During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump distanced himself from Project 2025, a plan for a second Trump term prepared by a number of right-wing institutions led by the Heritage Foundation.
HCR, you have a singular ability to explain things clearly, with appropriate historical context, and yet after reading your articles I feel energized to get back into the fray and work again. I don’t feel despair, as I do with some other writers. Bless you.
You are one of a few with courage. Condmemning Trump actions dictatorial and unconstitutional has one word extra. Only operational criticism is "unconstituional." We need to eliminate inoperative opinions. Weekly polls by major medias can help and are likely only measure they can do now.
The Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society encourage Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional behavior under their theory of the unitary executive. I believe this whole concept unconstitutional as it violates the separation of powers in the Constitution and also places the president above the law, which the Founders never intended.
The democrats need to come out of their funk, and march out on the steps with bullhorns, read a scrip written by Tim Walz and call this bull shit bull shit! We are angry and yet where are they?! Each day a chart of what Americans want and how this isn’t it! every day, on the steps…
Writing your Congress people and asking them to construct a coherent and daily response…feed to social media gap. Walz was great yesterday…god I wish he was VP but the Custerfxxk of the house and senate would have been horrible! We need to put it all back on their plates, Not American! Not Christian! Not Competent, in fact Incontinent!
When is Impeachment an option ??? Why isn't it an option ??? How illegal do the actions need to get ?? Maybe if they KNOW it will actually get thru ? Just thinking out load here
I just left a message for Sen Graham. I am his constituent, and personally I am sure he knows all this is wrong, but also knows that for Republicans, Trump is the "be-all, end-all."
Jeff Merkley is one of my senators. He's getting both a call and an email from me today, as are Ron Wyden (other senator), Val Hoyle (my representative, and Jannelle Byrum (the district north of me and who I donated money to in her very close election campaign.)
They may not ‘care’ but at least for a bit they must pretend! And if they overstep perhaps the Maggots may revolt! My wife likes the image of a March on Washington, along with a work-stoppage..think Gandhi. Maybe we can finally throw off the shackles of the toxic culture of evangelical sexism and racism, puritanical laws and persecution, and learn that the ‘puritanicals’ were being kicked out and killed half their people in their zeal and surety! Add ‘The Heritage Foundation’ who is violating our American truth with their bizarre view of strong men ruling over the weak.
I'm tempted to call them "Kayfabe Kristian Kleptocrats"
Since then, I watched Rachel Madow's Jan 28th show with the segment on J.D.Vance and Curtis Yarvin's thoughts. What would better fit a a party like my old one (I left in 1996 when Elizabeth Warren did), when they talk about replacing our government with a Corporate CEO otherwise known as a Dictator.
Maybe "anti-KKK" or "a-KKK" buttons and challenge coins with the Kayfabe Kristian Kleptocrats" in very small text would attract some attention as conversation starters.
I listened to a very good Ted talk: "Beware, fellow Plutocrats, the pitchforks are coming" by Nick Hansuer. Nick Hanauer is a rich guy, an unrepentant capitalist - and he has something to say to his fellow plutocrats: Wake up! Growing inequality is about to push our societies into conditions resembling pre-revolutionary France. Hear his argument about why a dramatic increase in minimum wage could grow the middle class, deliver economic prosperity ... and prevent a revolution.
Kenneth if this is the article he wrote a number of years ago, it is great. I’ve remembered it and I do know where my pitchfork is, and I know how to use it!
How the SCOTUS will deal with these cases as they work their way up the legal ladder is the ultimate test of whether king donald is anointed. He could appoint more judges. How much destruction of our democracy will the public allow? We are watching a parade of independent voices from the MSM. Our main weapon is to turn away from using them and also to avoid Amazon, FB, X and Tesla and boycott the oligarchs.
You have brought out possibly a break through counter offense. DEMs could sue Trump executive orders in violation of the Constituion in terms of the separation of power. All hearings will stop till this suit is taken up by SCOTUS.
You're absolutely right. Russell Vought was also the involved in this as well. Question is, their are 73 million people in this country that know the constitution is being violated and believe in Democracy, what are we going to do about it?
But SCOTUS already placed DonOLD above the law so now he has (or thinks he has) precedence. Not legal but never stopped this racist lying asshole before.
Donald now has no limit on his powers and his ability to redirect federal money. He could opt to turn the US into a complete dictatorship like North Korea, a whorehouse, a religious community, a bitcoin company, or a slave nation. Shame on you, SCOTUS and Republicans. There are no grounds to Impeach Trump.
Sooz--there are many on Substack with clear voices (Paul Krugman, Robert Reich, Jennifer Rubin, Joyce Vance, etc.)
This was posted on the Hopium Chronicles today--
If there was an upside to this dark day Democrats across the country at all levels of government loudly rose up against the latest acts of our Mad Orange Wannabe King. It appeared to have woken us from our collective slumber, as the threat Trump clearly represents became impossible to ignore. Can we compete with Trump, contest his out of control Administration, score some wins in the coming days?
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a
pendentithesenale Approprations commitlee is condeming President Trump's unlawful direction to unilaterally blockage all federal grant funding.
federal grant funding.
"Our economy, our healthcare system, our schools, our law
enforcement and fire departments, our newborns, our elders, our
veterans - everyone, everywhere in New Mexico. President Trump
is attempting to shove all of this over a cliff." said Heinrich.
"In New Mexico alone, Trump's blockade on federal funding will make
it impossible for thousands to pay rent on February 1st, force tens
of thousands of New Mexico students to drop out of college without
Pell Grant funding, close hundreds of preschool programs across
the state, deprive 7 out of 10 New Mexico children their daily lunch,
and cut off federal Medicaid reimbursement - impacting 7 out of
10 nursing home residents, 55% of newborn births, and all health
care providers in our state.
Heinrich continued, "Trump is clearly willing to pummel New
Mexicans and the American economy for his twisted and deranged
agenda and fragile ego. But the Constitution is clear: the president cannot override, delay, or rescind Congress's funding laws. We passed these laws to help working families get ahead table and create jobs New Mexicans can build their families
around. I will fight like hell to undo this brazen, barbaric blockade
from this wannabe dictator and his weird billionaire lackeys.'
The Constitution explicitly gives Congress, not the president,
the power of the purse. The president does not have the power to
override spending laws that Congress has passed and the president
on the table and create jobs New Mexicans can build their families
around. I will fight like hell to undo this brazen, barbaric blockade
from this wannabe dictator and his weird billionaire lackeys.'
. Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of theConstitution says: "No Money shall be drawn , but in Consequence of Appropriations made byLaw." Fact sheets from the Senate and House Appropriations Committees detailing how presidents lack power to unilaterally override......
First, a new Reuters poll suggests Trump has already overreached, as his approval rating has already taken a 9 point hit:
Jan 21 - 47% approve, 39% disapprove (+8)
Jan 28 - 45% approve, 46% disapprove (-1)
We will see if these results are replicated in other polls but this one sure shows that Trump is struggling out of the gate
Yes Gary, and I like your list. I'm just added Jim Acosta to my list as well. Robert Reich said yesterday that this spending freeze is illegal. After reading HCRs explanation I now feel like I know why. I'm not a lawyer and I've had trouble understanding Joyce Vance at times but I hope I live long enough to see the day that she is a Supreme Court Justice. As you said, many clear voices. Now we just need someone who can fit all of that on a hat or a tweet or a bumper sticker. Jim Acosta maybe?
Jim is one of the good ones for sure. CNN has drifted way to the right over the past couple of years. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jake Tapper jump ship at CNN as well.
On that topic, I found this video enlightening. Many of us share your suspicion, but there's nothing like having it confirmed by someone who "was there." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOhaNDajMhI
I totally agree but with SCOTUS giving him essentially a “get out of jail free card” it seems he thinks he can break any law he wants to with impunity.
I agree-the Republican Party is 100% responsible for all of this. We need to change the narrative from… trump did… to The Republicans are responsible for…
Also all those who voted for him. It will take lots of time to mount Court challenges, hearings and appeals. In the meantime, king Trump rules and we have the unitary executive. Is it time for mass protests?
Hiro -- Jim Acosta gets my vote for Courage and Truth in today's LFAA"
"Today, CNN host Jim Acosta, a Trump critic, announced on air he was leaving the channel after its management tried to move him to a middle-of-the-night slot. “People often ask me if the highlight of my career at CNN was at the White House covering Donald Trump,” Acosta said. “Actually, no. That moment came…when I covered…President Barack Obama’s trip to Cuba in 2016 and had the chance to question the dictator there, Raul Castro, about the island’s political prisoners. As the son of a Cuban refugee I took home this lesson: It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant. I’ve always believed it is the job of the press to hold power to account. I’ve always tried to do that here at CNN and I plan on…doing…that in the future. One final message: Don’t give into the lies. Don’t give into the fear. Hold onto the truth and to hope. Even if you have to get out your phone, record that message: I will not give in to the lies. I will not give into the fear. Post it on your social media.”
Here, here. Jim Acosta gets my vote for standing up and speaking out the truth. Especially about dictatorship but he also encouraged us to hold strong.
Respectfully, I suggest that there are many millions with courage. Professor Richardson has the superior ability to articulate history, even history as it occurs daily, in such a way that the reader can articulate just as clearly how that telling aligns with oneself.
The message at the end from Jim Acosta says everything. I also encourage all to record it in their rhetoric.
It is our weapon from the Light to preserve our freedom from tyranny.
We are all in this together. There is enough to go around.
Those millions were not on live on national television on CNN having the voice and courage to do what many in the communications world are not: stand up against the trump regime. This is why we sometimes pause and honor an individual actions. These people give us hope and promise.
Welcome, sister grammarian. Democrat is a noun, Democratic is an adjective. Do not be confused by Republican, which cannot make up its mind which one it wants to be so it is both noun and adjective. Currently, I would also add it to the definition of either vulgarity or profanity; they might understand my point better if I called it a blasphemy, but who knows?
It was Karl Rove who got his party to replace Democratic with Democrat in order to demean the Democratic Party. Alas, our own people accepted and adopted that. Thanks for calling it out.
Roundly, and soundly, I completely reject your Prophet of Doom thesis. See where you are, or get out man ! The profoundness of our circumstance is sheer horror, yes, but giving advice that we should commence running around in circles howling is destructive, as it is offensive. Grow some steel in your spine man, and try offering comfort to those perhaps more afflicted by their life's circumstances than you are. Maybe ask, "How may I be of service" as Ram Dass told us once at a speaking event. Avoidance of caving in to this crap is rule #1 according to Dr Timothy Snyder as he urges us to avoid doing. so at all cost. Love and hard work are more plausible answers, not fear. and despair. In Dylan's words, "know your song well before you start singing it."
Hard work needs to be “smart work” coupled with hope, optimism and enthusiasm!!!
Ohhh, and there are those who blame the trump voters - how about the significant numbers of those who voted for Biden/Harris in 2020 - but failed to vote in 2024 - and those legally registered voters who just find it so easy just not voting at all???
I actually blame those Democrats that didn't vote more than the Retrump;icans. The Retrumumplicans are brainwashed cult followers, while the Democracts shouldv'e been more informed. I really don't understand how ANYONE could take our responsibility, as well as our right to vote for granted. Good to see the Democrats in Congress and our state governments pushing back though. Sure hope our RIGHT TO VOTE still stands come 2026!!
The lunatics have indeed taken over the asylum and are wreaking havoc. What is enlightening, is the fragile eco-system that is geopolitics, aid and diplomacy now that it's being disrupted. Listening to a Dr today talking about how providing aid to 3rd world countries keeps health epidemics in check, such as blood born viruses, deadly diseases and flu's which would quickly spread otherwise. It seems overnight my Instagram feed has been flooded with anti-trump sentiment - like every man and his dog - making the odd 'normal' post seem ludicrous. The fact that people should have been shouting this stuff from the rooftops last year doesn't matter, it's happening NOW.
Aww thanks Ricardo, try and stop me lol. You are not alone. We are not alone. Heather’s nightly letters have created this beautiful community and I feel honoured to be part of it. Keep on truckin my friend.
Bill, I've thought better of my blatherings on occasion, but usually I post them late in the day, so they get very few views by then. But some reading this might strongly disagree with this.
Anyway, yesterday I blocked James A. When I went to block him I noticed he fancies himself as an intellectual. I laughed out loud drawing strange looks from my wife, my dog and the cat. (I'm not sure you one really "possesses" a cat).
We have had so few MAGAts comment here since I have been enjoying the camaraderie of this comment section. Nice that we can opt out of the Fascist mis- and dis-information.
Gary, exactly! And in actuality, James A's little bio used to be even more flowery with self-described attributes. I can't recall it all, but it was really hilarious with a long explanation of his intellectual prowess. I called him out by saying that being termed an "intellectual" was a term bestowed by others, not self appointed. He eventually changed his long bio to those few words.
I wonder if when NOBODY responds to him, if he'll figure out he's been blocked by the entire forum. (I have seen him littering the comment section of other Substacks as well, which is interesting as generally you need paid subscriptions to comment and he had whined that he lived "near poverty" status.
Gary, as soon as I saw his name, I removed him. I keep hoping that no one will reply and he will get tired of whistling in the wind. I know I am winding up to give someone defending death star a nasty response, but i will save it for people who claim to be friends with someone and then pollute their threads and clearly have voted in such a way to harm the people they call friends.
No!!! The American people DID NOT LIKE IT. So Trump lied and the people who voted him in believed him. How people can believe an unmitigated liar is beyond my ken.
It was obvious what they were going to do. They wrote it down in detail. They publicised it. It was public knowledge..... and the American people voted for it, Elizabeth
Christopher, what they "liked" was what their mis and dis "information" sources fed them (and to be fair, they wanted it and more of it all the time), reality be damned. I have friends today who are denying that anything that is happening coming from the oval office is at all related to Project 2025. They are nucking futs.
I know too many MAGAts that get 100% of their political information from FOX. It's not only that they are misinformed but they also aren't exposed to the real CFDT and what a total moron he is.
Christopher, many have no idea of what Project 2025 says despite being warned. Death star's voters are tuned in to those places that extol him and perpetuate his lies. Some people voted for him because they calculated that they would not be harmed. Now they know if they are paying attention at all.
Ally, I am winding up to really give someone a rage rant. I can do this while still being polite. OK, i confess that i told someone that their post was stupid.
I hope all of them get hurt no more, no less than the rest of us. They'll pay attention, at least the ignorant portion of them ,when they start feeling the pain . As for the stupid portion of voters,unfortunately there's no cure or hope for them.
Christopher,I understand your sentiment, but do you really think this B.S. will only affect the US? You my be in a better place, but you will NOT be uneffected!
Unfortunately, providing more clarity as to how trump is attempting to implement Project 2025 and wield abject and unilateral power does not soften my despair, but it also does not dissipate my vigilance....
I am in awe of Prof. Richardson’s ability to state the bald facts so dispassionately. I would be quivering with rage verbally covering the same ground.
I wish I felt that way. This was so depressing and only a week has gone by. Alienating our neighbors in the north and south. Threatening everyone with disastrous tariffs which will hurt everyone. Threatening military use in Greenland and Panama. Threatening Columbia because they refused an unannounced military transport planes to land in their country. never mind about the federal employees, DEI hires, at home workers. Stopping WIC and HeadStart programs. I am overwhelmed. I think I will go back to Facebook and rewatch my Niktwist reels to calm me down. love the music (electronic Sounds of Silence).
Thank you as always for this Professor Richardson, and for your tireless efforts.
I find myself these days cursing every American who voted for this. Cutting off school programs that help feed our children are particularly egregious. The cost to the country for depriving children of food assistance, which these cuts reportedly do, alone will prove incalculable and enormous. Underfed children means children who don't develop properly intellectually or physically. It means behavioral and health problems later in life. The human cost is enormous . . . but so, too, is the economic cost. And this is not my opinion, this is the simple reality that any pediatrician can tell to you as well.
As an American living in France I can tell you that his sweeping and unconstitutional assault on the federal government is the top story in the country's newspapers this morning. France has its problems, but my French friends, neighbors, even casual acquaintances, are mortified by his cruelty and desire for chaos, as they should be.
Trump supporters have sown the wind. But we all are going to reap the whirlwind.
I don't blame Trump voters who for the most part are the same as those in 2016. I blame the 10 m that voted for Biden that didn't show up for Harris.
In general I agree with Hobbes 1651, that the purpose of government follows from its undisputed monopoly on violence to protect us from the "nature of man". However, the sovereign's duty is also to fulfill the Social Contract, clearly articulated in the 6 aspirations of the Preamble of the Constitution.
1- Form a more perfect Union.
2- Establish Justice.
3- Insure domestic tranquility.
4- Provide for the National Defense.
5- Promote the General Welfare.
6-Secure the Blessing of Liberty for ourselves and our posterity.
Memorize these 6 and write your representative where it appears the government is in default and demand an explanation!
My complaint about Trump is in the term Establish Justice - to be clear here is what ChatGPT says. I agree.
In the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, the phrase “establish justice” refers to the goal of creating a system of fairness and lawfulness in the nation. It signifies the intention of the Founding Fathers to ensure that laws would be fair, equally applied, and provide remedies for wrongs. This includes the establishment of courts and legal processes to resolve disputes, protect individual rights, and maintain social order.
By “establishing justice,” the government is tasked with creating a legal framework that upholds equality before the law and promotes fairness in the application of legal rules and standards.
I do hold the Trump voters accountable. The situation in this election was entirely different than 2016. Trump caused a violent insurrection in 2021, stole vital US gov documents and wouldn't return them, tried to force Georgia to throw out votes, paid off a porn star, committed financial fraud, raped a woman in a department store. Need I go on? And I do hold third party candidates accountable and people who could not be bothered to vote (not the threatened gerrymandered ones).
And there is misinformation, racism and misogyny. My brother and sister in law are "willing" participants in, not "victims" of, propaganda, willingly watch Fox Entertainment when they could inform themselves of the truth in myriad ways.
Christian beliefs exert an extraordinary influence over the nation - unfortunately in our schools and in our courts, now permeating many branches of our government. Religious beliefs are no way to govern a modern world. Way too many Americans have a fealty to dangerous strains of religion - they identify with a hate movement, they hold superstitous approach to scientific explanations - I could go on....And of course, Trump, elevated by his Christian followers, being super religious (ha ha) combines his devotion with numerous love affairs, lying (a violation of one of the 10 commandments) and more. I'll stop here....
never cared for religion. especially in light of the coverups of priests, swindling folks of their money to but planes, You don't need it to be kind and not hurtful. Theseme. Evangelists or whatever they call themselves who have preachers promoting trump from the pulpits-not for
I wish my Dad were alive. He was a republican. He served in WWII and Korea as well was in the Reserves and National Guard. He was even sent to Germany when the Wall was an issue. His parents were immigrants from Eastern Europe. I'm not sure how he would feel about the illegal immigrants, but I wonder how he would feel about a draft dodger insulting true military soldiers who have served their country.
Wendyl, there is both mis and dis information afoot. The "information" that they get simply feeds what they want to hear. My poster child for that is a friend who, when I posted a photo the FBI took at Merde a Lardo that had all those boxes of classified documents stored next to a 🚽, told me that the photo was from Biden's house in Delaware.
Ally, I agree that "the information they get is simply what they want to hear." Not enough attention is paid to the fact that people CHOOSE what to listen to and believe, even in the so called information deserts. Granted many are brought up from infancy to hate the liberals. Hard to overcome that indoctrination. I think there are certain personality characteristics that seem to predispose one to hate, lack of empathy, bigotry. I see it in my own family. My brother and his wife are well-off resentful bigots, racist, Trump voters, rabid "christian". All the rest of us are not, more the opposite.
Yes, we wind up being responsible for our choices, although when beliefs are instilled by way of PTSD from infancy its a hard place to break out from. I have seen multiple studies that show abusers tend to be those who were abused themselves. The two most basic ways to affect human behavior are punishment and love. Punishment is easier. I see a role for it, mostly as a last resort, but not brutality. It's weird to hate liberals per se. "Liberal" and "liberty" share the same Latin root. I think of "liberty and justice for all as a "liberal" position. When it applies to ALL, I mean.
I couldn’t agree with you more. They wanted cruelty, and now they’re getting it, but so is the rest of the world, who didn’t have an opportunity to cast a ballot.
They (Trump voters) believed the liar or all they cared about is that Trump would obliterate “woke” culture. Regardless of why they voted this corrupt, immoral, cruel man into office, we need to be asking ourselves how we get the cows back into the barn??? How do we resist and stem this evil tide that is trying mightily to take over our government and ruin our lives ??? How????????
Elizabeth, watch Heather Cox Richardson’s Facebook talks. She has a very broad perspective, being a historian, and great advice on activism. Check out the new substack The Contrarian with a lot of the finest minds and hearts and activists in many fields with many suggestions on how we resist. Robert Hubbell, Joyce White Vance and many others on Substack.
Many of the LFAA readers also support other like minded Substacks and YouTube channels.
Might I remind everyone to hit the LIKE button every time, which I am told helps promote the substack or YouTube channel and increase their visibility?
Trump thinks he is a sovereign, but we are not supposed to have one. Rather we are supposed to chose an administrator who carries out the public's agenda, not his or her own, in concert with a limited but independent legislature of representatives, and an impartial judiciary. As for the latter, the iconic images of "blind justice" does not signal indifference to the evidence and truth but to socioeconomic status; and certainly to partisanship. Relatively minor prejudices can keep one off a jury (though oddly not from judges robes; is that really "blind justice" ?
Given Enlightenment underpinnings of foundation of government, there is a certain amount of empirical thinking embedded in courtroom procedure (more so than the other branches) of presentation and cross examination of logic and evidence, reminiscent of the scientific method. Courts do not or should not suffer proven liars gladly. Neither should we.
Trump keeps calling it his agenda and not the people's agenda.
Why did they bother having Trump say the Presidential oath of office when he broke it when he signed the first unconstitutional and illegal EO within an hour of being sworn in.
We have the power to fight back against the oligarchs. Stop buying stuff at national chains like Walmart, The Home Depot, Amazon, Kroger's, Tesla, etc. and instead purchase from local mom and pop stores.
We have the power to hurt the oligarchs. And besides, these companies have been driving local companies out of business for the last 40 years, it's time they realize we are mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore.
That wasn't an accident. Thanks to Mary Anne Trump, the family had a very tenuous association with the Presbyterian church, mostly for social purposes rather than any devout beliefs. Still, little Donald's name is found on the Sunday School records of First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, NY. He would have been subjected to the Calvinist dogma taught in those classes, including the risk of eternal damnation for breaking a vow or oath.
Although Donald never acquired a moral compass, vestiges of that early religious indoctrination linger in his feeble mind. As the 4-year-old crosses his fingers behind his back while telling a lie, Donald thought that by not placing his hand on the bibles while he took the oath, he was technically not taking the oath, therefore not required to keep the promises he made while reciting the oath, thus avoiding eternal damnation. If only eternal damnation were a thing!
And Gary, why wouldn’t he put his hand on the Bible during the oath that apparently means nothing to him? The Bible held by his wife? Anyone asking what that fairly obvious bit of theatre was intended to convey? Especially to his “Christian” supporters?
Too late for that. Trump just waltzed through Merchan's court. Yes, he was found guilty but no sentence-nada not even a fine! I realize that all of the delay was to make it look like the judge was not partial, yet trumpers still claimed witch hunt, persecution, etc. So, his conviction shows up on the record. big deal. He has no respect for democratic ideals, none for the Constitution. If you want to punish someone, go after whatever it is he values most. For trump it would be power and money.
Aaron, the authors of Project 2025 and Trump turn these 6 goals on their head - following the script of Mein Kampf and implementing the frightful fiction of George Orwell’s 1984 and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
Their “more perfect Union” is a White Christian nation; “Justice” is to persecute those who oppose their effort; insuring “domestic tranquility” means quashing any protests, using the military and violence to defeat “America’s enemies” (“We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.” Kevin Roberts); “provide for the National Defense” by pardoning violent insurrectionists and traitors and strengthening these Brownshirt militias; “Promote the General Welfare” only of those who support or cower to their malevolence; and “secure the Blessings of Liberty for” themselves, their White Christian nation and their supporters. These people are pure Seditionists who seek to destroy the very foundation of America.
I find solace and hope in reading The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz, Today’s Edition by Robert Hubbell, The Contrarian by Jen Rubin and Norm Eisner and, of course, Letters from an American by Professor Cox-Richardson. And, of course, I take small but hopefully consequential actions recommended by Timothy Snyder; Jessica Craven in Chop Wood, Carry Water; Indivisible; and Marc Elias of Democracy Docket.
We need to stand together to defeat these Seditionists.
While voter turnout in 2024 was about 66% - a record high, there were still 89 million eligible voters who didn't have the patriotism, good sense or morality to show up.
And yes, among them were Biden voters.
So some perspective for a nation that loves its phones and big TVs more than democracy itself, some rough numbers that make me want to scream:
Trump: 77 million
Harris: 75 million
Those who were disillusioned, mentally or morally broken, or who just don't think government matters, or "both parties are the same", who leave it to others to guide the nation, lazy ass slobs, who take their lifestyles for granted - and no excuses accepted by me pieces of poop:
89 MILLION
In Australia, Federal elections see over 90% participation. Why? Because it is mandatory. Being lazy is not an excuse.
I think the blame here gets complicated. History amply shows that power tends to corrupt, especially to the degree it is not held accountable, and I think that our society fails to teach or promote how essential informed voting is to a free and just society. A government of, by and for the people splits ultimate governmental authority into equal shares of choice AND responsibility for chosen outcomes. How could it be self-government any other way?
My experience is not statistically significant of course, but throughout my lifetime I have experienced voting framed as a share of personal choice, with little said about social responsibility for outcome that affect not only *me* but many, possibly millions of others, especially those already most deprived. Thousands of Democrats vowed not to vote because of Biden's support of Netanyahu, as a firm moral stance, and as much as I too was offended by Biden's position, the only practical alternatives of enabling Trump seemed far more dangerous. We evolved to be a social, cooperative species. We are more secure and at out best when we can march to the beat of our own drummer, yet look out for one another. I think that's what Lincoln was talking about.
Sadly, Bern, 1/3 to nearly 1/2 of the electorate have not voted since "forever", certainly no different than when i was a kid, that's the 50s of the previous century btw.
There is a lot of blame to go around. Top of the list is the feckless Corporate Old Guard Democratic leadership. We have to dump Pelosi, Schumer, Clinton, Clyburn, Obama and move ahead.
The Democrats abandoned working people. So working people abandoned the Democrats.
And yet, David, (presumably not any known relation to me -- there are a LOT of people who share our last name), Republicans were never behind "working people". So why would they vote for leaders who were blatantly saying what they would do to all except the rich? End unions. Fire masses of Americans. Take away support services for the needier in our population, including school kids. Take away health care insurance for millions on Medicaid. The list goes on, David, and yet you blame Democrats.
David, your comment is a waste of keystrokes leading to that "clever" bumper sticker at the end.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz spoke almost entirely about creating a beneficial environment for working people. Nancy Pelosi gave master classes in marshaling disparate Democrats and deftly sidestepping Republicans to pass legislation that benefitted working people. Barack Obama shepherded the Affordable Care Act through a hostile legislature to benefit working people who need affordable healthcare. I could continue.
Indeed, Democrats have accepted donations from large donors because thanks to Citizens United, that is how the political game is now played in the U.S. But unlike Republicans, Democrats DO NOT cater to the whims of their large donors at the expense of working people.
Throw down your sniper's rifle and do something productive with your time.
Aaron, I do blame those voters who either saw nothing wrong with the garbage that he did in his first term as well as those who seem to crave more of the same.
Here is what Hobbes said about punishment but in simpler language.
It is also the responsibility of the ruler to properly apply punishments and rewards. Punishment is not about revenge or anger, but about correcting the offender or setting an example for others. The most serious punishments should be for crimes that pose the greatest threat to society, such as those driven by hatred of the government, disrespect for justice, actions that stir public anger, or crimes committed by the privileged (like sons or favorites of those in power), which, if left unpunished, may seem accepted. People tend to rebel not only against those who commit injustice but also against any authority that protects them, as seen in the case of Tarquin, whose son’s misconduct led to the end of his reign and the monarchy in Rome.
However, crimes committed due to weakness, such as under great provocation, fear, need, or ignorance of the severity of the offense, can sometimes be treated with leniency without harming society, and such leniency is supported by natural law. Punishing the leaders and instigators of a rebellion, rather than the misled followers, benefits the state. Harsh treatment of the people only punishes their ignorance, which may be partly the ruler’s fault for not educating them properly.
Thank you for your comments. I have been struggling to be able to verbalize my thoughts and concerns. You gave me concise talking points. Thanks. Do you have a podcast?
There are many good YouTube channels. I've frequently mentioned them, and some I learned of from the forum here. I particularly like "Belle of the Ranch" and I urge anyone who is unfamiliar to PLEASE watch just one (I'll include a link to one from yesterday that has me concerned). She lays out FACTS in a clear and concise manner, and in generally about 3 minutes.
I've already mentioned that by subscribing (it's free), watching a video AND hitting the "like" button pushes these videos up in the algorithm. Belle has MAGA watching her, as her clips often report on a contradictory email she receives regarding her videos. Each one of us, by doing this simple action, helps stomp out misinformation!
No, but one day I'll get my non-profit educational think-tank going to require schools to cultivate foresight to anticipate situations like this and good judgment to avoid them.
Sounds good in theory, but how many countries even attempt to do that. Obviously, the American republican government is not about that since the leader of "the free world" has decided to use Orbán's and Putin's.
He halted funding for all sorts of programs that help people even though he has lied and said he didn't-- Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, housing assistance. All programs intended to help underpaid Americans. They say they want women to have babies, but then they do everything they can to hinder their ability to support a family.
There might also be a political cost. Surely many of the recipients of this aid will either be Trump supporters or be related or known to them. They will wonder whether Trump's solution to their own personal cost-of-living crises is to simply allow them to starve to death. It's early days yet, but in one of the first electoral tests of this administration, the Democrats flipped a state senate seat in Iowa.
David and I just rented an apartment in Toulouse in September - exploring other venues for future escapes. I speak French, studied in France, have friends in Paris, love France - looking into short term visas, etc.
We don't need more air pollution. I'd rather hear that his carcass is lying at the bottom of the ocean alongside the other sociopath, Saddam. With no grave, he'd be easier to forget.
Felon #47's firehose of egregious freezes leaves us to play whack-a-mole. As in his first four years of chaos, it's impossible to keep track, like the icebergs we see on the surface with massive reserves we can't see beneath.
The media is failing to understand The Fork In The Road letter sent to all federal employees
It is *not* a payout or buyout.
There is no financial incentive being offered.
Please read the letter carefully.
You don't get to "quit now," (stop work) and get paid through September. You just get to say now that you will take a "deferred resignation" with the end of your work and pay effective at the end of September. They will decide what you do and how much you work between now and then. If you are lucky your workload could go down if they are actually winding down your department. Your position might even be eliminated and you might just be put on administrative leave if they really don't like the function for which your department is responsible. But you also must agree " I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition during my remaining time at my employing agency" meaning if you are not so lucky as to have your whole department eliminated you will likely face a steadily increasing workload as other employees in your department take earlier departures for another job.
There is no buyout. No financial incentive. The only "incentive" is that you "will be exempt from any “Return to Office” requirements" - which have not yet been defined and won't be until long after the next Thursday deadline for accepting this resignation letter.
It is just a pure extortion pressure tactic to scare people into leaving government employ. The letter has clear language indicating that they will purge people who are not "reliable, loyal, trustworthy..." Anyone who engages in "misconduct" will be "prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination."
Note that this applies to the entire federal workforce, with the notable exception of "military personnel of the armed forces, employees of the U.S. Postal Service, those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security," (USPS is a separate entity not directly a part of the federal workforce).
This is a random chaotic purge, as thoughtful and carefully designed as the earlier proposal to eliminate every employee whose social security number ended in an odd number.
Fast to break, slow to rebuild. This administration is doing generational damage to the US government.
Please be very skeptical in your read of reporting on the actions of this administration and don't buy their framing.
In my starry-eyed vision….these folks would all report for duty as normal and do the jobs they are meant to do….TFFFG’s directive notwithstanding—especially if any “orders” are not considered legal. Sigh, wish I had a bottomless pit of money (oh! like Musk’s!) to bankroll them whilst they do so. Rebellion from within. Well, I can dream of it anyway….
Last night, my niece said that her department was being defunded.
Her job is to protect family members by removing one or both guardians from the home who are either sexually or physical abusive or unable to care for their families because they are addicted to drugs or alcohol or are so depressed they cannot function.
Her department removes the abusive parent and then it is her job to gather testimony from the abused child(ren) or spouse. She had a 100% conviction rate until a judge refused to watch video evidence of a step-father abusing a 4 year old child. The judge retired a few weeks later. Typical of many Trumpets the judge didn't believe that someone could physically abuse a child in that manner.
Anyway, her entire department has been defunded and the governor is backing up Trump. The governor also said that he would assist ICE when they arrest brown and black people suspected of being in the US without valid documentation.
Please tell your daughter her work matters and that people across the country are fighting for her work to continue. We all must do the next good thing — no matter how small — and whatever acts of resistance in our power.
With millions of jobs like your niece’s being eliminated, how will state’s unemployment offices be able to handle the mess? And apparently any federal fund backup will be gone as well. Pure chaos ahead!
I am in a dark mood with black humor. I imagine the unemployment wages will not be paid--after all, IT'S A HANDOUT!!--and those people can be put onto farms to do the picking.
I can see Trump brushing off his tiny hands and declaring victory: reduced unemployment to zero, solved the agriculture issue, and reduced the federal budget with one swoop! SO MUCH WINNING.
Then, he picks up his golf club, hauls the girth up on the cart, and away he goes.
I cannot "like" this, Gary. I am sad to say there are judges who are like that in my area as well. Thankfully, none assigned to juvenile court, but this is heartbreaking.
It's nice to dream Barbara, and I wish I can do the same today, there are so many terrible things going on in barely a week that I'm shocked. I've been writing comments and replies here, daily and multiple times a day ,but today, what I just read in today's HCR letter feels a poison pill, a national tragedy a collective suicide coordinate by this American government. I just wrote what come out of my heart but I'm speechless. I'm going to stop and just read what this family of commentators write.
Ricardo, an olde saying if I may. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Stay engaged on one topic (mine right now is the reorganization of the DNC into a fighting machine). Yesterday I was tired and sick and had the same thought as you. Pick a topic pleas and get to work. Commenting here is not required, but I'm hoping that it might just be read by the right person(s).
Coffee and focus. Pick your lane, and drive it for all that it is worth.
May I also suggest "stagger breathing". It is a term from the choir world that us tuba players have to utilize as well. When there is a long passage of sustained notes with no breaks, the section takes turns breathing. The note is sustained, and together, everyone gets the chance to breathe.
In my world, the 20+ measures of a sustained C two lines below the bass clef staff in Johan de Meij's "Hobbits Hymn" is that very thing. A very soft note carried as the entire band decrescendos to nothing (visualize Gandolf sailing away); my tuba buddy and I were "even and odd" (I was odd, go figure). When we needed a breath, I'd breath in odd numbered measures, and he'd breathe on even numbered measures. Works like a charm.
When the news is too much, break away, take a breath, find your place of rejuvenation (music, gardening, exercise, meditation), practice that, then return to the fray.
Ally, the more I learn about you, the better I like you. Were it not for damned geography, we would be buddies, with or without drinking.
I was a tenor (suppose I still am) and we frequently employed stagger breathing. Do you share my observation?
Sopranos are high-maintenance prima donnas who get all the glory. Altos are the unsung heroes who roll their eyes a lot when the sopranos are being sopranos. Tenors are the jokers and mutterers who cause rehearsals to take longer. Baritones are the vocal soldiers who show up, do their vocal duty and go home.
I took the liberty to replace the virtual tuba breathing by listening a very appropriate "Lamentations", Joseph Hayden's Symphony # 26. Your description of tuba technique was very educational and after posting at about 2:30 am EMT and sleeping some more, and some more caffeine I'm back in business and ready to fight.
Not a personal contact but do you know of Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party? On his vision for future of Democratic Party, consider watching him being interviewed by Jon Stewart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfBtlvfysjw&t=6s
Spectacularly GREAT interview by John Stewart! Ben Wikler parried all Stewart's humor “traps” with consistent thoughtfulness, sincerity and best of all, CLARITY!
Yeah, Ricardo, it’s like playing “whack-a-mole” for all the sh*t he’s producing….but some say THAT is the point….distraction and confusion…is there more going on than meets the eye? We need to pay attention (tiring I know) to the minutiae so he doesn’t slip something by us.
Some of what is being written today (like in the contrarian) is useful to stay focused. Yes, there is more, but we need resources at the DNC to acquire funding, Hire the right people, coordinate with legal, gather intel of all kinds, triage, take on the important oppositional projects, coordinate those projects, , drive/support members of the houses, report on progress, drive Media. Most critical is to put people in place with experience to carry out those tasks. I'll say it again, and again...Restructure the DNC NOW! Let's not do this piecemeal. That's the "Mole"to Whack Barbara.
Barbara, your reply brought some comfort, but on top of what call distraction and confusion there's an avalanche of cruelty and what was terrible yesterday, we can't talk about any more because of what happens today is worse and we know what tomorrow will bring would be even were. No time to elaborate, no time to swallow, no time to be sorry for so many human beings being so affected while they keep talking about "mandate "
Alas smarmy Reagan gulled the public into ignoring the (historically evident) negative side to the power of big money, let alone circumstances where a relative few wield more financial power that the whole rest of the population put together. Were I in that category and I did not like what is being said here, I could just buy the venue, and have lots more buying power to spare.
People naturally scatter to what "they see". We need to change that to focus on what is critical now, as defined by pros we trust. It's not a "plan" it's a process to beat Project 2025. A plan can be structured in one hour by the right person. A process needs resourcing, people, tools...blah blah. restructure the DNC (or the boys and girls club of America for all I care), but we must put in place a centralized process that can act locally where required.
The USPS has already been dismantled by Trump crony Louis DeJoy.
I am helping my daughter and her family build a new house. Three times I have mailed a down payment before work could start and three times it has taken 6 or 7 days for the check to be delivered 1 1/2 miles to 40 miles from my house. This used to be overnight service.
So, expect the same kind of service degradation from SS, Medicare, Medicaid, the IRS, etc. as Trump installs his incompetent loyalists.
Gary, this is going to be a bit long, my apologies.
My eldest sister and her husband (both in their mid-80s) live in Chicago. They frequently go a week without mail, and they get their medications by mail. In the last year, they have called or visited their local post office so frequently that this last week, she told me when they went in, the clerk told them they were "harassing the staff".
My brother in law can be a pain in the neck, I admit, but in this case, he's truly justified to be angry. He was told by someone in the p.o. that they are short on staff, have frequent "call-ins", and the particular route that they live on is "difficult to get anyone to work" as it has "a lot of problems along the route." (I assume someone needs to pick up an extra route at times. Speaking of myself, I generally get my mail by 2 pm, the other night it arrived at 7:45 pm)
They have received mail that was postmarked over two weeks prior. (My sister said the pony express would be faster.) I was shocked at this, but one time recently, they went to the office inquiring for the mail, and she said they were given baskets of mail and told to "dig through it yourself" at which they finally located 19 pieces of mail.
They do not have a computer, smart phone or internet skills. They are terrified of having their bank account hacked, and so absolutely will not have any direct withdrawals, even though my nephew has offered to help them. My sister has resorted to calling the various utilities, etc, a day or two before the bill is due and (very reluctantly!) giving them her bank routing number. They still insist upon a paper bank statement, (which has not arrived the last two months), so they go to the bank and have them print it out.
I have friends (in their 60s) who live in this same neighborhood. One told me that she, too, gets her meds by mail but has cancelled that as she fears them being stolen from her mailbox, and it is frequently late in arriving. She goes to the pharmacy now, but admits it does cost a few bucks more. Those few bucks might mean a lot to some
people.
I have a truly wonderful postman and when he is off, generally the same other man fills in. They are all great. Both of them are in their mid 50s, and my regular says "7 more years". I hope they will be replaced with equally conscientious workers.
They are also fearful of "check washing" so when they can, they go to pay bills in person, such as the doctor or their insurance agent. This worries me: they grocery shop and pay with cash. I told them they are more of a target carrying large amounts of cash, but they have a credit card they use only in true emergency.
I am wondering if the fall out from this illegal and ill thought out action will be repeated in certain state and municipal governments. Already, the life expectancy in the poorest county in the northeast (Washington County, ME) is higher than the richest county in the southeast (Forsyth County, GA).
They'll be put on paid admin leave - from the actual letter:
"Employees who accept deferred resignation should promptly have their duties re-assigned
or eliminated and be placed on paid administrative leave until the end of the deferred resignation period (generally, September 30, 2025, unless the employee has elected another earlier resignation date), unless the agency head determines that it is necessary for the employee to be actively engaged in transitioning job duties, in which case employees should be placed on administrative leave as soon as those duties are transitioned"
To what letter are you referring? That sentence is not in the letter that went out to all employees. The closest thing to that sentence (and the only mention of admin leave) is this "I understand my employing agency will likely make adjustments in response to my resignation including moving, eliminating, consolidating, reassigning my position and tasks, reducing my official duties, and/OR placing me on paid administrative leave until my resignation date." (emphasis by capitalization added).
So as I discussed, there is the possibility that any given federal employee will be quickly relieved of any workload upon accepting the offer. But no employee that I know received an offer that guarantees a reduction or even continuation of current workload upon their acceptance of this explicitly labeled "deferred resignation". The language is very carefully vague and to my read ominous.
Meanwhile it is important to note that they (T and his gang) have gratuitously turned the lives of hundreds of thousands of committed federal workers upside down, who built their lives around this work and the federal government's good word. Which is now worth nothing.
And here is the letter that went out to all federal employees. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w5FpEWFR28kN4HuKRR3AJapdp8Iq2Efn/view?usp=sharing And as for the OPM suggestion that employees should promptly have their duties re-assigned or eliminated. I'm sure that will go real well. The admin will quickly find how much backlash randomly eliminating positions with no plan creates and will be throwing people into the work who have no experience. This is going to be great.
Creating confusion is a feature not a bug in this administration. Their M.O is to keep us confused and overwhelmed.
And notice several other odd things about the letter. It has no letterhead. And that title. Straight from the post that Musk sent out with the Tesla bloodbath.
I hope, Garrett, that he lands a great gig where he is able to speak the truth & rewarded for it. CNN has definitely “stepped in it” on this one. Indeed, I wish our Congress would regulate the “news” media to the degree that they are NOT allowed to outright lie…opinion is one thing but Kellyanne’s “alternative facts” are ridiculous!
I could barely make it through this letter, it is so dense with horrifying information of blatantly unconstitutional actions. Now what do we do? Congress seems impotent, but I know I am. I have no power, no influence. I'm awake in the middle of the night worrying again.
Heather would be the first to say you do have power--the power to speak up to your elected representatives, the media, your friends, family, and neighbors. Listen to her Facebook Chats where she talks more freely:
When you call a Member of Congress, you only need a brief message, and their staffers tally incoming messages as pro versus con on any given issue. Jessica Craven spells out the script and phone numbers for various issues, and even demonstrates calls on her YouTube. Jessica believes that hope is an action verb, and action is an antidote to worry:
Another option is to connect with your local Indivisible group. The founders have the experience of having been Congressional staffers, so they know how it works. Local groups give you opportunity to connect with like-minded folks:
Good for you! Rebecca Solnit wrote last year about being like we're in a chorus singing a long sustained note. When a few individuals take a breath, the rest of the chorus is still carrying the note. Feel free to take a break to rejuvenate.
Stagger breathing, Ellie. It is how we in the back row make it through those 28 measures of whole notes, tied together, 2 ledger lines down in the bass clef staff get through "Hobbits Hymn".
Send money to groups like the ACLU and Democracy Forward. Democracy Forward sued today to prevent Trump from blocking the funding which has already been allocated by Congress. Support these groups!
And fight back by boycotting Amazon, Tesla, Walmart and other oligarchy owned chains. Almost everyone has access to some mom and pop stores. It may cost a few dollars more to purchase from a non-oligarch, but many boycotts have worked like the Bud-Light boycott last year. The right boycotts all of the time, we can too.
And this may seem trivial, but plant a garden and give to your food banks,
Here's the answer: Help SPECIAL ELECTIONS that can turn off GOP control of the House. Support the Dem candidates. They are actually within range of winning two in Florida! How glorious would That be?
Tough fight, but if Mump keeps threatening to cut off SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare, etc,
Gay Valimont and Josh Weil could ride the tide of MAGA resentment.
I thought there was at least one other House seat for grabs but can't remember.
Senate seats, too, in 2026! Midterm organizing starts now and ...
Boycott. What's the best platform to grow and magnify one?
We can get off x and onto Blue Sky,
and leave META for... Craigslist and MySpace! Or Whatsapp.
And the one I get the Most resistance about, but may be Most important,
stop using AMAZON, or at the least drop PRIME.
And Walmart.
We all love our local businesses and what's left of Main Street, right?
We all despise monopolies, right?
We are almost all responsible for their rise, if we use their products (most of us Do have a choice)
and now we see the consequences.
I'm trying to remember how we organized during the 70's.
We signed Boycott Letters as if they were petitions. That shouldn't be to hard to do.
Great suggestion. There are actually hundreds more elections in 2025 than there were in 2024. The people that voted for Trump that were not engaged, aren't going to vote in the local elections. This is the time to bring in new local Democrats and Independents.
I agree with you, but I truly have difficulty dropping Amazon and Prime. I do a lot of crafts, and I am fortunate to have Micheals, Joanne and Hobby Lobby within about a 5 mile radius of me. I'm not real happy with Hobby Lobby's politics, but I will admit that their store is clean, large and well stocked. If I go to the Joanne, it is very small and they usually don't stock items that I want or need. The Micheals by me is a bit bigger, but it always looks like they are closing--the racks are a mess, there is empty pegs, and I get frustrated trying to find anything. And I will search the store and never find anyone on the floor--in fact, the only visible employee is one person at the checkout.
I really WANT to support main street, and I'm able to do so with the local restaurants in our area.
My grandchildren live in another state. For their birthdays or Christmas, I guess I could go hunting down a particular toy they want, package it and mail it to them (I've already posted a long comment about the post office above.). It is way easier to have my daughter send a linked gift list, and I can choose the exact toy and have it sent directly to them, and avoid the cost of postage (which can be more than the cost of the toy). And btw, IF I could find that toy, I'd undoubtedly have to go to Target or Walmart.
I speak only for myself, but I live in a large middleclass Chicago suburb. My "main street" has plenty of nail salons, dry cleaners, breakfast/lunch cafes, hair salons. The type of businesses that you refer to, those providing goods not services, went away a long time ago. Now there is Starbucks--the coffee shop disappeared about 25 years ago. The local bakeries closed at least 10 years ago, but there is a Nothing Bundt Cakes.
There are no independent clothing stores--there is Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Target and Walmart.
We have absolutely ZERO bookstores (a point I made to a women who ran for major, and who promised when she won, she'd get one in town. She won, and she didn't, and is also long gone.) There are a few florists, although our favorite one went out of business last year, as did their garden center. (There is Menards, Home Depot and Lowes within 5 miles for garden needs, as well as hardware.) Anyhow, for the most part, I don't buy much in terms of products anymore.
We also rely on Prime for much of our entertainment. I gave up going to movies well before COVID, as I got disgusted with sticky floors, piles of food (apparently people bring entire feasts of takeout in and leave the detritus behind to be removed after the last showing of the day. Maybe.) Cell phones were getting more popular, and the flashing of lights and lack of behavior (yakking through the entire movie) added insult to the price of tickets. I'd rather watch at home, even if now Prime often wants an extra few bucks for viewing a movie.
I want to drop Prime, if only there was a truly good alternate. I just don't see it.
At least in terms of social media--don't have to get off as I never signed up for any.
Peaceful protest. It’s time to channel our inner MLK, Jr. and Gandhi. I am concerned that lawsuits are too slow and we must get beyond echo chambers Although TBH this forum keeps me from deeper despair. Was it Franklin who said “We must all hang together, or we shall certainly hang separately.” ?
on the contrary, the best thing is, that many of his voters are going to be hurt by this. The sad thing is, many of them won't recognize that their vote let it happen. But some will and a few may even change their minds.
It's easy to become just overwhelmed by the horror of what's happening, all to the Project 2025 playbook. So I wanted to quote what to me was a stabilizing and calming analysis (as stabilizing and calming as can be expected in the face of this madness) by Jay Kuo on Substack.
"It seems likely that the first court challenges that have sprung up in response will prevail and that the OMB will be enjoined in some way from freezing these funds. That in turn will wind its way up to the appellate courts, likely on a fast track to the Supreme Court.
And while we should never assume that this particular Supreme Court will do the right thing, it does seem unlikely that such a massive overreach by the Executive against Congress will withstand scrutiny, especially by the Chief Justice, Justice Barrett, and the three liberal Justices Kagan, Sotomayor and Jackson. Trump may have been able to get away with impounding some amount of money based on an ambiguity in some statute. Getting away with impounding all of the federal grant and assistance money, without differentiation, is unlikely to win over five justices, or even more than two based on prior rulings."
I read Kuo once in a while and found this very compelling. I want those who voted for the Criminal-in-Chief to hurt, yes, but it will be the poor who will suffer the most. That’s not our goal.
I don’t give much credence to Chief Injustice Roberts, Alex. He is like a pendulum, not certain which way he’ll swing. Barrett is a bit iffy but more compliant than the rest of the right-wing pack. All I can say is that I do hold some hope that the outrage gets louder and louder and that the R’s constituents scream at them. So sick of the smugness of the Project 2025 elite. They don’t know everything, as evidenced with their debacle they tried to pull late last night. Thanks for trying to “stabilize” us.
Marlene, I don't give ANY credence to Roberts. But for whatever reason, sometimes he votes in a way that works for democracy. If Kuo thinks he might, here, that's good news on a very dark day. We have to try not to sink into complete despair.
The moment that troubles me most , if it ever happens, would be when a court decision lands on the desk of the president and he refuses to follow it. Yes it may happen ( did he honor his gag order?) and if it does, then what?
The survival of our republic short of a very bloody civil war may come down to military leadership honouring its oath to Constitution with a soft military coup of belaying orders. A crucial question: ¿how many of the enlisted personnel are brown-shirts in hiding or training?
is belaying orders a military thing? Is General Milley still active? All branch leaders?
I am also worried about Mump just seizing power and ignoring the courts (as usual!) And I am Very worried about the fealty of our troops, AND Generals (again, with precedent to back up concern.) I've written before about the Red State National Guard and Militias as well. Not to mention the Proud Oath Kkristian Militias.
A soft military Coup could swing either way, and there could even be a split in the ranks. Elon is even more insane than the dotard, and Much more clever, willing to take huge risks, controls some military communications globally,
and has more money than 150 countries.
Who are his enemies? He wants to become The World Leader.
Someone on sub did a great piece on a BIO that's almost out or is out, about the fake personas he mastered to infiltrate Silicon Valley and fool investors, all along the way, before taking over Chunks of our space program, but I haven't heard anything else about it.
He is a "model male" for millions of young American men and not so young as well. His past needs more coverage. It's one big con, just like his co-president's.
That is the rub. How loyal are the troops? I suspect most are. Yet it would not take many to stymie the military. The belaying of orders would be countermanding them. Not sure it would work if lower ranking officers defied the senior officer. Nevertheless, if the senior leadership stood against the orders, Trump would be stopped cold.
DJT has a lot of Support among the Enlisted... Among the Officer Corps, less so... DJT would have to do something truly Outrageous to provoke the Joint Chiefs... The Tenure of Hagseth will be a Good Litmus Test... Milley was a Battle-Tested Warrior, I don't know about the Current Chief Of Staff...
Miley was a commissioned Armor officer, and achieved the rank of General. He held 8 commands and retired after 23 years of service before . Hogsbreath was a National Guard Reserve Officer, detailed Infantry, and achieved the rank of Major; he served 23 years, never passing the rank of Major. Both were awarded the Bronze Star in combat and have received the Combat Infantry Badge. One of them is an experienced leader. The other is a drunken sex offender.
One problem that not too many are aware of is that there is a significant and loud contingent of Christian Nationalists in the military. They don’t represent all officers or enlisted people, but they do have a presence and could shut down any efforts to resist illegal and unconstitutional orders.
That is a BIG concern for me, too, Kathy. A law enforcement acquaintance from years ago said there was a concern that "gang-members" were using the military to train themselves. Though I believe that individual likely had urban gangs in mind, I suspect that such a concern applies to Brown shirt apprentices.
Ned, you're correct. The rise of street gang members joining the military was a big concern in the 1990's and early 2000's. It never took root with the street gangs; I suspect that once 'bangers got a taste of what life could be like, they never went back. I do not know of any studies on that, but it's worth a look.
Thank you, again, Ally. Your insight is important, when taken in context with Apache's comment. There is a difference -- one I overlooked -- between an enlisted soldier being pro-Trump and one who is a violent Xian nationalist.
It already has. Courts have no power to enforce orders. Trump does. Appeal and disregard. Appeal and disregard. And ultimately he will disregard the Supreme Court if it rules against. Two lower courts already have. But his subordinates will be told to proceed as if his orders remain in effect. Or be replaced. Deport American citizens. Shut down the CDC and whole departments of government. Freeze all spending. Send federal troops to take over California. Break treaties. Threaten wars of aggression without Congressional action. Spend money you are not authorized to. Refuse to spend money you are obliged to by law
We are already there. This will go on. He will stack govrnment with those who will obey. Political opposition is powerless to stop it. The lawsuits will swamp the courts. There is only one peaceful way this ends. It is if he makes the mistake of stopping Congressional paychecks. But he can pay Republicans out of pocket now.
Did CNN cave to Trump by moving Acosta to a midnight shift? Acosta has provided excellent coverage of Trump’s behavior and missteps. Trump hates him. So did the new administration threaten to pull CNN’s FCC license if they didn’t move him to a less visible slot. Why else would they move this outstanding journalist to a time slot with a smaller number of viewers?
CNN made that decision two weeks ago I think. Yes. 100% caved, obeyed in advance. What message does it send to their journalists? Or “news presenters” now.
Time for the blue states to break the bank-transfer links from employers to D.C.; to collect the taxes in their capitals; and, withhold tax funds. Release to D.C. AT MOST the receipts from D.C. in the previous year (to eliminate the overage that blue states send to D.C. to subsidize red states). 🛑
Additionally, when Trump tries to drumpf a blue state of disaster relief funds, for example, then that state applies withheld tax funds to fund said relief. and forwards the net balance to Washington. Many people, will undoubtedly blow a gasket. (Like the Trumpanzee fake news about water released in California.) ⚖️
They may not understand human nature and conflict. They fail to account for stated Trumpian behavior and to anticipate where that authoritarianism is headed. 😵
The hearing for the nominee to direct the O.M.B. revealed open talk within the M.A.G.A. brain-drain, if not yet practice, of impoundment (e.g., suspending or ending F.E.M.A. operations). 😲
Now, with his diktat from the O.M.B., that practice has started the Trumpian attempt to shred the Constitution in favor of divine-right insanity. Where will funds for grants and agencies relegated to formaldehyde go? 🤢
Theorizing about what might cause a civil war over a wire transfer mechanism, when such civil disorder has likely started, is as brilliant as trying to bail out the Titanic with a tea-spoon. The Great Civil War of the nineteenth century did not start at Fort Sumter or even with secession; its started five years earlier with Bleeding Kansas. 😰
Now, this particular idea may not work. But some form of it can at least support initiatives. We need ideas to break down and re-assemble or refine in muscular non-violent responses if we are to avoid civil war. Or, maybe John Brown was right, after all. 😱
Attacking someone's proposed response right now is about as helpful as Florence Nightingale handing out LSD for a head cold. 💔
I imagine, Ned, those in the resistance at an influential level in any state may be “putting their heads together” to come up with counter measure workarounds such as you suggest. Gotta try, right?💪🏼🗽🇺🇸 At least I hope they are!
Yes. This may not be a plausible idea. But we have to generate ideas. Thank you for your as-always gracious response, Barbara. https://youtu.be/-KIqqOsqq8A
A fourteen minute vid. that makes me realize we are headed for war unless people push back very hard, very now.
I am at a loss, Ned, as to what I am able to do….very rural area, very limited resources (eg, donations), but a very very real desire to say “hell no, not as long as I can help it”….and do what I can, however humble to make sure our Constitution and Bill of Rights are not besmirched. I hope that “the center” holds as Yeats intoned, unless the struggle really does bring us enlightenment and a new age (hopefully a democratic, egalitarian & inclusive one).
When am I going to learn not to read you before I go to bed??? Guess it’s not your fault you are always so informative so be it a history lesson or lesson of the day. Thank you.
I do very frequently, just as I am doing right now!! Heather's wisdom helps me with dealing with all these stressful & challenging times, and I find helps me sleep better afterwards, too.
In everything by Heather today: how does one put a spine in people?
Republicans in Congress now, like their corrupted on the Clarence court, all suck up to any and all criminality from their White House felon.
No guidebook, no formula, no school to give them spines.
But for others, could be hope.
We know – one litmus test – people who love others will rouse in passion to defend them should danger lurk. Now, although there’s no teaching loving others, we could be more awakened if we had personal examples more key to schools.
But we have the opposite. In the U.S., in Japan, too largely elsewhere, instruments dominate that numericize, commodify, abstract, categorize, and package life. They float the billionaires whose schemes depend on inuring all, reducing all to life as nothing more than Fill-in-A-B-C-or-D. They ask the Qs. We follow. As R’s follow fat orange guy’s criminality.
We also read fewer and fewer – or no – full books anymore, as most schools in the U.S., Japan, and elsewhere have sunk to doing. Only snippet texts reduced to the A-B-C-or-D of today’s living dead.
They're not in touch with any American working people. They've no humanities from any of the many fine books, films, and songs on our fellow Americans.
So, they just keep repeating as out-of-touch elites, while determined Republican criminality just seizes more? So the Clarence court can sooner kill democracy in favor of its monarchy and billionaire corruption?
Trump's blitzkrieg, which has left every sane person's head spinning and the integrity-based news media in a state of exhaustion, is a much more cynical and sophisticated version of Steve Bannon's "flood the zone" strategy from 2017. It is, to the surprise of no one, the handiwork of Goebbels clone Stephen Miller, who feeds Der Führer's darkest impulses and designs the architecture to carry them out.
Nothing is being left to chance by the MAGAts this time, as insightful albeit disturbing articles Tuesday by Luke Broadwater of The New York Times and Jonathan Lemire of The Atlantic make crystal clear:
Historian Timothy W. Ryback, author of "Takeover: Hitler's Final Rise to Power," has brought attention to the fact that in 1933, it took only 53 days for Germany's democracy to be dismantled. How long it will take Trump, his Project 2025 fanatics and their ilk to do the same in our country remains to be seen.
Hopefully, Gene, enough of us—especially folks w/ influence and “power”—see this gambit and check its progress….hard. We can let our local, state & fed reps not to cave and to resist illegal/unconstitutional “edicts”. I do not want minority rule in this country….
Call them. Jessica Craven of Chop Wood, Carry Water says calling is more effective than emails. (In person visits to their offices the absolute best.) Call daily. You can repeat yourself until the issue has been voted on. Perhaps make a call separately for each issue rather than several at once. It’s quick and easy.
I am fortunate, Laura, that my House and Senate reps lean progressive….I contact them to cheer them on and let them know I’ve got THEIR backs just like they’ve got mine. I’m on their newsletter lists too as it keeps me informed of their works.
Our representation is weak on both sides of the aisle. We need to press initiatives to limit terms on ALL government officials and especially our September court clowns. We need many to run against these weaklings in spite of financial constraints. We must stop depending on”Them” to do what is right. There have been repeated litmus tests to their weakness.
HCR, you have a singular ability to explain things clearly, with appropriate historical context, and yet after reading your articles I feel energized to get back into the fray and work again. I don’t feel despair, as I do with some other writers. Bless you.
You are one of a few with courage. Condmemning Trump actions dictatorial and unconstitutional has one word extra. Only operational criticism is "unconstituional." We need to eliminate inoperative opinions. Weekly polls by major medias can help and are likely only measure they can do now.
The Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society encourage Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional behavior under their theory of the unitary executive. I believe this whole concept unconstitutional as it violates the separation of powers in the Constitution and also places the president above the law, which the Founders never intended.
Good news. Senate Committee Democrats have told Chair Lindsey Graham to pause the vote on Russel Vought until he answers their questions.
Flood Graham's offices - all of them - to pause the vote.
.https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact.
Chair Lindsey Graham
.https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/.
Washington, DC 20510
Office: (202) 224-5972
His DC phone mail box may be full, call other offices
Ranking Member Jeff Merkley
.https://www.merkley.senate.gov/connect/office-locations/.
Phone: (202) 224-3753
The democrats need to come out of their funk, and march out on the steps with bullhorns, read a scrip written by Tim Walz and call this bull shit bull shit! We are angry and yet where are they?! Each day a chart of what Americans want and how this isn’t it! every day, on the steps…
Yes! Posting here to the choir is not enough. Are we going to wait until there's no food on the shelves to act?
I hope I'm not deluding myself that the administration is shoeing signs of backpedaling in the face of outrage and backlash....
Writing your Congress people and asking them to construct a coherent and daily response…feed to social media gap. Walz was great yesterday…god I wish he was VP but the Custerfxxk of the house and senate would have been horrible! We need to put it all back on their plates, Not American! Not Christian! Not Competent, in fact Incontinent!
The distortion, craziness is driven by social media influence operations.
Putin's FSB, Trump campaign, X are examples.
Massive.
The take over most social media threads.
One reference - Social media manipulation by political actors an industrial scale problem - Oxford report
When is Impeachment an option ??? Why isn't it an option ??? How illegal do the actions need to get ?? Maybe if they KNOW it will actually get thru ? Just thinking out load here
Once he gets control of the military and institutes some (illegal) form of martial law, he'll ignore an impeachment, so it's past time to start.
Emailed/called my own reps yesterday; will do the above today.
I just left a message for Sen Graham. I am his constituent, and personally I am sure he knows all this is wrong, but also knows that for Republicans, Trump is the "be-all, end-all."
I know....same thing when Hitler came in...a bumpy ride at first till the SS was set up ...... transition is uncomfortable for sure
Jeff Merkley is one of my senators. He's getting both a call and an email from me today, as are Ron Wyden (other senator), Val Hoyle (my representative, and Jannelle Byrum (the district north of me and who I donated money to in her very close election campaign.)
I wrote down the info to contact Merkley.
Yes, Kathy. But do the Trump Christian Nationalists (new nice way to say “Nazis”) care about what’s constitutional?
No they don’t. But here’s the thing - it does not matter what they care about. They are not the law.
No doubt. Hasn't stopped them so far, tho.
Not YET — doesn’t mean we can’t or won’t
Not by a long shot! They are the fear, they are the hate, they are not American values! Point it out! Neo-nazi billionaires from South Africa!
Yes they are!
they're trying hard as hell not to! Pushback, esp legal changes in courts, the main weapon of choice at the moment.
pushback and legal action hasn't stopped anything yet. We're living in a different world.
would trump's favorite tactic of delay work here?
They may not ‘care’ but at least for a bit they must pretend! And if they overstep perhaps the Maggots may revolt! My wife likes the image of a March on Washington, along with a work-stoppage..think Gandhi. Maybe we can finally throw off the shackles of the toxic culture of evangelical sexism and racism, puritanical laws and persecution, and learn that the ‘puritanicals’ were being kicked out and killed half their people in their zeal and surety! Add ‘The Heritage Foundation’ who is violating our American truth with their bizarre view of strong men ruling over the weak.
I'm tempted to call them "Kayfabe Kristian Kleptocrats"
Since then, I watched Rachel Madow's Jan 28th show with the segment on J.D.Vance and Curtis Yarvin's thoughts. What would better fit a a party like my old one (I left in 1996 when Elizabeth Warren did), when they talk about replacing our government with a Corporate CEO otherwise known as a Dictator.
See https://archive.org/details/MSNBCW_20250129_020000_The_Rachel_Maddow_Show/start/540/end/600
Maybe "anti-KKK" or "a-KKK" buttons and challenge coins with the Kayfabe Kristian Kleptocrats" in very small text would attract some attention as conversation starters.
I don't think the founders ever intended for the president to be above the law, but the current Supreme Court's immunity decision does.
We need to shame them into action!
I listened to a very good Ted talk: "Beware, fellow Plutocrats, the pitchforks are coming" by Nick Hansuer. Nick Hanauer is a rich guy, an unrepentant capitalist - and he has something to say to his fellow plutocrats: Wake up! Growing inequality is about to push our societies into conditions resembling pre-revolutionary France. Hear his argument about why a dramatic increase in minimum wage could grow the middle class, deliver economic prosperity ... and prevent a revolution.
Kenneth if this is the article he wrote a number of years ago, it is great. I’ve remembered it and I do know where my pitchfork is, and I know how to use it!
We may need a revolution...
Remember the stacked Supreme Court split strictly along "partisan" lines. This is not "neutral" law at work.
How the SCOTUS will deal with these cases as they work their way up the legal ladder is the ultimate test of whether king donald is anointed. He could appoint more judges. How much destruction of our democracy will the public allow? We are watching a parade of independent voices from the MSM. Our main weapon is to turn away from using them and also to avoid Amazon, FB, X and Tesla and boycott the oligarchs.
You have brought out possibly a break through counter offense. DEMs could sue Trump executive orders in violation of the Constituion in terms of the separation of power. All hearings will stop till this suit is taken up by SCOTUS.
unitary executive = dictator Separation of powers - be damned.
Yes! illegal! Crimes? Tax free non-profits? Heritage folks are fomenting a criminal enterprise? Looks like that to me…
You're absolutely right. Russell Vought was also the involved in this as well. Question is, their are 73 million people in this country that know the constitution is being violated and believe in Democracy, what are we going to do about it?
Hopefully the scotus agrees with you!!!!
No, most likely not....absolutely not.
Let's try again Kathy 😃
But SCOTUS already placed DonOLD above the law so now he has (or thinks he has) precedence. Not legal but never stopped this racist lying asshole before.
Donald now has no limit on his powers and his ability to redirect federal money. He could opt to turn the US into a complete dictatorship like North Korea, a whorehouse, a religious community, a bitcoin company, or a slave nation. Shame on you, SCOTUS and Republicans. There are no grounds to Impeach Trump.
Sooz--there are many on Substack with clear voices (Paul Krugman, Robert Reich, Jennifer Rubin, Joyce Vance, etc.)
This was posted on the Hopium Chronicles today--
If there was an upside to this dark day Democrats across the country at all levels of government loudly rose up against the latest acts of our Mad Orange Wannabe King. It appeared to have woken us from our collective slumber, as the threat Trump clearly represents became impossible to ignore. Can we compete with Trump, contest his out of control Administration, score some wins in the coming days?
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a
pendentithesenale Approprations commitlee is condeming President Trump's unlawful direction to unilaterally blockage all federal grant funding.
federal grant funding.
"Our economy, our healthcare system, our schools, our law
enforcement and fire departments, our newborns, our elders, our
veterans - everyone, everywhere in New Mexico. President Trump
is attempting to shove all of this over a cliff." said Heinrich.
"In New Mexico alone, Trump's blockade on federal funding will make
it impossible for thousands to pay rent on February 1st, force tens
of thousands of New Mexico students to drop out of college without
Pell Grant funding, close hundreds of preschool programs across
the state, deprive 7 out of 10 New Mexico children their daily lunch,
and cut off federal Medicaid reimbursement - impacting 7 out of
10 nursing home residents, 55% of newborn births, and all health
care providers in our state.
Heinrich continued, "Trump is clearly willing to pummel New
Mexicans and the American economy for his twisted and deranged
agenda and fragile ego. But the Constitution is clear: the president cannot override, delay, or rescind Congress's funding laws. We passed these laws to help working families get ahead table and create jobs New Mexicans can build their families
around. I will fight like hell to undo this brazen, barbaric blockade
from this wannabe dictator and his weird billionaire lackeys.'
The Constitution explicitly gives Congress, not the president,
the power of the purse. The president does not have the power to
override spending laws that Congress has passed and the president
on the table and create jobs New Mexicans can build their families
around. I will fight like hell to undo this brazen, barbaric blockade
from this wannabe dictator and his weird billionaire lackeys.'
. Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of theConstitution says: "No Money shall be drawn , but in Consequence of Appropriations made byLaw." Fact sheets from the Senate and House Appropriations Committees detailing how presidents lack power to unilaterally override......
First, a new Reuters poll suggests Trump has already overreached, as his approval rating has already taken a 9 point hit:
Jan 21 - 47% approve, 39% disapprove (+8)
Jan 28 - 45% approve, 46% disapprove (-1)
We will see if these results are replicated in other polls but this one sure shows that Trump is struggling out of the gate
Yes Gary, and I like your list. I'm just added Jim Acosta to my list as well. Robert Reich said yesterday that this spending freeze is illegal. After reading HCRs explanation I now feel like I know why. I'm not a lawyer and I've had trouble understanding Joyce Vance at times but I hope I live long enough to see the day that she is a Supreme Court Justice. As you said, many clear voices. Now we just need someone who can fit all of that on a hat or a tweet or a bumper sticker. Jim Acosta maybe?
Jim is one of the good ones for sure. CNN has drifted way to the right over the past couple of years. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jake Tapper jump ship at CNN as well.
Occasionally CNN will have a good guest. Other than that there is so much false equivalence going on that it seems like reality TV.
It is reality TV. stop watching.
On that topic, I found this video enlightening. Many of us share your suspicion, but there's nothing like having it confirmed by someone who "was there." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOhaNDajMhI
I totally agree but with SCOTUS giving him essentially a “get out of jail free card” it seems he thinks he can break any law he wants to with impunity.
It wasn't just SCROTUS, it was Mitch McConnell and the entire fucking Republican Party.
I agree-the Republican Party is 100% responsible for all of this. We need to change the narrative from… trump did… to The Republicans are responsible for…
The Republican “Regime”.
Also all those who voted for him. It will take lots of time to mount Court challenges, hearings and appeals. In the meantime, king Trump rules and we have the unitary executive. Is it time for mass protests?
I think that's what he's hoping for? So he can mow them down and instill terror?
Hopefully, dozens of the best DOJ lawyers will quit and go to work opposing Trump's draconian EOs and other illegal actions.
Then the DOJ won't have enough warm bodies to defend Trump's ridiculous EOs.
Repubnazis
He can still be impeached. If enough Republicans don't believe in murdering millions of people here and overseas...
So far he’s gotten away with precisely that.
Alaska will be in chaos as well.
Hiro -- Jim Acosta gets my vote for Courage and Truth in today's LFAA"
"Today, CNN host Jim Acosta, a Trump critic, announced on air he was leaving the channel after its management tried to move him to a middle-of-the-night slot. “People often ask me if the highlight of my career at CNN was at the White House covering Donald Trump,” Acosta said. “Actually, no. That moment came…when I covered…President Barack Obama’s trip to Cuba in 2016 and had the chance to question the dictator there, Raul Castro, about the island’s political prisoners. As the son of a Cuban refugee I took home this lesson: It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant. I’ve always believed it is the job of the press to hold power to account. I’ve always tried to do that here at CNN and I plan on…doing…that in the future. One final message: Don’t give into the lies. Don’t give into the fear. Hold onto the truth and to hope. Even if you have to get out your phone, record that message: I will not give in to the lies. I will not give into the fear. Post it on your social media.”
Here, here. Jim Acosta gets my vote for standing up and speaking out the truth. Especially about dictatorship but he also encouraged us to hold strong.
Respectfully, I suggest that there are many millions with courage. Professor Richardson has the superior ability to articulate history, even history as it occurs daily, in such a way that the reader can articulate just as clearly how that telling aligns with oneself.
The message at the end from Jim Acosta says everything. I also encourage all to record it in their rhetoric.
It is our weapon from the Light to preserve our freedom from tyranny.
We are all in this together. There is enough to go around.
Salud!
🗽💜
Those millions were not on live on national television on CNN having the voice and courage to do what many in the communications world are not: stand up against the trump regime. This is why we sometimes pause and honor an individual actions. These people give us hope and promise.
These millions with courage need effective outlets to act. For that they need a few heros.
Join whatever Democratic or related opposition campaigns you can folks and stick to it.
Please substitute Democatic for democrat. But, I agree with your suggestion.
Thanks 😎Just a pet peeve of mine.
Welcome, sister grammarian. Democrat is a noun, Democratic is an adjective. Do not be confused by Republican, which cannot make up its mind which one it wants to be so it is both noun and adjective. Currently, I would also add it to the definition of either vulgarity or profanity; they might understand my point better if I called it a blasphemy, but who knows?
Mine too! Thanks
It was Karl Rove who got his party to replace Democratic with Democrat in order to demean the Democratic Party. Alas, our own people accepted and adopted that. Thanks for calling it out.
Always a good post Frank. Thank you 🙏
My doomsday prediction seems to have rattled some boats here so I have removed it.
Cheers.
Roundly, and soundly, I completely reject your Prophet of Doom thesis. See where you are, or get out man ! The profoundness of our circumstance is sheer horror, yes, but giving advice that we should commence running around in circles howling is destructive, as it is offensive. Grow some steel in your spine man, and try offering comfort to those perhaps more afflicted by their life's circumstances than you are. Maybe ask, "How may I be of service" as Ram Dass told us once at a speaking event. Avoidance of caving in to this crap is rule #1 according to Dr Timothy Snyder as he urges us to avoid doing. so at all cost. Love and hard work are more plausible answers, not fear. and despair. In Dylan's words, "know your song well before you start singing it."
Hard work needs to be “smart work” coupled with hope, optimism and enthusiasm!!!
Ohhh, and there are those who blame the trump voters - how about the significant numbers of those who voted for Biden/Harris in 2020 - but failed to vote in 2024 - and those legally registered voters who just find it so easy just not voting at all???
I actually blame those Democrats that didn't vote more than the Retrump;icans. The Retrumumplicans are brainwashed cult followers, while the Democracts shouldv'e been more informed. I really don't understand how ANYONE could take our responsibility, as well as our right to vote for granted. Good to see the Democrats in Congress and our state governments pushing back though. Sure hope our RIGHT TO VOTE still stands come 2026!!
Yes indeed JL. Using our “experiential learning “ mode, we work smarter, not necessarily harder. Presently though, both modes are required.
Jim, you’ll get no argument from me on that - we’re in need of a substantial amount of both - but not one without the other!
This!!! ThankYou, Jim Duffy.
Exactly. We don't need self indulgent flights of fancy.
We need an action plan. Starting with phoning Senators to Vote No On Vought!
Phone numbers are available on each state's page or on your senator's website
Senators Suite & Telephone List (PDF)
A U.S. Capitol Switchboard operator can also connect you directly with the Senate office. (202) 224-3121
email Lindsey Graham: https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=contact-form
Most intelligent reply here in a sea of ignorance
Read above
"We don't need self-indulgent flights of fancy." Thank you, lin.
The lunatics have indeed taken over the asylum and are wreaking havoc. What is enlightening, is the fragile eco-system that is geopolitics, aid and diplomacy now that it's being disrupted. Listening to a Dr today talking about how providing aid to 3rd world countries keeps health epidemics in check, such as blood born viruses, deadly diseases and flu's which would quickly spread otherwise. It seems overnight my Instagram feed has been flooded with anti-trump sentiment - like every man and his dog - making the odd 'normal' post seem ludicrous. The fact that people should have been shouting this stuff from the rooftops last year doesn't matter, it's happening NOW.
Great post Kazz. Promise you'll keep posting pls. It's illuminating in the middle of this darkness falling on us and reaching the whole world
Aww thanks Ricardo, try and stop me lol. You are not alone. We are not alone. Heather’s nightly letters have created this beautiful community and I feel honoured to be part of it. Keep on truckin my friend.
I will, we and our community are into this together.
We have met our saviors and they are us.
We are the adults now, no one is coming to save us - I am so sorry.
A warlock is a male witch.
But maybe he isn't male enough to qualify.
It’s a witch hunt remember?
I remember Bill, but now it's a real one against the whole nation.
The term wizard was also commonly too.
In Wiccan belief a male witch is still a witch. Warlock is a made up word
Ummm, all words are made up.
Warlock or bullock? Stormy Daniels knows.
Bill, I've thought better of my blatherings on occasion, but usually I post them late in the day, so they get very few views by then. But some reading this might strongly disagree with this.
Anyway, yesterday I blocked James A. When I went to block him I noticed he fancies himself as an intellectual. I laughed out loud drawing strange looks from my wife, my dog and the cat. (I'm not sure you one really "possesses" a cat).
We have had so few MAGAts comment here since I have been enjoying the camaraderie of this comment section. Nice that we can opt out of the Fascist mis- and dis-information.
Gary, exactly! And in actuality, James A's little bio used to be even more flowery with self-described attributes. I can't recall it all, but it was really hilarious with a long explanation of his intellectual prowess. I called him out by saying that being termed an "intellectual" was a term bestowed by others, not self appointed. He eventually changed his long bio to those few words.
I wonder if when NOBODY responds to him, if he'll figure out he's been blocked by the entire forum. (I have seen him littering the comment section of other Substacks as well, which is interesting as generally you need paid subscriptions to comment and he had whined that he lived "near poverty" status.
Whatever. Good riddance.
The 7 once homeless cats possess me.
Gary, as soon as I saw his name, I removed him. I keep hoping that no one will reply and he will get tired of whistling in the wind. I know I am winding up to give someone defending death star a nasty response, but i will save it for people who claim to be friends with someone and then pollute their threads and clearly have voted in such a way to harm the people they call friends.
Tell it Gary 🙏
You're a good man Bill Katz. Thank you for falling on your sword.
My cat couldn't read it yet, would you post it again pls?
Yes, they wrote it all down and told everybody very clearly what they would do.
The American people liked it so now they are doing it.
I'm glad I dont live in the USA
No!!! The American people DID NOT LIKE IT. So Trump lied and the people who voted him in believed him. How people can believe an unmitigated liar is beyond my ken.
It was obvious what they were going to do. They wrote it down in detail. They publicised it. It was public knowledge..... and the American people voted for it, Elizabeth
Christopher, more people either voted for someone else or did not vote, so not even a majority of the American people voted for it.
Christopher, what they "liked" was what their mis and dis "information" sources fed them (and to be fair, they wanted it and more of it all the time), reality be damned. I have friends today who are denying that anything that is happening coming from the oval office is at all related to Project 2025. They are nucking futs.
I know too many MAGAts that get 100% of their political information from FOX. It's not only that they are misinformed but they also aren't exposed to the real CFDT and what a total moron he is.
Christopher, many have no idea of what Project 2025 says despite being warned. Death star's voters are tuned in to those places that extol him and perpetuate his lies. Some people voted for him because they calculated that they would not be harmed. Now they know if they are paying attention at all.
You said it much nicer than I did, Michele. Much.
Ally, I am winding up to really give someone a rage rant. I can do this while still being polite. OK, i confess that i told someone that their post was stupid.
I think, somehow, I lost your reply 😔
I see you answered me, so I assume we are good.
I hope all of them get hurt no more, no less than the rest of us. They'll pay attention, at least the ignorant portion of them ,when they start feeling the pain . As for the stupid portion of voters,unfortunately there's no cure or hope for them.
But I will feel better.
You'll have a lot of company Michele 😇
It’s one world…
it is indeed, Diedra, and I'm just glad I don't live in that bit of it
Christopher,I understand your sentiment, but do you really think this B.S. will only affect the US? You my be in a better place, but you will NOT be uneffected!
Unfortunately, providing more clarity as to how trump is attempting to implement Project 2025 and wield abject and unilateral power does not soften my despair, but it also does not dissipate my vigilance....
I am in awe of Prof. Richardson’s ability to state the bald facts so dispassionately. I would be quivering with rage verbally covering the same ground.
Sooz…. Indeed! Dr. Richardson is indeed a gift and a blessing…
- Pulled Quote -
''Federal money, after all, belongs to the American people.''
I just posted on my message to self: Acosta: I will not give in to the lies. I will not give into the fear.
I wish I felt that way. This was so depressing and only a week has gone by. Alienating our neighbors in the north and south. Threatening everyone with disastrous tariffs which will hurt everyone. Threatening military use in Greenland and Panama. Threatening Columbia because they refused an unannounced military transport planes to land in their country. never mind about the federal employees, DEI hires, at home workers. Stopping WIC and HeadStart programs. I am overwhelmed. I think I will go back to Facebook and rewatch my Niktwist reels to calm me down. love the music (electronic Sounds of Silence).
She is my favorite journalist of all time. I'm 82.
Thank you as always for this Professor Richardson, and for your tireless efforts.
I find myself these days cursing every American who voted for this. Cutting off school programs that help feed our children are particularly egregious. The cost to the country for depriving children of food assistance, which these cuts reportedly do, alone will prove incalculable and enormous. Underfed children means children who don't develop properly intellectually or physically. It means behavioral and health problems later in life. The human cost is enormous . . . but so, too, is the economic cost. And this is not my opinion, this is the simple reality that any pediatrician can tell to you as well.
As an American living in France I can tell you that his sweeping and unconstitutional assault on the federal government is the top story in the country's newspapers this morning. France has its problems, but my French friends, neighbors, even casual acquaintances, are mortified by his cruelty and desire for chaos, as they should be.
Trump supporters have sown the wind. But we all are going to reap the whirlwind.
Damn them.
I don't blame Trump voters who for the most part are the same as those in 2016. I blame the 10 m that voted for Biden that didn't show up for Harris.
In general I agree with Hobbes 1651, that the purpose of government follows from its undisputed monopoly on violence to protect us from the "nature of man". However, the sovereign's duty is also to fulfill the Social Contract, clearly articulated in the 6 aspirations of the Preamble of the Constitution.
1- Form a more perfect Union.
2- Establish Justice.
3- Insure domestic tranquility.
4- Provide for the National Defense.
5- Promote the General Welfare.
6-Secure the Blessing of Liberty for ourselves and our posterity.
Memorize these 6 and write your representative where it appears the government is in default and demand an explanation!
My complaint about Trump is in the term Establish Justice - to be clear here is what ChatGPT says. I agree.
In the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, the phrase “establish justice” refers to the goal of creating a system of fairness and lawfulness in the nation. It signifies the intention of the Founding Fathers to ensure that laws would be fair, equally applied, and provide remedies for wrongs. This includes the establishment of courts and legal processes to resolve disputes, protect individual rights, and maintain social order.
By “establishing justice,” the government is tasked with creating a legal framework that upholds equality before the law and promotes fairness in the application of legal rules and standards.
I do hold the Trump voters accountable. The situation in this election was entirely different than 2016. Trump caused a violent insurrection in 2021, stole vital US gov documents and wouldn't return them, tried to force Georgia to throw out votes, paid off a porn star, committed financial fraud, raped a woman in a department store. Need I go on? And I do hold third party candidates accountable and people who could not be bothered to vote (not the threatened gerrymandered ones).
And there is misinformation, racism and misogyny. My brother and sister in law are "willing" participants in, not "victims" of, propaganda, willingly watch Fox Entertainment when they could inform themselves of the truth in myriad ways.
Deliberate ignorance
Fueled by “christian” white supremacy, hatred, lack of empathy, racism.
Don’t leave out misogyny, greed, and Vlad in the shadows
Christian beliefs exert an extraordinary influence over the nation - unfortunately in our schools and in our courts, now permeating many branches of our government. Religious beliefs are no way to govern a modern world. Way too many Americans have a fealty to dangerous strains of religion - they identify with a hate movement, they hold superstitous approach to scientific explanations - I could go on....And of course, Trump, elevated by his Christian followers, being super religious (ha ha) combines his devotion with numerous love affairs, lying (a violation of one of the 10 commandments) and more. I'll stop here....
never cared for religion. especially in light of the coverups of priests, swindling folks of their money to but planes, You don't need it to be kind and not hurtful. Theseme. Evangelists or whatever they call themselves who have preachers promoting trump from the pulpits-not for
Intentional, me thinks.
None of my family can stand Trump, and my dad, brother and I especially loathe the man.
How blessed you are.
I wish my Dad were alive. He was a republican. He served in WWII and Korea as well was in the Reserves and National Guard. He was even sent to Germany when the Wall was an issue. His parents were immigrants from Eastern Europe. I'm not sure how he would feel about the illegal immigrants, but I wonder how he would feel about a draft dodger insulting true military soldiers who have served their country.
Wendyl, there is both mis and dis information afoot. The "information" that they get simply feeds what they want to hear. My poster child for that is a friend who, when I posted a photo the FBI took at Merde a Lardo that had all those boxes of classified documents stored next to a 🚽, told me that the photo was from Biden's house in Delaware.
Ally, I agree that "the information they get is simply what they want to hear." Not enough attention is paid to the fact that people CHOOSE what to listen to and believe, even in the so called information deserts. Granted many are brought up from infancy to hate the liberals. Hard to overcome that indoctrination. I think there are certain personality characteristics that seem to predispose one to hate, lack of empathy, bigotry. I see it in my own family. My brother and his wife are well-off resentful bigots, racist, Trump voters, rabid "christian". All the rest of us are not, more the opposite.
Yes, we wind up being responsible for our choices, although when beliefs are instilled by way of PTSD from infancy its a hard place to break out from. I have seen multiple studies that show abusers tend to be those who were abused themselves. The two most basic ways to affect human behavior are punishment and love. Punishment is easier. I see a role for it, mostly as a last resort, but not brutality. It's weird to hate liberals per se. "Liberal" and "liberty" share the same Latin root. I think of "liberty and justice for all as a "liberal" position. When it applies to ALL, I mean.
I couldn’t agree with you more. They wanted cruelty, and now they’re getting it, but so is the rest of the world, who didn’t have an opportunity to cast a ballot.
Neither did a lot of Americans (though many had the chance and blew it).
They (Trump voters) believed the liar or all they cared about is that Trump would obliterate “woke” culture. Regardless of why they voted this corrupt, immoral, cruel man into office, we need to be asking ourselves how we get the cows back into the barn??? How do we resist and stem this evil tide that is trying mightily to take over our government and ruin our lives ??? How????????
Elizabeth, watch Heather Cox Richardson’s Facebook talks. She has a very broad perspective, being a historian, and great advice on activism. Check out the new substack The Contrarian with a lot of the finest minds and hearts and activists in many fields with many suggestions on how we resist. Robert Hubbell, Joyce White Vance and many others on Substack.
Many of the LFAA readers also support other like minded Substacks and YouTube channels.
Might I remind everyone to hit the LIKE button every time, which I am told helps promote the substack or YouTube channel and increase their visibility?
Thanks Miselle. Didn't know about hitting the like button.
Wendyl: me too.
Very well said Wendy. Thank you. I agree 100%
Trump thinks he is a sovereign, but we are not supposed to have one. Rather we are supposed to chose an administrator who carries out the public's agenda, not his or her own, in concert with a limited but independent legislature of representatives, and an impartial judiciary. As for the latter, the iconic images of "blind justice" does not signal indifference to the evidence and truth but to socioeconomic status; and certainly to partisanship. Relatively minor prejudices can keep one off a jury (though oddly not from judges robes; is that really "blind justice" ?
Given Enlightenment underpinnings of foundation of government, there is a certain amount of empirical thinking embedded in courtroom procedure (more so than the other branches) of presentation and cross examination of logic and evidence, reminiscent of the scientific method. Courts do not or should not suffer proven liars gladly. Neither should we.
Trump keeps calling it his agenda and not the people's agenda.
Why did they bother having Trump say the Presidential oath of office when he broke it when he signed the first unconstitutional and illegal EO within an hour of being sworn in.
We have the power to fight back against the oligarchs. Stop buying stuff at national chains like Walmart, The Home Depot, Amazon, Kroger's, Tesla, etc. and instead purchase from local mom and pop stores.
We have the power to hurt the oligarchs. And besides, these companies have been driving local companies out of business for the last 40 years, it's time they realize we are mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore.
Remember. He said the words said to him, but didn't have his hand on the bibles Melania was holding.
Wouldn’t matter if he had.
Public, in your face, reveal.
That wasn't an accident. Thanks to Mary Anne Trump, the family had a very tenuous association with the Presbyterian church, mostly for social purposes rather than any devout beliefs. Still, little Donald's name is found on the Sunday School records of First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, NY. He would have been subjected to the Calvinist dogma taught in those classes, including the risk of eternal damnation for breaking a vow or oath.
Although Donald never acquired a moral compass, vestiges of that early religious indoctrination linger in his feeble mind. As the 4-year-old crosses his fingers behind his back while telling a lie, Donald thought that by not placing his hand on the bibles while he took the oath, he was technically not taking the oath, therefore not required to keep the promises he made while reciting the oath, thus avoiding eternal damnation. If only eternal damnation were a thing!
He crossed his fingers as an official duty
And Gary, why wouldn’t he put his hand on the Bible during the oath that apparently means nothing to him? The Bible held by his wife? Anyone asking what that fairly obvious bit of theatre was intended to convey? Especially to his “Christian” supporters?
What sort of hat was Melonia wearing? Bit odd.
Too late for that. Trump just waltzed through Merchan's court. Yes, he was found guilty but no sentence-nada not even a fine! I realize that all of the delay was to make it look like the judge was not partial, yet trumpers still claimed witch hunt, persecution, etc. So, his conviction shows up on the record. big deal. He has no respect for democratic ideals, none for the Constitution. If you want to punish someone, go after whatever it is he values most. For trump it would be power and money.
Aaron, the authors of Project 2025 and Trump turn these 6 goals on their head - following the script of Mein Kampf and implementing the frightful fiction of George Orwell’s 1984 and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
Their “more perfect Union” is a White Christian nation; “Justice” is to persecute those who oppose their effort; insuring “domestic tranquility” means quashing any protests, using the military and violence to defeat “America’s enemies” (“We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.” Kevin Roberts); “provide for the National Defense” by pardoning violent insurrectionists and traitors and strengthening these Brownshirt militias; “Promote the General Welfare” only of those who support or cower to their malevolence; and “secure the Blessings of Liberty for” themselves, their White Christian nation and their supporters. These people are pure Seditionists who seek to destroy the very foundation of America.
I find solace and hope in reading The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz, Today’s Edition by Robert Hubbell, The Contrarian by Jen Rubin and Norm Eisner and, of course, Letters from an American by Professor Cox-Richardson. And, of course, I take small but hopefully consequential actions recommended by Timothy Snyder; Jessica Craven in Chop Wood, Carry Water; Indivisible; and Marc Elias of Democracy Docket.
We need to stand together to defeat these Seditionists.
While voter turnout in 2024 was about 66% - a record high, there were still 89 million eligible voters who didn't have the patriotism, good sense or morality to show up.
And yes, among them were Biden voters.
So some perspective for a nation that loves its phones and big TVs more than democracy itself, some rough numbers that make me want to scream:
Trump: 77 million
Harris: 75 million
Those who were disillusioned, mentally or morally broken, or who just don't think government matters, or "both parties are the same", who leave it to others to guide the nation, lazy ass slobs, who take their lifestyles for granted - and no excuses accepted by me pieces of poop:
89 MILLION
In Australia, Federal elections see over 90% participation. Why? Because it is mandatory. Being lazy is not an excuse.
I think the blame here gets complicated. History amply shows that power tends to corrupt, especially to the degree it is not held accountable, and I think that our society fails to teach or promote how essential informed voting is to a free and just society. A government of, by and for the people splits ultimate governmental authority into equal shares of choice AND responsibility for chosen outcomes. How could it be self-government any other way?
My experience is not statistically significant of course, but throughout my lifetime I have experienced voting framed as a share of personal choice, with little said about social responsibility for outcome that affect not only *me* but many, possibly millions of others, especially those already most deprived. Thousands of Democrats vowed not to vote because of Biden's support of Netanyahu, as a firm moral stance, and as much as I too was offended by Biden's position, the only practical alternatives of enabling Trump seemed far more dangerous. We evolved to be a social, cooperative species. We are more secure and at out best when we can march to the beat of our own drummer, yet look out for one another. I think that's what Lincoln was talking about.
Don't forget to blame the other 80 million citizens who fail to vote at all. Tramp got ~77m votes; ~165m eligible Americans chose not to vote for him.
Talk about a mandate!
Sadly, Bern, 1/3 to nearly 1/2 of the electorate have not voted since "forever", certainly no different than when i was a kid, that's the 50s of the previous century btw.
Sure. And it is to the everlasting discredit of the parties that they don't care to try to get those folks to give a damn about self-governance.
and remember that more would be voters slant "independent" or "not involved" if they dodge the polls.
There is a lot of blame to go around. Top of the list is the feckless Corporate Old Guard Democratic leadership. We have to dump Pelosi, Schumer, Clinton, Clyburn, Obama and move ahead.
The Democrats abandoned working people. So working people abandoned the Democrats.
Quit blaming people and get to work.
Too much time is wasted on blaming. We must deal with the debacle that is NOW! The PEOPLE MUST STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES!
And yet, David, (presumably not any known relation to me -- there are a LOT of people who share our last name), Republicans were never behind "working people". So why would they vote for leaders who were blatantly saying what they would do to all except the rich? End unions. Fire masses of Americans. Take away support services for the needier in our population, including school kids. Take away health care insurance for millions on Medicaid. The list goes on, David, and yet you blame Democrats.
This sounds like an overkill, David.
David, your comment is a waste of keystrokes leading to that "clever" bumper sticker at the end.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz spoke almost entirely about creating a beneficial environment for working people. Nancy Pelosi gave master classes in marshaling disparate Democrats and deftly sidestepping Republicans to pass legislation that benefitted working people. Barack Obama shepherded the Affordable Care Act through a hostile legislature to benefit working people who need affordable healthcare. I could continue.
Indeed, Democrats have accepted donations from large donors because thanks to Citizens United, that is how the political game is now played in the U.S. But unlike Republicans, Democrats DO NOT cater to the whims of their large donors at the expense of working people.
Throw down your sniper's rifle and do something productive with your time.
Isn’t that the standard UNHELPFUL response : blame the democrats ??? BLAME TRUMP ABD HIS REPUBLICAN ENABLERS!!!
Ditto; My understanding as well Aaron, as the mission statement for all that follows.
Somewhere in public schools education I had to memorize the Preamble and I often quote it still.
Aaron, I do blame those voters who either saw nothing wrong with the garbage that he did in his first term as well as those who seem to crave more of the same.
Here is what Hobbes said about punishment but in simpler language.
It is also the responsibility of the ruler to properly apply punishments and rewards. Punishment is not about revenge or anger, but about correcting the offender or setting an example for others. The most serious punishments should be for crimes that pose the greatest threat to society, such as those driven by hatred of the government, disrespect for justice, actions that stir public anger, or crimes committed by the privileged (like sons or favorites of those in power), which, if left unpunished, may seem accepted. People tend to rebel not only against those who commit injustice but also against any authority that protects them, as seen in the case of Tarquin, whose son’s misconduct led to the end of his reign and the monarchy in Rome.
However, crimes committed due to weakness, such as under great provocation, fear, need, or ignorance of the severity of the offense, can sometimes be treated with leniency without harming society, and such leniency is supported by natural law. Punishing the leaders and instigators of a rebellion, rather than the misled followers, benefits the state. Harsh treatment of the people only punishes their ignorance, which may be partly the ruler’s fault for not educating them properly.
Thank you for your comments. I have been struggling to be able to verbalize my thoughts and concerns. You gave me concise talking points. Thanks. Do you have a podcast?
There are many good YouTube channels. I've frequently mentioned them, and some I learned of from the forum here. I particularly like "Belle of the Ranch" and I urge anyone who is unfamiliar to PLEASE watch just one (I'll include a link to one from yesterday that has me concerned). She lays out FACTS in a clear and concise manner, and in generally about 3 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sp_xpZ1_M8&t=51s
I've already mentioned that by subscribing (it's free), watching a video AND hitting the "like" button pushes these videos up in the algorithm. Belle has MAGA watching her, as her clips often report on a contradictory email she receives regarding her videos. Each one of us, by doing this simple action, helps stomp out misinformation!
No, but one day I'll get my non-profit educational think-tank going to require schools to cultivate foresight to anticipate situations like this and good judgment to avoid them.
Excellent post, AaronDavis, thank you.
Sounds good in theory, but how many countries even attempt to do that. Obviously, the American republican government is not about that since the leader of "the free world" has decided to use Orbán's and Putin's.
In a way, I welcome all of this outrageous bool-sheet. The non-M.A.G.A. voters who voted for Trump will understand that they voted for eggs not dregs.
I want them to be hurt by their negligence, in voting for this.
So does Trump and his Project 2025 cronies.
He halted funding for all sorts of programs that help people even though he has lied and said he didn't-- Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, housing assistance. All programs intended to help underpaid Americans. They say they want women to have babies, but then they do everything they can to hinder their ability to support a family.
Well, we knew that , though didn’t we?
We did indeed, but our MSM just couldn’t be bothered with the facts
Welcome to the New Snazzy Nazi States of America, Mr. McDoodle.
Yeah, very depressing.
I just perused Fox and all comments were 100% pro Trump.
without puking, Bill?
I often open to see what the other side is saying,
There might also be a political cost. Surely many of the recipients of this aid will either be Trump supporters or be related or known to them. They will wonder whether Trump's solution to their own personal cost-of-living crises is to simply allow them to starve to death. It's early days yet, but in one of the first electoral tests of this administration, the Democrats flipped a state senate seat in Iowa.
David and I just rented an apartment in Toulouse in September - exploring other venues for future escapes. I speak French, studied in France, have friends in Paris, love France - looking into short term visas, etc.
“Cruelty and desire for chaos,” they know him better than the imbeciles in this country.
They will find themselves hunted, just as the Nazis were, to the ends of the earth.
And may trumps remains, like Hitler's, be scattered to the winds.
That would put a serious crimp in my plan to piss daily upon his grave.
You beat me to it, Bern.
I would not even expend that on him . . . he's beneath it . . .
As long as he stays beneath, the rest of us are OK, because he always punches down, not up...
We don't need more air pollution. I'd rather hear that his carcass is lying at the bottom of the ocean alongside the other sociopath, Saddam. With no grave, he'd be easier to forget.
Felon #47's firehose of egregious freezes leaves us to play whack-a-mole. As in his first four years of chaos, it's impossible to keep track, like the icebergs we see on the surface with massive reserves we can't see beneath.
Your sharp arrows have landed dead center.
The media is failing to understand The Fork In The Road letter sent to all federal employees
It is *not* a payout or buyout.
There is no financial incentive being offered.
Please read the letter carefully.
You don't get to "quit now," (stop work) and get paid through September. You just get to say now that you will take a "deferred resignation" with the end of your work and pay effective at the end of September. They will decide what you do and how much you work between now and then. If you are lucky your workload could go down if they are actually winding down your department. Your position might even be eliminated and you might just be put on administrative leave if they really don't like the function for which your department is responsible. But you also must agree " I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition during my remaining time at my employing agency" meaning if you are not so lucky as to have your whole department eliminated you will likely face a steadily increasing workload as other employees in your department take earlier departures for another job.
There is no buyout. No financial incentive. The only "incentive" is that you "will be exempt from any “Return to Office” requirements" - which have not yet been defined and won't be until long after the next Thursday deadline for accepting this resignation letter.
It is just a pure extortion pressure tactic to scare people into leaving government employ. The letter has clear language indicating that they will purge people who are not "reliable, loyal, trustworthy..." Anyone who engages in "misconduct" will be "prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination."
Note that this applies to the entire federal workforce, with the notable exception of "military personnel of the armed forces, employees of the U.S. Postal Service, those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security," (USPS is a separate entity not directly a part of the federal workforce).
This is a random chaotic purge, as thoughtful and carefully designed as the earlier proposal to eliminate every employee whose social security number ended in an odd number.
Fast to break, slow to rebuild. This administration is doing generational damage to the US government.
Please be very skeptical in your read of reporting on the actions of this administration and don't buy their framing.
In my starry-eyed vision….these folks would all report for duty as normal and do the jobs they are meant to do….TFFFG’s directive notwithstanding—especially if any “orders” are not considered legal. Sigh, wish I had a bottomless pit of money (oh! like Musk’s!) to bankroll them whilst they do so. Rebellion from within. Well, I can dream of it anyway….
Last night, my niece said that her department was being defunded.
Her job is to protect family members by removing one or both guardians from the home who are either sexually or physical abusive or unable to care for their families because they are addicted to drugs or alcohol or are so depressed they cannot function.
Her department removes the abusive parent and then it is her job to gather testimony from the abused child(ren) or spouse. She had a 100% conviction rate until a judge refused to watch video evidence of a step-father abusing a 4 year old child. The judge retired a few weeks later. Typical of many Trumpets the judge didn't believe that someone could physically abuse a child in that manner.
Anyway, her entire department has been defunded and the governor is backing up Trump. The governor also said that he would assist ICE when they arrest brown and black people suspected of being in the US without valid documentation.
Please tell your daughter her work matters and that people across the country are fighting for her work to continue. We all must do the next good thing — no matter how small — and whatever acts of resistance in our power.
With millions of jobs like your niece’s being eliminated, how will state’s unemployment offices be able to handle the mess? And apparently any federal fund backup will be gone as well. Pure chaos ahead!
I am in a dark mood with black humor. I imagine the unemployment wages will not be paid--after all, IT'S A HANDOUT!!--and those people can be put onto farms to do the picking.
I can see Trump brushing off his tiny hands and declaring victory: reduced unemployment to zero, solved the agriculture issue, and reduced the federal budget with one swoop! SO MUCH WINNING.
Then, he picks up his golf club, hauls the girth up on the cart, and away he goes.
Cults are noted for their ostrich behavior
I cannot "like" this, Gary. I am sad to say there are judges who are like that in my area as well. Thankfully, none assigned to juvenile court, but this is heartbreaking.
Where is this, Gary? Is her department being defunded by the state or by the Feds?
It's nice to dream Barbara, and I wish I can do the same today, there are so many terrible things going on in barely a week that I'm shocked. I've been writing comments and replies here, daily and multiple times a day ,but today, what I just read in today's HCR letter feels a poison pill, a national tragedy a collective suicide coordinate by this American government. I just wrote what come out of my heart but I'm speechless. I'm going to stop and just read what this family of commentators write.
Ricardo, an olde saying if I may. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Stay engaged on one topic (mine right now is the reorganization of the DNC into a fighting machine). Yesterday I was tired and sick and had the same thought as you. Pick a topic pleas and get to work. Commenting here is not required, but I'm hoping that it might just be read by the right person(s).
Following your advice Bruce, writing again after a good cup of coffee. Thanks for your reply and support.
Coffee and focus. Pick your lane, and drive it for all that it is worth.
May I also suggest "stagger breathing". It is a term from the choir world that us tuba players have to utilize as well. When there is a long passage of sustained notes with no breaks, the section takes turns breathing. The note is sustained, and together, everyone gets the chance to breathe.
In my world, the 20+ measures of a sustained C two lines below the bass clef staff in Johan de Meij's "Hobbits Hymn" is that very thing. A very soft note carried as the entire band decrescendos to nothing (visualize Gandolf sailing away); my tuba buddy and I were "even and odd" (I was odd, go figure). When we needed a breath, I'd breath in odd numbered measures, and he'd breathe on even numbered measures. Works like a charm.
When the news is too much, break away, take a breath, find your place of rejuvenation (music, gardening, exercise, meditation), practice that, then return to the fray.
And more coffee...
Ally, the more I learn about you, the better I like you. Were it not for damned geography, we would be buddies, with or without drinking.
I was a tenor (suppose I still am) and we frequently employed stagger breathing. Do you share my observation?
Sopranos are high-maintenance prima donnas who get all the glory. Altos are the unsung heroes who roll their eyes a lot when the sopranos are being sopranos. Tenors are the jokers and mutterers who cause rehearsals to take longer. Baritones are the vocal soldiers who show up, do their vocal duty and go home.
I loved your reply and advice 😄
I took the liberty to replace the virtual tuba breathing by listening a very appropriate "Lamentations", Joseph Hayden's Symphony # 26. Your description of tuba technique was very educational and after posting at about 2:30 am EMT and sleeping some more, and some more caffeine I'm back in business and ready to fight.
Thanks for your help 👍
Does anyone here have personal contacts at the current or future DNC?
Not a personal contact but do you know of Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party? On his vision for future of Democratic Party, consider watching him being interviewed by Jon Stewart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfBtlvfysjw&t=6s
Spectacularly GREAT interview by John Stewart! Ben Wikler parried all Stewart's humor “traps” with consistent thoughtfulness, sincerity and best of all, CLARITY!
Yeah, Ricardo, it’s like playing “whack-a-mole” for all the sh*t he’s producing….but some say THAT is the point….distraction and confusion…is there more going on than meets the eye? We need to pay attention (tiring I know) to the minutiae so he doesn’t slip something by us.
Some of what is being written today (like in the contrarian) is useful to stay focused. Yes, there is more, but we need resources at the DNC to acquire funding, Hire the right people, coordinate with legal, gather intel of all kinds, triage, take on the important oppositional projects, coordinate those projects, , drive/support members of the houses, report on progress, drive Media. Most critical is to put people in place with experience to carry out those tasks. I'll say it again, and again...Restructure the DNC NOW! Let's not do this piecemeal. That's the "Mole"to Whack Barbara.
Barbara, your reply brought some comfort, but on top of what call distraction and confusion there's an avalanche of cruelty and what was terrible yesterday, we can't talk about any more because of what happens today is worse and we know what tomorrow will bring would be even were. No time to elaborate, no time to swallow, no time to be sorry for so many human beings being so affected while they keep talking about "mandate "
At least I'm writing again 😊
Must be the little caffeine I just had. 🤯
It’s called flood them with Schitt.
😄
This family of commenters is floundering as is anyone with any reality contact.
Thanks for your reply JD
Alas smarmy Reagan gulled the public into ignoring the (historically evident) negative side to the power of big money, let alone circumstances where a relative few wield more financial power that the whole rest of the population put together. Were I in that category and I did not like what is being said here, I could just buy the venue, and have lots more buying power to spare.
Some people report that their union asked them not to sign these letters!
People naturally scatter to what "they see". We need to change that to focus on what is critical now, as defined by pros we trust. It's not a "plan" it's a process to beat Project 2025. A plan can be structured in one hour by the right person. A process needs resourcing, people, tools...blah blah. restructure the DNC (or the boys and girls club of America for all I care), but we must put in place a centralized process that can act locally where required.
In case you missed my reply above, if you havent seen Ben Wickler being interviewed by Jon Stewart, it might be worth your time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfBtlvfysjw&t=6s
YES Joan, DEFINITELY worth the time! Truly energizing!
The USPS has already been dismantled by Trump crony Louis DeJoy.
I am helping my daughter and her family build a new house. Three times I have mailed a down payment before work could start and three times it has taken 6 or 7 days for the check to be delivered 1 1/2 miles to 40 miles from my house. This used to be overnight service.
So, expect the same kind of service degradation from SS, Medicare, Medicaid, the IRS, etc. as Trump installs his incompetent loyalists.
It's a de facto privatization of the USPS by making it such a mess that customers flee to FedEx, UPS, etc.
Gary, this is going to be a bit long, my apologies.
My eldest sister and her husband (both in their mid-80s) live in Chicago. They frequently go a week without mail, and they get their medications by mail. In the last year, they have called or visited their local post office so frequently that this last week, she told me when they went in, the clerk told them they were "harassing the staff".
My brother in law can be a pain in the neck, I admit, but in this case, he's truly justified to be angry. He was told by someone in the p.o. that they are short on staff, have frequent "call-ins", and the particular route that they live on is "difficult to get anyone to work" as it has "a lot of problems along the route." (I assume someone needs to pick up an extra route at times. Speaking of myself, I generally get my mail by 2 pm, the other night it arrived at 7:45 pm)
They have received mail that was postmarked over two weeks prior. (My sister said the pony express would be faster.) I was shocked at this, but one time recently, they went to the office inquiring for the mail, and she said they were given baskets of mail and told to "dig through it yourself" at which they finally located 19 pieces of mail.
They do not have a computer, smart phone or internet skills. They are terrified of having their bank account hacked, and so absolutely will not have any direct withdrawals, even though my nephew has offered to help them. My sister has resorted to calling the various utilities, etc, a day or two before the bill is due and (very reluctantly!) giving them her bank routing number. They still insist upon a paper bank statement, (which has not arrived the last two months), so they go to the bank and have them print it out.
I have friends (in their 60s) who live in this same neighborhood. One told me that she, too, gets her meds by mail but has cancelled that as she fears them being stolen from her mailbox, and it is frequently late in arriving. She goes to the pharmacy now, but admits it does cost a few bucks more. Those few bucks might mean a lot to some
people.
I have a truly wonderful postman and when he is off, generally the same other man fills in. They are all great. Both of them are in their mid 50s, and my regular says "7 more years". I hope they will be replaced with equally conscientious workers.
OMG. I can't imagine what your sister and brother-in-law are going through. It's like we're turning into a third-world country.
They are also fearful of "check washing" so when they can, they go to pay bills in person, such as the doctor or their insurance agent. This worries me: they grocery shop and pay with cash. I told them they are more of a target carrying large amounts of cash, but they have a credit card they use only in true emergency.
Exactly.
I am wondering if the fall out from this illegal and ill thought out action will be repeated in certain state and municipal governments. Already, the life expectancy in the poorest county in the northeast (Washington County, ME) is higher than the richest county in the southeast (Forsyth County, GA).
Thank you. They have been working on this terminology for decades
They'll be put on paid admin leave - from the actual letter:
"Employees who accept deferred resignation should promptly have their duties re-assigned
or eliminated and be placed on paid administrative leave until the end of the deferred resignation period (generally, September 30, 2025, unless the employee has elected another earlier resignation date), unless the agency head determines that it is necessary for the employee to be actively engaged in transitioning job duties, in which case employees should be placed on administrative leave as soon as those duties are transitioned"
To what letter are you referring? That sentence is not in the letter that went out to all employees. The closest thing to that sentence (and the only mention of admin leave) is this "I understand my employing agency will likely make adjustments in response to my resignation including moving, eliminating, consolidating, reassigning my position and tasks, reducing my official duties, and/OR placing me on paid administrative leave until my resignation date." (emphasis by capitalization added).
So as I discussed, there is the possibility that any given federal employee will be quickly relieved of any workload upon accepting the offer. But no employee that I know received an offer that guarantees a reduction or even continuation of current workload upon their acceptance of this explicitly labeled "deferred resignation". The language is very carefully vague and to my read ominous.
Meanwhile it is important to note that they (T and his gang) have gratuitously turned the lives of hundreds of thousands of committed federal workers upside down, who built their lives around this work and the federal government's good word. Which is now worth nothing.
You may be right, and it explains why there's been so much confusion - here's the guidance memo: https://chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/OPM%20Guidance%20Memo%20re%20Deferred%20Resignation%20Program%201-28-2025.pdf
And here is the letter that went out to all federal employees. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w5FpEWFR28kN4HuKRR3AJapdp8Iq2Efn/view?usp=sharing And as for the OPM suggestion that employees should promptly have their duties re-assigned or eliminated. I'm sure that will go real well. The admin will quickly find how much backlash randomly eliminating positions with no plan creates and will be throwing people into the work who have no experience. This is going to be great.
Creating confusion is a feature not a bug in this administration. Their M.O is to keep us confused and overwhelmed.
And notice several other odd things about the letter. It has no letterhead. And that title. Straight from the post that Musk sent out with the Tesla bloodbath.
also...I found a more better one - on letterhead: https://chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/OPM%20Guidance%20Memo%20re%20Deferred%20Resignation%20Program%2001-28-25%20FINAL.pdf
It is indeed a feature - that we all are trying to stay on top of as best we can...
Geez.
Important clarification.
RESIST! The Jim Acosta quote says it best -
"It is NEVER a good time to bow down to a tyrant."
I hope, Garrett, that he lands a great gig where he is able to speak the truth & rewarded for it. CNN has definitely “stepped in it” on this one. Indeed, I wish our Congress would regulate the “news” media to the degree that they are NOT allowed to outright lie…opinion is one thing but Kellyanne’s “alternative facts” are ridiculous!
He’s landed on Substack, Barbara!! I think The Contrarian will try and get him to do an interview there, maybe contribute from time to time.
I suspect Trump's people are already trying to shut down Substack.
We need a plan for when the Republicans try to shut Substack down.
Substack is fine, but MSNBC should hire him also. They could give him Katy Tur's spot in the afternoon.
Marlene…seems more and more folks are turning to the truth tellers on SubStack—the MSM could learn a thing or two!
They are afraid and beyond learning, just as in Germany in the 1930's. Unless they act like Acosta, and Contrarians (et al)...forgeddaboudem
Repubs bowed down to Rupert's bull Schitt from the git go. In fact, Repubs created Rupert’s world.
I could barely make it through this letter, it is so dense with horrifying information of blatantly unconstitutional actions. Now what do we do? Congress seems impotent, but I know I am. I have no power, no influence. I'm awake in the middle of the night worrying again.
Heather would be the first to say you do have power--the power to speak up to your elected representatives, the media, your friends, family, and neighbors. Listen to her Facebook Chats where she talks more freely:
https://fb.watch/xpxugE_mTd/
When you call a Member of Congress, you only need a brief message, and their staffers tally incoming messages as pro versus con on any given issue. Jessica Craven spells out the script and phone numbers for various issues, and even demonstrates calls on her YouTube. Jessica believes that hope is an action verb, and action is an antidote to worry:
https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/
Another option is to connect with your local Indivisible group. The founders have the experience of having been Congressional staffers, so they know how it works. Local groups give you opportunity to connect with like-minded folks:
https://indivisible.org/
Thank you for the reminders. I actually do all of this. But this time it feels insurmountable.
Good for you! Rebecca Solnit wrote last year about being like we're in a chorus singing a long sustained note. When a few individuals take a breath, the rest of the chorus is still carrying the note. Feel free to take a break to rejuvenate.
Stagger breathing, Ellie. It is how we in the back row make it through those 28 measures of whole notes, tied together, 2 ledger lines down in the bass clef staff get through "Hobbits Hymn".
Laurie, when I start flagging at the relentless effort I listen to:
Jackson Browne Til I Go Down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmzimxfqgfw And recently another commenter reminded us of Bob Marley’s Get Up Stand Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2W3aG8uizA AND it is great that both are danceable!!! Hang in there…you have LOTS of company & that’s encouraging.
anyone at the DNC?
bruce, there’s Ben Wikler (from Wisconsin where they turned around rethuglican hegemony) running for national Chair of DNC
I have just written to him, thanks for the contact.
Do you know him enough to make an intro, John? Thanks, and even if you don't I#ll contact him
bruce, I fear I do not know him, I just watched the John Stewart interview of him posted above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfBtlvfysjw&t=6s
202-224-3121 is the US Capitol Switchboard they will direct you to any senator or congressperson, there’s no excuse to not use it. 🙏
Thanks for the great info on how WE CAN DO SOMETHING! adding to my arsenal today.
Send money to groups like the ACLU and Democracy Forward. Democracy Forward sued today to prevent Trump from blocking the funding which has already been allocated by Congress. Support these groups!
And fight back by boycotting Amazon, Tesla, Walmart and other oligarchy owned chains. Almost everyone has access to some mom and pop stores. It may cost a few dollars more to purchase from a non-oligarch, but many boycotts have worked like the Bud-Light boycott last year. The right boycotts all of the time, we can too.
And this may seem trivial, but plant a garden and give to your food banks,
Just donated to democracy forward!!!
Get organised with others. There are probably more people than you think, who share your opinion and fears.
There Is Power In Numbers... Leaders Always Arise... If the Old Leaders do not LEAD... Time For New Ones...
Here's the answer: Help SPECIAL ELECTIONS that can turn off GOP control of the House. Support the Dem candidates. They are actually within range of winning two in Florida! How glorious would That be?
Tough fight, but if Mump keeps threatening to cut off SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare, etc,
Gay Valimont and Josh Weil could ride the tide of MAGA resentment.
I thought there was at least one other House seat for grabs but can't remember.
Senate seats, too, in 2026! Midterm organizing starts now and ...
Boycott. What's the best platform to grow and magnify one?
We can get off x and onto Blue Sky,
and leave META for... Craigslist and MySpace! Or Whatsapp.
And the one I get the Most resistance about, but may be Most important,
stop using AMAZON, or at the least drop PRIME.
And Walmart.
We all love our local businesses and what's left of Main Street, right?
We all despise monopolies, right?
We are almost all responsible for their rise, if we use their products (most of us Do have a choice)
and now we see the consequences.
I'm trying to remember how we organized during the 70's.
We signed Boycott Letters as if they were petitions. That shouldn't be to hard to do.
Any software/web developers out there?
Good Suggestions... Think Global... Fight Local... There may be opportunity for Pick-Up Seats in the Special Elections...
A Dem just flipped an Iowa State Senate seat. VA Governor election coming up...
I'm in a safe blue district in CA so, free time! I try to help out nationally, and globally with AVAAZ. It keeps me from losing it.
Thank You Patrice... There Is Therapy In Action...
Won't happen without a restructured DNC, in my opinion. And, quickly.
Great suggestion. There are actually hundreds more elections in 2025 than there were in 2024. The people that voted for Trump that were not engaged, aren't going to vote in the local elections. This is the time to bring in new local Democrats and Independents.
It felt cleansing to cancel Amazon Prime, shop local. If you can’t find it locally, there are other options than Amazon for online purchases.
FOR READERS:
I read on my old iPad. Local libraries are a great option.
But, I like to read through a series which are not always available thru the local libraries.
I have switched from Amazon 'Kindle' to Barnes & Noble 'nook' to avoid any Amazon purchases.
sorry I don't know why it's all double spaced like that.
I agree with you, but I truly have difficulty dropping Amazon and Prime. I do a lot of crafts, and I am fortunate to have Micheals, Joanne and Hobby Lobby within about a 5 mile radius of me. I'm not real happy with Hobby Lobby's politics, but I will admit that their store is clean, large and well stocked. If I go to the Joanne, it is very small and they usually don't stock items that I want or need. The Micheals by me is a bit bigger, but it always looks like they are closing--the racks are a mess, there is empty pegs, and I get frustrated trying to find anything. And I will search the store and never find anyone on the floor--in fact, the only visible employee is one person at the checkout.
I really WANT to support main street, and I'm able to do so with the local restaurants in our area.
My grandchildren live in another state. For their birthdays or Christmas, I guess I could go hunting down a particular toy they want, package it and mail it to them (I've already posted a long comment about the post office above.). It is way easier to have my daughter send a linked gift list, and I can choose the exact toy and have it sent directly to them, and avoid the cost of postage (which can be more than the cost of the toy). And btw, IF I could find that toy, I'd undoubtedly have to go to Target or Walmart.
I speak only for myself, but I live in a large middleclass Chicago suburb. My "main street" has plenty of nail salons, dry cleaners, breakfast/lunch cafes, hair salons. The type of businesses that you refer to, those providing goods not services, went away a long time ago. Now there is Starbucks--the coffee shop disappeared about 25 years ago. The local bakeries closed at least 10 years ago, but there is a Nothing Bundt Cakes.
There are no independent clothing stores--there is Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Target and Walmart.
We have absolutely ZERO bookstores (a point I made to a women who ran for major, and who promised when she won, she'd get one in town. She won, and she didn't, and is also long gone.) There are a few florists, although our favorite one went out of business last year, as did their garden center. (There is Menards, Home Depot and Lowes within 5 miles for garden needs, as well as hardware.) Anyhow, for the most part, I don't buy much in terms of products anymore.
We also rely on Prime for much of our entertainment. I gave up going to movies well before COVID, as I got disgusted with sticky floors, piles of food (apparently people bring entire feasts of takeout in and leave the detritus behind to be removed after the last showing of the day. Maybe.) Cell phones were getting more popular, and the flashing of lights and lack of behavior (yakking through the entire movie) added insult to the price of tickets. I'd rather watch at home, even if now Prime often wants an extra few bucks for viewing a movie.
I want to drop Prime, if only there was a truly good alternate. I just don't see it.
At least in terms of social media--don't have to get off as I never signed up for any.
At this point in my life, I don't purchase much
Good suggestions but WhatsApp is META owned. I read a number of articles saying Signal was better than WhatsApp and Telegram.
Peaceful protest. It’s time to channel our inner MLK, Jr. and Gandhi. I am concerned that lawsuits are too slow and we must get beyond echo chambers Although TBH this forum keeps me from deeper despair. Was it Franklin who said “We must all hang together, or we shall certainly hang separately.” ?
Lawsuits take a lot of Time, and are Expensive... With the Roberts Court, will they be Ultimately Fruitful?...
Here you go, Laurie. This should make you feel a whole lot better; it did for me:
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/an-upwelling-of-outrage-spreads-across
Thanks for the link, Lynell. Oh, and good morning!
Congress isn't impotent. It's collaborating.
My life these days
❤️
So are millions of us Laurie. And the sad thing is, that many of his voters are going to be hurt by this.
on the contrary, the best thing is, that many of his voters are going to be hurt by this. The sad thing is, many of them won't recognize that their vote let it happen. But some will and a few may even change their minds.
It's easy to become just overwhelmed by the horror of what's happening, all to the Project 2025 playbook. So I wanted to quote what to me was a stabilizing and calming analysis (as stabilizing and calming as can be expected in the face of this madness) by Jay Kuo on Substack.
"It seems likely that the first court challenges that have sprung up in response will prevail and that the OMB will be enjoined in some way from freezing these funds. That in turn will wind its way up to the appellate courts, likely on a fast track to the Supreme Court.
And while we should never assume that this particular Supreme Court will do the right thing, it does seem unlikely that such a massive overreach by the Executive against Congress will withstand scrutiny, especially by the Chief Justice, Justice Barrett, and the three liberal Justices Kagan, Sotomayor and Jackson. Trump may have been able to get away with impounding some amount of money based on an ambiguity in some statute. Getting away with impounding all of the federal grant and assistance money, without differentiation, is unlikely to win over five justices, or even more than two based on prior rulings."
https://substack.com/home/post/p-155954478
That is helping me right now. Hope it does the same for others. - Alex
I read Kuo once in a while and found this very compelling. I want those who voted for the Criminal-in-Chief to hurt, yes, but it will be the poor who will suffer the most. That’s not our goal.
I don’t give much credence to Chief Injustice Roberts, Alex. He is like a pendulum, not certain which way he’ll swing. Barrett is a bit iffy but more compliant than the rest of the right-wing pack. All I can say is that I do hold some hope that the outrage gets louder and louder and that the R’s constituents scream at them. So sick of the smugness of the Project 2025 elite. They don’t know everything, as evidenced with their debacle they tried to pull late last night. Thanks for trying to “stabilize” us.
Marlene, I don't give ANY credence to Roberts. But for whatever reason, sometimes he votes in a way that works for democracy. If Kuo thinks he might, here, that's good news on a very dark day. We have to try not to sink into complete despair.
No, I agree with you and really I could’ve chosen a more appropriate word. Yes, I guess I could give the Injustice a teensy bit of credit.
The moment that troubles me most , if it ever happens, would be when a court decision lands on the desk of the president and he refuses to follow it. Yes it may happen ( did he honor his gag order?) and if it does, then what?
The survival of our republic short of a very bloody civil war may come down to military leadership honouring its oath to Constitution with a soft military coup of belaying orders. A crucial question: ¿how many of the enlisted personnel are brown-shirts in hiding or training?
is belaying orders a military thing? Is General Milley still active? All branch leaders?
I am also worried about Mump just seizing power and ignoring the courts (as usual!) And I am Very worried about the fealty of our troops, AND Generals (again, with precedent to back up concern.) I've written before about the Red State National Guard and Militias as well. Not to mention the Proud Oath Kkristian Militias.
A soft military Coup could swing either way, and there could even be a split in the ranks. Elon is even more insane than the dotard, and Much more clever, willing to take huge risks, controls some military communications globally,
and has more money than 150 countries.
Who are his enemies? He wants to become The World Leader.
Someone on sub did a great piece on a BIO that's almost out or is out, about the fake personas he mastered to infiltrate Silicon Valley and fool investors, all along the way, before taking over Chunks of our space program, but I haven't heard anything else about it.
He is a "model male" for millions of young American men and not so young as well. His past needs more coverage. It's one big con, just like his co-president's.
sorry, ranting. signing off.
That is the rub. How loyal are the troops? I suspect most are. Yet it would not take many to stymie the military. The belaying of orders would be countermanding them. Not sure it would work if lower ranking officers defied the senior officer. Nevertheless, if the senior leadership stood against the orders, Trump would be stopped cold.
DJT has a lot of Support among the Enlisted... Among the Officer Corps, less so... DJT would have to do something truly Outrageous to provoke the Joint Chiefs... The Tenure of Hagseth will be a Good Litmus Test... Milley was a Battle-Tested Warrior, I don't know about the Current Chief Of Staff...
Miley was a commissioned Armor officer, and achieved the rank of General. He held 8 commands and retired after 23 years of service before . Hogsbreath was a National Guard Reserve Officer, detailed Infantry, and achieved the rank of Major; he served 23 years, never passing the rank of Major. Both were awarded the Bronze Star in combat and have received the Combat Infantry Badge. One of them is an experienced leader. The other is a drunken sex offender.
Thank you, Ally, for having more courage than I to say what is really odious about this SecDef.
General Milley, with security detail withdrawn, has a target on his back for the new Brown shirts.
One problem that not too many are aware of is that there is a significant and loud contingent of Christian Nationalists in the military. They don’t represent all officers or enlisted people, but they do have a presence and could shut down any efforts to resist illegal and unconstitutional orders.
That is a BIG concern for me, too, Kathy. A law enforcement acquaintance from years ago said there was a concern that "gang-members" were using the military to train themselves. Though I believe that individual likely had urban gangs in mind, I suspect that such a concern applies to Brown shirt apprentices.
Ned, you're correct. The rise of street gang members joining the military was a big concern in the 1990's and early 2000's. It never took root with the street gangs; I suspect that once 'bangers got a taste of what life could be like, they never went back. I do not know of any studies on that, but it's worth a look.
Thank you, again, Ally. Your insight is important, when taken in context with Apache's comment. There is a difference -- one I overlooked -- between an enlisted soldier being pro-Trump and one who is a violent Xian nationalist.
and Fox plays non-stop in military barracks and canteens ...
Do you think that being ordered into stupid wars that they don't win might have something to do with morale?
When would a nationwide general strike be an appropriate response?
NOW
I have seen a call for a nationwide strike on March 15th
Bravo Jim Acosta!
It already has. Courts have no power to enforce orders. Trump does. Appeal and disregard. Appeal and disregard. And ultimately he will disregard the Supreme Court if it rules against. Two lower courts already have. But his subordinates will be told to proceed as if his orders remain in effect. Or be replaced. Deport American citizens. Shut down the CDC and whole departments of government. Freeze all spending. Send federal troops to take over California. Break treaties. Threaten wars of aggression without Congressional action. Spend money you are not authorized to. Refuse to spend money you are obliged to by law
We are already there. This will go on. He will stack govrnment with those who will obey. Political opposition is powerless to stop it. The lawsuits will swamp the courts. There is only one peaceful way this ends. It is if he makes the mistake of stopping Congressional paychecks. But he can pay Republicans out of pocket now.
Did CNN cave to Trump by moving Acosta to a midnight shift? Acosta has provided excellent coverage of Trump’s behavior and missteps. Trump hates him. So did the new administration threaten to pull CNN’s FCC license if they didn’t move him to a less visible slot. Why else would they move this outstanding journalist to a time slot with a smaller number of viewers?
CNN made that decision two weeks ago I think. Yes. 100% caved, obeyed in advance. What message does it send to their journalists? Or “news presenters” now.
Candace, yes I believe so.
Tuck Frump.
RESISTANCE
-------------
Time for the blue states to break the bank-transfer links from employers to D.C.; to collect the taxes in their capitals; and, withhold tax funds. Release to D.C. AT MOST the receipts from D.C. in the previous year (to eliminate the overage that blue states send to D.C. to subsidize red states). 🛑
Additionally, when Trump tries to drumpf a blue state of disaster relief funds, for example, then that state applies withheld tax funds to fund said relief. and forwards the net balance to Washington. Many people, will undoubtedly blow a gasket. (Like the Trumpanzee fake news about water released in California.) ⚖️
They may not understand human nature and conflict. They fail to account for stated Trumpian behavior and to anticipate where that authoritarianism is headed. 😵
The hearing for the nominee to direct the O.M.B. revealed open talk within the M.A.G.A. brain-drain, if not yet practice, of impoundment (e.g., suspending or ending F.E.M.A. operations). 😲
Now, with his diktat from the O.M.B., that practice has started the Trumpian attempt to shred the Constitution in favor of divine-right insanity. Where will funds for grants and agencies relegated to formaldehyde go? 🤢
Theorizing about what might cause a civil war over a wire transfer mechanism, when such civil disorder has likely started, is as brilliant as trying to bail out the Titanic with a tea-spoon. The Great Civil War of the nineteenth century did not start at Fort Sumter or even with secession; its started five years earlier with Bleeding Kansas. 😰
Now, this particular idea may not work. But some form of it can at least support initiatives. We need ideas to break down and re-assemble or refine in muscular non-violent responses if we are to avoid civil war. Or, maybe John Brown was right, after all. 😱
Attacking someone's proposed response right now is about as helpful as Florence Nightingale handing out LSD for a head cold. 💔
I imagine, Ned, those in the resistance at an influential level in any state may be “putting their heads together” to come up with counter measure workarounds such as you suggest. Gotta try, right?💪🏼🗽🇺🇸 At least I hope they are!
Yes. This may not be a plausible idea. But we have to generate ideas. Thank you for your as-always gracious response, Barbara. https://youtu.be/-KIqqOsqq8A
A fourteen minute vid. that makes me realize we are headed for war unless people push back very hard, very now.
I am at a loss, Ned, as to what I am able to do….very rural area, very limited resources (eg, donations), but a very very real desire to say “hell no, not as long as I can help it”….and do what I can, however humble to make sure our Constitution and Bill of Rights are not besmirched. I hope that “the center” holds as Yeats intoned, unless the struggle really does bring us enlightenment and a new age (hopefully a democratic, egalitarian & inclusive one).
In another thread, Deepak Puri wrote these sites that give some grass roots empowerment. https://substack.com/profile/1683458-deepak-puri
Who’s hurt by Trump’s Federal Aid freeze jeopardizing Medicaid and Food Stamps? Check this map!
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/01/28/map-of-communities-hurt-by-trumps-federal-aid-freeze-jeopardizing-medicaid-and-food-stamps/
Inspectors Fired, Corruption Hired: Trump fires Inspectors General to help billionaires loot public funds. Follow the scheme with this map.
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/01/27/trump-fires-inspectors-general-to-help-billionaires-loot-public-funds/
How to bird-dog MAGA reps to hold them accountable for stealing your Federal benefits to give tax cuts to billionaires
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/01/28/how-to-bird-dog-maga-reps-for-stealing-your-federal-benefits-medicaid-food-stamps/
Tired of the MAGA Circus chaos? Three great resources on upcoming races where your vote can help restore sanity.
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/01/28/curb-maga-chaos-ballotpedia-upcoming-races-where-your-vote-can-help-restore-sanity/
Ned and Barbara, the two of you make a lot of sense! I feel the spark of hope.
It’s 2:30 in the morning here in Beantown MA. I will re-read during daylight hours. Sleep now to fight tomorrow.
G-D be with you. I need to get the lead out. Maybe John Brown was right.
Make sure they are with a team dedicated to making it happen at the DNC!
Too many were never taught about Bleeding Kansas.
When am I going to learn not to read you before I go to bed??? Guess it’s not your fault you are always so informative so be it a history lesson or lesson of the day. Thank you.
Good luck! I’ve tried and tried. Does anyone else wake up in the middle of the night and have to read the letter?
I do very frequently, just as I am doing right now!! Heather's wisdom helps me with dealing with all these stressful & challenging times, and I find helps me sleep better afterwards, too.
Every night Ted, but tonight it's like a nightmare, A bad one, a terrible one. It's 2:12 am eastern time and I can't go to bed.
Sometimes I wait till the morning. Sometimes I just can’t take it right before bed.
***raises hand*** I call it my night school!
Yes
3:04 here in CA. Now is the time!
In everything by Heather today: how does one put a spine in people?
Republicans in Congress now, like their corrupted on the Clarence court, all suck up to any and all criminality from their White House felon.
No guidebook, no formula, no school to give them spines.
But for others, could be hope.
We know – one litmus test – people who love others will rouse in passion to defend them should danger lurk. Now, although there’s no teaching loving others, we could be more awakened if we had personal examples more key to schools.
But we have the opposite. In the U.S., in Japan, too largely elsewhere, instruments dominate that numericize, commodify, abstract, categorize, and package life. They float the billionaires whose schemes depend on inuring all, reducing all to life as nothing more than Fill-in-A-B-C-or-D. They ask the Qs. We follow. As R’s follow fat orange guy’s criminality.
We also read fewer and fewer – or no – full books anymore, as most schools in the U.S., Japan, and elsewhere have sunk to doing. Only snippet texts reduced to the A-B-C-or-D of today’s living dead.
Maybe John Brown, Thaddeus Stevens, Malcom X were right after all.
You force them with whatever you can!
And what, Bruce, do Dems have?
They're not in touch with any American working people. They've no humanities from any of the many fine books, films, and songs on our fellow Americans.
So, they just keep repeating as out-of-touch elites, while determined Republican criminality just seizes more? So the Clarence court can sooner kill democracy in favor of its monarchy and billionaire corruption?
Trump's blitzkrieg, which has left every sane person's head spinning and the integrity-based news media in a state of exhaustion, is a much more cynical and sophisticated version of Steve Bannon's "flood the zone" strategy from 2017. It is, to the surprise of no one, the handiwork of Goebbels clone Stephen Miller, who feeds Der Führer's darkest impulses and designs the architecture to carry them out.
Nothing is being left to chance by the MAGAts this time, as insightful albeit disturbing articles Tuesday by Luke Broadwater of The New York Times and Jonathan Lemire of The Atlantic make crystal clear:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/us/politics/trump-policy-blitz.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/01/trump-executive-actions-week-one/681486/
Historian Timothy W. Ryback, author of "Takeover: Hitler's Final Rise to Power," has brought attention to the fact that in 1933, it took only 53 days for Germany's democracy to be dismantled. How long it will take Trump, his Project 2025 fanatics and their ilk to do the same in our country remains to be seen.
Hopefully, Gene, enough of us—especially folks w/ influence and “power”—see this gambit and check its progress….hard. We can let our local, state & fed reps not to cave and to resist illegal/unconstitutional “edicts”. I do not want minority rule in this country….
Listen to what Tim Snyder and Sen Whitehouse are saying...restructure the DNC into Shadow cabinets supported full time by Strategy teams
But that needs to have already started, Bruce!
The DNC election is February 1.
Who’s hurt by Trump’s Federal Aid freeze jeopardizing Medicaid and Food Stamps? Check this map!
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/01/28/map-of-communities-hurt-by-trumps-federal-aid-freeze-jeopardizing-medicaid-and-food-stamps/
Inspectors Fired, Corruption Hired: Trump fires Inspectors General to help billionaires loot public funds. Follow the scheme with this map.
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/01/27/trump-fires-inspectors-general-to-help-billionaires-loot-public-funds/
How to bird-dog MAGA reps to hold them accountable for stealing your Federal benefits to give tax cuts to billionaires
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/01/28/how-to-bird-dog-maga-reps-for-stealing-your-federal-benefits-medicaid-food-stamps/
Tired of the MAGA Circus chaos? Three great resources on upcoming races where your vote can help restore sanity.
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/01/28/curb-maga-chaos-ballotpedia-upcoming-races-where-your-vote-can-help-restore-sanity/
Project 2025 = Impose Christian nationalism, let’s just call it Christian’s National Socialism = Neo-Nazism
We need to write our "representatives." But so many topics, especially today. I'm determined to get to them one letter/email at a time.
Call them. Jessica Craven of Chop Wood, Carry Water says calling is more effective than emails. (In person visits to their offices the absolute best.) Call daily. You can repeat yourself until the issue has been voted on. Perhaps make a call separately for each issue rather than several at once. It’s quick and easy.
I am fortunate, Laura, that my House and Senate reps lean progressive….I contact them to cheer them on and let them know I’ve got THEIR backs just like they’ve got mine. I’m on their newsletter lists too as it keeps me informed of their works.
Our representation is weak on both sides of the aisle. We need to press initiatives to limit terms on ALL government officials and especially our September court clowns. We need many to run against these weaklings in spite of financial constraints. We must stop depending on”Them” to do what is right. There have been repeated litmus tests to their weakness.
Me too