the team who, with great difficulty, rescued students from a sea cave a "pedophile". Musk was miffed because the mini sub he sent wasn't used, but it was totally ill suited to the terrain. It was a difficult passage even for humans. Musk was forced to back off his claim by a lawsuit.
Where did that information come from?
It’s in the footnotes, from Road and Track.
Also reported on TRMS last night. Per Gail, here's R&T's article:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a62919131/tesla-has-highest-fatal-accident-rate-of-all-auto-brands-study/
I'm sure she's thinking cautiously about it.
Anne-Louise, she is "concerned" and clutching her pearls....and voting in lockstep.
HEH! HEH! HEH!
Senator Susan Collins is a jellyfish, with no discernible spine – the polar opposite of (and an insult to) a woman of integrity, Margaret Chase Smith. Mainers deserve much, much better, don't they?
Maine still allows women of integrity, proven by the fact that Heather Cox Richardson lives there.
But, Senator Collins said that she is “very concerned”. Surely that counts for something. /s
🙄
Dan, the Republicans in the House and Senate are either cowards or they agree with the authors of Project 2025 who understand this 👇 all too well.
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/
AND the destruction IS the point! 👇
https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/the-logic-of-destruction?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2rctb
https://bsky.app/profile/justinsg.bsky.social
She might be thinking about retirement and she is just revealing herself as what's she always was.
Sen. Collins has already announced her intention to run for re-election in 2026.
Maybe she's worried about a primary challenge.
It has been highly disturbing and frustrating that our elected members of Congress have been mostly feckless, asleep at the wheel. They had to spurred to action by our young and unafraid progressives such as AOC, Jasmine Crockett, and Maxwell Frost. This tells us that Chuck Schumer and others were acting as if things were normal until these fiery three said it was a five alarm fire! The majority of our members were asleep at the wheel! It is infuriating, to say the least. We have a pastey-white Nazi who has been given free rein to do what he wants with OUR government money. He employs 6 boys, barely out of high school, to be his army corp of tech engineers. I wonder what he promised them. All of the ketamine that they could have? All of the money they’ll never get? Small children? Porn? How is it that heir parents don’t know about this? Or do they?
Sheldon Whitehouse, Senator from Rhode Island has been investigating and openly talking about Project 2025 for the last 8 years. He brought his findings to the Senate floor. He was ignored. Yesterday, Mitch McConnell fell down twice and is unfortunately still alive. He is the devil incarnate and really, the reason that we are in the state that we’re in, although, I don’t believe he ever counted on Musk taking over the role of a devil larger than he. We fight! WE DON”T GIVE IN NOR DO WE GIVE UP! Bombard your senators and congresspeople relentlessly with calls and emails. Support businesses like Microsoft and Costco, Apple, Delta Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Tractor Supply for not getting rid of their programs.
Tractor Supply caved last summer. I’ve been boycotting ever since.
"When Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) joined the chorus parroting the lie, fact-checkers noted that her office is a subscriber: it paid $7,150 for a yearlong subscription starting last January."
OMG Investigate Boebert.
If her office subscribes to Politico Pro, it's probably the only information she gets that's anywhere near the truth. The rest of her sources are probably all Fox or its ilk: no wonder she comes off as such a twit.
On her part James, it's a total waste of money, not her money, but a a waste nevertheless. I don't think anybody in her office read a single line of Politico Pro, or anything else.
Or, maybe they do read it so they know what lies they need to tell.
They known Neil, they are natural born liers.
Distasteful, but yes, got to be done.
Bobert can argue that she only looks at the pictures, and doesn’t read the reports.
Hypocrites, JL, they are all Hypocrites.
Watching the new Treasury Secretary lie twice in the last few days is not very reassuring.
Maybe he picked up the habit from watching Trump's Supreme Court nominees brazenly lie on TV.
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent is so bad at Lying that even his own reflection looks skeptical.
What a great line! Suits the situation perfectly. ... :-)
“these are highly trained people” and “they are on read only”.. then he broke, “ I believe..
No way a 20 year old can be highly trained. Maybe in hacking!
the aviation thing is so dangerous I cannot believe that this is being allowed by Republicans to happen. Do they want to be crashing. I hope other countries respond by not allowing their planes to fly into the US as long as there is not a vetted Air Traffic control system.
This is terrifying. Let's just turn our air over to the sidekick musk. I worked in trying to upgrade various federal IT systems 30 years ago, and even then it was a mountain range of adaptations to so many considerations. I won't fly if he who won't be named comes even close to this nightmare.
That is how I feel. My daughter and I had to return to Europe after the holidays, and I wanted to be sure to be gone before Trump took over for just this reason. A friend of mine is already looking into getting to Canada by car and flying from there if she wants to go to Europe to get away. She is also looking into how to get to Europe by ship.
Her daughter is flying back to the US from Europe next week, so I know we hope Musk does not get this going yet, and I wonder how Air Force One is getting around with on air traffic controllers. And, my husband is coming to Europe soon. I hope he makes it here also before this happens.
Recently I read a piece about the dangerous stresses on air traffic controllers, but I would take an overtired controller who knows what they are doing over AI any day.In fact over AI run by Elon Musk, whose cars crash more than others. In fact, even though Musk has a big factory here in Germany, the European Musk hub, I just read that sales of Teslas have dropped 60% in January. My friend sold his and bought a Chinese E-car, because it is shameful in most states of Germany to be seen driving one. It is the opposite of a status symbol. And Germans who could not offload them are also putting on bumper stickers or magnets saying that they bought theres before Elon Musk went crazy. I would have never bought one, but I still would not drive one.
My recommendation is that Americans drive or take a train to a destination south to Mexico or North to Canada and then take a plane from there if Musk puts in AI in aviation.
I'm a retired airline professional and I just quit flying for the foreseeable future. A bunch of teenagers on ketamine and pizza can't possibly "fix" the FAA and ATC systems without f***ing things up. And now I hear that they're using AI. 🙄😬 I think we'll see a lot of dead people soon.
I'm surprised that, as I read chronologically through the 500+ comments as of 0630 PST, you are making the first comment regarding air traffic safety. I have three commercial pilots in my family (FedEx, United, and Horizon) and I am beyond terrified of what garbage the wunderkids are going to install. It. Ain't. A. Video. Game. There is a reason that, when declaring an emergency, ATC asks for "how many souls on board". It reminds us that it is living, breathing humans aboard the aircraft in distress.
I understand your worry and it is legitimate. It is something we should be writing to our elected representatives and asking them to write another bill for. It is not quite as bread and butter to ask for aviation to remain safe as it is to stop the White Supremacist haters working with Musk the WSH supreme from destroying our treasury, but it is part of the system that gets goods around and transports people. I am hoping all pilots in the US strike as well as Air traffic controllers if they mess with the system.
My first husband was a pilot which has upped my worry. Actually he was an architect first and he switched over to being a pilot. We lived in the Caribbean for his first job, where he was flying German, Austrian and Swiss tourists around and I was teaching in an international school. I learned about all sorts of corruption on that island as regards aviation and other things. So, I am fully aware of how fragile the system is, and where we were there were accidents. In fact, my husband lost his best friend there that way. That could have been him but we were in the States at the time, and his friend flew what would have been his flight. The planes were not properly maintained and his friend went down. My husband grew up on a farm in Germany and learned not only to fly planes but the maintain them too. I would be up in the air with him in the cockpit flying to the other side of the island and there were problems on that island with the air traffic controllers communications because they would ignore the pilots when they were busy. Hope for no distress. And, I think some of them did not have that good English. Anyway, there are rules, and Elon Musk, the great rule breaker is just a danger to the country and the planet.
As Nancy Pelosi once told Donald to his face, "With you, all roads lead to Russia."
We are about to witness an unsafe air travel environment that resembles that of Russia's.
I believe this is a component of a larger plan. When Hitler rose to power, the average citizen did not travel more than a few miles from home; news was not transmitted in real time. The only actions people knew about was what was happening in front of their own eyes down the street or across town, after the fact, on the radio, and even later, on movie newsreels.
Today, we get news from correspondents who fly to where it's happening and report from the scene. If air travel becomes sufficiently dangerous, journalists will be afraid and refuse to board planes, either private or commercial. When networks decide to rely on local affiliates, that may be impossible when the Trump-controlled FCC pulls their licenses. Trump's handlers have already demonstrated their plan to attack on almost innumerable fronts at once. A key factor in Donald's rise to power was his ability to manipulate the media. A key factor in his remaining in power is to CONTROL the media. One way to do that is to paralyze domestic travel.
It is also going to be a way to trap Americans in country, forcing their Christian Nationalist theocracy on everyone.
Today, in Olga Lautman's Trump Tyranny Tracker,
https://open.substack.com/pub/trumptyrannytracker/p/trump-tyranny-tracker-day-18?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
she talks about
Trump Establishes Task Force to Enforce Christian Nationalism
What Happened: Trump signed an executive order creating a task force to eliminate "anti-Christian bias," framing it as a defense of religious freedom. The move mirrors Russia’s state-backed Orthodox nationalism, where the government weaponizes religion to consolidate power and suppress dissent.
Why It Matters: This is a clear step toward state-enforced Christian nationalism, using federal power to privilege one religion while marginalizing others. Like Putin’s use of the Russian Orthodox Church to justify authoritarian control, Trump is leveraging Christianity to undermine secular governance and erode the separation of church and state.
Source: CNN
Now Andra Watkins explained Christian Nationalism to me in her Substack, and how Project 2025 was a CN Theocracy blueprint. We could see that in our Project 2025 reading group. I did not expect things to happen this quickly, but I can see why CNs do not care if aviation is safe because they believe that everything happens because God wills it, so they are willing to suspend disbelief. I am not anything close to a CN and so I cannot do that. In her piece on What is the New Apostolic Reformation, she explains how they have a different end of times beliefs from the other older branch of CNs.
https://andrawatkins.substack.com/p/what-is-the-new-apostolic-reformation?utm_source=publication-search
When you see what they are aiming us for, concern about aviation will not be there. In fact, I suspect most of them don't want to leave the US.
We have a Kleptocracy in the making.
The authors of Project 2025 understand this well 👇
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/
https://bsky.app/profile/justinsg.bsky.social
How could so many have voted for this? Oh, that’s right, they didn’t really know or care.
Please include those who chose to stay in their recliners and not bother to vote at all. They are just as complicit in bringing us to this awful mess.
Absolutely and why did they?
Actually THEY are the smart ones
"SMART?" Are you an example of that? Very strange.
Don’t feed troll, it’s distracting us
No, he's just "Rick Sender", of fame and renown.
Well here's my bottom line regarding the takedown, eliminations and wipe out of our Government Institutions. After spending half a life working in massive institutions these takedowns will result in massive chaos. First thing about bureaucracy is to never completely decapitate the head from the BEAST. To disregard the institutional memory results in a constant state of reinventing the wheel. It will take months maybe years to revamp these systems. Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security payments and health care reimbursement will come to a SCREECHING HALT AND WHO WILL SUFFER !
I spent enough of my very long career in three nations working for government and non-government international companies to know what you mean. Are they really so ignorant? Total destruction is their aim? And what will they do with it then - war games across the continent?
That's my thought, too. Do they really think what they are doing will make things better? Anarchy or dictatorship isn't fun to live in, even if you have money.
🙄
Troll, do not engage.
He hates the same people they hate.
I’m re-posting here from SubStack author Jay Kuo:
https://open.substack.com/pub/statuskuo?r=lw3j2&utm_medium=ios
Folks, a gentle reminder.
When there are important court filings and victories, it does no one any good to chime in with, “Yeah, but too late” or “They won’t abide by the court order anyway.”
There are at least three big problems with this response.
First, you are capitulating in advance. The first rule in fighting authoritarianism is not to give an inch. Saying we will lose or that it doesn’t matter is contributing to this cynicism.
Second, they are actually counting on your cynicism to win. If the left believes it cannot win, then it will not win. Don’t give them that victory so easily. Fight the urge to give voice to your darkest fears. As I like to remind folks, “Would you walk up to a paramedic trying to save a life and say, ‘Just give up, they’re going to die anyway’?” No. Then please don’t say that to the lawyers and the acitivists who are on the front lines in the court battles against the fascists.
Third, there is no evidence that this administration wants to expend political capital defying court orders. That is a quick ticket to losing a lot more later, as it gives the judicary reason to come down even harder. The goal of the ‘flood the zone’ technique is not to defy the orders in the cases they lose but to throw enough crap around that someone gets nailed with it or they draw a sympathetic judge. And remember, even this Supreme Court has some limits on what it will do for Trump, and it absolutely cannot hear every case. Not even close.
So when I or others post wins, please amplify them, and check yourself if you’re inclined to pee in the Cheerios in the comments. If you’re feeling that way, remind yourself that this is EXACTLY what Trump and Musk want you to feel, then resist it with all you have.
As you were.
re "a disastrous national security development":
It's no longer a rarity in America, but a daily happening – the default setting – in the horrifying Trump-Musk regime. We're seeing, in real time, two massive egos ruining this once-admirable nation of ours.
And everyone's missed that the final memo the Bimbo of Belsen put out yesterday after she was sworn in as Attorney General of the Department of Injustice is to direct the Civil Rights Office - once the government's leader in the fight to end Jim Crow - to go after PRIVATE COMPANIES that have DEI programs (Like Costco, which just reaffirmed their commitment to an open and fair system) and prosecute them for "violating the law." So now the people who fought Jim Crow are directed to reimpose Jim Crow. "If my thought dreams could be seen, they'd put my head in a guillotine." Let us please have the bird flu pandemic and the scumbags are all unvaccinated and they catch it and DIE.
I hope no one here has even the germ of an idea that John Cornyn is a good guy. He only looks good when compared with the biggest idiot in Texas Ted Cruz. But Texas has bigger and better idiots than any other state. Include Kay Granger with the idiots. Texas is in the bully brigade. More evil and MAGAts than any other state, and that’s an accomplishment
Hah. Tennessee here. We're smaller, but number of magats per square mile is higher.
MO is right up there, too.
Not a good idea TC, we'll die with them and nobody decent will be left to repair this country. 😄
Absolutely disgusting, TC.
TC, your wish is predicated on there being a vaccine available to save the sane. With JFKJR in charge of policy and Musk cutting off funding, I think that availability is quickly vanishing. You might be able to get vaccinated in another country, but do you really want to fly in Musk's skies?