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I think the chief conclusion of all these different ....but linked...stories is that something is wrong with the system if he can get away with it. Countervailing powers are quite evidently insufficient to restrain a group of people intent on having their way and promoting their own interests regardless of the impact on others. The American people are not being served by this system, they are being dictated to by the schoolyard bully, his sychophantic helpers and their rich paymasters and they are supposed to wait for an election to do something about it.

The use of the Stone commutation as a diversion to swamp the bad news of both Trump's acquiescence in Russian bounty payments and his complicity in a sanitary disaster is evident.....but the "fig leaf" is so infintesimally small compared to the naked truth of this emporer and his new clothes! How is it that our media and commentators of all persuasions allows this strategy to function? Where is their sense of proportion? Run the story yes, but side-by-side with the really important stuff.

The attack on medical data credibility by both diminishing the role and access of Fauci and the CDC is a blatant attempt, on the one hand, to suppress the truth and on the other to de-credibilize the medical data by putting collection responsibilty into non-professional hands in a spiralling, uncontrolled multi-tier system. Florida's Govenor was more frank....or more stupid depending on your point of view. He tried to ban publication of the number of deaths.

The corollary of involving the National Guard and Federal Agents to invade hospitals and occupy, uninvited, urban areas is, at once, obviously dangerous but also a clear demonstration of the state of Trump's infantile mentality. He thinks that this makes him look as strong as Putin! In reality it shows him to be the little, disturbed boy playing with toy soldiers that he is. When will he start torturing animals? The clinical diagnosis is clear.

Where do we go from here? California is showing one way. They are closing down their economy again. It is time that Trump was made to understand that he is just a leaf in the wind, he is virtual and not real and will disappear when the people pull the plug

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Stuart, you are so right- there is something terribly wrong with our system that has so easily allowed trump and his allies to take over our government and the media is helping 🤬

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So I'm going to be the optimist here... I don't think ordinary Americans are staying silent out of greed. I think it's just really hard to know what to do. My own take on it is that those opposed to this administration need to retake control of the public narrative, and social media is a great place to do that... not by being hysterical, but by speaking firmly and factually about where we are as a nation. I still have faith that most people are reasonable, and don't like what Trump is doing to us.

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True, but posting anything on Social Media, even if reasonable and factual, is perilous. I have sometimes posted what I think is a reasonable statement, and I have the virtual scars to prove it! I am wary about wading into enemy territory too often. Maybe I’m just a chicken.

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My experience on Facebook in the past year or so has been that enemy territory (good term) is lurking around many corners. When it became too much to tolerate, I backed way off and went over to Twitter, where it’s possible to build a pretty good echo chamber, and that’s going to be fine until we get a better president. I just plain don’t argue religion with people, and anyone defending the president at this point, it’s a religion. Cult, really. Another plus with twitter is the rapid sharing of new information. If it happened, if it matters, it’s on twitter in minutes.

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In the 2016 election, 250,056,000 were of voting age, and only 138,847,000 or 55.7% bothered to vote. Not sure how many of the 250,056,000 could not participate due to incompetency, etc., however, if only 55.7% of Americans voted for president... the ones who could, but didn't, are clearly not interested in how government is managed. That leaves all the rest of us, and in this group there are many who are not interested enough to even get the facts straight on what is going on, let alone get involved in stopping the damage wrought by this president. History shows, as Heather reminded us recently, that there have been times when folks looking to disenfranchise Americans got hold of the reins of govt for a while, but had them taken away again by Americans who wanted a government which looks after its citizens' welfare. I'm hoping that the covid crisis helps folks get off their behinds and at the very least ... will convince them to vote out this grifter president and the opportunists riding his wave. As for whether they will do more to right his wrongs... I'm hopeful they will... but not optimistic.. sad to say.

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I agree with you, but for your thoughts about 'this' group. Perhaps I am naive, or overly enthusiastic about Heather and those who get 'it'...(evidenced by the fact that they read (and subscribe?) to every letter every day, and many watch her Facebook broadcasts.) I think that is why we are here. We want to learn, or learn more...and get a real sense of why things are the way they are...who the players are, and how this fits into the context of all of our History. It is astonishing to me how much more informed I feel and on 'top of it' (even though I have probably just started crawling! I can't wait to learn more...and not only do I learn it from her...but from you guys, and I am reading (audio books) all the time... reading articles...more than ever, and I was always pretty knowing what was going on...camaraderie with Heather's audience... I think this is so good...we are all on high alert...We will do what we have to, whatever we are capable of. We care.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

Yes. And, I don't understand why there isn't much more uproar from all flanks. Why has tRump been able to get away with so much? Been asking myself this for months.

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I agree with Stephanie. Most Americans are complacent and lazy and, I would also add, selfish. As long as they personally are doing ok, they don't care about anyone else.

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Because people are lazy and complacent. Because our representatives are bought and paid for. Because corporate interests are more important than people. Because greed.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

Because even if they are not lazy and complacent, they as individuals can’t do anything to remove trump from office. Writing to your representatives in Congress, who COULD have done something, was an exercise in futility. Instead they sit here frightened and feeling impotent.

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This is all true. But, even the media doesn't seem to get on board the outrage train. They should stop giving him so much press time, and focus on the sorry state of the country.

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Absolutely! They get caught up in his silliness, tweets and the balls he tosses over the fece... it's time for them to get to the news that's flying buy like a feed crawling across the bottom of the screen..He is a major distraction and meanwhile Rome is burning!

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The Media makes $$$ off trump. that is all they really care about.

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I can't believe I did this..."By" not "Buy"

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I have been trying to figure this out since the night he got elected. To me it really comes down to insane amount of racism and misogyny among republicans. Every other argument is just hiding that fact.

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Stuart, I always enjoy reading your responses, but would especially like to express my appreciation for the word “de-credibilize”. You must be a writer to condense your thoughts so concisely.

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I second that emotion!

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

"But these events also remind us that a broader question remains unanswered: Why does President Trump keep trying to escalate tensions around the protests, while utterly refusing at every opportunity to de-escalate them?"

Because he wants to set off a civil war so he can declare martial law and cancel the election he's set to lose.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

I agree. I have the same idea about reopening schools. With all families mourning their kids dead or sick it would be perfect timing to call state of emergency and cancel elections.

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It needn't arise to the level of a civil war: all he needs is sufficient unrest or perceived unrest (similar to the "invasion" on the southern border) to serve as a pretext for using whatever available force he can to establish "law and order."

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

The distraction campaign is the Trump approach to coverups like this one of Russia's aggression. "The Democrats don't matter. The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with sh-t." --Steve Bannon to Bloomberg's Michael Lewis, Feb. 2018

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This entirely. And I am doing my best to fight back. :)

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And we're so grateful for all you do! Thank you, thank you

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

My first reaction was, "Is it time to take to the streets yet?" But a fear deeper than risk of personal injury makes me step back: civil unrest bypasses the institutions that are intended to prevent this kind of "soft" coup, and if we give up on them, we weaken them further. In the paradoxical, "bizarro" world of Trump and his claque, such a move actually strengthens their position. Perhaps another impeachment, placed swiftly before the monstrously corrupt Republican Senate, would either compel them to attempt to preserve Congressional power or force them to reveal that they no longer care about democracy, the rule of law, and the American Experiment.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

I think it has already been proven that Congressional and other Republicans no longer care about democracy, the rule of law, and the American Experiment. Just a couple of items that immediately come to mind: Merrick Garland nomination, gerrymandering, 45 impeachment vote....

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Yet if we abandon the legal tools provided by our laws and Constitution, we also abandon our legitimacy. You say that impeachment failed? Sorry, but I disagree. The impeachment succeeded -- it's the Senate that failed. Our laws are our hammers and if you miss the nailhead with your first strike, strike again!

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"But a fear deeper than risk of personal injury makes me step back: civil unrest bypasses the institutions that are intended to prevent this kind of "soft" coup, and if we give up on them, we weaken them further."

At what point, then, do we say enough? Don't tell me November 3rd because unless we flip the Senate we will spend another 4 years watching the country fall down around us. At this point there is not one institution or agency in the federal government that isn't failing. Our "most sage and learned" leaders are wilfully and purposefully undermining the philosophical, moral, financial and physical foundations of our country and its people. The amount of sheer venom the administration and the Republicans/conservatives have for the American people is staggering and is well documented in the news we read daily. Another impeachment will not bear fruit or hope, that much is evident by how the Republicans have reacted to every single heinous action thrust upon the American people since Trump's election. They didn't choose America before and they won't choose America now. They'll choose Trump. Again.

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After you say “enough”, then what? What do you propose we do? What else is there besides November 3rd? And why can’t we flip the Senate as well, the polls show that to be likely.

Some of our “”most sage and learned" leaders are wilfully and purposefully undermining the philosophical, moral, financial and physical foundations of our country and its people“. And some are upholding the philosophical, moral, financial and physical foundations of our country and its people.

I joined nationwide school strikes in 1970, after Kent State. I joined hundreds of thousands who marched on Washington in 1971. Nixon was elected in a landslide in 1972.

We’ve seen hundreds of thousands marching over the past two months (and more after Trump’s inauguration). We haven’t been complacent. November 3rd it is. The ballot box is our best weapon.

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The ballot box may be our best weapon, if the Repugnants thru gerrymandering, voter suppression and the Electoral College do not steal our votes like it did in 2016.

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I agree. The recent primaries show total chaos in many places, including ballots arriving way too late to be counted. I'm worried... especially with Trump trying to get boots on the ground via ICE and the national guard (supposedly to keep communities safe and the covid tests being delivered to the right federal offices.)

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Don't forget--gerrymandering doesn't affect presidential elections or statewide elections (like for governor or US Senator). It only affects elections for US House representatives and state legislative representatives.

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The horns of a dilemma! It is perplexing, and most people can't stand that dilemma for too long. Historically, hey then act precipitously and recklessly and bloodshed occurs, in one form or another.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

I’ve worked in health care for almost 40 years. I can’t believe that the CDC is being taken out from collecting, analyzing and dispersing data. Is this a done deal.? What a God damn nightmare this has become...

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

Trump has been kowtowing to Putin in plain sight of all of us for the past 4 years. It seems highly likely that Putin has “kompromat” on Trump. There’s been much speculation as to what that might be - sex tapes, illegal loans, money laundering, other crimes and corruption? If it’s true, then Trump is guilty of treason. I wonder who else in Trump’s inner circle knows that Trump is compromised and committing treason? Those people - in Congress, in the White House, in his friends or family - are committing treason as well.

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Whether or not it fits the constitutional definition of treason, tRump has caused vast damage to this country by putting his own greed and ego first, pleasing Vladimir second, and that's the end of the list.

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Betrayal of one's country by any other name is still treason.

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If I could place a wager ... I'd go with money laundering for the Russians and Saudis.

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It's a fair guess that they are in the process, slowly now, of "carving out" new areas of influence in the world.

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Are there still polite optimists who say not to compare this demagogue to Adolf Hitler? He sends in his Schutzstaffel to Oregon to protect statues and they countermand the rules of engagement of the local police, seriously injuring a citizen exercising what used to be a Constitutional right to peacefully demonstrate against Der Fuhrer. Are we there yet? What will be our "Kristallnacht" defining the final destruction of our Constitutional Democracy?

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Don't forget ICE's little upcoming experiment in training civilians in their "work."

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yeah, that one worries me, too. It looks like an attempt to extend the one government armed department that seems totally on board with fascism.

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Our Kristallnacht is schools reopening. It takes about 40 days for the virus to flair up in an area and go to a status of all- hospital -beds-are-taken. September + 40 days is just 15 days before elections. All families would be in mourning with kids sick or dead across the land and he can call a state of emergency and cancel elections. Welcome to dictatorship!

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Our Kristallnacht could very well be the anniversary of the real one, which fall on the week after the election. Trump's exercise of power is not limited to the federal government, it includes those he allows or encourages to act independently - and the use of the government's powers to quell disturbances by them or resulting from their actions.

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The Nazis incited thugs to perpetrate Kristallnacht, and here are the militarized thugs of today, white nationalists such as the Boogaloo movement:

https://theintercept.com/2020/07/11/far-right-coronavirus-protests/

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and ordering hospitals to bypass the CDC for reporting COVID-19 date, with recommended enforcement by the National guard.

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COVID-19 data

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

Chuck Woolery. I’m so glad this expert has finally weighed in.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

Exactly.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

Could we be in the middle of a takeover and not realize it?

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

See my post above. He wants to set off a civil war and declare martial law.

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A question that bears looking at.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

Maybe it is just that I have a bias from my Insurgency and Counterinsurgency training and operations in Special Forces, through which I see the current happenings; but, Trump is intentional. He wants to provoke Americans to the point that he has an excuse to use National Guard and other troops under martial law, supported by his racist militias to stop elections and allow him to control the government by force........ a Coup/Civil war! and he has a great many helpers out there...... I never thought it was possible but he is getting closer and closer to the tipping point.... unless he, Barr and McConnell are somehow stopped we are in very perilous times........Americans have been lulled to sleep by libertarian/fundamentalist religion and not having seen serious bloodshed on our shores for a long time....

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Thank you for sharing you perspective born of training and service. After I posted my initial comment I had some misgivings and thought maybe I was overreacting because I was tired and overwhelmed. Now I am not so sure. These are very perilous times, indeed!

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The apathy in America is insidious. It seems like the majority of U.S. citizens (white, 3rd + generation) don’t know how to fight, don’t know what’s worth fighting for and don’t know what’s at stake.

For now, we have the power to change things, but that requires critical thinking skills, which also seem to be in short supply.

We’re either in for a revolution or a long, bleak future.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

I'm glad Trump is spending his time paying attention to stuff that Chuck Woolery tweets.

Handbasket...hell is a mile down the road and on your right.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

My deepest gratitude for your summary of the day's news, Heather. My leaping takeaway from it all is that there is no way he'll leave quietly if he loses the election. He'd rather burn down the house.

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Indeed.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

I wonder if Tucker Carlson's "vacation," in addition the revelations about and resignation of writer Blake Neff, might also have something to do with the unconscionable things he said last week about Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

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of course... (says me) He is a scourge on our air.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

Thank you, Heather. I usually read your letter in the middle of the night but am smart enough not to comment when I'm half asleep. My greatest wish is that I'll wake up at three a.m. and you will have written that its all over for Trump. But then we'd have Pence and his zealotry to deal with. November can't come soon enough.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

With all leaders essentially silent except the noisy gong in the White House, it is up to us to lead our own families and communities. If we unite among ourselves in our communities and neighborhoods, we can create a positive future for ourselves and our children. Our community here in Portland needs to do a better job of stopping the riotous distractors from the BLM and Justice protests. We do not need federal interference. That said, I wonder why the rioting protesters select the Federal Courthouse to attack? (It is next to the local Justice Center). And, I believe the federal government does need to protect federal property. However, one would expect all officers to respect the 'rules of engagement' of the local community. Here, those rules forbid the use of tear gas and non-lethal crowd control weapons. With tRump boasting how he quelled the attacks on the courthouse, I have to wonder about the coincidence of the events. Well, back to my main point. We need join together in our communities to first do no harm and second continually nudge the world in positive ways.

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Jul 14, 2020Liked by Heather Cox Richardson

Is anyone discounting what may be happening with trump collaborators and operators to pull off an October surprise?

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I'm expecting the October surprise to be a (false, of course) announcement of a vaccine, once again portraying Donny as the nation's savior instead of the disaster he has been. Spreading troops around the country, any way he can, is preliminary to an intended military takeover if he doesn't win the election.

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It is also very suspect to me that the "supposed" vaccination is coming from Russia. Hmmm....

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That would play into the far right's "Russian is our friend" riff. It was one of the chants at Charlottesville. If it works as well as the ventilators they sent, even the While House won't inject it.

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I hadn't heard that...do you have any links! Gawd..I am insatiable for every tidbit...

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This is all I could find; that Russia completed its human trials: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2020/07/13/russia-completes-human-trials-of-covid-19-vaccine/#7c66889c7153

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According to the article, 20 people were given the vaccine and none of them were damaged by it. Even if true, that's a very small sample. It would be good enough to justify a larger trial. The article doesn't have any info on the effectiveness of the vaccine...

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That will be ONE October surprise. You can expect the convening of grand juries to investigate the "crimes" of the Obama adminstration of investigating dt and his campaign. It may be that such grand juries will have Obama and Biden as persons of interest, but they can be compelled to testify and be drawn in to the problem.

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😱 You could be right.

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