I am a retired union pilot who used to represent pilots first under the Veteran Reemployment Rights Act (VRR) and then USERRA: Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. I am NOT an attorney but worked with labor side lawyers. I am also retired from the Air National Guard.
There is an economic downside to Trump activating 4,000 CA National Guard troops. I would estimate that 90% of those activated gave their employers short notice that they were not coming into work. Many are taking pay cuts, some significant, while being separated from their families.
USERRA was passed by Congress in 1994 to replace and strengthen VRR. Employers quickly figure out that having an employee who is in the Guard is expensive. USERRA case law demonstrates this tension. These activations will generate USERRA cases.
When you are in a Guard unit, you are mentally prepared for national emergencies like 9/11. Frivolous activations will hurt retention and impact our national security going forward. The SF Chronicle pictures of soldiers sleeping on the floor of a loading dock in LA are a perfect example of what causes retention issues.
If Trump activates Guard units across our country the economic impact will be significant and our future readiness will suffer.
Thank you for your sharing the links and your knowledge with us. I fear for our Nat’l Guard. They are one of us and like Newsom has said on other broadcasts, they likely have relatives who may get caught up in these arrests. Then what?
The Nat'l Guard and the U.S. military are marching to the orders of Pope Donald the Infallible, someone who is personally responsible for the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of human beings. Is there is a person now living that is more evil by that measure?
I maintain that every person who lies at their confirmation hearing, including Supreme Court candidates, the minute they take action contrary to what they said they are immediately dismissed from their position....
You know, his cousin, Caroline, warned everyone about Bobby and his cruelty. His cousins, sisters, and brothers have abandoned him. He’s got 6 or 7 children, been married 3 times, one wife died of suicide. The current wife is actress, Cheryl Hines, who is a bit cuckoo.
On another matter, it was 1966 and I had snuck into the local auditorium and found myself in the orchestra pit. On stage were The Beach Boys. I was 13 years of age. I looked up as they performed and I was awed. I was in heaven. Rip Brian Wilson. Now he is in heaven.
Speaking of popes, the newest one, Pope Leo XIV will be having a huge mass which I would like to call his “coming out” party on June 14th! He did that on purpose, you know, to wrap his arms around the indigent, the poor, and the immigrants in all countries, especially ours. But mostly, it’s a big FU to Donny Convict, as he has strongly spoken out against him.
If half (1.3 million people) of Chicago's population comes out for the Pope on Saturday, tRump will be infuriated. All major media should cover the Pope and ignore whatever happens in D.C. on Saturday. tRump cannot abide being ignored. Let's show him who's holding the cards, in Chicago and across the U.S. And please remember, every dollar tRump and his minions spend on parades, golf trips and so-called government events comes out of our (taxpayers) pockets.
Please keep in mind nationwide marches and protests feed Trump’s narrative that he’s facing an insurrection and issue a national emergency declaration. That will give him almost unlimited power to take control of all the levers of power in the federal government, and take over states with the military. Just as Newsom warned.
Marches and protests have to be more peaceful than in Selma.
I take your point. All of the demonstrations and marches in my state have been and will continue to be peaceful. With few exceptions, this has been the case nationwide.
Our protest in Southern California on 6/14 was peaceful, enormous, invigorating and reassuring. It was the first of the four I’ve attended since January that had many generations strongly represented. With the young generations engaging, the message that we will not tolerate fascism, bigotry and cruelty is getting through loud and clear. And Trump’s poll numbers will continue to drop, which affects him deeply.
You are right about the attention, and all of this gives him the "right " to yell violent insurrectionists ". When the SCOTUS gave him immunity, most of us knew he would use any excuse to call out the military. I just wonder if he would call out all of the soldiers marching in his parade if there were protesters. He did say" if any protester wants to protest ( note didn't say what type of protester), they will be met with very big ( another one of his pet adjectives) force." Instant army.
Newsom has one goal and one goal only. He's posing for 2028
With the state in disarray 185,000 homeless two cities Pacific Palisades in Altadena wiped out through negligence of the government and a $12 billion budget deficit This is the guy you wanna run for president ?
Maybe you don't understand you have another three years and eight months. No matter how many people show up for a useless protest because you hate Donald Trump.
I'm sorry but the dems have a lot of responsibility for trump. They waited way too late to address the immigration issue; they brought in the republicans at a time when trump got ahold of them and persuaded them to drop the immigration bill. They should have looked more carefully at Brexit, which was all about immigration. Then you add the aging dems who won't go away: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Feinstein. And now the dems are getting caught flat footed and they got nothin'. I'm not just complaining, I'm lamenting this situation.....
You wrote many truths but you left out one important element in your analysis--people--ordinary citizens. When we vote we may or may not select a party but voting in and of itself should be about voting for something. Each of us is not a "party" and we owe no allegiance to party but rather what each of us perceives as right, wrong, benefit. All those who did not listen to trump on the stump did not use their vote wisely. All those who heard trump but gave him credit for hyperbole for which he would not be expected to act did not use their vote wisely. Until the electorate educates themselves we may all be doomed to getting the showman rather than the statesman.
I am getting a lot of pushback from my comments. Read David Ignatius' article in the Washington Post. I have merely chosen a single event or issue. Sometimes the past deserves a second look and analysis. I have written many posts re the trump electorate, trump's heinous behavior, about his incompetent cabinet. I have demonstrated my disdain for the lawlessness, tyranny and dehumaization perpetrated by the republicans. I appreciate that tempers are very sensitive here and I post at my perid.
Stephanie, I think the pushback could be from people who (like me) are tired of hashing over the coulda/shoulda/woulda, and also because of the current Trump escalation combined with personal exhaustion.
I am not arguing with you, but I'd point out that the beginning of Biden's term, we literally had pandemic. (It's amazing how quickly that has been forgotten by so many!) Perhaps the border should have been addressed earlier--but there WAS the bipartisan border bill. I put a lot of shame on the Republicans who WROTE it and then voted AGAINST it.
And, btw, can anyone tell me what Trump is doing to FIX the immigration laws? Anyone? (........crickets........)
My goal was not to resurrect all of history. The US of America is not now in an enviable position politically speaking. Trump is on his way to becoming an autocrat. The door for us to reverse that is closing. Name calling directed at tump is accomplishing nothing. Even though trump is a horrible person and incompetent leader and a crook, we dems are gaining no ground politically relative to trump. If we want to begin to reverse trump's gain, we must ascertain how we got here and chart a different course. My goal is to understand.
Maybe all of the money he is spending on deporting people, flying them around to out of state and out of country prisons, ICE, housing illegals could be spent on more immigration judges so people don't have to wait two years or more to get a hearing. Better security-more car inspections, get more drug sniffing dogs, use the Coast Guard to intercept all boats which may carry drugs, 50% of drugs are smuggled in legal entrances by Americans. Rules have been set up to accommodate undocumented workers, which a lot comply with-trump has done away with them. Now these people are arrested coming out of their meetings. This is like arresting a parolee when he leaves the court. Undocumented people will go underground.
I am complaining about people who are offering destructive in lieu of constructive criticism.
I include myself when I say the following: constructive criticism includes giving the impression that one is willing to look in the mirror. Even if I don't like everything they are doing, the Democratic party has my support. If I'm complaining about something they are doing, then I need to give the impression that I've asked myself if it's because of my failure to understand what they are facing, and what their critics are doing.
Or to paraphrase Bob Dylan, the day we stop criticizing what we can’t understand is the day that the times they are a changin'.
In other words, the best time for that day was six decades ago. The second best time is now.
If you think self-flagellation fixes anything then go ahead and do it. I think it just helps MAGA. Trump is a ghoul- if not immigration, he’d use something else, or he’d just lie. He’s never going to say- “Well they did that right.”
And neither are his sycophants. Stop helping them.
I'm not here to argue but remember when the democrats tried to solve the immigration issue with a bipartisan agreement? Then Trump and the republicans shot it down on Trumps orders so he would have an issue to run on in 2024. He won, and this is the result, a cruel and hateful solution (his and Stephen Miller's) answer verses a compassionate and legal approach. This is unequivocally the Republicans problem.
Immigration legislation has been around for years and years and never goes anywhere because there is no political will to hold employers who hire undocumented immigrants (and lowering their cost of business) to account. E-Verify law was written sometime in the 1990s. Follow the money.
Absolutely right. I recall the efforts made during the Biden administration to create a bipartisan immigration bill. Trump told his MAGAs not to vote for it. He wanted to use immigration to help get himself elected. And he did and look where we are now. Put the blame where it properly belongs — the Republicans.
The problem is with your source. The Washington Post is a mouthpiece for the regime. All the oligarch owned media are. This regime shifts blame to Biden for their unlawful actions all the time.
I don’t know about “immigration failures “but there are many other failures that we liberals and Democrats have provided for Trump to take advantage of. For all of their decency and hard work, our Democratic leaders have pontificated and verbally masturbated but were ineffective to building and preserving reliable guardrails
Yes, the Democrats have a role in this but I believe even if Justice Ginsburg retired, Mitch McConnell would postpone her hearings as he did in the past until it was favorably for the Republicans.
Yes, and didn't he make claims of wishing to make Obama a one-term president, and didn't he refuse Obama's Garland nomination to the Supreme Court, based on some erroneous, ridiculous notion that it was too close to an election?
We all bear some responsibility for Trump. But this is a poor time to focus on the people who failed to stop him. When someone is throwing buckets of gasoline on a fire, and his friends are handing him more buckets, its a poor time to look for and scold the people who didn't prevent them from doing it in the first place.
The time for that is after the gasoline throwers have been stopped and the fire has been put out.
Susan, i agree. This is time we must expend our energy in resisting, not lamenting what shoulda, coulda, happened. Should we lament that Obama was elected because this was a major affront to the racists who now love death star for example.
Coulda,shoulda,woulda does us no good. Focusing on the realities of a few short months of this maladministration (thanks TC in LA for that word) is what we have to do now—daily and on Saturday. Money talks. Don’t spend it at magat businesses. Thanks HCR for being our fabulous, hard-working documentarian and for the word KAYFABE. NO KAYFABE KINGS. Let’s Roll! 💙🇺🇸
Now is not the time. According to Dr. Richardson we need to deal with now. What we have right now is a hostile takeover of the United States of America. We absolutely must stay in the moment, be sharp and proactive. We simply don't have time for lamentations. Let the historians deal with the rest.
Any insight provides ways in which the dems can address or correct these issues. I'm as disappointed as anyone at the election outcome. And I'm not trying to litigate the past which cannot be undone. I believe all opinions are welcome....
I'm not a history expert, but hasn't immigration reform been shot down many times over the past decades, with both parties sharing in "blame"? Perhaps this is a time for setting blame aside and spending as much time and energy as we have to support and defend democracy and get Dem's back into power.
No matter how much corruption and/or wrong actions you can find in our history of Democrats governing, and starting after recovering from the Civil War (when Dems were pro slavery), I don't remember any Democrats trying to turn us into a whites-only autocracy. I'm going to post as often as I can to my social media accounts any news of positive actions by our people - flood the zone with contradictions to the lies being spread by the Trump machine.
Carl Sagan said "we are made of stardust." Let's demonstrate that!!! Blessings,
I do not disagree with you. Yes, both parties have avoided the difficult work of immigration reform. Recall that Reagan declared amnesty on millions of illegals -- hence avoiding the hard work of sitting down and developing a sound immigration plan. People here, with so many tempers flaring, think I am intent on democrat bashing. I cited one incident and I am being flooded with aren't you ashamed comments. My intent is not to resurrect all of history and point out blame here but not there... Please retrieve all the comments I have shared on Heather's substack - they are insightful, even brilliant, a lot of trump and republican bashing. The possibility of agreeing on even the basic facts of what has happened seems impossible. There are often two genres of truth - that based on scientific evidence and the other is emotional truth. The ultimate goal here is not to win but to understand. (See David Ignatius article in the Washington Post.)
I haven't read all the comments but just let me say I am sorry about the "aren't you ashamed" comments. I don't think we're going to get where we need to go as long as people feel that smug "hit and run" comments are warranted if one is on the "right" side. No understanding can ever come from that approach. Take care and blessings,
Only presidential historians recall the entirety of Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural, but one line does remain far more in the public domain. “We are all Republicans. We are all Federalists”
He was being disingenuous, of course, and hardly for the first time. He had no time for the Federalists, considering most of them to be irredeemably monarchical. But that one line presents us with the foundation of our current dilemma. In fact what his listeners (except of course for slaves. indigenous people. most women, most most of the propertyless, most non-whites) most essentially shared was full citizenship in the first nation on earth to define itself at its inception as the most extraordinary, the most crucial, the riskiest, and the most complex experiment in human society and government ever attempted. It wasn’t a perfect design, but the germ of ’the last best hope of earth’ was clearly there, and we have since, albeit in fits and starts and with much backsliding, continually tried to reach for true 'American exceptionalism'.
Donald Trump is the first American president to utterly disdain and disavow the entirety of that experiment. That’s not to say that other presidents have not attempted to stretch their authority beyond Constitutional limits, but he is the first and so far the only one to do so solely for the maintenance of his own personal ego, wealth, power, obsessive need for acceptance and adoration, and avoidance of any responsibility or legal sanction for whatever he might do in the course of that pursuit. He proved that beyond any shadow of a doubt during the fall and winter of 2020-21, a proof of which January 6th was only the most visible part.
So while it can seem reasonable to attempt to place some portion of the responsibly for his second election and all that has followed on the Democrats, doing so does miss the essential point; that those who voted for him in 2024 did so knowing of that disdain and disavowal, even if they chose not to understand it’s implications.
America. as Michael Douglas in the role of President Andrew Shepherd put it in The American President, is advanced citizenship. Indeed, it is the most advanced form of citizenship in the world. Those who voted for Donald Trump in 2024 abrogated the most crucial responsibility of that citizenship - to do their individual part in preserving our Republic.
As Shepherd also noted, "We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them”. Handing our government over to a man who not only doesn’t understand what it was designed to be, has no intention of trying to do so, and yet demands to be seen as the only one who can do so is at best wholly naive, and at worst, destructive of our entire history and a slap in the face to all those Americans who have lived, worked, and when necessary fought and died to preserve, protect, and defend our fragile Republic as best they could.
Thus his presence at this upcoming parade, no doubt occupying the most prominent and visible position during it is the utter antithesis of America. and those who actively put him by their votes are the truly culpable.
Why place the blame on Democrats and not where it belongs- on the Republicans? They could've stopped this madness last time by impeaching Trump. Better yet, they never should have nominated him in the first place.. They had 2 shots to do it. Trump was elevated by Republicans. Why not hold them accountable for their greed for power and abject racism and cruelty? They are the reason any of this has happened.
Stephanie, I have observed that when someone begins a comment with "I'm sorry but ...", what follows is an opinion that is based on incomplete or corrupted information.
My observation remains accurate.
The learning process involves taking stock of past decisions and actions, and learning from them. It does not involve carping and finger-pointing.
Stephanie please look up your history on immigration . The Cleveland Catholic Diocede has had a mission effort in Central America for fifty decades. Cleveland was a a sanctuary city back in the eighties. The history of Katin America is vital to know. The conquistadors looking for gold the destruction of indigenous nations which have a long history and oh my but it was there land. Also the use of these lands for corporate gain. The Rockefeller and aforesaid and other big families were involved especially with rubber plantations. There was also brining not only Africans to these areas but people from India.
There is also the complex and part of the role of the Catholic Church from papal bulls to Sr Dorothy Strang ‘s and others deaths.
Because of the plantations of various kinds much environmental destruction. And then there is opium and cocaine and a huge huge disaster for our world. And this is in one area of the globe with other problems related to all of these points I have mentioned.
I read WP with a heavy grain of salt as with any reading I do. I would suggest you read Mr Ignstious ‘s novels . Many times people write what the can’t talk about in fiction. Also check out his father Paul and his biography. If you need more books more than happy to provide. My mother took a history course on Latin America in college and kept the book. It was always part of my life in smalll ways.
*Sr. Dorothy Stang. She's from my hometown of Dayton. She epitomizes what it means to be a Christian. She was killed in Brazil. (not sure what it has to do with immigration, though)
Yes Dayton. And yes Brazil but the history of Brazil where corporations or others with wealth and power run everything to the detriment of both the earth and the people except themselves. So folks are in a bad spot and find themselves needing to leave. Ford created a big city in Brazil I think. It’s the taking of lands and resources for power and money and leaving like in Dr Seuss The Lorax not much. Dayton the home of Martin Sheen , Paul Lawerence Dunbar , Rob Lowe, and Erma Bombeck. I visited there and saw the Wright Brothers museum. I liked the one female mayor who ran but lost for governor.
My goal was not to resurrect and provide a full analysis of all of history. (I recall when Reagan provided amnesty for millions of illegals rather than engage in the hard work of creating a workable immigration policy.) The US of America is not now in an enviable position politically speaking. Trump is on his way to becoming an autocrat. The door for us to reverse that is closing. Name calling directed at trump is accomplishing nothing. Even though trump is a horrible person and incompetent leader and a crook, we dems are gaining no ground politically relative to trump. If we want to begin to reverse trump's gain, we must ascertain how we got here and chart a different course. (See David Ignatius article in the Washington Post.)
Democrats played by the rules with people who refused to play by them. The game was already over but the Dems foolishly kept playing.
After J6, I truly believe it was time for a revolutionary act. But Biden didn’t seize the moment. He should have arrested Trump on the day he was sworn in. The very DAY. If not then, as soon as SCOTUS ridiculously ruled on “presidential immunity,”Biden should’ve had Trump and ALL co-conspirators in Congress - arrested for treason. TREASON. Period.
Instead, we had a quaint “committee.” Come on, man. What was that supposed to lead to? It led to nothing. We all saw what we saw on J6.
Trump’s refusal to concede his loss to Biden itself and his continued Big Lie was an outrage. But J6 was more than that; it was an act of war and we acted like it was business as usual. We didn’t respond to an act of war. We should have. That was the Dems fatal mistake.
I totally agree that the Democrats have been stupid about immigration. Immigration is what got Trump traction from the beginning. But the Dems have been so right about so many things. Everyone is stupid at times.
This is a slow process, and I don't believe that MAGA can win. Inflation brought Trump over the top. The economic situation is getting worse. People are going to tire of the MAGA craziness. No one else has the cult attraction of Trump. Etc.
Heather's and Gov. Newsom's words last night (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n77NFjDlBI) should be ringing the alarms in every American's ears this morning. The intent of the Trump regime is now clear. They want the total destruction of our Democracy. This is not the time for blame and asking how did this happen? It is the time for each of us to find a way to stand up and say..."not now, not ever in America"! Don't let our lives end in silence.
This is why I spend at least 30 minutes, sometimes an hour, reading comments! I am so impressed by the knowledge, history and careers of those who comment. All kinds of educational backgrounds, all walks of life, all parts of the country. This community gives me hope: they are the eyes watching in the night, along with Heather they shine a light on the issues.
So true, Miselle. I too, try and read comments from the brilliant people here. Many have amazing backgrounds and knowledge. It’s a wonderful forum that Substack has created where we all can interact with one another.
I do the same- to the point of having trouble standing up after so much time reading. I am so proud of all those who share their education/ history/ insight with all of us. Thank you.
Marlene, pardon my inserting this here, but this needs to be up top where more people will see it.
Margaux Hull
Margaux’s Substack
4h
Not sure if this entirely helps. If there are agitators, move away from them. Have someone with a megaphone point out that this is a peaceful demonstration and we do not want “Trump’s paid agitators” here. Why not use Trump’s words against him. The most important part is not to engage. Give them wide birth. In some cities the local police can help. The most important aspect to the demonstrations is to keep it peaceful.
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Miselle
Miselle
just now
EXCELLENT RESPONSE!
This should be way up at the top for all to see. I'm going to see if I can copy/paste it to up there!
Thanks Miselle--anyone who is participating on Saturday has to be alert to the deliberate agitators, who are likely there just to fuck it up for everyone. I think that organizers should have plans in place to neutralize them and minimize whatever violence they are intending.
OUr thanks go to Margaux for her comment which is excellent. There are so many comments, I personally can never get through them all, and I spend a lot of time reading them. I wanted to move it up to the top so more people can see it and they stay safe. I feel like we're a family here.
Well then complain that it seems that California under Newsom has spent some 9 billion dollars on illegals for food housing and medical expenses, according to sources. Let see 9 billion divided by 134 million. Hmmmm. 65 times more?! Now thats a realllllll lot of school lunches.
He says “according to sources” but doesn’t name any legitimate sources. At any rate, California seems to be thriving with the immigrant population…..being the 4th largest economy !
And may God continue to bless us as a people so that those who have received financial help from us (red and yellow black, brown and white, ALL are precious in the sight of their Creator!) can continue to come to work to serve, to share their delicious food, the joy of their dancing and their amazing musical gifts, their culture, participate within our armed services, their humility at accepting jobs no one else will take....to care for our children, etc!!!
May their children have the opportunity to become home owners, land owners, doctors, lawyers, teachers, scientists, astronauts....etc as you sit around and judge your fellow human beings!!!!
I don’t judge fellow human beings. I judge people that don’t follow the rule of law. The law is there for them to understand how to come into this country where to come into this country and what the requirements are to come into this country if they don’t follow them, they pay the price.
This country is a country of immigrants LEGAL ONES. End of sentence.
Let me say this one more Emily we are not the worlds Bank we’re $36 trillion in the hole and if we opened our borders, we’d be a country of 3 billion people not 330, million and would be unable to provide the services, the welcome and the love that we do today, not only to Americans, but to the world, please wake up.
Hey Rick, good math. Can you do the math on how much the Trump 1.0 administrating diverted from FEMA relief to house immigrants? Yeah, it wasn’t Biden it was Trump.
Wait, do you guys have FEMA in Russia? How about immigrants or did you send them all to the front lines as human shields?
Why don’t you do some good on this planet and spread love and peace instead of hate and misinformation?
Nice try but ineffective. But don’t worry only three more years eight months to go more or less unless Trump is smart and does what Biden should’ve done. Resign Office in three years give it over to Vance and if things are good 8 more years of Vance.
If California feeds, houses, and provides medical expenses for immigrants, it's to the extent that the employers of those immigrants do not. The $9 billion is a subsidy for the employers, who pay illegals little and provide no benefits. The idea that poor working people are secretly rich freeloaders, and that liberals finance them to get their votes, is a right-wing myth.
And another less than informed Post. Many pay taxes and many work for cash and many work for taxes that get paid to someone else’s account and I have firsthand knowledge of that as a former business owner. A number of my employees had their Social Security numbers,
Stolen and when their W-2 showed up at the end of the year and they didn’t match what they were earning from me all of a sudden they realize that someone else is paying tax on their behalf, and they had to pay the income tax on the excess income that they never received.
They use duplicate Social Security numbers and until a decade or so ago there was no way to validate the security number being legitimate as there is today, so that’s been prevented to a great degree, but it doesn’t prevent a Social Security number from being stolen and utilized and that’s exactly what numbers of them do.
And so as illegal immigrants, they pay their taxes, but are not entitled to the benefits that they are receiving as illegals. Try chewing on that for a moment. Although the Democratic Party attempted to allow them to come in to get them to vote in legitimate elections. And they did it on purpose.
Rick, do we really have any comprehension of billions and trillions? Millions, yes. That's only ten times one stack of one-hundred envelopes with a thousand bucks in them. I got a couple of those.., how about you. How much we give to Netanyahu? How much we give the Taliban? Get off Newsom. Noem wants her own airplane, fer crissakes. Get off the immigrants.., many of them pay taxes and pay into social security, and buy products sold by merchants right here at home. So.., your point makes the 'front page', but, the skinny is back on page 44. How about a dissertation on what TACKO's use of Air Force One is costing you and me? Stop by.., I'll buy your lunch over here at Annabellas.
You need to understand the word legal. That’s all you need. Nothing else matters after that. If they wanna come in, they come in legally. Period
If you have a problem with that, call Congress and have them up the quota. And by the way, stop using the word get off the immigrants. We’re not on the immigrants. We’re on the. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
And I wish no harm to anybody wait till one of you that are here on this thread get raped or maimed or sequestered or traffic by some of these illegals and let’s see how you feel about it then
Rick, why did you agree that buying my book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums “ was going to enlighten you other than you being so STUPID to buying it in the first place. Didn’t it do you any good?
Thanks for that info...always glad to know about a governor who chooses to lift up people, to feed hungry children, instead of kicking them in the face with a boot and sending them to a concentration camp!
Always glad to help people...to give a "Hand up" to anyone in need...or a glass of water to the thirsty....even if it were you, Rick.
May God bless the governor's generosity...since all good things come from HIS hands...to our friends as well as enemies. God changes us with His love. I hope you will allow HIM to change your heart and open your eyes.
The governor was being generous with money that doesn’t belong to him, belongs to the taxpayers AKA American citizens that work hard for the money, and hopefully that money will come back and provide them with their due. My heart is open, as well as my eyes…. Unlike you who is not been fed the entire scenario.
Should People want to come to this country they come in through legal channels. It’s a blessing and an honor to be an American citizen.
If we had open borders like you apparently would like we would be a country of 3 billion people not 330 million.
Emily if you want to blame somebody blame the non compos mentis excuse of a president we just had …. he allowed and actually welcome 11 million illegals to enter our country and now the Democrats are doing nothing but making it difficult for them to send them back where they belong if we didn’t come in we can leave they didn’t come in through the proper channels they cut in line and they brought things that are unwelcome here such as crime and drugs. And he did it in advance for the purposes of getting them to vote and if you don’t realize that and if you didn’t see what happened with that it’s because your media doesn’t provide you with a full account.
As you recall DonOLD is banned for life from owning a foundation or sitting on the Board of any foundation because he used his foundation as his own personal check book. And of course, this is only one of hundreds of his fraudulent business dealings.
And now, thanks to the architects of Project 2025 he is with holding funding for food, medical care, housing, infrastructure etc, and spending our money on corrupt and illegal activities.
Hopefully, his rants don't dissuade the millions of us who plan on protesting on Saturday and every day.
And whatever happened to the "cruel and unusual punishment" clause in the US Constitution? The private prisons keep the temperature in the over crowded inhumane cells below 60 degrees. Meanwhile, they are raking in billions of dollars a year.
DonOLD is using us for his cruel and unrighteous desires. He wants to be like Putin. We are allowing this to happen to fellow human beings. Whatever is allowed to happen to one person...American citizen or not , can happen to any one of us. We can close our eyes for a while...until someone knocks at our door or the doors of our children or friends.
My husband and I will join with our daughter in civilly protesting this coming Saturday.
One shouldn't be surprised if the Pentagon estimate of the cost of deploying the National Guard and marines to LA for God knows how long turns out to be a cycnical under-estimate.
The issue with the guard is just sh*t poor directions from DC. There are numerous national guard facilities in the area including a huge one in Los Alamitos (near Long Beach) that has an airport and logistics for thousands of troops. Additionally the LAPD academy is next to Dodger Stadium about a mile from the drama and can feed and house the troops as well as provide showers and other amenities.
The National Guard troops are fellow Californians. A local organization should provide comfort to them. It would go a long way to build anti-DC community.
Susan, are we powerless or what? Think he (TACKO) gives it a thought? Just whiners and losers.. expendables..., all. $134,000,000.00 chump-change. Have you seen the 'up-front' estimated cost of the parade? How about the collateral damage ?
Ally..,, re, the "K" is for pronunciation purposes so that U-kno to whom I'm referring. The "o" is for Out, and is not a Q. I happen to like taco's, soft or crispy. They're especially good at an old converted gas station down in San Antonio TX, that now serves authentic Mexican fare and has containers of salsa that have been sitting in the sun for a day or two. The taco acronym for trump came from a Wapo article ( I think ) where T-rump A-lways C-ickens O-ut, came about, a few weeks ago. Trump greatly disliked the term.
Thank you!! Penzy's spices are offering some great "TACO" seasonings!! I was reading the "O" as a "Q" originally but did fix it. Maybe that's how ffpotus spells it...
I do like tacos, and have several "go to" places here in Eugene, but I'd love to go to San Antonio sometime for tacos and more!
by the way, in case you didn’t notice, Taco fell flat on its face just like oligarch just like AutoCrat in California alone $9 billion of your taxpayer money to feed clothes, House and Care for illegal immigrants versus American citizens and you’re worried about 134 million ? It could’ve paid for 65 times that 134 million if he hadn’t used that money and now Congress is trying to get him to prevent him from using that money to provide for people that aren’t due that money.
Why is it that none of you care about the billions and billions of dollars spent on a illegal immigrants for food, housing and medical care that take away from our children or citizens and those that need better mental healthcare
It’s amazing how close minded you are and how hateful you are
Look in a mirror, Rick Sender, if you want to see a close minded hateful person. Your absurd fear mongering comments about rape and billions and billions stolen from our children are straight out of Nazi and Soviet Union propaganda. In real life the US is a country of "illegal" immigrants- people who moved here and took over lands from the people who were living here first. Instead of stewing in your fear go outside once in a while and look around at the people working in fields, building houses, painting houses, installing solar panels, mowing lawns, etc., etc., etc. Instead of wasting your time trolling, why don't you do some deep research on the endless hurdles these tax paying workers have to deal with to become "legal". Don't bother replying- I won't read it. My patience for your nonsense is gone.
OK so here's a good one for you. Here's a reality check for you. Name me a country or a region that was not conquered by a neighboring region or country and either enslaved or killed the indigent population.?
Go ahead and name it go ahead. This is gonna be funny. This is called history in reality
Well, if you were the mother of the five that the woman was not only had her head bashed into the sidewalk dragged 150 feet and raped and then killed and left five children homeless I hope you're happy with that because that person should've never been in the United States. And all it takes is one of those to happen to you and you'll change your tune immediately. So you need the mirror not me.
There are not only women and children being Traffic, but women and children who are illegals who were being Traffic and have no choice just to pay their coyote bill so you need to wake up
Wrong. California is down $9 billion and paying for social services for legal immigrants. What part of that don't you understand? You called that nonsense 185,000 homeless in California. You call that nonsense. California used to be heaven on the hill and I live there and I lived it and saw it and now it's a cesspool.
As I explained here the other day, I wasn't even aware that I had two accounts about three or four months ago. I got an offer to open my own sub stack which I didn't accept and yet somehow it went through so I have Rick sub stack, which I never use and then I have The one I originally signed up for and I don't see when I'm responding to one versus the other, so I apologize it's not on purpose
Apparently also without any provision for food. Many members of the Guard and Reserves sign up not just for patriotic reasons, but also for the extra income to supplement a regular job that doesn’t stretch far enough. So even if they’re allowed to leave the loading dock where they’re stationed, they also can’t afford to buy food for themselves.
Wow, Rick, you’ve posted lots of contrary comments today.
My comment is based on reality. My son is in the Army Reserves. Quite a few of these soldiers are in the Reserves to supplement their regular income, because their regular job doesn’t pay enough to pay the bills. Others are in the Reserves while attending college, both for the income and also to earn the education benefits that pay for their college tuition.
I recommend actually reading a post carefully before posting a snarky comment. I clearly stated “to supplement a regular job”.
Well, you're parking up the wrong tree I was in the army reserves for six years and if they sent me someplace I went I didn't complain. I didn't worry about what I was going to eat or where I was gonna sleep. I just did my duty. So enough of the BS all these poor guys are sleeping on the floor do you think if they got called up to active duty? They'd have a nice roof over their head somewhere that's what they signed up for and if they didn't, then they were mistaken.
And I did exactly what you said
If you wanna call that supplementing your income, that's an embarrassment.
I hope they knew that if they get called up, they have a job to do not just supplement their income
You know what I got when I was in the army reserves years ago nothing to supplement my education not a thing I had the option of taking out a student loan, but chose not to do it and got a third job so I could pay my way through
What's really sad is thinking that this is a supplemental job while it is only part time. Should you get called up you do what's necessary you lie on the floor and sleep you eat a sea ration or whatever they give you to eat and you don't complain about it either.
I never said the troops were complaining. I am complaining because the people who sent them there are so incompetent that they made no provisions to feed them at all. Not even MREs.
Or The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again: "We'll be fighting in the streets, with our children at our feet and the morals that they worship will be gone, and the men who spurred us on sit in judgment of all wrong, they decide and the shotgun sings the song; We won't get fooled again, change it had to come, we knew it all along, etc. etc."
Thom Hartmann has released a number of protest songs in recent years, often collaborating with Ux Louise Hartmann, who uses AI.
Some of their recent singles include "How to Fight Tyranny," "The Bootlicker Brigade for the Morbidly Rich," and "Crashing the Economy Trump Style". Other titles include "See No Nazis, Hear No Nazis," "Last Chance to Stop a Dictatorship—And Trump Knows It," and "Does Putin Own Trump?". These songs often address political issues and concerns about the current political climate, with some titles explicitly referencing figures like Trump and Putin.
As a short digression; when I try to listen to Hartmann’s show in Sirius, I get about 10-15 mins of him every half hour and the rest of the time a half dozen or more ads in succession.
A week or so ago, I said the same thing, but I tend to focus on songs that uplift me. I offered a link to this song. The words, to me, sound like Kamala's message of uplifting joy.
Ain't No Stoppin' Sunshine Lyrics
Don't try to tell me to wait till I belong
You can't convince me that what I dream is wrong
No matter what you say, you can't cloud my head
I push the fear away/ you remember what I said-
You can't stop the tide rising high, no
You can't stop the light in my eyes, oh no
You can't keep me down, I'll tell you why
Ain't no stopping sunshine
Ain't no stopping me
Ain't no stopping all the love that sets the people free
Ain't no stopping this love from changing peoples minds
Ain't no stopping sunshine, gonna leave the dark behind
I won't believe it if you say I've lost my chance
I'll be the one who couldn't walk but learned to dance
Each day my world turns one more revolution
Bring on the dawn gotta light one more solution
You can't stop what I'm all about, no
You can't hide for long in your doubt, oh no
Raise your shades up high, come on out
Ain't no stopping sunshine
Ain't no stopping me
Ain't no stopping all the love that sets the people free
Ain't no stopping this love from changing peoples minds
Ain't no stopping sunshine, gonna leave the dark behind
Barb, music has changed so much in my lifetime! We no longer have the distinct "types" of how we listened to music, and it is far more than "country, pop, and rock and roll" that I grew up with. How we listen to music has also changed. We are not limited to AM radio (sadly, that is where the nutbags now broadcast) or FM radio; there are so many sources for music that there is no common thread of music to tie us together.
I'm going to a Mary Chaipin Carpenter concert tonight. I'll let you know.
Also, Holly Near is still writing and singing, the Indigo Girls, Joan Baez, and some others. I imagine there are some good rap/hip hop charts out there, along with some heavy metal, death metal, ska, and others.
Have a great time AH! I love Mary Chapin Carpenter. She has never been a vocally activist composer, but her album "Between Here and Gone" is one of my absolute favorite albums of all time. Elysium is on my "repeat ad nauseam" internal playlist. I do think that musical satire is alive and well today, as it was in the 1960s with Tom Lehrer and the Smothers Brothers. Randy Rainbow is fantastic, but so are a host of others who record stuff on YouTube:, some of which I pick up and spread around. I think that satire is one of the ways to really stick it to the despicables. I also think that Bruce Springsteen is hitting pretty hard these days and his album (and the title track) The Rising still resonates.
Like what RFK, Jr. is doing to science and medicine and health care... We have trust in the efficacy and safety of vaccines after decades of peer-reviewed testing, but he has worked hard on destroying that trust. It would be absurd if it weren't so dangerous.
I'm hoping tha there are Califorinia Congressional Republicans -- 9 of them-- that know the rationale for this -- danger of invasion by a foreign nation; there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States -- is BS and will step forward.
The country will be many decades recovering from this, if we ever do. I am too old to see American return to what it once was. It is incredibly infuriating and depressing.
I, too, am too old to see a return to an earlier time. And maybe too old to pick up and move abroad. But I'm a healthy and fit "too old" so alternatives are still being evaluated.
Ricardo, I’m from Australia. We have already accommodated the fact that the US cannot be trusted. Talk to a Taiwanese citizen … or South Korean … or Japanese
Please try to emphasize you encounter plenty of Americans who CAN be trusted—it’s these particular politicians and his cowardly enablers, along with his blood-thirsty, sad-life followers, who cannot be trusted. In democracies sometimes the losers (figuratively) come out on top.
Half that time, maybe. We take back Congress and impeach the putz. Vance won't have the gravitas of Trump the hypnotizer. He is a punk kid. Moderate older GOP types will find their spines.
And then the Blue Wave returns sanity, safety and social responsibility.
I can dream, right? Call it creative visualization. Set the goals. Every decision leads to achieving them. Believe!
Yes, Bill Alstrom, creative, positive visualization is what is needed to move things forward! Projecting into the future the world we want, which is what I enjoyed reading in your recent Substack. We all must believe in what is possible!
Bill, if you are going to dream, dream big - like massive myocardial infarction. Massive. One so large that the world have never seen one like this before.
Oh Richard, I hear you fellow HCR traveler. I have those thoughts all the time. Think King Louis XVI and worse. My anger is indescribable.
But, as a non religious person, I have found a path to channel that stuff out of my head. I believe that if I allow "IT" to control my emotions, then I have lost.
I am going to win the battle of my head, of my enjoyable day, by doing what I can and then flipping the bird to the Nazis who want to enter my consciousness.
Aside from protesting, writing to reps and babbling on Substack, I am fighting back by using a Taoist approach for most of my day. They can't have my attitude! That's my "way".
Lao Tzu is virtually everyone's hero, or should be. To be oneself, to find "the Way." While I admire Lao Tzu (I do have a Ph.D. from Harvard in History and Far Eastern Languages), my way is totally pro-active. I am a total atheist as to any religion, but I am in all the way with Jesus and Matthew 25: 34-46 - "even as you do it unto the least of these." How, one might wonder, could that be? It was my mom when sending me off to school in Uvalde, Texas in 1947 barefoot in the second grade because my one pair of shoes had holes in the soles and were in the repair shop: "Richard, you must remember to be concerned for those less fortunate than you." Holy Shit. Less fortunate? Know what? It worked.
We cannot afford to wait out 3 more years of this for multiple reasons including we have no idea what the country will look like then. We don’t know whether fair elections will occur and we can’t rely on that happening. That would be highly dangerous. We have to assume the worst — Trump will be alive and refuse to leave; if there are elections, they will be akin to those typical of authoritarian countries.
I know foolish citizens elected Trump, but if we could have a vote of no confidence that was legit, you know the country would vote Trump out. I don’t have a good alternative to 3 years but there may not be a good alternative. I would like to know what the current top Pentagon officials are thinking/saying now.
I agree we cannot wait 3 more years....but 3 more years is NOT the Donald's plan. He wants to be KING for life. Of course he is only the current President...someone much more ominous and actually capable is in the background pulling the strings....it is not a recent endeavor in my opinion but has long been in the "works". Just call me someone with a strange imagination if you like....
Still waiting to see what's happening to the BIG CRAPPY bill, which is his number one priority.
What's happening with the senate parlimentarian? Senate Republicans are expected to closely follow the guidance of parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough as they embark on the “Byrd bath” in the coming weeks, with noncompliant provisions sometimes referred to as “Byrd droppings.”
What's happenng with stuff like Medicaid cuts, that undermine his support in red states?
What's happening with the grift? Even the sane washing NYT is all over his extortion schemes!
Fully agree. Their goals are long live the Empire! But, I have thought this since that escalator ride in 2015. I watched The Apprentice. I can’t understand why this isn’t now obvious to everyone. That’s why it is refreshing to see and hear it plainly spoken on national commercial television. I am so tired of this being a fact among liberal media only. It has taken far too long for others to wake up. But, okay, that is the past, what are we going to do now? Because this isn’t stopping, it’s escalating very fast. I favor the formation of an opposition government and cabinet as in parliamentary systems. A new coalition party for democracy only, other issues we can later debate. Newsom can lead a diverse steering committee. We have tons of professors, historians, ex-government specialists, ex-politicians, lawyers, journalists, politicos, etc to join. We need amendments to the Constitution and laws getting rid of corruption, ie, removing wealth as a determining factor from elections and government. You all know the problems…Supreme Court ethics, Electoral College, gerrymandering, payouts to judges and legislators, lobbyists, private funding of candidates, etc. This can be done by a coalition government. We have to organize one. Perhaps this is the opening we needed. Tell Everyone.
The Question: Why is Trump insisting on this mile-long military parade?
It is NOT for his birthday; it is not for an Army anniversary.
Look at the NY Times article and photos below. At least 28 Bradley fighting tanks and Strykers and 6,700 soldiers are pouring into D.C. Meanwhile, Trump has Americans pre-occupied with “federalized” guards occupying L.A., where ICE had been seizing children from schools and workers from Home Depot, and there is no actual violence for them to stop.
After the parade, will Trump send 6,700 soldiers and all of those tanks and weapons away?
I suggest not. We are witnessing the creation of a tyrant’s military stronghold and the end of a presidential administration elected by voters.
At a minimum, we are seeing Trump force Americans to become accustomed to seeing soldiers, who are supposed to protect them, menace the streets of our Capitol. We will soon see them, as well as tanks and weapons, in all major Blue cities, and then everywhere. If we ever have more elections, it will be too late.
The Answer: Not Violence.
Instead, support a pro-democracy coalition of new leaders: Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Adam Kinzinger, Kamala Harris, Corey Booker, Liz Cheney, Adam Schiff, retired and former military generals, independent media, journalists, commentators, and experts on governing, history, law, politics, elections, and the like. Rebuild our democracy with constitutional amendments and laws that will guard against future corruption and authoritarian attacks.
Military Parade Marches Into Political Maelstrom as Troops Deploy to L.A.
Somehow, he already manages to incorporate all that in the day job, as well his various self-enrichment schemes at his Mar a Lago HQ. I could be very wrong of course because shit happens. There could be a devastating hurricane season and a sweltering summer leading to months of wildfires. There could be another epidemic and with RFK in charge that's bound to run and run. This is over and above the background level of chaos inevitable when you're being governed by a bunch of idiots.
I like to think it is "when will he run of distractions to distract us from his last distraction?" We should recognize them as distractions. But never become complacent to them. Never forget each one. They should become a litany of grievances in the 2026 and 2028 elections or impeachments for him and others.
Let’s hope it’s only 3 years. Remember the regime needs a “war” to justify eliminating elections. It’s all in Project 2025. And Trump himself said if elected there won’t be any need for elections.
Thanks, Jason. Let's hope that this is just a 'frivolous activation'. Trump's own words suggest that he sees LA as a test case for similar operations elsewhere and the rhetoric from people like Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem and Tom Homan has been outrageously provocative.
On the plus side, Newsom has found the right court and the right judge to meet the occasion. If judge Breyer can nail this case right now then the only way that the conservative majority on the Supreme Court can rescue Trump's military-style deportation policy is by showing their hand once again that they will kowtow to Trump on virtually any issue when it really matters. If they are prepared to sanction this sort of behaviour then your democracy is finished.
So, a Democrat is finally telling Trump off on national television and pulling no punches. I know others have spoken out, but somehow Gov. Newsom feels a bit different.
It may be a function of the heightened context and pending constitutional crisis; or that Newsom is speaking directly to all of America; or it may be because he is central to a major news story and not just a politician campaigning. Perhaps his appeal and charisma command attention, or his words and tone signal that he has decided to accept serendipity, set aside fear and caution and represent us in the likely violent confrontation we have been expecting.
He is getting national coverage on commercial networks and saying exactly what liberals have been saying to one another for some years. He appears emotionally involved and determined. We desperately need a central figure.
Gov. Newsom is expressing more than courage. He is demonstrating who he is as "protector" of the great state of California and each and all of its residents, he has been elected to serve as Governor. He is courageous!
The President is supposed to communicate with the governor of a state, NOT just go in with troops. By the way Trump called in troops to show off his power....to do his dirty work....to practice being a "dictator". He did this without any respect or care for the Governor or the troops ie men and women ready to give their lives, if necessary, in the line of possible danger, with no bunks, no food or water...etc. He is NOT a leader!!! It is all just a "show of power" for him! Nor does he care for the police officers or other law enforcement officers! He only wants to use them to do his bidding...even if it costs their lives!!!!!
I wish that NO ONE would show up for his self-made parade....what a joke!
Newsome has national ambitions and tried at first to suck up to the Felon's mouth organs, Bannon and Co. When that didn't work, I presume he just went for broke. More power to him. I am sure his ex-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, the failed fiancée of Felon, Jr., is seething. But she has been unable to retake the public eye since L'il Trumpy dumped her. As usual, the response of the Dems in Congress has been vewwy vewwy qwwuiet . . .
I like your use of the phrase going for broke. For those of you who don’t know it was a phrase used by Japanese American citizens who during iforved internment were finally allowed to fight but only in the European Theater. They were excellent soldiers and one became a Senator from Hawaii Daniel Inyoue like Senator Robert Dole was really badly injured in the military actions. This was a battle cry.
Several years ago the Post office came out with a stamp. I
You know that Inyoue also lost an arm, and was awarded the Medal of Honor? I was on Hawaii when the USS Daniel Inyoue was on its maiden cruise, and learned a lot about him then. I also learned a lot from a docent at the lighthouse on Kauai whose Dad had known Inyoue growing up.
Yes I did Ally! I learned about the brigade when reading The Readers Digest! They had an article and another time on Pearl Buck and her last efforts before she became incapacitated and seemingly used badly was working with Korean children who had parents who were soldiers from the States. They both in their very own way tried hard to do good. And that is what makes me absolutely furious that our country is now being managed by people who have no idea who these people were or their lives and efforts and two vastly different areas! Worst of all I don’t think they care or are just blind and deaf and dumb to the need for good for humanity to survive.
Linda, I love your post about Kimberly-Inject-my-Boobs-and-Lips Guilfoyle! I remember when she looked halfway decent. People couldn’t believe that Gavin married her but after all, she had been an attractive tv reporter. While Mayor of SF, Gavin was drinking a lot and then stopped either before or when they divorced.
Agree with your premise Amy. I, as a news-consumer, critic, and skeptic, and human being, haven't been that impressed with Gov. Newsom. But, thats only because of what I have been exposed to. I'm all ears though. So, if he can get ahold of this bull and really ride it.., I'm paying attention. Can he pull this off? I would hope so. We are desperate for some sanity. The "media" is starving for it as well. Burgers and fries are good, but we need some real healthy food. We've become obese as a nation.
Newsom has a podcast I have been listening to. I have been impressed by his composure, command of history, and ability to think and speak critically with his guests.
If you are impressed by Governor Newsome, I feel really sorry for you The man is nothing more than a poser and a fake. I guess you didn’t see the video when he was telling everybody to lock themselves in a room during Covid and he was out having a $3000 dinner at French laundry. He has taken what was once the shining light on the hill and turned it into the toilet Of America.
With your background you know what I mean by saying "That boss was a union maker." I was a shop steward in a window and door company but after that I worked in other non-union jobs. In two such jobs the "boss" was so bad that we had to vote and bring in the union. What I am saying is Trump is a President maker. His mouth and actions just might be making Newsom our next President. If not Newsom I am sure Trump will be the biggest promoter of the next President.
I would vote for Newsom in a New York minute -- he has stayed calm; he is articulate; he is not backing down. And he is not making this all about himself.
IMO after the loses of 2016 and 2024 the lesson which must be learned is America is a bigoted country. Dems must run a white man for Pres and woman for VP. After 2 yrs and one day the Pres must resign and allow the woman to become Pres and teacher giving a lesson that a woman can be a great Pres. Maybe by 2028 America will be ready to elect a pile of bull crap which would be a better Pres than any Republican.
Yep. I thought that was what Joe always had in mind to do in his one term.Then he not only failed to do it he actually tried for a second term. I don't think history will be good to him. However, compare to what history books will say about Trump it will make Joe shine no matter what is said.
Terry, he is eminently qualified, but as others have written, now is not the time. Had Harris won, he might have been the perfect successor. But fate and Vladimir have spoken.
Trump's win, legitimate or not, has set America's collective mindset back decades. If he keeps going, it will be centuries. I predict that the U.S. electorate will only vote for old, straight, white men for the next 30 years, assuming that elections are still held.
I hope we will see Guard soldiers and airmen form labor unions. I notice the article about the Department of Justice giving a go ahead was dated May 24, 2022. However I doubt Pam Bondi will continue that policy.
Nevertheless, the facts you state about the current diversity among members of the Guard is positive. I have also noticed that fact when watching the battle lines being drawn (bad term?) of the LAPD. Male, female, white and persons of color. It is maybe something positive to hold onto during such negative times.
All about the money. Guess what .. the current administration doesn’t care about the money. Viz a viz the great big beautiful bill. Their magical thinking will get them out of it. In the meantime America starves.
Rick... did you pull those figures on TACKO's use of Air Force One yet? How about Homeland Security's budget..? Grab them for the next three years. Don't forget to factor in the tax dollars being consumed by the DOJ pursuing frivolous lawsuits. Dude..., get busy.
Poor mad Russian…. Since when do you worry about tax dollars California has already spent $9 billion on a legal immigration for food, shelter and medical treatment. And if you think those lawsuits are frivolous, how about the hundreds of frivolous lawsuits filed by judicial precincts judicial judges that will go nowhere they’re just impediment to justice. And keep in mind, Mr. Met Russian that everybody that voted for Trump and more now wake up every morning, smiling, and knowing that he’s protecting America and doing exactly what they voted for him to do.
The most hysterical and ironic thing that I read is, if he didn’t post the troops, there wouldn’t be violent protests…lmao. So stop enforcing the law and then will be well behaved except for all of us that are here illegally.
One wrong misstep by the National Guard and Maga will succeed piting American neighbor against American neighbor. In addition, the officer corps must educate their troops about their duty to the Constitution. Too many troops are expresssing loyalty to Trump. When leaders fail in their duty, everyone suffers.
From what I heard, there was no provision for food or for other needs for the National Guard members who were so incautiously and hurriedly called into service in LA.
Hate to say it Betsy, but part of their job is being prepared for contingencies. Plenty of places to grab a bite in LA. Their Commanders are responsible for their troops. Sometimes though, a troop must suffer a commander who doesn't have their shit-together. You're familiar with Hedgeseth, right?
These members had been helping rebuild after the fires in SoCal. What kind of help have they been giving to the people of L.A.? If ICE agents need protection, maybe the way ICE functions should be rethought. If neither the Mayor nor the Governor saw a need, there was not a need. It was just a case of overreach, as was calling out the Marines, whose job is to protect us in times of war, on the part of the wannabe dictator.
Yes. I read about National Guard not having enough toilets, food or water, and no place for them to sleep, so they were sleeping in conditions like the immigrants they are supposed to retain.
Thank you. I am a plaintiffs’ employment lawyer. I don’t take USERRA cases, but I know p who do. Your work is valuable and patriotic. And you are ab right.
Jon - I was fortunate to work with a DC law firm that only represented labor. I am not a lawyer, but I attended two ALI-ABA Railway Labor Act conferences. Labor side and management side would take turns presenting a topic and rebutting. Management presented the new AIR21 whistle-blower protections. They were concerned unions would use AIR21 in job actions. My notes: use AIR21 in job actions!
Thank you for sharing valuable information about the impact these deployments will have on Guard units, I realized I didn’t know very much about them even though have known of them for well over 50 years. I respect that you spoke from personal knowledge and experience, and cited your sources as well. How refreshing it was to read something intelligent and of benefit to every American citizen in that it increases our awareness that we need to look thru a more non-partisan lens.
Not once did you say Dems or Maga.
The reality we are facing is that if we don’t stand together, as the United States, we expose a fracture that will continue to be exploited by any and all who may seek to wedge us apart and turn our allegiance from the Constitution and three branch governance of our country, which is a democratic republic, into a blind following of divisive people and self-serving leaders. In that respect, we are all National Guard.
We are thriving right now in a Democratic society and illegal immigration that Joe Biden put us through is the main cause of the fact that we’re not executing on that constitution right now because of Joe Biden’s policies and lies and deceit
Darn good post Jason. The erosion you imply, will affect our military. And that, as I view it, is a part of this take over. Losing those 'members' who re not enamored with him (TACKO) is akin to a body-builder losing flab in order to build a threatening-looking body. And the fear that "body" engenders is going to be backed up by an inflated reputation of kicking-ass, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades. "The Military".., OUR military takes great pride in taking orders and carrying them out, almost to a person (man/woman/etc). We elected this POS (apparently?) and he is in charge. Our "readiness".., huh?
Excellent information to know. This type of info would be valuable for reporters and television newsmen to report on to the American people. Perhaps a TV broadcasting station would be interested in reporting these facts.
My husband is an Army Veteran. He said the treatment of the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles is disrespectful! Where do they shower? What are they eating? They are being treated like prisoners of war!
Carol - I feel it is worse than that. I think that Trump and Hegseth are treating them like slaves, like they own them. They are going to find out that these Guard members are patriotic Americans that know when they are being taken for granted and abused. CA Guard units are around 34.4% minorities and 36.4% of the whites identify as Hispanic or Latino!
Newsom has claimed, as reported by Joyce Vance, that only about 300 of the first 2,000 Nat'l Guard soldiers first called up are on duty. The rest are sitting around in various federal buildings without orders.
Also according to Newsom, the soldiers have not been provided fuel, food, water, or bedding of any sort. Vance includes Newsom's social media post showing photos of soldiers sleeping on bare floors.
If you elect a criminal, you get crimes. If you allow an abusive incompetent to become Secretary of Defense, you get an abusive incompetent who can't even carry out the criminal's crimes without massive bungling.
Don't worry. When the troops file their travel vouchers, they'll get screwed again. No fun being in the Guard, as many are finding out. Especially if you're enlisted. Officers, however, are 'gentlemen' and treated with a modicum of dignity. Like our boy Hedgeseth...., welcome to the O' Club.., it's Happy Hour.
Yes, it is happy hour. You bet. I guess you forget how these troops are trained and what they live. You think they move into a home when they’re in combat and sleep in an air-conditioned residence. ?
They are out doing their job and they’re loving doing their job unlike four years before now. In fact, enlistment has just hit a record high and they’re done with their enlistment goals for the year already.
Yeah! Jeez, there's gotta be a Director of Grift Strategy -- uhh, I mean National Fiscal Optimization Strategy -- in the régime somewhere, maybe a teenager who went to a MAGA rally and fetched coffee or held a door open and got rewarded with the job. Those qualifications wouldn't be too terribly different from several (or all) of the present staff and appointees; the Director of Grift Strategy would fit right in.
He has a number of irons in the fire, mostly being being managed by members of his family. Besides, previous directors (Weisselberg, Cohen) have ended up in jail.
I have come to the conclusion that you agree with the deployment of the guard to California. In addition, you appear to agree with the arests of women, children, and nonviolent people by thugs with no warrant. You agree with detaining them in horrible conditions and not providing them with a path to citizenship. I base the last statment on the fact that many people are being arrested and detained when they show up to take the appropriate steps to apply for said citizenship. Are you racist or pro dictatorship? Perhaps there is a place for you as an ICE agent, you should apply. I understand there is a significant bonus if you meet the quota of arresting the required number of people regardless of their legal status. Hence the reason for the protests.
No so sure they are a troll as much as woefully uninformed and misled by what they think is in fact reality tv, while it is really only a manufactured production.
if you read her post, Roberta, you actually believe for any second that I’m the one that’s misled yikes. ? The media/your media is once again deceiving you by not showing you all the events that are happening that are putting law-enforcement in jeopardy.
Linda, I crack up every time someone refers to me as a troll. If you look at the thread here there are people that are posting time and time and time and time again, patting each other on the back commiserating with each other with erroneous and misguided information day after day after day and I’ve never heard you or anyone else here referred to them as trolls. The only reason you call me a troll is because I have an alternative message that you don’t like, but it unfortunately it’s factual.
If you want immigration to get fixed, then call your congressman. They’re the ones in control of how many people are allowed in and every single item that’s happening today you can blame squarely on the face of the empty head of Joe Biden and his administration or as you like to put it his regime.
Thank you all . I’m enjoying your misguided and may I say erroneous posts.
Kathy, in order I will address your post first in just a few moments but many of you are sadly unaware of what goes on in Los Angeles at times like these and you are not shown all the events as they unfold. You are a spoon fit what they want you to see and that’s very unfortunate and many of you have not learned to change the channel and to look at both sides of the aisle before making or rendering judgment.
Not sure if I answered you before not Kathy cause I got quite a few glorious responses today
I totally agree with sending the guard to California because I was there in 1992 when craziness broke out and there was no stopping it It might've not played the clip for you when the chief of police said we're being overwhelmed.
Talk about how upside down the left is here's what they're saying stop enforcing the law and we won't protest. Omg.
First, let me refute a comment that was made here below by Bill
I am anything but a provocateur. I am a provider of Germaine facts to complete the incomplete picture, that is provided here inmost occasions.
First of all, how do you provide a warrant for somebody that is unknown to you because you do not have their name or any other pertinent identification ?
Now let me point out some significant deficiencies in your post
And thank goodness you can’t blame this one on Donald J Trump or you would Congress determines of number of legal people immigrants that are allowed in this country every year not only the quantity but from where they come… there are quotas even pursue it to individual countries.
The last piece of information I had on the quantity of people allowed in by Congress was somewhere near 800,000 but it could be as high as 1 million and change again further specifying from where they come.
If you would like that Number change, please contact your congress member
Now the most important thing I will add is, if you wanna blame anybody for the current situation of immigrations, there was only one person to blame and we’re not even sure he was in charge to blame him. His name is the semi cadaver Joe Biden. Who between him his borders are Kamala Harris and his sidekick Mr. Majorca allowed 11 million people at least to come into this country unvetted.
And he has left behind all the problems that you are currently seeing
And he did it to help destroy this country in an attempt to get these people to vote for the Democratic Party.
And that is not only evident by the facts and the truth, but the attempt itself, where New York attempted to get 800,000 illegals to vote
And the misguided portion of your post is none of the people in question actually showed up as you say to apply for citizenship. They came in through anything but legal means at hidden points of entry, not border security checkpoints.
The most sickening thing in your attempt to deceive and bely the truth
Is your belief that Donald Trump is doing anything different from Bill Clinton or Barack Obama Obama who together deported almost 9,000,000 illegals. And in Obama’s first term where he deported 3,000,00 2.25 million left this country without a warrant without an interview. They were simply turned back by border officials.
The reason the Democratic Party is in such bad shape is because they come here and offer immensely distorted facts to make their case oil while the X Legacy media deceives them in the process
I welcome your response to this post, which is incomplete but sufficient to make enough points that you should realize what you’re saying is a tainted picture of reality
Buildings are inanimate. Your deflection of the truth here shows you are choosing not to watch various news channels. The protests were largely peaceful, and any ‘violence’ appeared to be in the form of vandalism which hardly requires the scene we saw unfold with law enforcement/military, Proud Boys (who can differentiate these days?) shooting less lethal ammunition into non threatening individuals and horses trampling people. This is pure theater by the regime.
That's what California police are for. It's what they were doing. Trump refused to call up the national guard 5 years ago when everyone was begging him to, and DC cops were being attacked and the Capital swarmed by a violent armed mob. Thats when you call in reinforcements. Interesting to compare the two events.
Trump never refused to call up the National Guard. It’s Nancy Pelosi refused to call up the police and if you want to see the video just go ahead if you want to see the truth, actually admitting to her daughter in a video in her own SUV that she was at fault for not calling up the police.
And finally, when you see the final activity on J6 you will be shocked as to how many FBI agents were there why they were there why they didn’t call for help why Ashley Babbitt was shot an unarmed victim and how many of the police there were escorting people through the halls of Congress.
You better just google the video google it now where Nancy Pelosi admitted to her daughter on camera that she should’ve called the police when they were requested, and she blamed herself. If you never heard that video now you understand why people are angry.
The National Guard was there to protect federal buildings, which if you didn’t see it on your channel which I’m sure you didn’t federal buildings were being attacked, graffiti defaced and threatened and so now they have protection and I don’t care how many people it takes to protect federal buildings, they need to be protected Especially from these so-called peaceful protests LMAO
I’ll take this speech from Newsom tonight. I hope he himself takes it to heart, and stops bullying trans youth as he himself has been doing lately. Trans youth are among the least able to defend themselves, as Newsom put it. None of us are safe until all of us are safe, to paraphrase Emma Lazarus. Protect everyone, governor Newsom. Everyone.
Newsome has not been above punching down, as we've seen. He appears on weird "bro" podcasts, less to challenge, more to fake being like one of them, unlike Pete Buttigieg who's clearly not, but doesn't pretend to be.
Still, he's doing absolutely the right thing -- punching UP, hitting the bully in the face, not letting him get away with his gaslighting, not pretending his alternative, fact-free universe has anything to do with reality. We need that strength and resistance right now, and we need it badly.
On our own, we might not be able to stop terrible, cruel legislation from being passed. We can't de-federalize the National Guard or make ICE stop terrorizing families. But we can stay peaceful in our non-cooperation with evil. We can refuse to use the language of the oppressor, we can (and must) reject his ridiculous contortions of reality. For there is no rebellion, there is no uprising, there is no insurrection. What there is, is cruelty, denial of due process, recklessness, unchecked greed, gobsmacking incompetence, sheer stupidity. We are being held hostage by a man-child with the emotional maturity of a 3-year-old constantly in the middle of a sugar tantrum, whose polices are failing faster than summer lightning.
How this dreadful, phony, malevolent conman-criminal managed to cast a spell over the military, law enforcement, his own party, people who pretend to be "conservative" I will never fully understand. Regardless, seize the spirit of peaceful resistance. Back those who articulate and practice it, and do not let up for a second. Our republic depends on it.
There’s no control over mass media at all the viewers watch what they wanna watch and they’re not watching the Legacy media shit anymore because they lied to them for five years. Has nothing to do with Pluto Kraddick control where the hell did that come from? Did somebody get control of your remote control or something? Yikes
How about giving illegals a chance to be citizens....for all the awful jobs they are willing to take that our citizens refuse to take.
We should support men and women who see an opportunity to make a decent living...who are willing to work hard in undesirable conditions with NO "thank yous" and to give their children (if they are not also working in the fields or in animal processing plants) an education they do not have.
They appreciate our country much more than many of us and many will rise up to become leaders because of their humility and work ethic!!!!!!!
Emily, I’m gonna have to go on a limb here and say that you’re very ill informed. As I said, before, Congress sets a quantity of people that are allowed in this country legally. If they wanted to come in and give it an opportunity to come in, they could’ve reported to actual immigration reporting stations instead of coming through a river are being brought in by a coyote, armed with fentanyl, for example.
We should absolutely seek people that want an opportunity to become full citizens, but they have to do it legally let me spell that out for you LEGALLY. Congress sets the number and the number wasn’t 11 million. It was less than 10% of that if you want to fix the problem, talk to your congressman or woman.
Well said, and yet. Newsome appears to be reading the political moment and avoiding giving voters an issue to vote Republican. There were a lot of otherwise Democratic voters who are softened up by culture war media and voting against Democrats for "not protecting girls". Newsome's choice comes with risk. He may lose some votes this way too.
For me what is most important is not letting Republicans win any more. Transgender rights are going to come. It's just a matter of time when they will be accepted. I don't want to fall on our swords when there is so much at stake.
I could be wrong, but I don't think he's against transgender rights. I remember that he made a comment about transgender athletes, which frankly is a grey area for me. At any rate, the protest wasn't about that.
Question, what Trump does mean by the 'situation' is "under control". The major problem with the Marines bedding down in the City of Angels is whether to the Marines should sleep in the Lobby or in the spacious basement of a downtown L.A. building. Meanwhile, the state of California filed a federal lawsuit lawsuit, Newsom versus Trump & Clowns
Now the Good Stuff:
Where was the case filed? Interestingly, the case was NOT filed in the expected Central District of California.
The federal case, 3-25-cv-04870, was filed on 6/9 up in the tall federal building, 17th Floor, Department 6 in San Francisco. That's the Courtroom of a Judge's Judge, 😋 the Hon. CHARLES R. BREYER. Yes, Charles' brother served as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice before his retirement from SCOTUS years ago.
That development give this 4th generation Californian & Commenter a surge of expected very-due process & pride because very smart Judge CHARLES R. BREYER is the last federal Judge I appeared before the last time I had a federal case in the Northern District Division.
Hang on ... let me take a look 👀 at Breyer's court docket in Newsom's case.
Yup, that's the Judge Breyer I know : ---).
Trump & Clowns must file a response today, Wednesday June 11, 2025. And, the court hearing is already set for Thursday 6/12 at 1:30 PM Pacific about 23 hours & 10 minutes from now. 🕜
MAGA only likes States rights when it suits their odious goals -- pouring Christian Nationalism into schools and denying women reproductive healthcare. I swear they'd bring back slavery if they could.
Indeed, J L. Thr trompy maladministration tells states they're on their own when it comes to natural disasters but doesn't hesitate to create a man-made issue in order to send in troops.
There is a common activity that joins MAGA/constitutional originalists and evangelicals: cherrypicking.
Each group uses selections from their sacred texts to advance their own agendas while ignoring context or other passages that countermand their intentions and objectives.
Do you know the difference between state rights and protecting the country and the federal building and police officers? This is no different than many other presidents dead only he did it sooner than later rather than let the cities burned like Minneapolis. Or let cities get taken over like Portland or Seattle.
Everybody, there is a 2025 a revised (now controlling) Substack Inc TERMS OF USE -- "TOU" that outlines the contractual obligations of every single "Reader" and/or "Author" that is binding on all of us including the platform, Substack Inc.
One of the rallying chants during the peaceful March on Washington during the anti-Vietnam era was “The Whole World is Watching.” Due to cell phone and news organizations videos taken constantly, the whole world watches as the President of the United States attempts to do a rush job of ending Democracy in the United States. The timing of the Birthday Parade occurs when students are out of school and available to attend demonstrations nationwide.
Governor Newsom has set an example for other governors to follow when Ice invades their states and Trump calls out the National Guard to confront demonstrators: the governors will have to decide how to respond.
Don’t forget Hagerty and Lee. TN has bought into the insanity. Generally, the South, rooted in racism, is stuck in the dark ages. But we won’t shut up in the face of ignorance.
Yes, Governor's will have to decide with assistance of each state's Attorney General. California's legal action against Trump is in the hands of AG ROB BONTA and will be before Judge Breyer in about 24 hours.
Calling on MSNBC's LISA RUBIN ... Lisa please attend Northern District federal hearing tomorrow. Please go on air immediately after the hearing & give audiences your experienced read of the proceedings & players.
But he’s not standing up for the rights of his citizens. And that’s why California is losing credibility with America and that’s why people are fleeing there like insects.
As I’ve said many times and I lived in California for 30 years used to be the shining light on the hill now it’s the cesspool crime ridden bankrupt with hundreds of thousands of homeless
Now is the time to stand up. There will be peaceful protests across the country this Saturday. Find one near you and join those of us who will not let this country go. No Kings, June 14. ❤️🤍💙 be a part of the America-loving peaceful pro democracy movement. ❤️🤍💙
Thank you Ginny...Also, Prof. Richardson just posted a fantastic 7 minute video on "Why Do We Protest in America? How Should We Protest?" It is excellent!!! She ends by saying, "Keep the faith because it's going to be a hell of a ride. We have no choice but to move forward and I'm ever so proud to be doing this with you all." All our blessings to Heather tonight for her incredible dedication to this Democracy and for being one hell of a mentor and human being on this planet. Thank you...
Thank you Michele2 and Marcia. That was great. There's also a clip called A Different Way To Look at Protesting that really opened my eyes. You don't necessarily have to take it to the streets all the times. We need your voices. There are many ways to help in this war. And HCR specifically called it a war. It's a war that we cannot afford to lose.
According to NOAA, showers are likely in the DC area on Saturday, with an increased chance of thunderstorms after 2PM. With or without rain, it's going to be cloudy, hot and muggy. Not a great day for a parade.
One perfectly aimed lightning bolt would suit me just fine. Reminds me of an old joke:
A priest and a lawyer go golfing. The lawyer goes first. He takes careful aim, swings, and misses. He says, "Damn it, I missed!" The priest says, "Do not say that or God will strike you down."
On the next hole the lawyer takes careful aim, swings, and misses. He says, "Damn it, I missed!" The priest says, "If you say that one more time God will strike you down."
On the third hole the lawyer takes careful aim, swings, and misses. He says, "Damn it, I missed!" Suddenly a huge lightning bolt comes down from the sky and hits the priest.
And then a big voice thunders from above, "DAMN IT, I MISSED!"
I tuned in to the ACLU's webinar last night on training for June 14 No Kings protests. It was excellent. The advice was essentially to go with a buddy, pay attention to what is going on around you, take photos and video if you have your phone, figure out an exit plan in case it is needed and where to meet if separated, know who the event organizers are and esp. the security people. Learn your rights. Every state has different laws governing whether, f.ex., you need to give your name to a law enforcement person who asks for it. 18,000 people were online. Protests are expected in over 2,000 places. On average, that is 40 per state. Stay safe but show up.
Common sense tells me that's good advice, and also woke me up to the fact I'm too old to run in the street. But in spirit I'll be with those peacefully protesting fascist tyranny until the day I die. (and possibly beyond that time, in some way, if you believe in that sort of thing). Thank you Ally.
Hitler and Stalin like autocrats and dictators before and since had no shortage of people willing to do the dirty work for them. No shortage of people who got up in the morning, broke their fast and showed up for work raring to go. No shortage of people willing to roundup whole communities and meet the detention and killing quotas set by their bosses. No trouble at all. Come to think of it there have never been a shortage of people willing to attend a lynching (for example)in the good old U.S.A. It is all those type of people we face now. They have been deployed (unleashed?) by Trump and his despicable administration and the MAGA Party (there is no longer a GOP—we can debate when that died). Which side will gain the momentum? Those who do not want to see the destruction of our democracy or the followers of MAGA who are I think thrilling to the suffering?
My maternal grandparents were gassed along with 9 others, in a van, at the camp called Chelmno, in 1942. Both parents escaped from their countries of Poland and Germany in the late 30’s. My mother’s German passport has the Nazi stamp on every page until 1939 when she was went to Brussels and then to London.
This has been carefully timed by King Baby to dampen the No Kings Day protests. He is terrified of popular pushback while he is having his 134 million dollar 79th birthday parade. He is also trying to get us to rise to his bait by inciting us to violence. Sorry, bro, I studied this trick under MLK and I ain’t biting!
Not sure if this entirely helps. If there are agitators, move away from them. Have someone with a megaphone point out that this is a peaceful demonstration and we do not want “Trump’s paid agitators” here. Why not use Trump’s words against him. The most important part is not to engage. Give them wide birth. In some cities the local police can help. The most important aspect to the demonstrations is to keep it peaceful.
Like all the Proud Boys he pardoned? Now it's clear why Trump pardoned them. He intended them to be his useful idiots to use to promote violence at protests.
I think if people are destroying property or fighting near where you are someone said to sit down where you are and make it clear who is being violent.
DJT is taking some hits now and his frail self image is cracking, he might be starting to see reality. CNN aired Good Night and Good Luck followed by a discussion of the role of journalism. Brave Americans in the public eye are speaking louder against all of the chaos the Trump Regime is causing, the lack of accountability, the lies, the double talk. The comparison of Biden tripping on the stairs of Air Force One and now Trump tripping on the stairs, the replaying of Trumps comments about Biden tripping and being old ….and now Trump is there, a 78 year old man tripping on stairs and people talking about it. Photos of Trumps pant legs and speculation that there are leg braces or catheter bag on his leg. The TACO nickname along with other mockery is all minor compared to what comes out of his mouth, demeaning people constantly. Such a frail ego, such a bully. Such a divider of people. Such a liar and a cheat.
And going after criminals working at Home Depot vs the fact that a rapist, convicted felon and compulsive liar that somehow became elected to be President of the United Stated of America has caused more harm and division in America than any one of them ever could.
This is a real distraction to more serious issues like Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Gaza, and the BUB (Big Ugly Bill). Tonight, the Senate did not come close to passing it, thank the gods.
Bobby, JR. is cruel, just like his cousin, Caroline, said. He is out to kill us all now that he fired the vaccine committee at the CDC. Why should he care? He is too busy swimming in bacteria-infested waters and he takes his grandchildren with him. What a guy!
Marlene,don't forget the end of 90 days and 90 trade agreements, one a day, with 90 countries are approaching fast with no results whatsoever. If I were the scumbag president, I would be desperate looking to create conflicts to distract citizens and feed fox news with misinformation.
I do so hope that there's ample organization to see to it that there are plenty of disbursed signs bearing simple messages listing each of his many failures including the 90 in 90 bs. List every illegality, lie, and failed promise; Widely spread throughout like a well shuffled deck.
Did he specify they were to be trade agreements? There were many agreements. Between Qatar and the Trump Organization, between Saudi Arabia and the Trump Organization, and on and on.
You’re correct about the distraction, Marlene. I’m also increasingly concerned about Vance and the shadow tech bro machinations in place to supplant felon47 in the days to come. We are being assaulted on every front. It’s so much to process.
Yes, Vance is just waiting in the wings as he is being advised by the super-fascist, Peter Thiel, who is JD’s sugar daddy. If the 89 million who refused to vote in this past election aren’t awake or willing to come to the table for the mid-terms, then there will be another Civil War. I truly believe that.
RFK should be charged with criminal stupidity. His decisions will kill people. Pray we don't see an emergent bird flu. More contagious and lethal than COVID.
Finally, Gov Newsome calling him out, hopefully is the first of many of our duly elected officials doing the same. The TRUTH must be broadcast EVERYWHERE. This Saturday will be more about our US Citizens protesting him than the military parade in DC. Protest peacefully, fellow Americans.🇺🇸
Of the 1600-1800 No Kings Day protests planned for Saturday, the organizers have deliberately not organized one for DC -- they don't want a protest spun as being against the military. I think that's smart -- it also removes an excuse the Orange Turd might use to turn those tanks on the protestors.
Any that do, should organize into small groups to police one another; unique I.D. identifierers - henna tattoos, whatever. No violence, no interference; make signs, turn your backs on the parade, and maybe 'fly the bird' - middle finger. No one showing up would be splendid, keeping all demonstrations as local and state, but some will go. For safety and effectiveness, consider thoroughly; Group thinking could be a start to organizing for safety and effectiveness.
Right ? It's also something those who can't demonstrate, do a big small part; Much bigger than appears at first glance or thought. If just each who commits to doing only that, can get 5 or 10 others to do likewise.... who knows. I've about had it with tv and radio anyway; They forever gives us less, for more, and always more commercial interruptions. And don't tell me that tv stations don't collude; I've tried channel surfing to avoid commercials; They time commercials together. If that's not collusion, I don't know what is.
Hmm; Only 20 folks acknowledge reading this. Well.. 20 times 10; 20 times 10 and so on, if passed on might make a surprising number - who knows ? At any rate, all my broadcast receivers will be shut off all day, as I'll be busy demonstrating as long as I can. After that, I'll need to rest. (- ;
** More and more as I think of it, all tv's, radios, and internet shut off for one day, but at least tv and radios might send a very powerful message to the MSM abusers, that 'we' see what you're doing and not, and we don't like it; And you will be held accountable. I love that message.. a sort of SOS by large numbers - HCR could tell them what it means that there was no viewership if she would. As I said, it's a great means for folks to participate that can't or won't physically demonstrate. To be anywhere near effective, I can't do it, but "we" surely could. You have to know that they do keep close track of viewership every minute of every day. For just one thing, they use it to justify the price of advertising that supports them. Imagine that 'wave' effect !
I'm 74 and I walk my dog in the city very early in the morning. My small personal show of protest of the moment is putting "No Kings" and "86 47" stickers on lampposts and subway entrances. It's a tiny thing, but it is a thing at least.
The one true, everlasting lesson from the Holocaust, from our own Civil Rights movement. In times of great moral peril, there are no "bystanders" or "onlookers."
Every Republican is complicit in this. No exceptions. I'm looking at you, "deeply concerned" Susan Collins.
Well, it shouldn't be fun when it displays a public view you're incredible ignorance, and naïvete. This is what I mean by people here are not getting the full truth. They're not getting the whole story. This was the intention of the Democrats from the beginning and I'm not sure Biden was the one that directed it but someone in the administration had this plan from the get-go from the moment they allowed 11 million people to come into this country unvetted.
Well, you may be an esquire, but you're incredibly ignorant or naïve or just unaware
You mentioned the term strawman, which tells me everything I want to know about your awareness.
In about a half a dozen cities in this country cities try to get illegals to vote in municipal elections
And the biggest one which apparently you haven't heard from which I am appalled to hear it took literally the Supreme Court of New York the highest appellate court in the state of New York when the New York City council approved 800,000 non-citizens to vote in a local election it took the Supreme Court of New York to vote against it so you need to open your eyes you need to open your ears and you need to close your mouth when you make comments like that you're on the wrong end of the stick, Mr. Esquire
Albert, I respect your title, but I don’t respect your endeavor to seek out the truth because if you did, you wouldn’t question my details are my logical reasoning you’re not getting the whole story here in fact if you’re open minded at all go down to the bottom of Heather‘s Posts and take a look at what links are afforded you every single link is either left wing or left lunatic wing links not one right wing or right of center post is used to prove what she is saying and she’s entitled to whatever she says she’s a historian. I give her credit for all that but she’s not giving you the whole story she’s giving you her historic point of view, and if you’d like to hear more about that, I’d be more than happy to provide it.
Well, unfortunately for you I just thought you the most difficult lesson for you to learn. Donald Trump is your president. Elected in a landslide majority, all the swing states electoral college devastation 85% of all the counties in the country went redder than before.. he kept both houses of Congress. And if the Democrats are not careful, he could be the first president that retains both houses of Congress during the midterms because it’s never happened before but the way the Democrats are backing the wrong ponies today it could happen.
They are backing criminal illegals over citizens. They are backing violent protesters over peaceful ones … there are filing junctions to stop removing some of the 11 million illegals that Biden allowed in by opening the border, in order to get them to vote.
Nobody said a word when all these people were coming cross the border that one judge but now when you want to remove them because they shouldn’t be here in the first place well, we’re gonna place an injunction on you. Obama deported 3 million his first term and according to records that you can Google yourself 2.25 million never had a hearing or due process they were just removed by immigration officials at the border.
Last five presidents have removed 27 million illegals. Do you remember hearing anything about 27 million hearings on due process. ?
And the worst part of the process these illegal criminals come in and they give them hearing dates five years from today. Come on dude. Join us here in reality. Thank you
Boy, it is an attorney don’t you think it’s just delightful when a client who claims sexual assault wait 20 years to bring the case to court and only brings the case to court when the presume the sealant is running for president. You actually can’t be that naïve I hope.
Well, your opinion is noted. But perhaps it would help you need to deal in today’s reality not in 50 year old history that actually has no bearing whatsoever on actions of today. People that continually use the phrase history repeating itself well those days are pretty much over with societal changes, Technological changes, armament changes, global map control changes
worry about today would you please, If you must, but in America pretty much all is well. Unless you would like to follow the fallacy of the thinking of many of the anti-Trumper‘s today
There is so much needless anti-Trump paid in their vans that it makes sensible, thought impossible.
In fact, there were two major polls done by the big three networks, and by CNN that suggested one over 50% of Democrats actually have PDFs but are in denial that they have it and refused to believe that they have it. The most illustrative Poll what is the one given to Democrats which showed that 65% of all Democrats would vote against a bill or law concocted by Donald Trump even if the bill benefited a majority of America.
Pretty striking pole, but absolutely believable from the other side of the aisle based on actions.
And anyone with a brain like yours, and degrees should not be a Partisan, in my humble opinion. They should be an independent, and they should base their decisions on rational, thought, not party lines.
My decisions are always based on one thing, and one thing only pretty much…POLICY… which is the only remaining principle guiding our lives after the shingles at the White House change repeatedly.
The other day I heard one of the most offenders on a left-wing TV panel show that said I really like Gavin Newsom. He’s so good looking. Omg.
But I hope you don’t buy into the latest, incredible fallacy, proffered by the left. It is: stop enforcing the law and we won’t protest. It’s a five credulity but it’s what they’re actually saying out loud in front of a camera. Hearing statements like that from the lake, so governor and the mayor of Los Angeles make you understand why California’s been a decline for 40 or 50 years.
They let cities burn tens of thousands of homes and structures destroyed because of negligence of the government. And sanctuary cities use taxpayer dollars to pay for people that don’t deserve to receive that money because they’re not citizens. To the tune of 9 billion alone in California who is over budget by some 12 billion and can’t figure out why. They actually had to pilfer discretionary funds in order to pay for some of this mess
Thank you very much for your illustrious recitation of ancient history.
How does that saying go about the blind not seeing.
If you keep living on your historical shoulders, your body and mind will continue to decay. The only people that believe the BS that you try to illustrate above are wayward Democrats sychophants on the coasts. By the way, I could be site issues that make Biden demonstrably worse than Trump could ever be.
Try to soak this in: Donald J Trump is your President, and will be barring unforeseen circumstances for the next three years and seven months. However, if he’s smart, he will relinquish the title of president about three years in hand it over to VANCE who will then become the president (which is what Biden should have done) and they do a good job together eight more years in the White House for the Republican party.
Republicans, Vlad, MBS and MAGAts are all on the side of tyranny. This requires all of us to be on the side of America. Come on Christianity, remember who you revere, veterans remember what you pledged allegiance to, MSM remember that you are the fourth estate, and the ones who are charged with monitoring and informing the citizens in a factual and unambiguous way. The time for entertainment and “alternative facts” is long past. The rubber has met the road. The signs are clear. Which path will we take.
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to your own reps, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
Although it is probably difficult to confirm, how many U.S. military leaders are protesting the blatantly partisan use of the active armed forces? Surely, there must be many military leaders who are alarmed by this situation, disapprove of being pawns in a political skirmish, and are taking steps to thwart it.
Yes, those are two good examples of military leaders who have spoken out against Trump. It appears that both gentlemen have since retired. I am particularly curious to know if any leaders currently on active duty are doing anything to prevent this political overreach.
Yes and not only partisan but to seek only his supporters to be his TV props. Yet he has good reason for needing any military personnel close to him to be his supporters; they are armed and have a good aim. In 1981 Thump was 35 thus recalls well Egyptian President Anwar Sadat being assassinated while enjoying a military parade. His assassins posed as soldiers marching past the grandstand. They stopped and opened fire on Sadat as he sat front row center. I would bet this Saturday Trump will be rapped in Kevlar from his neck to his so-called bone spurred feet.
Thanks for sharing this link. Yes, it seems like a few more retired leaders are voicing concern, which is good. I am, however, still curious about how those on active duty are reacting.
I doubt that many serving members of the armed forces would be willing to speak. They depend on their leaders and those people have been sacked by Trump and Hegseth and replaced with cronies.
You've probably hit the nail right on the head. That said, I am surprised that the former Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III (now retired), has remained quiet thus far. At the very least, I would expect him to strongly object to how Trump is undermining his former department.
There is more than one march going on this Sunday in Las Vegas, NV. I'll be going to an early protest because of the heat. I will not sit idly by and watch this orange menace try to erase my Constitution and try to strike fear in my heart. I will protest peacefully....if you are looking for me I'll be in the streets.
He’s doing none of what you claim. But go marching. Free to embarrass yourself for nothing. When the dems are now on the wrong side of history IMO. and most polls and surveys.
Everything depends on the orange felon's ability to raise fear, paranoia, and hatred.
It's a complete mythology -- like the "They're eating the cats and dogs." But he presides over one scenario only: revulsion at all the public, as if all were cursed with the invasive threats of brown and other colored people.
And these threats stand in for other, worse harbingers of doom: that gays might be in the wings, or uppity women threatening the nice patriarchy of "Leave It to Beaver," or other forms of evolution, change, and complicated modernity as Putin has been ace in using to keep his Russian population cowed, subservient to his power, unquestioning of the mass oligarchal corruptions there.
It's the orange felon's schtick. He has no other. His fevered dreams must rule. Must keep chaos toxic, frightening.
White supremacy? There's no up side, just the nagging, recurring, fevered dangers of whatever lies now pop into his fat head, and now -- look -- other lies.
Jimmy Kimmel's show was brilliant. The clips of every past president, from Eisenhower to Biden, emphasizing the meaning and importance to America of immigrants.
Yes, Anne-Louise, that clip showing all the presidents highlights our mainstream.
We've all welcomed immigrants. Our presidents have well represented us, our debts to the past, our welcome mats laid out for those now recapitulating our own earlier ones.
It's only a rank criminal with his deep insecurities and vitriol who now fans hatreds, fears, and paranoias.
Too bad our schools and our media allowed such dehumanization so as to let rule the criminality that the billionaires and that mass rabble of white supremacists now so embrace.
But so good for our stand-up comics like Jimmy Kimmel so well-grounded in our decencies.
The legacy media - and even MSNBC is not showing footage (that I've seen anyway) of the many, many protests across the country that are in support of the people of LA. Also - not a lot of footage of how small and peaceful (overall) the protests are. This allows Trump to spread his false narrative of LA burning to the ground, if not for him having sent in "the troops." What are the best ways to compete with and debunk his narrative?
In your concluding line, laurie, you've asked the compelling Q.
My modest answer starts with forbidding the billionaires' programs of standardized testing and all their cold-blooded, dehumanized conceits from continued reduction of teachers to test preppers only, and worse reduction of students to groups, categories, and consumer demographics the billionaires can package, manipulate, ever more lie to.
By this weekend, the criminal will have spent his extra tens of millions of dollars for his militaristic obscenity -- the gaudy one on the streets of Washington, D.C.
His other militaristic obscenities will continue to play out in Los Angeles and elsewhere, till the sheer numbers of Americans cause some rethinking among the many otherwise stupefied cowardly yet drawing on the public teats.
Thank you, Heather. We are seeing this intimidation through weakness and total hypocrisy by President Trump. It’s not leadership. It’s not strength. It is a double standard and a betrayal of promises made, stealing from the American people, profiting off an elected position for personal gain, lying, and deceit. Peaceful protests, continual calls, and letters to all elected officials. Support for those who are organizing, and showing true leadership to mobilize others to join “We the People” to ensure our democracy moves forward.
"Only 38% approve." "34% approve of sending in the Marines." Ye gods. A third of our population is either uneducated about the law or just plain stupid. Shame on us for an education system that produces that kind of result. And shame on every one of them for their blindness and indifference.
Living in swfl, my impression is they are willfully ignorant, racist, undereducated, suspicious of advanced education and experience, and truly and deeply, they simply love to be angry and to hate. It’s the sickest and saddest and most terrifying thing to witness. Thus, they reject people like President Obama, Dr Fauci, and any expert on any subject. That’s why Covid killed so many around here-they believed opinion over scientific fact. It’s why Fox is a “news” staple as opposed to real insight and analysis offered by credible journalists, historians, and educators. This sick love of anger and hate will destroy us all, if we allow it. We can’t be silent. We can’t be complicit. An awakening must happen if democracy is to survive this.
Amen. Even my late mother got sucked into the Fox vortex. And it feeds on itself, that need for anger and hate. Especially when it's being stoked by the one they see as leader.
I’m so sorry, Mr Vander Poel-it must have been terribly painful to experience that with your mother. Their leader is such an empty, desiccated shell of a human with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I was taught to believe that every human is created in imago DEI-in the image of God. Generally I have found this to be true and can find something beautiful in most. However, looking at this regime and their hate-filled adherents, I’m at a loss. It’s truly heartbreaking.
Roughly 1/3 of any given population consistently polls as being in favor of authoritarianism, so that's probably to be expected.
The trick to keeping a functioning democracy is to not allow them to act as a voting majority (noteably difficult to do when half the population is too disheartened or disenfranchised to vote).
---
An admission: I slept like poo last night and leaned on a friendly LLM for confirmation. Transcript follows because she came with receipts:
Yes—the figure you remember is spot on! Across numerous polls, roughly 30–40 percent of a given population show consistent openness to autocratic leadership or authoritarian approaches.
Global Snapshot (Pew, 2024)
A Pew Research Center survey across 24 countries found a median of 31 percent said a system ruled by a "strong leader" or military would be “a good way” to govern—despite majorities rejecting it .
In the U.S., 32 percent supported a strongman or military-led system; in the UK, it was even higher—37 percent .
U.S. Trends & Demographics
A PRRI survey suggests about 40 percent of Americans are susceptible to authoritarian appeals—rising to two-thirds among Republicans and white evangelical Protestants .
Psychological research (e.g. by Karen Stenner) indicates that roughly one-third of Western populations tend toward valuing obedience, homogeneity, and strong leaders—core authoritarian traits .
Why It Matters
This “30 percent rule” isn’t just a pop-culture soundbite—it shows up across different regions and times.
Even in democracies, there's a persistent core that is sympathetic to autocratic solutions, particularly amid crisis or instability .
Bottom Line
Your recollection is accurate: roughly one-third of any given population consistently shows openness to autocratic governance. It's a globally observed psychological and political phenomenon—rooted in the human preference for order, certainty, or perceived strength.
Let me know if you want to dive deeper into how these attitudes shift under different conditions, or how they compare across countries!
[Commenter's note: Though there were a number of other sources, this one was the top & referenced in many of the following articles]
"Any of" was an overstatement (darn my sleepy brain and its pudding-like consistency).
That should be more "a median of" (rearrange the sentence as needed for it to make sense/be somewhat grammatically correct).
There is wide variance, though apparently the US as a whole falls smack dab in the middle of that median with regions skewing one way or the other in a manner most would likely expect.
Seems logical then why the minority, headstrong, authoritarian loving, 30% of the population clings to red states and the electoral votes that give them undeserved representation in federal elections.
Me and my family are in Normandy, having participated in the 81st anniversary celebrations. You can't help but think about those who gave their lives for democracy, for our country and for us. We'll, it's payback time. Stand up! Fight! Protest! Save democracy.
I am a retired union pilot who used to represent pilots first under the Veteran Reemployment Rights Act (VRR) and then USERRA: Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. I am NOT an attorney but worked with labor side lawyers. I am also retired from the Air National Guard.
There is an economic downside to Trump activating 4,000 CA National Guard troops. I would estimate that 90% of those activated gave their employers short notice that they were not coming into work. Many are taking pay cuts, some significant, while being separated from their families.
USERRA was passed by Congress in 1994 to replace and strengthen VRR. Employers quickly figure out that having an employee who is in the Guard is expensive. USERRA case law demonstrates this tension. These activations will generate USERRA cases.
When you are in a Guard unit, you are mentally prepared for national emergencies like 9/11. Frivolous activations will hurt retention and impact our national security going forward. The SF Chronicle pictures of soldiers sleeping on the floor of a loading dock in LA are a perfect example of what causes retention issues.
If Trump activates Guard units across our country the economic impact will be significant and our future readiness will suffer.
U.S. Department of Labor (.gov)https://www.dol.govUniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve > Home
https://www.esgr.mil/
Law Center - ROA
https://www.roa.org/page/LawCenter
Thank you for your sharing the links and your knowledge with us. I fear for our Nat’l Guard. They are one of us and like Newsom has said on other broadcasts, they likely have relatives who may get caught up in these arrests. Then what?
The Nat'l Guard and the U.S. military are marching to the orders of Pope Donald the Infallible, someone who is personally responsible for the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of human beings. Is there is a person now living that is more evil by that measure?
Yeah, people seem to forget how many people died of Covid because of him.
And just yesterday RFK fired everyone on the vaccine advisory board.
And he said in his confirmation hearing that he would not fire them.
I maintain that every person who lies at their confirmation hearing, including Supreme Court candidates, the minute they take action contrary to what they said they are immediately dismissed from their position....
You know, his cousin, Caroline, warned everyone about Bobby and his cruelty. His cousins, sisters, and brothers have abandoned him. He’s got 6 or 7 children, been married 3 times, one wife died of suicide. The current wife is actress, Cheryl Hines, who is a bit cuckoo.
Not the first time RFK lied.
On another matter, it was 1966 and I had snuck into the local auditorium and found myself in the orchestra pit. On stage were The Beach Boys. I was 13 years of age. I looked up as they performed and I was awed. I was in heaven. Rip Brian Wilson. Now he is in heaven.
Speaking of popes, the newest one, Pope Leo XIV will be having a huge mass which I would like to call his “coming out” party on June 14th! He did that on purpose, you know, to wrap his arms around the indigent, the poor, and the immigrants in all countries, especially ours. But mostly, it’s a big FU to Donny Convict, as he has strongly spoken out against him.
If half (1.3 million people) of Chicago's population comes out for the Pope on Saturday, tRump will be infuriated. All major media should cover the Pope and ignore whatever happens in D.C. on Saturday. tRump cannot abide being ignored. Let's show him who's holding the cards, in Chicago and across the U.S. And please remember, every dollar tRump and his minions spend on parades, golf trips and so-called government events comes out of our (taxpayers) pockets.
Please keep in mind nationwide marches and protests feed Trump’s narrative that he’s facing an insurrection and issue a national emergency declaration. That will give him almost unlimited power to take control of all the levers of power in the federal government, and take over states with the military. Just as Newsom warned.
Marches and protests have to be more peaceful than in Selma.
I take your point. All of the demonstrations and marches in my state have been and will continue to be peaceful. With few exceptions, this has been the case nationwide.
Our protest in Southern California on 6/14 was peaceful, enormous, invigorating and reassuring. It was the first of the four I’ve attended since January that had many generations strongly represented. With the young generations engaging, the message that we will not tolerate fascism, bigotry and cruelty is getting through loud and clear. And Trump’s poll numbers will continue to drop, which affects him deeply.
You are right about the attention, and all of this gives him the "right " to yell violent insurrectionists ". When the SCOTUS gave him immunity, most of us knew he would use any excuse to call out the military. I just wonder if he would call out all of the soldiers marching in his parade if there were protesters. He did say" if any protester wants to protest ( note didn't say what type of protester), they will be met with very big ( another one of his pet adjectives) force." Instant army.
Newsom has one goal and one goal only. He's posing for 2028
With the state in disarray 185,000 homeless two cities Pacific Palisades in Altadena wiped out through negligence of the government and a $12 billion budget deficit This is the guy you wanna run for president ?
Why the Trump likes the pope Why would he be angry? I think Trump thinks we need more religion in this country rather than more protests and hate.
yes, trump follows the ten commandments so well. I think the only thing he knows about the Bible is the profit he is making selling them.
Maybe you don't understand you have another three years and eight months. No matter how many people show up for a useless protest because you hate Donald Trump.
The Catholic Church has a lot of growing up to do, but I'd give them a gold star for choosing the new pope.
Satan Miller
I changed my mind. I agree with you. The evil power behind The Buffoon Throne.
No matter who comes, and who goes, Miller has always been there in the background. Until now.....
Mephi-Stephenoles Miller?
Putin, probably.
Plausibly Putin and plausibly Pope Donald the Infallible, but it's a two-horse race that's not over yet.
Stephen Miller
Putin
I'm sorry but the dems have a lot of responsibility for trump. They waited way too late to address the immigration issue; they brought in the republicans at a time when trump got ahold of them and persuaded them to drop the immigration bill. They should have looked more carefully at Brexit, which was all about immigration. Then you add the aging dems who won't go away: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Feinstein. And now the dems are getting caught flat footed and they got nothin'. I'm not just complaining, I'm lamenting this situation.....
You wrote many truths but you left out one important element in your analysis--people--ordinary citizens. When we vote we may or may not select a party but voting in and of itself should be about voting for something. Each of us is not a "party" and we owe no allegiance to party but rather what each of us perceives as right, wrong, benefit. All those who did not listen to trump on the stump did not use their vote wisely. All those who heard trump but gave him credit for hyperbole for which he would not be expected to act did not use their vote wisely. Until the electorate educates themselves we may all be doomed to getting the showman rather than the statesman.
I am getting a lot of pushback from my comments. Read David Ignatius' article in the Washington Post. I have merely chosen a single event or issue. Sometimes the past deserves a second look and analysis. I have written many posts re the trump electorate, trump's heinous behavior, about his incompetent cabinet. I have demonstrated my disdain for the lawlessness, tyranny and dehumaization perpetrated by the republicans. I appreciate that tempers are very sensitive here and I post at my perid.
Stephanie, I think the pushback could be from people who (like me) are tired of hashing over the coulda/shoulda/woulda, and also because of the current Trump escalation combined with personal exhaustion.
I am not arguing with you, but I'd point out that the beginning of Biden's term, we literally had pandemic. (It's amazing how quickly that has been forgotten by so many!) Perhaps the border should have been addressed earlier--but there WAS the bipartisan border bill. I put a lot of shame on the Republicans who WROTE it and then voted AGAINST it.
And, btw, can anyone tell me what Trump is doing to FIX the immigration laws? Anyone? (........crickets........)
My goal was not to resurrect all of history. The US of America is not now in an enviable position politically speaking. Trump is on his way to becoming an autocrat. The door for us to reverse that is closing. Name calling directed at tump is accomplishing nothing. Even though trump is a horrible person and incompetent leader and a crook, we dems are gaining no ground politically relative to trump. If we want to begin to reverse trump's gain, we must ascertain how we got here and chart a different course. My goal is to understand.
All of that, and the fact that Trump obstructed rather than facilitated the transition. Biden and his team were off to a rough start by design.
Maybe all of the money he is spending on deporting people, flying them around to out of state and out of country prisons, ICE, housing illegals could be spent on more immigration judges so people don't have to wait two years or more to get a hearing. Better security-more car inspections, get more drug sniffing dogs, use the Coast Guard to intercept all boats which may carry drugs, 50% of drugs are smuggled in legal entrances by Americans. Rules have been set up to accommodate undocumented workers, which a lot comply with-trump has done away with them. Now these people are arrested coming out of their meetings. This is like arresting a parolee when he leaves the court. Undocumented people will go underground.
Dear David Ignatius,
I am complaining about people who are offering destructive in lieu of constructive criticism.
I include myself when I say the following: constructive criticism includes giving the impression that one is willing to look in the mirror. Even if I don't like everything they are doing, the Democratic party has my support. If I'm complaining about something they are doing, then I need to give the impression that I've asked myself if it's because of my failure to understand what they are facing, and what their critics are doing.
Or to paraphrase Bob Dylan, the day we stop criticizing what we can’t understand is the day that the times they are a changin'.
In other words, the best time for that day was six decades ago. The second best time is now.
Don't trust everything you read in Bezo's Washington Post.
If you think self-flagellation fixes anything then go ahead and do it. I think it just helps MAGA. Trump is a ghoul- if not immigration, he’d use something else, or he’d just lie. He’s never going to say- “Well they did that right.”
And neither are his sycophants. Stop helping them.
Seek more than one source for critical thinking.
FOX, Briebart, Epoch Times, Newsmax "Truth " Social Media, the White House. I guess it depends on what your sources are.
You post at your perid?
I think she meant 'peril'.
Thanks for your very unhelpful comment.
Why don't you actually blame those responsible?
Republicans
Opinion | Trump is exploiting Democrats’ immigration failures - The Washington Post
I'm not here to argue but remember when the democrats tried to solve the immigration issue with a bipartisan agreement? Then Trump and the republicans shot it down on Trumps orders so he would have an issue to run on in 2024. He won, and this is the result, a cruel and hateful solution (his and Stephen Miller's) answer verses a compassionate and legal approach. This is unequivocally the Republicans problem.
Immigration legislation has been around for years and years and never goes anywhere because there is no political will to hold employers who hire undocumented immigrants (and lowering their cost of business) to account. E-Verify law was written sometime in the 1990s. Follow the money.
Absolutely right. I recall the efforts made during the Biden administration to create a bipartisan immigration bill. Trump told his MAGAs not to vote for it. He wanted to use immigration to help get himself elected. And he did and look where we are now. Put the blame where it properly belongs — the Republicans.
Important point to remember. All agreed how to help fix border issues. Do it legally, here’s a good plan. Then NO.
“Then Trump and the republicans shot it down on Trumps orders so he would have an issue to run on”
Madness. Corruption. Felons. Criminals in office. Traitors.
The problem is with your source. The Washington Post is a mouthpiece for the regime. All the oligarch owned media are. This regime shifts blame to Biden for their unlawful actions all the time.
I wouldn't even believe the comic strips in the WaPo anymore.
I don’t know about “immigration failures “but there are many other failures that we liberals and Democrats have provided for Trump to take advantage of. For all of their decency and hard work, our Democratic leaders have pontificated and verbally masturbated but were ineffective to building and preserving reliable guardrails
Cherry
Ignatius is another tired centrist.
Yes, the Democrats have a role in this but I believe even if Justice Ginsburg retired, Mitch McConnell would postpone her hearings as he did in the past until it was favorably for the Republicans.
Yes, and didn't he make claims of wishing to make Obama a one-term president, and didn't he refuse Obama's Garland nomination to the Supreme Court, based on some erroneous, ridiculous notion that it was too close to an election?
We all bear some responsibility for Trump. But this is a poor time to focus on the people who failed to stop him. When someone is throwing buckets of gasoline on a fire, and his friends are handing him more buckets, its a poor time to look for and scold the people who didn't prevent them from doing it in the first place.
The time for that is after the gasoline throwers have been stopped and the fire has been put out.
Susan, i agree. This is time we must expend our energy in resisting, not lamenting what shoulda, coulda, happened. Should we lament that Obama was elected because this was a major affront to the racists who now love death star for example.
Newsom’s statement is powerful. It’s what real leaders should be saying.
Coulda,shoulda,woulda does us no good. Focusing on the realities of a few short months of this maladministration (thanks TC in LA for that word) is what we have to do now—daily and on Saturday. Money talks. Don’t spend it at magat businesses. Thanks HCR for being our fabulous, hard-working documentarian and for the word KAYFABE. NO KAYFABE KINGS. Let’s Roll! 💙🇺🇸
Gigi, I responded above with the coulda/shoulda/woulda also!
And I too admire TC.
Proving that great minds think alike!👍🏻
Now is not the time. According to Dr. Richardson we need to deal with now. What we have right now is a hostile takeover of the United States of America. We absolutely must stay in the moment, be sharp and proactive. We simply don't have time for lamentations. Let the historians deal with the rest.
There are more of us than them. And we will win.
Stand in Solidarity and Resist! There is ONE task at hand. RESIST.
If you think Democrats are responsible for Trump, you probably blame the Poles for impelling the Germans to attack in 1939.
Or Ukraine for Russia's invasions of 2014 and 2022.
And this helps how??
Any insight provides ways in which the dems can address or correct these issues. I'm as disappointed as anyone at the election outcome. And I'm not trying to litigate the past which cannot be undone. I believe all opinions are welcome....
I'm not a history expert, but hasn't immigration reform been shot down many times over the past decades, with both parties sharing in "blame"? Perhaps this is a time for setting blame aside and spending as much time and energy as we have to support and defend democracy and get Dem's back into power.
No matter how much corruption and/or wrong actions you can find in our history of Democrats governing, and starting after recovering from the Civil War (when Dems were pro slavery), I don't remember any Democrats trying to turn us into a whites-only autocracy. I'm going to post as often as I can to my social media accounts any news of positive actions by our people - flood the zone with contradictions to the lies being spread by the Trump machine.
Carl Sagan said "we are made of stardust." Let's demonstrate that!!! Blessings,
I do not disagree with you. Yes, both parties have avoided the difficult work of immigration reform. Recall that Reagan declared amnesty on millions of illegals -- hence avoiding the hard work of sitting down and developing a sound immigration plan. People here, with so many tempers flaring, think I am intent on democrat bashing. I cited one incident and I am being flooded with aren't you ashamed comments. My intent is not to resurrect all of history and point out blame here but not there... Please retrieve all the comments I have shared on Heather's substack - they are insightful, even brilliant, a lot of trump and republican bashing. The possibility of agreeing on even the basic facts of what has happened seems impossible. There are often two genres of truth - that based on scientific evidence and the other is emotional truth. The ultimate goal here is not to win but to understand. (See David Ignatius article in the Washington Post.)
I haven't read all the comments but just let me say I am sorry about the "aren't you ashamed" comments. I don't think we're going to get where we need to go as long as people feel that smug "hit and run" comments are warranted if one is on the "right" side. No understanding can ever come from that approach. Take care and blessings,
The ultimate goal is to win elections by not crippling your own
candidates and party.
Only presidential historians recall the entirety of Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural, but one line does remain far more in the public domain. “We are all Republicans. We are all Federalists”
He was being disingenuous, of course, and hardly for the first time. He had no time for the Federalists, considering most of them to be irredeemably monarchical. But that one line presents us with the foundation of our current dilemma. In fact what his listeners (except of course for slaves. indigenous people. most women, most most of the propertyless, most non-whites) most essentially shared was full citizenship in the first nation on earth to define itself at its inception as the most extraordinary, the most crucial, the riskiest, and the most complex experiment in human society and government ever attempted. It wasn’t a perfect design, but the germ of ’the last best hope of earth’ was clearly there, and we have since, albeit in fits and starts and with much backsliding, continually tried to reach for true 'American exceptionalism'.
Donald Trump is the first American president to utterly disdain and disavow the entirety of that experiment. That’s not to say that other presidents have not attempted to stretch their authority beyond Constitutional limits, but he is the first and so far the only one to do so solely for the maintenance of his own personal ego, wealth, power, obsessive need for acceptance and adoration, and avoidance of any responsibility or legal sanction for whatever he might do in the course of that pursuit. He proved that beyond any shadow of a doubt during the fall and winter of 2020-21, a proof of which January 6th was only the most visible part.
So while it can seem reasonable to attempt to place some portion of the responsibly for his second election and all that has followed on the Democrats, doing so does miss the essential point; that those who voted for him in 2024 did so knowing of that disdain and disavowal, even if they chose not to understand it’s implications.
America. as Michael Douglas in the role of President Andrew Shepherd put it in The American President, is advanced citizenship. Indeed, it is the most advanced form of citizenship in the world. Those who voted for Donald Trump in 2024 abrogated the most crucial responsibility of that citizenship - to do their individual part in preserving our Republic.
As Shepherd also noted, "We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them”. Handing our government over to a man who not only doesn’t understand what it was designed to be, has no intention of trying to do so, and yet demands to be seen as the only one who can do so is at best wholly naive, and at worst, destructive of our entire history and a slap in the face to all those Americans who have lived, worked, and when necessary fought and died to preserve, protect, and defend our fragile Republic as best they could.
Thus his presence at this upcoming parade, no doubt occupying the most prominent and visible position during it is the utter antithesis of America. and those who actively put him by their votes are the truly culpable.
Outstanding analysis. 100 likes.
Why place the blame on Democrats and not where it belongs- on the Republicans? They could've stopped this madness last time by impeaching Trump. Better yet, they never should have nominated him in the first place.. They had 2 shots to do it. Trump was elevated by Republicans. Why not hold them accountable for their greed for power and abject racism and cruelty? They are the reason any of this has happened.
Stephanie, I have observed that when someone begins a comment with "I'm sorry but ...", what follows is an opinion that is based on incomplete or corrupted information.
My observation remains accurate.
The learning process involves taking stock of past decisions and actions, and learning from them. It does not involve carping and finger-pointing.
Be helpful.
Stephanie please look up your history on immigration . The Cleveland Catholic Diocede has had a mission effort in Central America for fifty decades. Cleveland was a a sanctuary city back in the eighties. The history of Katin America is vital to know. The conquistadors looking for gold the destruction of indigenous nations which have a long history and oh my but it was there land. Also the use of these lands for corporate gain. The Rockefeller and aforesaid and other big families were involved especially with rubber plantations. There was also brining not only Africans to these areas but people from India.
There is also the complex and part of the role of the Catholic Church from papal bulls to Sr Dorothy Strang ‘s and others deaths.
Because of the plantations of various kinds much environmental destruction. And then there is opium and cocaine and a huge huge disaster for our world. And this is in one area of the globe with other problems related to all of these points I have mentioned.
I read WP with a heavy grain of salt as with any reading I do. I would suggest you read Mr Ignstious ‘s novels . Many times people write what the can’t talk about in fiction. Also check out his father Paul and his biography. If you need more books more than happy to provide. My mother took a history course on Latin America in college and kept the book. It was always part of my life in smalll ways.
*Sr. Dorothy Stang. She's from my hometown of Dayton. She epitomizes what it means to be a Christian. She was killed in Brazil. (not sure what it has to do with immigration, though)
Yes Dayton. And yes Brazil but the history of Brazil where corporations or others with wealth and power run everything to the detriment of both the earth and the people except themselves. So folks are in a bad spot and find themselves needing to leave. Ford created a big city in Brazil I think. It’s the taking of lands and resources for power and money and leaving like in Dr Seuss The Lorax not much. Dayton the home of Martin Sheen , Paul Lawerence Dunbar , Rob Lowe, and Erma Bombeck. I visited there and saw the Wright Brothers museum. I liked the one female mayor who ran but lost for governor.
My goal was not to resurrect and provide a full analysis of all of history. (I recall when Reagan provided amnesty for millions of illegals rather than engage in the hard work of creating a workable immigration policy.) The US of America is not now in an enviable position politically speaking. Trump is on his way to becoming an autocrat. The door for us to reverse that is closing. Name calling directed at trump is accomplishing nothing. Even though trump is a horrible person and incompetent leader and a crook, we dems are gaining no ground politically relative to trump. If we want to begin to reverse trump's gain, we must ascertain how we got here and chart a different course. (See David Ignatius article in the Washington Post.)
Nope. One article will not do. Choose what you will do as a citizen or resident to actively stop this autocrat.
Democrats played by the rules with people who refused to play by them. The game was already over but the Dems foolishly kept playing.
After J6, I truly believe it was time for a revolutionary act. But Biden didn’t seize the moment. He should have arrested Trump on the day he was sworn in. The very DAY. If not then, as soon as SCOTUS ridiculously ruled on “presidential immunity,”Biden should’ve had Trump and ALL co-conspirators in Congress - arrested for treason. TREASON. Period.
Instead, we had a quaint “committee.” Come on, man. What was that supposed to lead to? It led to nothing. We all saw what we saw on J6.
Trump’s refusal to concede his loss to Biden itself and his continued Big Lie was an outrage. But J6 was more than that; it was an act of war and we acted like it was business as usual. We didn’t respond to an act of war. We should have. That was the Dems fatal mistake.
I totally agree that the Democrats have been stupid about immigration. Immigration is what got Trump traction from the beginning. But the Dems have been so right about so many things. Everyone is stupid at times.
This is a slow process, and I don't believe that MAGA can win. Inflation brought Trump over the top. The economic situation is getting worse. People are going to tire of the MAGA craziness. No one else has the cult attraction of Trump. Etc.
Our economy was so good under Biden that immigrants wanted to be here. Not so much any more.
And immigration was one of the key reasons why Biden's economy was so good.
Heather's and Gov. Newsom's words last night (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n77NFjDlBI) should be ringing the alarms in every American's ears this morning. The intent of the Trump regime is now clear. They want the total destruction of our Democracy. This is not the time for blame and asking how did this happen? It is the time for each of us to find a way to stand up and say..."not now, not ever in America"! Don't let our lives end in silence.
Marlene,
This is why I spend at least 30 minutes, sometimes an hour, reading comments! I am so impressed by the knowledge, history and careers of those who comment. All kinds of educational backgrounds, all walks of life, all parts of the country. This community gives me hope: they are the eyes watching in the night, along with Heather they shine a light on the issues.
So true, Miselle. I too, try and read comments from the brilliant people here. Many have amazing backgrounds and knowledge. It’s a wonderful forum that Substack has created where we all can interact with one another.
I do the same- to the point of having trouble standing up after so much time reading. I am so proud of all those who share their education/ history/ insight with all of us. Thank you.
Marlene, pardon my inserting this here, but this needs to be up top where more people will see it.
Margaux Hull
Margaux’s Substack
4h
Not sure if this entirely helps. If there are agitators, move away from them. Have someone with a megaphone point out that this is a peaceful demonstration and we do not want “Trump’s paid agitators” here. Why not use Trump’s words against him. The most important part is not to engage. Give them wide birth. In some cities the local police can help. The most important aspect to the demonstrations is to keep it peaceful.
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Miselle
Miselle
just now
EXCELLENT RESPONSE!
This should be way up at the top for all to see. I'm going to see if I can copy/paste it to up there!
Thanks!
Thanks Miselle--anyone who is participating on Saturday has to be alert to the deliberate agitators, who are likely there just to fuck it up for everyone. I think that organizers should have plans in place to neutralize them and minimize whatever violence they are intending.
OUr thanks go to Margaux for her comment which is excellent. There are so many comments, I personally can never get through them all, and I spend a lot of time reading them. I wanted to move it up to the top so more people can see it and they stay safe. I feel like we're a family here.
It will cost $134 million while those poor national guard folks sleep on the floor of a loading dock?
And meanwhile they are cutting SNAP benefits for poor people and school lunches!
$134 million would buy a lot of school lunches.
Yes it would.
And vaccines, dental care, health care...
Well then complain that it seems that California under Newsom has spent some 9 billion dollars on illegals for food housing and medical expenses, according to sources. Let see 9 billion divided by 134 million. Hmmmm. 65 times more?! Now thats a realllllll lot of school lunches.
Russian BOT!
He says “according to sources” but doesn’t name any legitimate sources. At any rate, California seems to be thriving with the immigrant population…..being the 4th largest economy !
Stop the nonsense.
Rick,
And may God continue to bless us as a people so that those who have received financial help from us (red and yellow black, brown and white, ALL are precious in the sight of their Creator!) can continue to come to work to serve, to share their delicious food, the joy of their dancing and their amazing musical gifts, their culture, participate within our armed services, their humility at accepting jobs no one else will take....to care for our children, etc!!!
May their children have the opportunity to become home owners, land owners, doctors, lawyers, teachers, scientists, astronauts....etc as you sit around and judge your fellow human beings!!!!
I don’t judge fellow human beings. I judge people that don’t follow the rule of law. The law is there for them to understand how to come into this country where to come into this country and what the requirements are to come into this country if they don’t follow them, they pay the price.
This country is a country of immigrants LEGAL ONES. End of sentence.
Let me say this one more Emily we are not the worlds Bank we’re $36 trillion in the hole and if we opened our borders, we’d be a country of 3 billion people not 330, million and would be unable to provide the services, the welcome and the love that we do today, not only to Americans, but to the world, please wake up.
Hey Rick, good math. Can you do the math on how much the Trump 1.0 administrating diverted from FEMA relief to house immigrants? Yeah, it wasn’t Biden it was Trump.
Wait, do you guys have FEMA in Russia? How about immigrants or did you send them all to the front lines as human shields?
Why don’t you do some good on this planet and spread love and peace instead of hate and misinformation?
Nice try but ineffective. But don’t worry only three more years eight months to go more or less unless Trump is smart and does what Biden should’ve done. Resign Office in three years give it over to Vance and if things are good 8 more years of Vance.
If California feeds, houses, and provides medical expenses for immigrants, it's to the extent that the employers of those immigrants do not. The $9 billion is a subsidy for the employers, who pay illegals little and provide no benefits. The idea that poor working people are secretly rich freeloaders, and that liberals finance them to get their votes, is a right-wing myth.
Well said Kerry
You forgot to mention the billions that they pay in taxes. Because they DO pay taxes. And contribute to the state's GDP.
And another less than informed Post. Many pay taxes and many work for cash and many work for taxes that get paid to someone else’s account and I have firsthand knowledge of that as a former business owner. A number of my employees had their Social Security numbers,
Stolen and when their W-2 showed up at the end of the year and they didn’t match what they were earning from me all of a sudden they realize that someone else is paying tax on their behalf, and they had to pay the income tax on the excess income that they never received.
They use duplicate Social Security numbers and until a decade or so ago there was no way to validate the security number being legitimate as there is today, so that’s been prevented to a great degree, but it doesn’t prevent a Social Security number from being stolen and utilized and that’s exactly what numbers of them do.
And so as illegal immigrants, they pay their taxes, but are not entitled to the benefits that they are receiving as illegals. Try chewing on that for a moment. Although the Democratic Party attempted to allow them to come in to get them to vote in legitimate elections. And they did it on purpose.
Rick, do we really have any comprehension of billions and trillions? Millions, yes. That's only ten times one stack of one-hundred envelopes with a thousand bucks in them. I got a couple of those.., how about you. How much we give to Netanyahu? How much we give the Taliban? Get off Newsom. Noem wants her own airplane, fer crissakes. Get off the immigrants.., many of them pay taxes and pay into social security, and buy products sold by merchants right here at home. So.., your point makes the 'front page', but, the skinny is back on page 44. How about a dissertation on what TACKO's use of Air Force One is costing you and me? Stop by.., I'll buy your lunch over here at Annabellas.
You need to understand the word legal. That’s all you need. Nothing else matters after that. If they wanna come in, they come in legally. Period
If you have a problem with that, call Congress and have them up the quota. And by the way, stop using the word get off the immigrants. We’re not on the immigrants. We’re on the. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
And I wish no harm to anybody wait till one of you that are here on this thread get raped or maimed or sequestered or traffic by some of these illegals and let’s see how you feel about it then
Rick, why did you agree that buying my book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums “ was going to enlighten you other than you being so STUPID to buying it in the first place. Didn’t it do you any good?
Well Bill, thank you for your persistence but I would offer that it did not enlighten me the way I anticipated it would.
I would almost render an answer that suggested it was an anti-enlightenment. 🤔😀
Rick,
Thanks for that info...always glad to know about a governor who chooses to lift up people, to feed hungry children, instead of kicking them in the face with a boot and sending them to a concentration camp!
Always glad to help people...to give a "Hand up" to anyone in need...or a glass of water to the thirsty....even if it were you, Rick.
May God bless the governor's generosity...since all good things come from HIS hands...to our friends as well as enemies. God changes us with His love. I hope you will allow HIM to change your heart and open your eyes.
The governor was being generous with money that doesn’t belong to him, belongs to the taxpayers AKA American citizens that work hard for the money, and hopefully that money will come back and provide them with their due. My heart is open, as well as my eyes…. Unlike you who is not been fed the entire scenario.
Should People want to come to this country they come in through legal channels. It’s a blessing and an honor to be an American citizen.
If we had open borders like you apparently would like we would be a country of 3 billion people not 330 million.
Emily if you want to blame somebody blame the non compos mentis excuse of a president we just had …. he allowed and actually welcome 11 million illegals to enter our country and now the Democrats are doing nothing but making it difficult for them to send them back where they belong if we didn’t come in we can leave they didn’t come in through the proper channels they cut in line and they brought things that are unwelcome here such as crime and drugs. And he did it in advance for the purposes of getting them to vote and if you don’t realize that and if you didn’t see what happened with that it’s because your media doesn’t provide you with a full account.
“seems”
And then there's the Saturday Ego Parade at $45 mill. But hey -- cut healthcare, SNAP, Headstart and Medicaid.
Ego parade is a much nicer and more polite phrase that I have in my head, which is not fit for repeating in this forum.
Oh AH--we can take it: we're all adults here (!) I was thinking of terms like Wanker in Chief Masturbatory Parade myself . . .
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ego parade lol love it!
And tens of millions of white “Christians” knowingly voted for 47. “Father forgive them for their stupidity.”
Draconian cuts to vital services so Trump can blow millions on theater?
As you recall DonOLD is banned for life from owning a foundation or sitting on the Board of any foundation because he used his foundation as his own personal check book. And of course, this is only one of hundreds of his fraudulent business dealings.
And now, thanks to the architects of Project 2025 he is with holding funding for food, medical care, housing, infrastructure etc, and spending our money on corrupt and illegal activities.
Hopefully, his rants don't dissuade the millions of us who plan on protesting on Saturday and every day.
And whatever happened to the "cruel and unusual punishment" clause in the US Constitution? The private prisons keep the temperature in the over crowded inhumane cells below 60 degrees. Meanwhile, they are raking in billions of dollars a year.
GJ Loft,
DonOLD is using us for his cruel and unrighteous desires. He wants to be like Putin. We are allowing this to happen to fellow human beings. Whatever is allowed to happen to one person...American citizen or not , can happen to any one of us. We can close our eyes for a while...until someone knocks at our door or the doors of our children or friends.
My husband and I will join with our daughter in civilly protesting this coming Saturday.
Low attendance @ Kennedy Center Jesus production & not looking better for the next gig. SICK.
One shouldn't be surprised if the Pentagon estimate of the cost of deploying the National Guard and marines to LA for God knows how long turns out to be a cycnical under-estimate.
The issue with the guard is just sh*t poor directions from DC. There are numerous national guard facilities in the area including a huge one in Los Alamitos (near Long Beach) that has an airport and logistics for thousands of troops. Additionally the LAPD academy is next to Dodger Stadium about a mile from the drama and can feed and house the troops as well as provide showers and other amenities.
The National Guard troops are fellow Californians. A local organization should provide comfort to them. It would go a long way to build anti-DC community.
Susan, are we powerless or what? Think he (TACKO) gives it a thought? Just whiners and losers.. expendables..., all. $134,000,000.00 chump-change. Have you seen the 'up-front' estimated cost of the parade? How about the collateral damage ?
Mad Russian, what does the "K" stand for?
Ally..,, re, the "K" is for pronunciation purposes so that U-kno to whom I'm referring. The "o" is for Out, and is not a Q. I happen to like taco's, soft or crispy. They're especially good at an old converted gas station down in San Antonio TX, that now serves authentic Mexican fare and has containers of salsa that have been sitting in the sun for a day or two. The taco acronym for trump came from a Wapo article ( I think ) where T-rump A-lways C-ickens O-ut, came about, a few weeks ago. Trump greatly disliked the term.
Thank you!! Penzy's spices are offering some great "TACO" seasonings!! I was reading the "O" as a "Q" originally but did fix it. Maybe that's how ffpotus spells it...
I do like tacos, and have several "go to" places here in Eugene, but I'd love to go to San Antonio sometime for tacos and more!
Carnitas or birria with fried potatoes and salsa roja or salsa verde are my all time fav. rice and beans and there you have it.
by the way, in case you didn’t notice, Taco fell flat on its face just like oligarch just like AutoCrat in California alone $9 billion of your taxpayer money to feed clothes, House and Care for illegal immigrants versus American citizens and you’re worried about 134 million ? It could’ve paid for 65 times that 134 million if he hadn’t used that money and now Congress is trying to get him to prevent him from using that money to provide for people that aren’t due that money.
That is in addition to the several millions for the parade.
Why is it that none of you care about the billions and billions of dollars spent on a illegal immigrants for food, housing and medical care that take away from our children or citizens and those that need better mental healthcare
It’s amazing how close minded you are and how hateful you are
Look in a mirror, Rick Sender, if you want to see a close minded hateful person. Your absurd fear mongering comments about rape and billions and billions stolen from our children are straight out of Nazi and Soviet Union propaganda. In real life the US is a country of "illegal" immigrants- people who moved here and took over lands from the people who were living here first. Instead of stewing in your fear go outside once in a while and look around at the people working in fields, building houses, painting houses, installing solar panels, mowing lawns, etc., etc., etc. Instead of wasting your time trolling, why don't you do some deep research on the endless hurdles these tax paying workers have to deal with to become "legal". Don't bother replying- I won't read it. My patience for your nonsense is gone.
OK so here's a good one for you. Here's a reality check for you. Name me a country or a region that was not conquered by a neighboring region or country and either enslaved or killed the indigent population.?
Go ahead and name it go ahead. This is gonna be funny. This is called history in reality
Well, if you were the mother of the five that the woman was not only had her head bashed into the sidewalk dragged 150 feet and raped and then killed and left five children homeless I hope you're happy with that because that person should've never been in the United States. And all it takes is one of those to happen to you and you'll change your tune immediately. So you need the mirror not me.
There are not only women and children being Traffic, but women and children who are illegals who were being Traffic and have no choice just to pay their coyote bill so you need to wake up
Wrong. California is down $9 billion and paying for social services for legal immigrants. What part of that don't you understand? You called that nonsense 185,000 homeless in California. You call that nonsense. California used to be heaven on the hill and I live there and I lived it and saw it and now it's a cesspool.
How come you have two different accounts which you’re using interchangeably? You only need to pay for one account.
As I explained here the other day, I wasn't even aware that I had two accounts about three or four months ago. I got an offer to open my own sub stack which I didn't accept and yet somehow it went through so I have Rick sub stack, which I never use and then I have The one I originally signed up for and I don't see when I'm responding to one versus the other, so I apologize it's not on purpose
You’re down as a paying subscriber at both (indicated by the rosette beside your avatar). You might to save some $ and cancel one of them.
Apparently also without any provision for food. Many members of the Guard and Reserves sign up not just for patriotic reasons, but also for the extra income to supplement a regular job that doesn’t stretch far enough. So even if they’re allowed to leave the loading dock where they’re stationed, they also can’t afford to buy food for themselves.
Well, where do you get that dream from? How do they live when they're not on duty?
Wow, Rick, you’ve posted lots of contrary comments today.
My comment is based on reality. My son is in the Army Reserves. Quite a few of these soldiers are in the Reserves to supplement their regular income, because their regular job doesn’t pay enough to pay the bills. Others are in the Reserves while attending college, both for the income and also to earn the education benefits that pay for their college tuition.
I recommend actually reading a post carefully before posting a snarky comment. I clearly stated “to supplement a regular job”.
Well, you're parking up the wrong tree I was in the army reserves for six years and if they sent me someplace I went I didn't complain. I didn't worry about what I was going to eat or where I was gonna sleep. I just did my duty. So enough of the BS all these poor guys are sleeping on the floor do you think if they got called up to active duty? They'd have a nice roof over their head somewhere that's what they signed up for and if they didn't, then they were mistaken.
And I did exactly what you said
If you wanna call that supplementing your income, that's an embarrassment.
I hope they knew that if they get called up, they have a job to do not just supplement their income
You know what I got when I was in the army reserves years ago nothing to supplement my education not a thing I had the option of taking out a student loan, but chose not to do it and got a third job so I could pay my way through
What's really sad is thinking that this is a supplemental job while it is only part time. Should you get called up you do what's necessary you lie on the floor and sleep you eat a sea ration or whatever they give you to eat and you don't complain about it either.
I never said the troops were complaining. I am complaining because the people who sent them there are so incompetent that they made no provisions to feed them at all. Not even MREs.
You do you, boy. Peace out.
And estimated 20-45 Million $ to put on his stupid parade. Shows you his priorities.
I hope we can get through the weekend…
And for more than 3 years left for this regime to keep destroying what cost so much to build nationally and internationally JD.
Whatever happened to the great protest songwriters from the 1960's like John Kay of Steppenwolf and many others?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm18402gUec
We'll call you when you're six years old
And drag you to the factory
To train your brain for eighteen years
With promise of security
But then you're free
And forty years you waste to chase the dollar sign
So you may die in Florida
At the pleasant age of sixty nine
The water's getting hard to drink
We've mangled up the country side
The air will choke you when you breathe
We're all committing suicide
But it's alright
It's progress folks keep pushin' till your body rots
Will strip the earth of all its green
And then divide her into parking lots
But there's nothing you and I can do
You and I are only two
What's right and wrong is hard to say
Forget about it for today
We'll stick our heads into the sand
Just pretend that all is grand
Then hope that everything turns out ok
Or The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again: "We'll be fighting in the streets, with our children at our feet and the morals that they worship will be gone, and the men who spurred us on sit in judgment of all wrong, they decide and the shotgun sings the song; We won't get fooled again, change it had to come, we knew it all along, etc. etc."
“Stand for the things you know are right/It’s the truth that the truth makes them so uptight.” Sly (and the Family Stone)
"A Change Is Gonna Come" Sam Cooke
Poignant reminder, Steve. We lost Sly this week.
Yes, it is why I began with him Ally.
Thom Hartmann has released a number of protest songs in recent years, often collaborating with Ux Louise Hartmann, who uses AI.
Some of their recent singles include "How to Fight Tyranny," "The Bootlicker Brigade for the Morbidly Rich," and "Crashing the Economy Trump Style". Other titles include "See No Nazis, Hear No Nazis," "Last Chance to Stop a Dictatorship—And Trump Knows It," and "Does Putin Own Trump?". These songs often address political issues and concerns about the current political climate, with some titles explicitly referencing figures like Trump and Putin.
Carsie Blanton’s “Rich People,”
As a short digression; when I try to listen to Hartmann’s show in Sirius, I get about 10-15 mins of him every half hour and the rest of the time a half dozen or more ads in succession.
Subscribe and listen to the podcast
A week or so ago, I said the same thing, but I tend to focus on songs that uplift me. I offered a link to this song. The words, to me, sound like Kamala's message of uplifting joy.
Ain't No Stoppin' Sunshine Lyrics
Don't try to tell me to wait till I belong
You can't convince me that what I dream is wrong
No matter what you say, you can't cloud my head
I push the fear away/ you remember what I said-
You can't stop the tide rising high, no
You can't stop the light in my eyes, oh no
You can't keep me down, I'll tell you why
Ain't no stopping sunshine
Ain't no stopping me
Ain't no stopping all the love that sets the people free
Ain't no stopping this love from changing peoples minds
Ain't no stopping sunshine, gonna leave the dark behind
I won't believe it if you say I've lost my chance
I'll be the one who couldn't walk but learned to dance
Each day my world turns one more revolution
Bring on the dawn gotta light one more solution
You can't stop what I'm all about, no
You can't hide for long in your doubt, oh no
Raise your shades up high, come on out
Ain't no stopping sunshine
Ain't no stopping me
Ain't no stopping all the love that sets the people free
Ain't no stopping this love from changing peoples minds
Ain't no stopping sunshine, gonna leave the dark behind
Ain't no stopping my sunshine (4x)
Let me ease your pain
Stop your endless night
Don't you let it rain on your inner light
If you lost your way
I could show you mine
Just remember the sun's meant to shine
(spoken) I know that you'll never let me down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3AeYeFHMB4
Wonderful reminders of how one can protest with 'just' words.
"This machine kills fascists" is a message that American musician Woody Guthrie placed on his guitars in the mid-1940s, starting in 1943.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_machine_kills_fascists
WE can always go back and revisit those 1960s songs.
There are still some around. They're just not in the Top 40.
Eliza Gilkyson is writing good songs. Intelligent lyrics, easy to hear and understand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGbPi0XVvig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqFibmmXz5Y
Randy Rainbow writes satire, which is often soothing tonic for panic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFzHg-9HEIg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQVgsB3q67M
Which artist today writes lyrics that make any sense? They are soft. And mostly uninspiring.
Barb, music has changed so much in my lifetime! We no longer have the distinct "types" of how we listened to music, and it is far more than "country, pop, and rock and roll" that I grew up with. How we listen to music has also changed. We are not limited to AM radio (sadly, that is where the nutbags now broadcast) or FM radio; there are so many sources for music that there is no common thread of music to tie us together.
I'm going to a Mary Chaipin Carpenter concert tonight. I'll let you know.
Also, Holly Near is still writing and singing, the Indigo Girls, Joan Baez, and some others. I imagine there are some good rap/hip hop charts out there, along with some heavy metal, death metal, ska, and others.
Have a great time AH! I love Mary Chapin Carpenter. She has never been a vocally activist composer, but her album "Between Here and Gone" is one of my absolute favorite albums of all time. Elysium is on my "repeat ad nauseam" internal playlist. I do think that musical satire is alive and well today, as it was in the 1960s with Tom Lehrer and the Smothers Brothers. Randy Rainbow is fantastic, but so are a host of others who record stuff on YouTube:, some of which I pick up and spread around. I think that satire is one of the ways to really stick it to the despicables. I also think that Bruce Springsteen is hitting pretty hard these days and his album (and the title track) The Rising still resonates.
Check out Emma’s Revolution -this duo sings and writes songs that speak to so many issues of our time. Musical heirs to Pete Seeger.
Master destroyers are much more efficient at their tasks than builders. Always been so it seems…
Humanity is always at war with entropy. One jerk with one match can destroy things that took years, even centuries to be put into place.
Like what RFK, Jr. is doing to science and medicine and health care... We have trust in the efficacy and safety of vaccines after decades of peer-reviewed testing, but he has worked hard on destroying that trust. It would be absurd if it weren't so dangerous.
You mean like the Trump business and properties around the world?
I'm hoping tha there are Califorinia Congressional Republicans -- 9 of them-- that know the rationale for this -- danger of invasion by a foreign nation; there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States -- is BS and will step forward.
Sorry but this ain't entropy. It's calculated activity. Which unlike entropy takes direct energy and consciously planned action.
Yep, I call it carefully planned chaos. Entropy takes longer than these cretins. Greg Olear calls it “acceleration” which is warp speed.
Surprising that so much progress has been made. One step forward and two back…
Stay out of my neck of the woods!
The country will be many decades recovering from this, if we ever do. I am too old to see American return to what it once was. It is incredibly infuriating and depressing.
I, too, am too old to see a return to an earlier time. And maybe too old to pick up and move abroad. But I'm a healthy and fit "too old" so alternatives are still being evaluated.
Ricardo, I’m from Australia. We have already accommodated the fact that the US cannot be trusted. Talk to a Taiwanese citizen … or South Korean … or Japanese
Please try to emphasize you encounter plenty of Americans who CAN be trusted—it’s these particular politicians and his cowardly enablers, along with his blood-thirsty, sad-life followers, who cannot be trusted. In democracies sometimes the losers (figuratively) come out on top.
Half that time, maybe. We take back Congress and impeach the putz. Vance won't have the gravitas of Trump the hypnotizer. He is a punk kid. Moderate older GOP types will find their spines.
And then the Blue Wave returns sanity, safety and social responsibility.
I can dream, right? Call it creative visualization. Set the goals. Every decision leads to achieving them. Believe!
Yes, Bill Alstrom, creative, positive visualization is what is needed to move things forward! Projecting into the future the world we want, which is what I enjoyed reading in your recent Substack. We all must believe in what is possible!
Bill, if you are going to dream, dream big - like massive myocardial infarction. Massive. One so large that the world have never seen one like this before.
Oh Richard, I hear you fellow HCR traveler. I have those thoughts all the time. Think King Louis XVI and worse. My anger is indescribable.
But, as a non religious person, I have found a path to channel that stuff out of my head. I believe that if I allow "IT" to control my emotions, then I have lost.
I am going to win the battle of my head, of my enjoyable day, by doing what I can and then flipping the bird to the Nazis who want to enter my consciousness.
Aside from protesting, writing to reps and babbling on Substack, I am fighting back by using a Taoist approach for most of my day. They can't have my attitude! That's my "way".
Lao Tzu is virtually everyone's hero, or should be. To be oneself, to find "the Way." While I admire Lao Tzu (I do have a Ph.D. from Harvard in History and Far Eastern Languages), my way is totally pro-active. I am a total atheist as to any religion, but I am in all the way with Jesus and Matthew 25: 34-46 - "even as you do it unto the least of these." How, one might wonder, could that be? It was my mom when sending me off to school in Uvalde, Texas in 1947 barefoot in the second grade because my one pair of shoes had holes in the soles and were in the repair shop: "Richard, you must remember to be concerned for those less fortunate than you." Holy Shit. Less fortunate? Know what? It worked.
We cannot afford to wait out 3 more years of this for multiple reasons including we have no idea what the country will look like then. We don’t know whether fair elections will occur and we can’t rely on that happening. That would be highly dangerous. We have to assume the worst — Trump will be alive and refuse to leave; if there are elections, they will be akin to those typical of authoritarian countries.
I know foolish citizens elected Trump, but if we could have a vote of no confidence that was legit, you know the country would vote Trump out. I don’t have a good alternative to 3 years but there may not be a good alternative. I would like to know what the current top Pentagon officials are thinking/saying now.
Amy,
I agree we cannot wait 3 more years....but 3 more years is NOT the Donald's plan. He wants to be KING for life. Of course he is only the current President...someone much more ominous and actually capable is in the background pulling the strings....it is not a recent endeavor in my opinion but has long been in the "works". Just call me someone with a strange imagination if you like....
This is an obvious pretext.
Still waiting to see what's happening to the BIG CRAPPY bill, which is his number one priority.
What's happening with the senate parlimentarian? Senate Republicans are expected to closely follow the guidance of parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough as they embark on the “Byrd bath” in the coming weeks, with noncompliant provisions sometimes referred to as “Byrd droppings.”
What's happenng with stuff like Medicaid cuts, that undermine his support in red states?
What's happening with the grift? Even the sane washing NYT is all over his extortion schemes!
Reconciliation may be the window of opportunity to get rid of Trump. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
Daniel, I call it the "Big 🐂💩 Bill".
Fully agree. Their goals are long live the Empire! But, I have thought this since that escalator ride in 2015. I watched The Apprentice. I can’t understand why this isn’t now obvious to everyone. That’s why it is refreshing to see and hear it plainly spoken on national commercial television. I am so tired of this being a fact among liberal media only. It has taken far too long for others to wake up. But, okay, that is the past, what are we going to do now? Because this isn’t stopping, it’s escalating very fast. I favor the formation of an opposition government and cabinet as in parliamentary systems. A new coalition party for democracy only, other issues we can later debate. Newsom can lead a diverse steering committee. We have tons of professors, historians, ex-government specialists, ex-politicians, lawyers, journalists, politicos, etc to join. We need amendments to the Constitution and laws getting rid of corruption, ie, removing wealth as a determining factor from elections and government. You all know the problems…Supreme Court ethics, Electoral College, gerrymandering, payouts to judges and legislators, lobbyists, private funding of candidates, etc. This can be done by a coalition government. We have to organize one. Perhaps this is the opening we needed. Tell Everyone.
Also—-
The Question: Why is Trump insisting on this mile-long military parade?
It is NOT for his birthday; it is not for an Army anniversary.
Look at the NY Times article and photos below. At least 28 Bradley fighting tanks and Strykers and 6,700 soldiers are pouring into D.C. Meanwhile, Trump has Americans pre-occupied with “federalized” guards occupying L.A., where ICE had been seizing children from schools and workers from Home Depot, and there is no actual violence for them to stop.
After the parade, will Trump send 6,700 soldiers and all of those tanks and weapons away?
I suggest not. We are witnessing the creation of a tyrant’s military stronghold and the end of a presidential administration elected by voters.
At a minimum, we are seeing Trump force Americans to become accustomed to seeing soldiers, who are supposed to protect them, menace the streets of our Capitol. We will soon see them, as well as tanks and weapons, in all major Blue cities, and then everywhere. If we ever have more elections, it will be too late.
The Answer: Not Violence.
Instead, support a pro-democracy coalition of new leaders: Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Adam Kinzinger, Kamala Harris, Corey Booker, Liz Cheney, Adam Schiff, retired and former military generals, independent media, journalists, commentators, and experts on governing, history, law, politics, elections, and the like. Rebuild our democracy with constitutional amendments and laws that will guard against future corruption and authoritarian attacks.
Military Parade Marches Into Political Maelstrom as Troops Deploy to L.A.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/us/politics/los-angeles-military-parade-trump.html?smid=em-share
Same goes for the CIA
Trump's going to run out of stuff to destroy in a little over a year. What's he going to do the rest of the time?
hopefully eat big macs until he explodes
He told Sharyl Attkisson that he's now only eating "proper burgers", which begs the question what sort of burgers has been eating all this time?
What the hell is a 'proper' burger? Can I order takeout? How much $?
1) golf;
2) rant the usual hatreds on far-right media;
3) invite to the oval office all monied, all suckers eager to kiss ass.
Somehow, he already manages to incorporate all that in the day job, as well his various self-enrichment schemes at his Mar a Lago HQ. I could be very wrong of course because shit happens. There could be a devastating hurricane season and a sweltering summer leading to months of wildfires. There could be another epidemic and with RFK in charge that's bound to run and run. This is over and above the background level of chaos inevitable when you're being governed by a bunch of idiots.
I like to think it is "when will he run of distractions to distract us from his last distraction?" We should recognize them as distractions. But never become complacent to them. Never forget each one. They should become a litany of grievances in the 2026 and 2028 elections or impeachments for him and others.
Distractions from what? These things make up the very fabric of a Trump presidency, there's nothing else but this interminable carousel of nonsense.
Let’s hope it’s only 3 years. Remember the regime needs a “war” to justify eliminating elections. It’s all in Project 2025. And Trump himself said if elected there won’t be any need for elections.
No shit!
Lol O lol who is we? Omg
I appreciate your experience and knowledge. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thanks, Jason. Let's hope that this is just a 'frivolous activation'. Trump's own words suggest that he sees LA as a test case for similar operations elsewhere and the rhetoric from people like Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem and Tom Homan has been outrageously provocative.
On the plus side, Newsom has found the right court and the right judge to meet the occasion. If judge Breyer can nail this case right now then the only way that the conservative majority on the Supreme Court can rescue Trump's military-style deportation policy is by showing their hand once again that they will kowtow to Trump on virtually any issue when it really matters. If they are prepared to sanction this sort of behaviour then your democracy is finished.
Agreed, Russell.
So, a Democrat is finally telling Trump off on national television and pulling no punches. I know others have spoken out, but somehow Gov. Newsom feels a bit different.
It may be a function of the heightened context and pending constitutional crisis; or that Newsom is speaking directly to all of America; or it may be because he is central to a major news story and not just a politician campaigning. Perhaps his appeal and charisma command attention, or his words and tone signal that he has decided to accept serendipity, set aside fear and caution and represent us in the likely violent confrontation we have been expecting.
He is getting national coverage on commercial networks and saying exactly what liberals have been saying to one another for some years. He appears emotionally involved and determined. We desperately need a central figure.
Not a bad choice.
Amy,
Gov. Newsom is expressing more than courage. He is demonstrating who he is as "protector" of the great state of California and each and all of its residents, he has been elected to serve as Governor. He is courageous!
The President is supposed to communicate with the governor of a state, NOT just go in with troops. By the way Trump called in troops to show off his power....to do his dirty work....to practice being a "dictator". He did this without any respect or care for the Governor or the troops ie men and women ready to give their lives, if necessary, in the line of possible danger, with no bunks, no food or water...etc. He is NOT a leader!!! It is all just a "show of power" for him! Nor does he care for the police officers or other law enforcement officers! He only wants to use them to do his bidding...even if it costs their lives!!!!!
I wish that NO ONE would show up for his self-made parade....what a joke!
As before, carry a US Flag for the troops & BE SILENT whenever Orange Turd is in view.
Newsome has national ambitions and tried at first to suck up to the Felon's mouth organs, Bannon and Co. When that didn't work, I presume he just went for broke. More power to him. I am sure his ex-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, the failed fiancée of Felon, Jr., is seething. But she has been unable to retake the public eye since L'il Trumpy dumped her. As usual, the response of the Dems in Congress has been vewwy vewwy qwwuiet . . .
I like your use of the phrase going for broke. For those of you who don’t know it was a phrase used by Japanese American citizens who during iforved internment were finally allowed to fight but only in the European Theater. They were excellent soldiers and one became a Senator from Hawaii Daniel Inyoue like Senator Robert Dole was really badly injured in the military actions. This was a battle cry.
Several years ago the Post office came out with a stamp. I
You know that Inyoue also lost an arm, and was awarded the Medal of Honor? I was on Hawaii when the USS Daniel Inyoue was on its maiden cruise, and learned a lot about him then. I also learned a lot from a docent at the lighthouse on Kauai whose Dad had known Inyoue growing up.
Yes I did Ally! I learned about the brigade when reading The Readers Digest! They had an article and another time on Pearl Buck and her last efforts before she became incapacitated and seemingly used badly was working with Korean children who had parents who were soldiers from the States. They both in their very own way tried hard to do good. And that is what makes me absolutely furious that our country is now being managed by people who have no idea who these people were or their lives and efforts and two vastly different areas! Worst of all I don’t think they care or are just blind and deaf and dumb to the need for good for humanity to survive.
Oh myyyy…Pearl Buck. I haven’t heard that name in years. What a remarkable woman she was!
Linda, I love your post about Kimberly-Inject-my-Boobs-and-Lips Guilfoyle! I remember when she looked halfway decent. People couldn’t believe that Gavin married her but after all, she had been an attractive tv reporter. While Mayor of SF, Gavin was drinking a lot and then stopped either before or when they divorced.
Agree with your premise Amy. I, as a news-consumer, critic, and skeptic, and human being, haven't been that impressed with Gov. Newsom. But, thats only because of what I have been exposed to. I'm all ears though. So, if he can get ahold of this bull and really ride it.., I'm paying attention. Can he pull this off? I would hope so. We are desperate for some sanity. The "media" is starving for it as well. Burgers and fries are good, but we need some real healthy food. We've become obese as a nation.
Newsom has a podcast I have been listening to. I have been impressed by his composure, command of history, and ability to think and speak critically with his guests.
Maybe Newsome & Pete G. should run for President in 2028.
Excellent analogy, Mad Russian. Need some veggies and fish!!
If you are impressed by Governor Newsome, I feel really sorry for you The man is nothing more than a poser and a fake. I guess you didn’t see the video when he was telling everybody to lock themselves in a room during Covid and he was out having a $3000 dinner at French laundry. He has taken what was once the shining light on the hill and turned it into the toilet Of America.
Illinois Governor Pritzker has been doing so for awhile--enough so that Trump has been mocking his weight. Pritzker laughs him off.
With your background you know what I mean by saying "That boss was a union maker." I was a shop steward in a window and door company but after that I worked in other non-union jobs. In two such jobs the "boss" was so bad that we had to vote and bring in the union. What I am saying is Trump is a President maker. His mouth and actions just might be making Newsom our next President. If not Newsom I am sure Trump will be the biggest promoter of the next President.
I would vote for Newsom in a New York minute -- he has stayed calm; he is articulate; he is not backing down. And he is not making this all about himself.
Pete Buttigieg for President!
C'mon Terrry.., let's not handi-cap this race. Gotta apply some child-psychology here. So, 'now' then, is not the time? Nope. Not now.
Agreed, and don't even consider nominating a woman. USA ain't ready for that.
I grit my teeth while I say it, but Ally, "I agree".
(grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)
You and me both, sister.
IMO after the loses of 2016 and 2024 the lesson which must be learned is America is a bigoted country. Dems must run a white man for Pres and woman for VP. After 2 yrs and one day the Pres must resign and allow the woman to become Pres and teacher giving a lesson that a woman can be a great Pres. Maybe by 2028 America will be ready to elect a pile of bull crap which would be a better Pres than any Republican.
Joe should've done that!
Yep. I thought that was what Joe always had in mind to do in his one term.Then he not only failed to do it he actually tried for a second term. I don't think history will be good to him. However, compare to what history books will say about Trump it will make Joe shine no matter what is said.
Terry, he is eminently qualified, but as others have written, now is not the time. Had Harris won, he might have been the perfect successor. But fate and Vladimir have spoken.
Trump's win, legitimate or not, has set America's collective mindset back decades. If he keeps going, it will be centuries. I predict that the U.S. electorate will only vote for old, straight, white men for the next 30 years, assuming that elections are still held.
Albert - Corollary: companies get the unions they deserve! And you remind me of an interesting point; I believe many Guard units' full-time, non-active duty (green card), technicians are represented by unions! https://www.fedsmith.com/2013/07/01/the-uniquely-unionized-national-guard/
Abbott's Guard units are around 29.3% minorities and 32.5% of the whites identify as Hispanic or Latino! Looks like these TX state activated Guardsmen can unionize! https://www.ngaus.org/newsroom/doj-guardsmen-state-active-duty-may-unionize
CA Guard units are around 34.4% minorities and 36.4% of the whites identify as Hispanic or Latino!
https://demographics.militaryonesource.mil/chapter-3-race-ethnicity
I hope we will see Guard soldiers and airmen form labor unions. I notice the article about the Department of Justice giving a go ahead was dated May 24, 2022. However I doubt Pam Bondi will continue that policy.
Nevertheless, the facts you state about the current diversity among members of the Guard is positive. I have also noticed that fact when watching the battle lines being drawn (bad term?) of the LAPD. Male, female, white and persons of color. It is maybe something positive to hold onto during such negative times.
All about the money. Guess what .. the current administration doesn’t care about the money. Viz a viz the great big beautiful bill. Their magical thinking will get them out of it. In the meantime America starves.
So true Anne. We're already malnourished, yet so obese. Starving us may solve both those problems. Provided we find the road to recovery in time.
Huh? Yikes. Got some stats to back that up?
Rick... did you pull those figures on TACKO's use of Air Force One yet? How about Homeland Security's budget..? Grab them for the next three years. Don't forget to factor in the tax dollars being consumed by the DOJ pursuing frivolous lawsuits. Dude..., get busy.
Poor mad Russian…. Since when do you worry about tax dollars California has already spent $9 billion on a legal immigration for food, shelter and medical treatment. And if you think those lawsuits are frivolous, how about the hundreds of frivolous lawsuits filed by judicial precincts judicial judges that will go nowhere they’re just impediment to justice. And keep in mind, Mr. Met Russian that everybody that voted for Trump and more now wake up every morning, smiling, and knowing that he’s protecting America and doing exactly what they voted for him to do.
The most hysterical and ironic thing that I read is, if he didn’t post the troops, there wouldn’t be violent protests…lmao. So stop enforcing the law and then will be well behaved except for all of us that are here illegally.
One wrong misstep by the National Guard and Maga will succeed piting American neighbor against American neighbor. In addition, the officer corps must educate their troops about their duty to the Constitution. Too many troops are expresssing loyalty to Trump. When leaders fail in their duty, everyone suffers.
From what I heard, there was no provision for food or for other needs for the National Guard members who were so incautiously and hurriedly called into service in LA.
Hate to say it Betsy, but part of their job is being prepared for contingencies. Plenty of places to grab a bite in LA. Their Commanders are responsible for their troops. Sometimes though, a troop must suffer a commander who doesn't have their shit-together. You're familiar with Hedgeseth, right?
These members had been helping rebuild after the fires in SoCal. What kind of help have they been giving to the people of L.A.? If ICE agents need protection, maybe the way ICE functions should be rethought. If neither the Mayor nor the Governor saw a need, there was not a need. It was just a case of overreach, as was calling out the Marines, whose job is to protect us in times of war, on the part of the wannabe dictator.
Yes. I read about National Guard not having enough toilets, food or water, and no place for them to sleep, so they were sleeping in conditions like the immigrants they are supposed to retain.
Ironic, n'est pas?
Thank you. I am a plaintiffs’ employment lawyer. I don’t take USERRA cases, but I know p who do. Your work is valuable and patriotic. And you are ab right.
Jon - I was fortunate to work with a DC law firm that only represented labor. I am not a lawyer, but I attended two ALI-ABA Railway Labor Act conferences. Labor side and management side would take turns presenting a topic and rebutting. Management presented the new AIR21 whistle-blower protections. They were concerned unions would use AIR21 in job actions. My notes: use AIR21 in job actions!
Thank you for sharing valuable information about the impact these deployments will have on Guard units, I realized I didn’t know very much about them even though have known of them for well over 50 years. I respect that you spoke from personal knowledge and experience, and cited your sources as well. How refreshing it was to read something intelligent and of benefit to every American citizen in that it increases our awareness that we need to look thru a more non-partisan lens.
Not once did you say Dems or Maga.
The reality we are facing is that if we don’t stand together, as the United States, we expose a fracture that will continue to be exploited by any and all who may seek to wedge us apart and turn our allegiance from the Constitution and three branch governance of our country, which is a democratic republic, into a blind following of divisive people and self-serving leaders. In that respect, we are all National Guard.
Knowledge is power,
Thank you for your service.
We are thriving right now in a Democratic society and illegal immigration that Joe Biden put us through is the main cause of the fact that we’re not executing on that constitution right now because of Joe Biden’s policies and lies and deceit
Darn good post Jason. The erosion you imply, will affect our military. And that, as I view it, is a part of this take over. Losing those 'members' who re not enamored with him (TACKO) is akin to a body-builder losing flab in order to build a threatening-looking body. And the fear that "body" engenders is going to be backed up by an inflated reputation of kicking-ass, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades. "The Military".., OUR military takes great pride in taking orders and carrying them out, almost to a person (man/woman/etc). We elected this POS (apparently?) and he is in charge. Our "readiness".., huh?
Excellent information to know. This type of info would be valuable for reporters and television newsmen to report on to the American people. Perhaps a TV broadcasting station would be interested in reporting these facts.
My husband is an Army Veteran. He said the treatment of the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles is disrespectful! Where do they shower? What are they eating? They are being treated like prisoners of war!
Carol - I feel it is worse than that. I think that Trump and Hegseth are treating them like slaves, like they own them. They are going to find out that these Guard members are patriotic Americans that know when they are being taken for granted and abused. CA Guard units are around 34.4% minorities and 36.4% of the whites identify as Hispanic or Latino!
https://demographics.militaryonesource.mil/chapter-3-race-ethnicity
I'm feeling very proud of my Govenor, Gavin Newsom tonight - he stood up to the bully!
Newsom has claimed, as reported by Joyce Vance, that only about 300 of the first 2,000 Nat'l Guard soldiers first called up are on duty. The rest are sitting around in various federal buildings without orders.
https://x.com/GavinNewsom/status/1932214725271765377
Also according to Newsom, the soldiers have not been provided fuel, food, water, or bedding of any sort. Vance includes Newsom's social media post showing photos of soldiers sleeping on bare floors.
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/posse-comitatus-the-power-of-the
If you elect a criminal, you get crimes. If you allow an abusive incompetent to become Secretary of Defense, you get an abusive incompetent who can't even carry out the criminal's crimes without massive bungling.
Great line, "hire criminals you get crimes, appoint abusive incompetents you get an abusive incompetence.
This was surely a great opportunity missed to put them up in some of Trump's hotels and charge the taxpayer for the costs.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/18/trump-overcharge-secret-service-hotel
Don't worry. When the troops file their travel vouchers, they'll get screwed again. No fun being in the Guard, as many are finding out. Especially if you're enlisted. Officers, however, are 'gentlemen' and treated with a modicum of dignity. Like our boy Hedgeseth...., welcome to the O' Club.., it's Happy Hour.
Yes, it is happy hour. You bet. I guess you forget how these troops are trained and what they live. You think they move into a home when they’re in combat and sleep in an air-conditioned residence. ?
They are out doing their job and they’re loving doing their job unlike four years before now. In fact, enlistment has just hit a record high and they’re done with their enlistment goals for the year already.
If only he would behave with a modicum of dignity.
Yeah! Jeez, there's gotta be a Director of Grift Strategy -- uhh, I mean National Fiscal Optimization Strategy -- in the régime somewhere, maybe a teenager who went to a MAGA rally and fetched coffee or held a door open and got rewarded with the job. Those qualifications wouldn't be too terribly different from several (or all) of the present staff and appointees; the Director of Grift Strategy would fit right in.
He has a number of irons in the fire, mostly being being managed by members of his family. Besides, previous directors (Weisselberg, Cohen) have ended up in jail.
#PublicHealthHaiku
Elect a criminal /
Crimes arise in abundance /
Lawlessness prospers.
I love it! Gotta elide "criminal" to "crim'nal," though. Or change it to "felon" -- then it works perfectly.
More material for signs for June 14. Thanks!
Protecting the federal bldg that needed protection. Guess they didn’t show you that on your networks.
I have come to the conclusion that you agree with the deployment of the guard to California. In addition, you appear to agree with the arests of women, children, and nonviolent people by thugs with no warrant. You agree with detaining them in horrible conditions and not providing them with a path to citizenship. I base the last statment on the fact that many people are being arrested and detained when they show up to take the appropriate steps to apply for said citizenship. Are you racist or pro dictatorship? Perhaps there is a place for you as an ICE agent, you should apply. I understand there is a significant bonus if you meet the quota of arresting the required number of people regardless of their legal status. Hence the reason for the protests.
Kathy, Rick is our agent provocateur. He is a retiree with nothing better to do but create endless verbal screeds.
Ignore and scroll past the troll.
No so sure they are a troll as much as woefully uninformed and misled by what they think is in fact reality tv, while it is really only a manufactured production.
if you read her post, Roberta, you actually believe for any second that I’m the one that’s misled yikes. ? The media/your media is once again deceiving you by not showing you all the events that are happening that are putting law-enforcement in jeopardy.
Do not feed the troll!
Linda, I crack up every time someone refers to me as a troll. If you look at the thread here there are people that are posting time and time and time and time again, patting each other on the back commiserating with each other with erroneous and misguided information day after day after day and I’ve never heard you or anyone else here referred to them as trolls. The only reason you call me a troll is because I have an alternative message that you don’t like, but it unfortunately it’s factual.
If you want immigration to get fixed, then call your congressman. They’re the ones in control of how many people are allowed in and every single item that’s happening today you can blame squarely on the face of the empty head of Joe Biden and his administration or as you like to put it his regime.
Thank you all . I’m enjoying your misguided and may I say erroneous posts.
Kathy, in order I will address your post first in just a few moments but many of you are sadly unaware of what goes on in Los Angeles at times like these and you are not shown all the events as they unfold. You are a spoon fit what they want you to see and that’s very unfortunate and many of you have not learned to change the channel and to look at both sides of the aisle before making or rendering judgment.
Not sure if I answered you before not Kathy cause I got quite a few glorious responses today
I totally agree with sending the guard to California because I was there in 1992 when craziness broke out and there was no stopping it It might've not played the clip for you when the chief of police said we're being overwhelmed.
Talk about how upside down the left is here's what they're saying stop enforcing the law and we won't protest. Omg.
First, let me refute a comment that was made here below by Bill
I am anything but a provocateur. I am a provider of Germaine facts to complete the incomplete picture, that is provided here inmost occasions.
First of all, how do you provide a warrant for somebody that is unknown to you because you do not have their name or any other pertinent identification ?
Now let me point out some significant deficiencies in your post
And thank goodness you can’t blame this one on Donald J Trump or you would Congress determines of number of legal people immigrants that are allowed in this country every year not only the quantity but from where they come… there are quotas even pursue it to individual countries.
The last piece of information I had on the quantity of people allowed in by Congress was somewhere near 800,000 but it could be as high as 1 million and change again further specifying from where they come.
If you would like that Number change, please contact your congress member
Now the most important thing I will add is, if you wanna blame anybody for the current situation of immigrations, there was only one person to blame and we’re not even sure he was in charge to blame him. His name is the semi cadaver Joe Biden. Who between him his borders are Kamala Harris and his sidekick Mr. Majorca allowed 11 million people at least to come into this country unvetted.
And he has left behind all the problems that you are currently seeing
And he did it to help destroy this country in an attempt to get these people to vote for the Democratic Party.
And that is not only evident by the facts and the truth, but the attempt itself, where New York attempted to get 800,000 illegals to vote
And the misguided portion of your post is none of the people in question actually showed up as you say to apply for citizenship. They came in through anything but legal means at hidden points of entry, not border security checkpoints.
The most sickening thing in your attempt to deceive and bely the truth
Is your belief that Donald Trump is doing anything different from Bill Clinton or Barack Obama Obama who together deported almost 9,000,000 illegals. And in Obama’s first term where he deported 3,000,00 2.25 million left this country without a warrant without an interview. They were simply turned back by border officials.
The reason the Democratic Party is in such bad shape is because they come here and offer immensely distorted facts to make their case oil while the X Legacy media deceives them in the process
I welcome your response to this post, which is incomplete but sufficient to make enough points that you should realize what you’re saying is a tainted picture of reality
Buildings are inanimate. Your deflection of the truth here shows you are choosing not to watch various news channels. The protests were largely peaceful, and any ‘violence’ appeared to be in the form of vandalism which hardly requires the scene we saw unfold with law enforcement/military, Proud Boys (who can differentiate these days?) shooting less lethal ammunition into non threatening individuals and horses trampling people. This is pure theater by the regime.
That's what California police are for. It's what they were doing. Trump refused to call up the national guard 5 years ago when everyone was begging him to, and DC cops were being attacked and the Capital swarmed by a violent armed mob. Thats when you call in reinforcements. Interesting to compare the two events.
Trump never refused to call up the National Guard. It’s Nancy Pelosi refused to call up the police and if you want to see the video just go ahead if you want to see the truth, actually admitting to her daughter in a video in her own SUV that she was at fault for not calling up the police.
And finally, when you see the final activity on J6 you will be shocked as to how many FBI agents were there why they were there why they didn’t call for help why Ashley Babbitt was shot an unarmed victim and how many of the police there were escorting people through the halls of Congress.
You better just google the video google it now where Nancy Pelosi admitted to her daughter on camera that she should’ve called the police when they were requested, and she blamed herself. If you never heard that video now you understand why people are angry.
The National Guard was there to protect federal buildings, which if you didn’t see it on your channel which I’m sure you didn’t federal buildings were being attacked, graffiti defaced and threatened and so now they have protection and I don’t care how many people it takes to protect federal buildings, they need to be protected Especially from these so-called peaceful protests LMAO
It's horrifying. Vance is complicit in this.
I’ll take this speech from Newsom tonight. I hope he himself takes it to heart, and stops bullying trans youth as he himself has been doing lately. Trans youth are among the least able to defend themselves, as Newsom put it. None of us are safe until all of us are safe, to paraphrase Emma Lazarus. Protect everyone, governor Newsom. Everyone.
Newsome has not been above punching down, as we've seen. He appears on weird "bro" podcasts, less to challenge, more to fake being like one of them, unlike Pete Buttigieg who's clearly not, but doesn't pretend to be.
Still, he's doing absolutely the right thing -- punching UP, hitting the bully in the face, not letting him get away with his gaslighting, not pretending his alternative, fact-free universe has anything to do with reality. We need that strength and resistance right now, and we need it badly.
On our own, we might not be able to stop terrible, cruel legislation from being passed. We can't de-federalize the National Guard or make ICE stop terrorizing families. But we can stay peaceful in our non-cooperation with evil. We can refuse to use the language of the oppressor, we can (and must) reject his ridiculous contortions of reality. For there is no rebellion, there is no uprising, there is no insurrection. What there is, is cruelty, denial of due process, recklessness, unchecked greed, gobsmacking incompetence, sheer stupidity. We are being held hostage by a man-child with the emotional maturity of a 3-year-old constantly in the middle of a sugar tantrum, whose polices are failing faster than summer lightning.
How this dreadful, phony, malevolent conman-criminal managed to cast a spell over the military, law enforcement, his own party, people who pretend to be "conservative" I will never fully understand. Regardless, seize the spirit of peaceful resistance. Back those who articulate and practice it, and do not let up for a second. Our republic depends on it.
Plutocratic control of much of mass media is a factor here, a gift from "deregulation".
There’s no control over mass media at all the viewers watch what they wanna watch and they’re not watching the Legacy media shit anymore because they lied to them for five years. Has nothing to do with Pluto Kraddick control where the hell did that come from? Did somebody get control of your remote control or something? Yikes
This is the most level-headed post I've read in a long time. Providing actual guidance on how to be in this time of chaos. Thank you!
There is no chaos except in the Democratic Party which could be the poster child for chaos
Amen
The guns have already gone in. Maybe there should be a rebellion. I suppose not enough people are angry enough. Yet.
" The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
How’s about deporting the illegals Biden let in? That ok?
Rick,
How about giving illegals a chance to be citizens....for all the awful jobs they are willing to take that our citizens refuse to take.
We should support men and women who see an opportunity to make a decent living...who are willing to work hard in undesirable conditions with NO "thank yous" and to give their children (if they are not also working in the fields or in animal processing plants) an education they do not have.
They appreciate our country much more than many of us and many will rise up to become leaders because of their humility and work ethic!!!!!!!
Emily, I’m gonna have to go on a limb here and say that you’re very ill informed. As I said, before, Congress sets a quantity of people that are allowed in this country legally. If they wanted to come in and give it an opportunity to come in, they could’ve reported to actual immigration reporting stations instead of coming through a river are being brought in by a coyote, armed with fentanyl, for example.
We should absolutely seek people that want an opportunity to become full citizens, but they have to do it legally let me spell that out for you LEGALLY. Congress sets the number and the number wasn’t 11 million. It was less than 10% of that if you want to fix the problem, talk to your congressman or woman.
Make sure you are on the outside of that limb when you saw it off
Well said, and yet. Newsome appears to be reading the political moment and avoiding giving voters an issue to vote Republican. There were a lot of otherwise Democratic voters who are softened up by culture war media and voting against Democrats for "not protecting girls". Newsome's choice comes with risk. He may lose some votes this way too.
For me what is most important is not letting Republicans win any more. Transgender rights are going to come. It's just a matter of time when they will be accepted. I don't want to fall on our swords when there is so much at stake.
I could be wrong, but I don't think he's against transgender rights. I remember that he made a comment about transgender athletes, which frankly is a grey area for me. At any rate, the protest wasn't about that.
Thank you Gail S. Nsentip. Me too.
Question, what Trump does mean by the 'situation' is "under control". The major problem with the Marines bedding down in the City of Angels is whether to the Marines should sleep in the Lobby or in the spacious basement of a downtown L.A. building. Meanwhile, the state of California filed a federal lawsuit lawsuit, Newsom versus Trump & Clowns
Now the Good Stuff:
Where was the case filed? Interestingly, the case was NOT filed in the expected Central District of California.
The federal case, 3-25-cv-04870, was filed on 6/9 up in the tall federal building, 17th Floor, Department 6 in San Francisco. That's the Courtroom of a Judge's Judge, 😋 the Hon. CHARLES R. BREYER. Yes, Charles' brother served as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice before his retirement from SCOTUS years ago.
That development give this 4th generation Californian & Commenter a surge of expected very-due process & pride because very smart Judge CHARLES R. BREYER is the last federal Judge I appeared before the last time I had a federal case in the Northern District Division.
Hang on ... let me take a look 👀 at Breyer's court docket in Newsom's case.
Yup, that's the Judge Breyer I know : ---).
Trump & Clowns must file a response today, Wednesday June 11, 2025. And, the court hearing is already set for Thursday 6/12 at 1:30 PM Pacific about 23 hours & 10 minutes from now. 🕜
: )
What ever became of all the demands for
"States Rights"? MAGA's talketh from both sides of their mouths.
MAGA only likes States rights when it suits their odious goals -- pouring Christian Nationalism into schools and denying women reproductive healthcare. I swear they'd bring back slavery if they could.
Many Americans are already wage Slaves now.
They have no values, no real agenda other than destroying democracy, seizing and maintaining power and stealing all the money the possibly can...
Indeed, J L. Thr trompy maladministration tells states they're on their own when it comes to natural disasters but doesn't hesitate to create a man-made issue in order to send in troops.
Yup, from the start, back when & both sides now. H/t Joni.
There is a common activity that joins MAGA/constitutional originalists and evangelicals: cherrypicking.
Each group uses selections from their sacred texts to advance their own agendas while ignoring context or other passages that countermand their intentions and objectives.
Bingo!
Have wondered the exact thing, JL.
Yes!
Do you know the difference between state rights and protecting the country and the federal building and police officers? This is no different than many other presidents dead only he did it sooner than later rather than let the cities burned like Minneapolis. Or let cities get taken over like Portland or Seattle.
They are well versed in doing just that. Speaking with forked tongue is their specialty.
Excellent news, Counselor. Please keep us posted.
Please try to explain what was excellent news. I didn’t see any excellent news here.
🤗CA!
Already over bry.
Everybody, there is a 2025 a revised (now controlling) Substack Inc TERMS OF USE -- "TOU" that outlines the contractual obligations of every single "Reader" and/or "Author" that is binding on all of us including the platform, Substack Inc.
BOT alert
Hey Brian, why don’t you tell everybody that Newsome’s suit failed?
Brian, here’s the side of the story that the Democrats are offering which is just absolutely hysterical
Hey, if you stop enforcing, the law we will stop protesting. Can’t stop laughing over that one.
One of the rallying chants during the peaceful March on Washington during the anti-Vietnam era was “The Whole World is Watching.” Due to cell phone and news organizations videos taken constantly, the whole world watches as the President of the United States attempts to do a rush job of ending Democracy in the United States. The timing of the Birthday Parade occurs when students are out of school and available to attend demonstrations nationwide.
Governor Newsom has set an example for other governors to follow when Ice invades their states and Trump calls out the National Guard to confront demonstrators: the governors will have to decide how to respond.
My gov will lie down for tfg—along with Marsha Blackburn and Tim Burchett—and ask for more, please sir. For all three Tennesseans come last.
Ohio, as well. Sadly.
South Carolina as well.
Don’t forget Hagerty and Lee. TN has bought into the insanity. Generally, the South, rooted in racism, is stuck in the dark ages. But we won’t shut up in the face of ignorance.
I mentioned Lee—the gov—but not Hagerty not because
He’s doing anything but because he’s invisible. No one ever answers the phone at his office in Knox.
Marc, I said the same thing above (the world is watching) We know Trump loves him some attention.
I'm waiting to see some protesters raising signs to the world: "WORLD, PLEASE SAVE AMERICA"
I would not be surprised if the world turned its back.
Yes, Governor's will have to decide with assistance of each state's Attorney General. California's legal action against Trump is in the hands of AG ROB BONTA and will be before Judge Breyer in about 24 hours.
Calling on MSNBC's LISA RUBIN ... Lisa please attend Northern District federal hearing tomorrow. Please go on air immediately after the hearing & give audiences your experienced read of the proceedings & players.
You go Lisa!
So how’d you like the outcome? Or maybe I should put it like give you a better analogy so other than that Mrs. Lincoln how did you like the play?
Does that work for you Brianne?
Yeah. He’s almost put Cali into economic ruin.
I watched. He was very fine.
Listening to his logic and seeing his backbone, he is now everyone's Governor.
And he’ll bring everyone down with them. Good luck.
Yes and he has years to go before Trumps
jealous backlash ends.
I wonder who will be left by then? If all the ‘bad guys and misfits’ and wannabe’s are jailed…
But he’s not standing up for the rights of his citizens. And that’s why California is losing credibility with America and that’s why people are fleeing there like insects.
As I’ve said many times and I lived in California for 30 years used to be the shining light on the hill now it’s the cesspool crime ridden bankrupt with hundreds of thousands of homeless
But not for the citizens of Cali. Good call?
Now is the time to stand up. There will be peaceful protests across the country this Saturday. Find one near you and join those of us who will not let this country go. No Kings, June 14. ❤️🤍💙 be a part of the America-loving peaceful pro democracy movement. ❤️🤍💙
Thank you Ginny...Also, Prof. Richardson just posted a fantastic 7 minute video on "Why Do We Protest in America? How Should We Protest?" It is excellent!!! She ends by saying, "Keep the faith because it's going to be a hell of a ride. We have no choice but to move forward and I'm ever so proud to be doing this with you all." All our blessings to Heather tonight for her incredible dedication to this Democracy and for being one hell of a mentor and human being on this planet. Thank you...
Thank you for posting about this great video. Here’s the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAQXWv_mh60
How did you do that???!!!### It is a mystery to me... Thank you!!!
I only know how to do it because my son showed me! It’s super easy once somebody demonstrates the actions.
Thank you, Marcia. Powerful.
Thank you Michele2 and Marcia. That was great. There's also a clip called A Different Way To Look at Protesting that really opened my eyes. You don't necessarily have to take it to the streets all the times. We need your voices. There are many ways to help in this war. And HCR specifically called it a war. It's a war that we cannot afford to lose.
Yes - it's a war we cannot afford to lose... Thank you for your thoughtful response. It is appreciated!
Donny-boy doesn’t want a rain on his little bigly parade, it’s as simple as that. I hope American citizens can make a thunderstorm on his parade!
Ark-era rains, baseball-size hail and for dessert a plage of locusts.
I hope one shows up.in DC that is.
And the setting strawberry moon was breathtaking this morning.
According to NOAA, showers are likely in the DC area on Saturday, with an increased chance of thunderstorms after 2PM. With or without rain, it's going to be cloudy, hot and muggy. Not a great day for a parade.
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=38.8921&lon=-77.0199
I hope so. I would like to see the Orange One Ordained and Chosen by God deal with THAT.
One perfectly aimed lightning bolt would suit me just fine. Reminds me of an old joke:
A priest and a lawyer go golfing. The lawyer goes first. He takes careful aim, swings, and misses. He says, "Damn it, I missed!" The priest says, "Do not say that or God will strike you down."
On the next hole the lawyer takes careful aim, swings, and misses. He says, "Damn it, I missed!" The priest says, "If you say that one more time God will strike you down."
On the third hole the lawyer takes careful aim, swings, and misses. He says, "Damn it, I missed!" Suddenly a huge lightning bolt comes down from the sky and hits the priest.
And then a big voice thunders from above, "DAMN IT, I MISSED!"
That's a good one, though :D
Also, Pope Leo televised from Rome in Chicago. Sold out.
I tuned in to the ACLU's webinar last night on training for June 14 No Kings protests. It was excellent. The advice was essentially to go with a buddy, pay attention to what is going on around you, take photos and video if you have your phone, figure out an exit plan in case it is needed and where to meet if separated, know who the event organizers are and esp. the security people. Learn your rights. Every state has different laws governing whether, f.ex., you need to give your name to a law enforcement person who asks for it. 18,000 people were online. Protests are expected in over 2,000 places. On average, that is 40 per state. Stay safe but show up.
Buddy system; write contact information on your arm, or emergency phone numbers if your device is confiscated, and don't engage with provocateurs.
Common sense tells me that's good advice, and also woke me up to the fact I'm too old to run in the street. But in spirit I'll be with those peacefully protesting fascist tyranny until the day I die. (and possibly beyond that time, in some way, if you believe in that sort of thing). Thank you Ally.
My mind goes to Hitler and Germany … and how he successfully moved ahead into an unassailable position.
Now is the time to resist mightily and act to
Yes, we can’t do a “wait and see” because we are already in that stage.
Yep. Otherwise, the MAGAts and their cult leader will have their concentration camps running before the end if this year.
More concentration camps.
Hitler and Stalin like autocrats and dictators before and since had no shortage of people willing to do the dirty work for them. No shortage of people who got up in the morning, broke their fast and showed up for work raring to go. No shortage of people willing to roundup whole communities and meet the detention and killing quotas set by their bosses. No trouble at all. Come to think of it there have never been a shortage of people willing to attend a lynching (for example)in the good old U.S.A. It is all those type of people we face now. They have been deployed (unleashed?) by Trump and his despicable administration and the MAGA Party (there is no longer a GOP—we can debate when that died). Which side will gain the momentum? Those who do not want to see the destruction of our democracy or the followers of MAGA who are I think thrilling to the suffering?
My maternal grandparents were gassed along with 9 others, in a van, at the camp called Chelmno, in 1942. Both parents escaped from their countries of Poland and Germany in the late 30’s. My mother’s German passport has the Nazi stamp on every page until 1939 when she was went to Brussels and then to London.
And keep using their cynical incompetence against them.
This has been carefully timed by King Baby to dampen the No Kings Day protests. He is terrified of popular pushback while he is having his 134 million dollar 79th birthday parade. He is also trying to get us to rise to his bait by inciting us to violence. Sorry, bro, I studied this trick under MLK and I ain’t biting!
I’m concerned he will “plant” trouble-makers (the ones he let out of jail) to disrupt the peaceful protests. Is there a strategy to avoid that???
Not sure if this entirely helps. If there are agitators, move away from them. Have someone with a megaphone point out that this is a peaceful demonstration and we do not want “Trump’s paid agitators” here. Why not use Trump’s words against him. The most important part is not to engage. Give them wide birth. In some cities the local police can help. The most important aspect to the demonstrations is to keep it peaceful.
EXCELLENT RESPONSE!
This should be way up at the top for all to see. I'm going to see if I can copy/paste it to up there!
Thanks!
Like all the Proud Boys he pardoned? Now it's clear why Trump pardoned them. He intended them to be his useful idiots to use to promote violence at protests.
I think if people are destroying property or fighting near where you are someone said to sit down where you are and make it clear who is being violent.
Robert Hubbell had a good idea—walk away. Then you cannot be in the mix of whatever results from the provocation.
Don't respond. Smile and wave.
Believe "they" already have 😡
We could use a voice like MLK. So far Newsom is standing up, but can he be heard nationwide.
Lots of younger folks view MTN on YouTube! Newsom was on this station.
To some degree.
Newsome is merely posing. Fooled you huh!? That’s all he’s doing
DJT is taking some hits now and his frail self image is cracking, he might be starting to see reality. CNN aired Good Night and Good Luck followed by a discussion of the role of journalism. Brave Americans in the public eye are speaking louder against all of the chaos the Trump Regime is causing, the lack of accountability, the lies, the double talk. The comparison of Biden tripping on the stairs of Air Force One and now Trump tripping on the stairs, the replaying of Trumps comments about Biden tripping and being old ….and now Trump is there, a 78 year old man tripping on stairs and people talking about it. Photos of Trumps pant legs and speculation that there are leg braces or catheter bag on his leg. The TACO nickname along with other mockery is all minor compared to what comes out of his mouth, demeaning people constantly. Such a frail ego, such a bully. Such a divider of people. Such a liar and a cheat.
And going after criminals working at Home Depot vs the fact that a rapist, convicted felon and compulsive liar that somehow became elected to be President of the United Stated of America has caused more harm and division in America than any one of them ever could.
This is a real distraction to more serious issues like Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Gaza, and the BUB (Big Ugly Bill). Tonight, the Senate did not come close to passing it, thank the gods.
Bobby, JR. is cruel, just like his cousin, Caroline, said. He is out to kill us all now that he fired the vaccine committee at the CDC. Why should he care? He is too busy swimming in bacteria-infested waters and he takes his grandchildren with him. What a guy!
Marlene,don't forget the end of 90 days and 90 trade agreements, one a day, with 90 countries are approaching fast with no results whatsoever. If I were the scumbag president, I would be desperate looking to create conflicts to distract citizens and feed fox news with misinformation.
I do so hope that there's ample organization to see to it that there are plenty of disbursed signs bearing simple messages listing each of his many failures including the 90 in 90 bs. List every illegality, lie, and failed promise; Widely spread throughout like a well shuffled deck.
Did he specify they were to be trade agreements? There were many agreements. Between Qatar and the Trump Organization, between Saudi Arabia and the Trump Organization, and on and on.
Please - DISinformation!
Ok Talia...😄
You’re correct about the distraction, Marlene. I’m also increasingly concerned about Vance and the shadow tech bro machinations in place to supplant felon47 in the days to come. We are being assaulted on every front. It’s so much to process.
Yes, Vance is just waiting in the wings as he is being advised by the super-fascist, Peter Thiel, who is JD’s sugar daddy. If the 89 million who refused to vote in this past election aren’t awake or willing to come to the table for the mid-terms, then there will be another Civil War. I truly believe that.
It might be reality soon Marlene. Hopefully our military would be on the s8de of the constitution and democracy.
Watching HCR interview Gil Duran helped me understand what the tech bros want.....and it is scary.
Just smile and enjoy the ride.
NEVER.
No cuddles for this BUB! (In Australia, bub is a humorously affectionate term for a baby or small child.)
That may well be the root of the problem. There was no love in his father's house. He doesn't have any idea what love looks like. His soul is empty.
RFK should be charged with criminal stupidity. His decisions will kill people. Pray we don't see an emergent bird flu. More contagious and lethal than COVID.
Finally, Gov Newsome calling him out, hopefully is the first of many of our duly elected officials doing the same. The TRUTH must be broadcast EVERYWHERE. This Saturday will be more about our US Citizens protesting him than the military parade in DC. Protest peacefully, fellow Americans.🇺🇸
And boycott the parade.
Of the 1600-1800 No Kings Day protests planned for Saturday, the organizers have deliberately not organized one for DC -- they don't want a protest spun as being against the military. I think that's smart -- it also removes an excuse the Orange Turd might use to turn those tanks on the protestors.
Hungary 1956. Czechoslovakia 1968. Tiananmen Square 1989. Rachel Corrie, Rafah (Gaza) 2003.
If the moron president throws himself a party and no one comes…
Any that do, should organize into small groups to police one another; unique I.D. identifierers - henna tattoos, whatever. No violence, no interference; make signs, turn your backs on the parade, and maybe 'fly the bird' - middle finger. No one showing up would be splendid, keeping all demonstrations as local and state, but some will go. For safety and effectiveness, consider thoroughly; Group thinking could be a start to organizing for safety and effectiveness.
All televisions, radios shut off ? That would be something. They keep close track of viewership..
That could be very effective - and can't be attacked with guns.
Right ? It's also something those who can't demonstrate, do a big small part; Much bigger than appears at first glance or thought. If just each who commits to doing only that, can get 5 or 10 others to do likewise.... who knows. I've about had it with tv and radio anyway; They forever gives us less, for more, and always more commercial interruptions. And don't tell me that tv stations don't collude; I've tried channel surfing to avoid commercials; They time commercials together. If that's not collusion, I don't know what is.
Hmm; Only 20 folks acknowledge reading this. Well.. 20 times 10; 20 times 10 and so on, if passed on might make a surprising number - who knows ? At any rate, all my broadcast receivers will be shut off all day, as I'll be busy demonstrating as long as I can. After that, I'll need to rest. (- ;
** More and more as I think of it, all tv's, radios, and internet shut off for one day, but at least tv and radios might send a very powerful message to the MSM abusers, that 'we' see what you're doing and not, and we don't like it; And you will be held accountable. I love that message.. a sort of SOS by large numbers - HCR could tell them what it means that there was no viewership if she would. As I said, it's a great means for folks to participate that can't or won't physically demonstrate. To be anywhere near effective, I can't do it, but "we" surely could. You have to know that they do keep close track of viewership every minute of every day. For just one thing, they use it to justify the price of advertising that supports them. Imagine that 'wave' effect !
We must all remember that silence is complicity - we must speak out against what is going on.
I'm 74 and I walk my dog in the city very early in the morning. My small personal show of protest of the moment is putting "No Kings" and "86 47" stickers on lampposts and subway entrances. It's a tiny thing, but it is a thing at least.
Schmuppy! Puppy!
The one true, everlasting lesson from the Holocaust, from our own Civil Rights movement. In times of great moral peril, there are no "bystanders" or "onlookers."
Every Republican is complicit in this. No exceptions. I'm looking at you, "deeply concerned" Susan Collins.
What exactly is going on? Details plz.
Don’t feed the troll!
Well, it shouldn't be fun when it displays a public view you're incredible ignorance, and naïvete. This is what I mean by people here are not getting the full truth. They're not getting the whole story. This was the intention of the Democrats from the beginning and I'm not sure Biden was the one that directed it but someone in the administration had this plan from the get-go from the moment they allowed 11 million people to come into this country unvetted.
Well, you may be an esquire, but you're incredibly ignorant or naïve or just unaware
You mentioned the term strawman, which tells me everything I want to know about your awareness.
In about a half a dozen cities in this country cities try to get illegals to vote in municipal elections
And the biggest one which apparently you haven't heard from which I am appalled to hear it took literally the Supreme Court of New York the highest appellate court in the state of New York when the New York City council approved 800,000 non-citizens to vote in a local election it took the Supreme Court of New York to vote against it so you need to open your eyes you need to open your ears and you need to close your mouth when you make comments like that you're on the wrong end of the stick, Mr. Esquire
Albert, I respect your title, but I don’t respect your endeavor to seek out the truth because if you did, you wouldn’t question my details are my logical reasoning you’re not getting the whole story here in fact if you’re open minded at all go down to the bottom of Heather‘s Posts and take a look at what links are afforded you every single link is either left wing or left lunatic wing links not one right wing or right of center post is used to prove what she is saying and she’s entitled to whatever she says she’s a historian. I give her credit for all that but she’s not giving you the whole story she’s giving you her historic point of view, and if you’d like to hear more about that, I’d be more than happy to provide it.
Well, unfortunately for you I just thought you the most difficult lesson for you to learn. Donald Trump is your president. Elected in a landslide majority, all the swing states electoral college devastation 85% of all the counties in the country went redder than before.. he kept both houses of Congress. And if the Democrats are not careful, he could be the first president that retains both houses of Congress during the midterms because it’s never happened before but the way the Democrats are backing the wrong ponies today it could happen.
They are backing criminal illegals over citizens. They are backing violent protesters over peaceful ones … there are filing junctions to stop removing some of the 11 million illegals that Biden allowed in by opening the border, in order to get them to vote.
Nobody said a word when all these people were coming cross the border that one judge but now when you want to remove them because they shouldn’t be here in the first place well, we’re gonna place an injunction on you. Obama deported 3 million his first term and according to records that you can Google yourself 2.25 million never had a hearing or due process they were just removed by immigration officials at the border.
Last five presidents have removed 27 million illegals. Do you remember hearing anything about 27 million hearings on due process. ?
And the worst part of the process these illegal criminals come in and they give them hearing dates five years from today. Come on dude. Join us here in reality. Thank you
Boy, it is an attorney don’t you think it’s just delightful when a client who claims sexual assault wait 20 years to bring the case to court and only brings the case to court when the presume the sealant is running for president. You actually can’t be that naïve I hope.
Well, your opinion is noted. But perhaps it would help you need to deal in today’s reality not in 50 year old history that actually has no bearing whatsoever on actions of today. People that continually use the phrase history repeating itself well those days are pretty much over with societal changes, Technological changes, armament changes, global map control changes
worry about today would you please, If you must, but in America pretty much all is well. Unless you would like to follow the fallacy of the thinking of many of the anti-Trumper‘s today
There is so much needless anti-Trump paid in their vans that it makes sensible, thought impossible.
In fact, there were two major polls done by the big three networks, and by CNN that suggested one over 50% of Democrats actually have PDFs but are in denial that they have it and refused to believe that they have it. The most illustrative Poll what is the one given to Democrats which showed that 65% of all Democrats would vote against a bill or law concocted by Donald Trump even if the bill benefited a majority of America.
Pretty striking pole, but absolutely believable from the other side of the aisle based on actions.
And anyone with a brain like yours, and degrees should not be a Partisan, in my humble opinion. They should be an independent, and they should base their decisions on rational, thought, not party lines.
My decisions are always based on one thing, and one thing only pretty much…POLICY… which is the only remaining principle guiding our lives after the shingles at the White House change repeatedly.
The other day I heard one of the most offenders on a left-wing TV panel show that said I really like Gavin Newsom. He’s so good looking. Omg.
But I hope you don’t buy into the latest, incredible fallacy, proffered by the left. It is: stop enforcing the law and we won’t protest. It’s a five credulity but it’s what they’re actually saying out loud in front of a camera. Hearing statements like that from the lake, so governor and the mayor of Los Angeles make you understand why California’s been a decline for 40 or 50 years.
They let cities burn tens of thousands of homes and structures destroyed because of negligence of the government. And sanctuary cities use taxpayer dollars to pay for people that don’t deserve to receive that money because they’re not citizens. To the tune of 9 billion alone in California who is over budget by some 12 billion and can’t figure out why. They actually had to pilfer discretionary funds in order to pay for some of this mess
Thank you very much for your illustrious recitation of ancient history.
How does that saying go about the blind not seeing.
If you keep living on your historical shoulders, your body and mind will continue to decay. The only people that believe the BS that you try to illustrate above are wayward Democrats sychophants on the coasts. By the way, I could be site issues that make Biden demonstrably worse than Trump could ever be.
Try to soak this in: Donald J Trump is your President, and will be barring unforeseen circumstances for the next three years and seven months. However, if he’s smart, he will relinquish the title of president about three years in hand it over to VANCE who will then become the president (which is what Biden should have done) and they do a good job together eight more years in the White House for the Republican party.
Now be a good citizen and respect your president.
Republicans, Vlad, MBS and MAGAts are all on the side of tyranny. This requires all of us to be on the side of America. Come on Christianity, remember who you revere, veterans remember what you pledged allegiance to, MSM remember that you are the fourth estate, and the ones who are charged with monitoring and informing the citizens in a factual and unambiguous way. The time for entertainment and “alternative facts” is long past. The rubber has met the road. The signs are clear. Which path will we take.
MSM self imploded. Deceptions for more than four years. And now they are paying. And it’s not nearly over.
Thank you Professor Richardson.
Call. Write. Email. Protest peacefully. Unrelentingly.
Use/share this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to your own reps, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk
Although it is probably difficult to confirm, how many U.S. military leaders are protesting the blatantly partisan use of the active armed forces? Surely, there must be many military leaders who are alarmed by this situation, disapprove of being pawns in a political skirmish, and are taking steps to thwart it.
As Alexander Vindman was. As Mike MIlley was. No two ways about it.
Yes, those are two good examples of military leaders who have spoken out against Trump. It appears that both gentlemen have since retired. I am particularly curious to know if any leaders currently on active duty are doing anything to prevent this political overreach.
Are any left in office who would? So many have been fired.
Good point. Given the size of the active duty military, there must be more than a few who detest these orders.
Yes and not only partisan but to seek only his supporters to be his TV props. Yet he has good reason for needing any military personnel close to him to be his supporters; they are armed and have a good aim. In 1981 Thump was 35 thus recalls well Egyptian President Anwar Sadat being assassinated while enjoying a military parade. His assassins posed as soldiers marching past the grandstand. They stopped and opened fire on Sadat as he sat front row center. I would bet this Saturday Trump will be rapped in Kevlar from his neck to his so-called bone spurred feet.
Very interesting historical context.
Esquire? Thump? Typo? Sad.
It's 2:30 am & this is not a brief. Also, the name of a Jackass is not worth revisiting. Lower case "s." k.
There has been some reaction from former members of the armed services.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/09/veterans-trump-national-guard-la-protests
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/los-angeles-protest-marines-veterans-deploy-b2767409.html
Thanks for sharing this link. Yes, it seems like a few more retired leaders are voicing concern, which is good. I am, however, still curious about how those on active duty are reacting.
I doubt that many serving members of the armed forces would be willing to speak. They depend on their leaders and those people have been sacked by Trump and Hegseth and replaced with cronies.
You've probably hit the nail right on the head. That said, I am surprised that the former Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III (now retired), has remained quiet thus far. At the very least, I would expect him to strongly object to how Trump is undermining his former department.
There were plenty speaking up before Trump was re-elected.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/19/politics/military-leaders-sound-the-alarm-trump
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4582454-former-top-military-officers-push-back-on-trump-immunity-claim/
What if the money Trump is burning on stunts went to the VA?
There is more than one march going on this Sunday in Las Vegas, NV. I'll be going to an early protest because of the heat. I will not sit idly by and watch this orange menace try to erase my Constitution and try to strike fear in my heart. I will protest peacefully....if you are looking for me I'll be in the streets.
Great planning, Janis! My SoCal westside region has several June 14th protests!
He’s doing none of what you claim. But go marching. Free to embarrass yourself for nothing. When the dems are now on the wrong side of history IMO. and most polls and surveys.
Everything depends on the orange felon's ability to raise fear, paranoia, and hatred.
It's a complete mythology -- like the "They're eating the cats and dogs." But he presides over one scenario only: revulsion at all the public, as if all were cursed with the invasive threats of brown and other colored people.
And these threats stand in for other, worse harbingers of doom: that gays might be in the wings, or uppity women threatening the nice patriarchy of "Leave It to Beaver," or other forms of evolution, change, and complicated modernity as Putin has been ace in using to keep his Russian population cowed, subservient to his power, unquestioning of the mass oligarchal corruptions there.
It's the orange felon's schtick. He has no other. His fevered dreams must rule. Must keep chaos toxic, frightening.
White supremacy? There's no up side, just the nagging, recurring, fevered dangers of whatever lies now pop into his fat head, and now -- look -- other lies.
Jimmy Kimmel's show was brilliant. The clips of every past president, from Eisenhower to Biden, emphasizing the meaning and importance to America of immigrants.
Yes, Anne-Louise, that clip showing all the presidents highlights our mainstream.
We've all welcomed immigrants. Our presidents have well represented us, our debts to the past, our welcome mats laid out for those now recapitulating our own earlier ones.
It's only a rank criminal with his deep insecurities and vitriol who now fans hatreds, fears, and paranoias.
Too bad our schools and our media allowed such dehumanization so as to let rule the criminality that the billionaires and that mass rabble of white supremacists now so embrace.
But so good for our stand-up comics like Jimmy Kimmel so well-grounded in our decencies.
He’s toast.
The legacy media - and even MSNBC is not showing footage (that I've seen anyway) of the many, many protests across the country that are in support of the people of LA. Also - not a lot of footage of how small and peaceful (overall) the protests are. This allows Trump to spread his false narrative of LA burning to the ground, if not for him having sent in "the troops." What are the best ways to compete with and debunk his narrative?
I've seen plenty on YouTube which showed the small, non-violent groups of protesters. The truth is squeezing itself through the blockade.
In your concluding line, laurie, you've asked the compelling Q.
My modest answer starts with forbidding the billionaires' programs of standardized testing and all their cold-blooded, dehumanized conceits from continued reduction of teachers to test preppers only, and worse reduction of students to groups, categories, and consumer demographics the billionaires can package, manipulate, ever more lie to.
By this weekend…
Numbers will tell, JD.
By this weekend, the criminal will have spent his extra tens of millions of dollars for his militaristic obscenity -- the gaudy one on the streets of Washington, D.C.
His other militaristic obscenities will continue to play out in Los Angeles and elsewhere, till the sheer numbers of Americans cause some rethinking among the many otherwise stupefied cowardly yet drawing on the public teats.
Thank you, Heather. We are seeing this intimidation through weakness and total hypocrisy by President Trump. It’s not leadership. It’s not strength. It is a double standard and a betrayal of promises made, stealing from the American people, profiting off an elected position for personal gain, lying, and deceit. Peaceful protests, continual calls, and letters to all elected officials. Support for those who are organizing, and showing true leadership to mobilize others to join “We the People” to ensure our democracy moves forward.
Heather needs to get out in the kayak for a day. She's taking a mental battering.
"Only 38% approve." "34% approve of sending in the Marines." Ye gods. A third of our population is either uneducated about the law or just plain stupid. Shame on us for an education system that produces that kind of result. And shame on every one of them for their blindness and indifference.
Living in swfl, my impression is they are willfully ignorant, racist, undereducated, suspicious of advanced education and experience, and truly and deeply, they simply love to be angry and to hate. It’s the sickest and saddest and most terrifying thing to witness. Thus, they reject people like President Obama, Dr Fauci, and any expert on any subject. That’s why Covid killed so many around here-they believed opinion over scientific fact. It’s why Fox is a “news” staple as opposed to real insight and analysis offered by credible journalists, historians, and educators. This sick love of anger and hate will destroy us all, if we allow it. We can’t be silent. We can’t be complicit. An awakening must happen if democracy is to survive this.
Amen. Even my late mother got sucked into the Fox vortex. And it feeds on itself, that need for anger and hate. Especially when it's being stoked by the one they see as leader.
I’m so sorry, Mr Vander Poel-it must have been terribly painful to experience that with your mother. Their leader is such an empty, desiccated shell of a human with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I was taught to believe that every human is created in imago DEI-in the image of God. Generally I have found this to be true and can find something beautiful in most. However, looking at this regime and their hate-filled adherents, I’m at a loss. It’s truly heartbreaking.
Roughly 1/3 of any given population consistently polls as being in favor of authoritarianism, so that's probably to be expected.
The trick to keeping a functioning democracy is to not allow them to act as a voting majority (noteably difficult to do when half the population is too disheartened or disenfranchised to vote).
---
An admission: I slept like poo last night and leaned on a friendly LLM for confirmation. Transcript follows because she came with receipts:
Yes—the figure you remember is spot on! Across numerous polls, roughly 30–40 percent of a given population show consistent openness to autocratic leadership or authoritarian approaches.
Global Snapshot (Pew, 2024)
A Pew Research Center survey across 24 countries found a median of 31 percent said a system ruled by a "strong leader" or military would be “a good way” to govern—despite majorities rejecting it .
In the U.S., 32 percent supported a strongman or military-led system; in the UK, it was even higher—37 percent .
U.S. Trends & Demographics
A PRRI survey suggests about 40 percent of Americans are susceptible to authoritarian appeals—rising to two-thirds among Republicans and white evangelical Protestants .
Psychological research (e.g. by Karen Stenner) indicates that roughly one-third of Western populations tend toward valuing obedience, homogeneity, and strong leaders—core authoritarian traits .
Why It Matters
This “30 percent rule” isn’t just a pop-culture soundbite—it shows up across different regions and times.
Even in democracies, there's a persistent core that is sympathetic to autocratic solutions, particularly amid crisis or instability .
Bottom Line
Your recollection is accurate: roughly one-third of any given population consistently shows openness to autocratic governance. It's a globally observed psychological and political phenomenon—rooted in the human preference for order, certainty, or perceived strength.
Let me know if you want to dive deeper into how these attitudes shift under different conditions, or how they compare across countries!
[Commenter's note: Though there were a number of other sources, this one was the top & referenced in many of the following articles]
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/28/who-likes-authoritarianism-and-how-do-they-want-to-change-their-government/
Sorry that you couldn’t sleep last night, but I appreciate that you used your sleeplessness to provide helpful info for the rest of us!
I hate that it's too late to edit.
"Any of" was an overstatement (darn my sleepy brain and its pudding-like consistency).
That should be more "a median of" (rearrange the sentence as needed for it to make sense/be somewhat grammatically correct).
There is wide variance, though apparently the US as a whole falls smack dab in the middle of that median with regions skewing one way or the other in a manner most would likely expect.
Seems logical then why the minority, headstrong, authoritarian loving, 30% of the population clings to red states and the electoral votes that give them undeserved representation in federal elections.
Me and my family are in Normandy, having participated in the 81st anniversary celebrations. You can't help but think about those who gave their lives for democracy, for our country and for us. We'll, it's payback time. Stand up! Fight! Protest! Save democracy.
See you on the streets on the 14th!