Wow each time it seems can’t get worse or more immoral and despicable…. If there ever was treason this is it over the top We need enough republicans to face this and get him and his cohorts out now
Putin's Manchurian candidate has revealed himself beyond a shadow of a doubt now. Trump and Vance have embraced Putin and rejected our Allies. Trump and Vance spew Putin's propaganda, as if it were true. They have betrayed American ideals. When will Republicans in the House and Senate get a spine and hold Trump and Vance accountable? What will it take?
It's up to the British and the French now to depose Putin. The CIA is in the hands of Trump and Musk. We have to rely on MI6 and the German and French intelligence services to bring down the Russian government and Putin.
Trump is ignoring the federal courts and Congress is nowhere to be found.
Zelenskyy, with the building European Alliance of the Willing, have FAR MORE CARDS now than Trump seems to imagine. I counted 18 flags at the early meeting with European leaders shown on Morning Joe, with more expressing unity with Ukraine by the hour.
JD Vance claimed Ukraine has recruiting problem, but didn’t mention Russia’s far worse recruiting problems.
JD Vance insulted Zelenskyy with the remark that he had trouble getting recruits, which may be true, but pales in comparison to the problems Putin continues to have. Trump and Vance seem to forget how many soldiers Putin lost sending them on what they thought was a military training mission and then recruiting prisoners as cannon fodder when he needed more. Then they had to bring in North Koreans. Compare the numbers of captured Russians and others who didn't want to be sent back to Russia. Russia is at least far weaker than Ukraine in percentage of dedicated and competent soldiers, always more motivated than the invaders.
I had to laugh at JD's ski trip reception, that seemed even worse than the Republican town halls they had to flee.
Seems dizzying spin or "weaving" as Dan Rice, special advisor to the Ukrainian military seems to indicate Trump's calling Zelenskyy a dictator has really raised Zelenskyy's popularity way up from 52 % and inspired Ukrainians and Europeans to fight Russia even harder (seems like spinning the severe backlash into claiming Trump planned it all along, as if he is pleased with Europeans and Ukrainians are turning out to be more inspired than ever to fight harder and provide so much more in resources.
This is so disgusting. And here we are, call us The 48%, sitting here hoping that "Europe" will somehow coalesce and deliver an ultimatum to Russia.., something to the effect of "stop the aggression toward Ukraine immediately OR ELSE! Else, being the operative word while they figure out what "else" is. Meanwhile, the mostly little European countries, lacking confidence in us (The "US"), are scared shirt-less and will probably opt for some deal with the bear. So much, for that. Let the ethnic/political/whatever cleansing begin. As a Country, we've just shit in our mess-kit, as the saying goes. You an I, as The 48%, however, let's get behind Vermont (thank you protesters) and Maine (thank you Gov Mills & Angus King), and let's keep it up, try to gather some momentum. WE're not un-patriotic toward the office of the President.., we're just recognizing the dope who's been elected, and that he's finally being held accountable for the nin-com-poop he is. Let's make that he and V. That's all. Simply calling a spade a spade. Speaking in spades, maybe he's dug his own grave.
Looks like Vance got a "chilly" reception. I suspect neither one will ever set foot in CT. We are so blue, you need a jacket. In my town (small upper middle class) had an 80% turnout to vote. Don't know what the percentages were but I know democrats won hands down
Unfortunately, CT has only a few electoral votes. This is why I think the electoral votes should be eliminated. Our votes hardly count. The democratic minority in states like TX are not heard, yet Texas has a huge number of electoral votes, therefore an unpopular person can be elected president. Unfortunately, he also got the popular vote. Sorry a little off topic here.
I cannot say "elected" this time. He's where he is because of a plan nearly four years in the making. Yes, those little European countries. Many of them abolished military service. NATO was a safeguard.
French Intelligence, yes. British Intelligence, no. After the manner in which they openly (and recklessly in regard to the fragile Irish peace process), supported a Russian funded extreme British Unionist political party in Northern Ireland (DUP) in order to expidite Brexit, present day British Intelligence has proven itself either compromised or incompetent. Lord Peter Mandelson, now UK’s US pro Trump ambassador, was the mastermind behind setting up ongoing UK state funds for the continuance and expansion of primarily loyalist paramilitary gangs deployed in last summer’s UK riots. With kindest regards from Northern Ireland 🐈⬛
Zelenskyy flew to London after the Vance-Trump hit job & met with Euro Leaders who announced they will intervene on any discussions regarding Ukraines' mineral deposits which in order of abundance are the following: Titanium, "Rare Earths", and Lithium.
Per the Institute for Rare Earths & Metals (ISE) & the NYT's article, "What's At Stake In The Ukraine-Trump Talks" circa 2/26/25, Ukraine's LITHIUM deposits are targeted & remain coveted. The formal name of the European Institute is "Institute Fur Selten Faden Und Metalle".
The United States has the world leading deposits of LITHIUM located at Thatcher Pass, Nevada. Those deposits are locked up with an American corporation & General Motors (GM) as a minority stakeholder.
Wiki 3/3 Update: The Owner of the Thatcher Pass mine is "Lithium Nevada LLC ...
a subsidiary of LITHIUM America Corp". Note that "GM has exclusive access to the first phase of the [mine's] production". It only cost GM 650 Million💲Dollars.
Tesla is a bystander.
For full context see, ALI VITALI's opening sequence on "Way to Early [MSNBC] at 5:01 am Eastern this 3/3 morning. FYI, the UK has pledged a 2.8 billion military loan to Ukraine & further support from the Euro "Coalition of the Willing".
I recommend Maria & her co-authors at the NYT article as a fact source. As some folks are aware, Musk's claim that he planning to eliminate his reliance on cobalt is contradicted by his renewed contract with his major cobalt supplier, Glencoe. Musk needs & wants Lithium.
Post any verified facts on further research in this thread. Thank you.
Sodium Ion batteries are gaining in popularity and acceptance as are hydrogen fuel cells.
Two years ago, I was having drinks with a billionaire who employs over 10,000 energy engineers and technicians. I asked him what will ultimately win out for the prevailing energy source? He didn't hesitate to answer, "Hydrogen."
My younger brother now deceased was a police officer responsible for mobile communication during disasters. He was an advocate of a mobile emergency station powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The first place I heard of them being used was from some Veteran students that described them being used on long medical evacuation flights from Iraq to Germany.
Sodium Ion batteries do seem the great balance in abundant cost-effective materials that can cleanly be used to make the big increase in Energy Storage Systems to make use of the cleanest (but intermittent) energy sources. Ten years ago I met Robert F. Hemphill, one of the founders of AEC Solar when they had installed 52 grid scale solar and battery systems ($11 billions worth IIRC), that could replace so many of the older technology peaker plants. I got to talk to him over a couple years and get answers to some personal questions I had about the relative costs compared to Pumped Hydro Storage (High and Low reservoirs that absorbed energy from any source of which early examples I knew of were coal powered plants in West Virginia through nuclear plants in Japan, and on up to the solar and wind farms in parts of the US. He enlightened me to something like Japan having 5 times the pumped hydro energy storage capacity to name plate generator output for their nuclear plants (before Fukushima), as the US had at the time.
If I remember correctly, the pumped hydro was limited in where it could be used (but great in places like the Tennessee Valley Authority where it also fit in well with flood control in the high ground and maintaining navigation water levels in navigable rivers. It was usually 20 times the cost of what they could do with Battery Energy Storage Systems, which could be built in 6 months, an far easier places that were not well suited to other uses, and especially advantages where hey could be built on or near old power generation or transfer stations. They could even be built on land that could also be farmed (like the local Japanese did on radiation contaminated farmland after Fukushima). One of the farmers started the project and got permission to build more on farms where the owners couldn't be found. He set aside the profits so the owners could be paid if they could be found, as he also tried to get the radioactive soil removed so they could farm the land if it could be restored.
I've always seen Hydrogen as a great replacement for as much fossil fuel as possible, especially for stationary use or larger vehicles. JCB and others have found ways to burn hydrogen as they did Diesel, overcoming the obstacle I thought would be the toughest, NOx emissions from very hot combustion. They came up with spark ignition instead of compression ignition to keep the temperature much lower. I suspect it may still need catalytic converters to handle the remaining NOx but will be far cleaner than anything we are using that still has that problem.
I had a friend who had a Toyota Miria ( Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered) the last time I saw him in 2020. He had been an Engineer on space craft all the way back to the Apollo program, at least and had access to about 45 Hydrogen refuelling places in southern California, so was willing to put up with the inconvenience to show that it was possible. Unfortunately it seems we won't see the sponsored buildout of hydrogen infrastruture for even the larger commercial vehicles like Europe, but it does mean I can see used 2022 Mirai prices around $12,000.
If I were younger and had the resources, I'd love to build a hydrogen fueled hybrid that could use the cleanest sourced and burning hydrogen as an internal combustion engine combined with the smaller traction battery like they use in other Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles. It isn't the best portion of vehicles to use such a mix, since that would be heavier vehicles, and ideally in places where you could use clean energy sources like solar and wind to make your own hydrogen as close to the place you'll be using it as possible.
A lot of non-fossil power options could become workable with enough coordinated effort went into it. Like Eisenhower's Interstate Highway system. That was smart, and that was public sector.
Hydrogen is a potentially viable mass market fuel with sufficient infrastructure and renewable electric power capacity; perhaps even with enough forward thinking to be adaptable to alternative emerging technologies. It's not impossible to to replace fossil fuels, but it will take a massive effort.
I have repeatedly wondered if the "Reagan Revolution" had not occurred, and the environmental safeguarding that both Nixon and Carter had supported had continued unabated and expanded, how different might our economy, our domestic and international politics, and our existential security, might be today? In any case, better a late (and yes, in SOME ways, a too late) start to make it right than never.
Maybe more should be put out there about hydrogen fuel. This is the first I have heard of it. Hydrogen I only associate with bombs. All I hear about is lithium for batteries.
Excellent post. Have you read the governor's energy plan? They focus on solar and wind as renewables and say very little about new hydro even though it generates 31% of the electricity in ME.
"Of the total electricity generated in Maine in 2023, about 65 percent was derived from renewable sources while 35 percent was derived from non-renewable sources. In 2023, natural gas was the largest source of electricity generated in Maine, representing approximately 32 percent of total electricity generation (Figure 13). This is closely followed by hydropower at 31 percent, wind at 19 percent, wood and wood-derived fuels at 11 percent, solar at 4 percent, and additional sources including other biomass, petroleum, and coal. "
Are you familiar with run-of-the-river hydro? Everyone is afraid to consider new hydro because of the ecological damage the large reservoir dams have created in the past.
Anyway, would you be open to talk about Maine's energy future?
Iron based batteries are great for large installation, they are heavy but a city or an industry doesn’t need their batteries on wheels…and hydrogen is a great fuel for cars, and trucks, and trains.
A nod to hydrogen fuel, yes. But the generation, storage and dustribution at scale will take a couple decades of investment. It shouldn’t be too difficult to make hydrogen just another fuel in our existing fuel stations, along interstate highways and roads, and transport via pipeline. What I finally understood:
Hydrogen gas can be generated from water and application of electric current. This solves the storage problem of wind and solar. You can generate hydrogen — using intermittent electricity from wind / solar farms — at the source of electricity, store it and and then distribute the fuel. Simple base ingredient, not as complex as petroleum refining; storage and transport about the same complexity as we already deal with today.
It can power a locomotive today, trials were run in Germany.
Interesting information " subsidiary of LITHIUM America Corp". Note that "GM has exclusive access to the first phase of the [mine's] production". It only cost GM 650 Million💲Dollars.
Tesla is a bystander."- So muskrat is behind the Ukraine "deal"?
Anna, of course muskrat is behind the Ukraine deal. He is so greedy that he will do anything to get what he wants which we are witnessing as he destroys our country. At this point death star is his puppet and certainly Putin's puppet.
Chuckle. During the double hurricanes and the flooding, I read that some of the people did not like FEMA because they thought that FEMA was going to evict them so a lithium mine would go on their property. A case of-yeah we're all for it-but not near my house.
The sort of power we are talking about is power over human behavior, and with enough money you can find someone who will do just about anything on your behalf; make a sandwich, or even kill. The 1% are having a profound affect on events in our society, as they have for eons, though not always to the same extent. Who actually benefited from slavery in the Civil War? And in a corrupted society, money buys political outcomes, and political favors are exchanged for great wealth. No? That's the common form most acts of political corruption are likely to assume.
Add to that the use of violence, be it a violent spouse or thug in an alley, or draconian, authoritarian governments where people are "disappeared", tortured, tossed out of windows, imprisoned on Trumped up charges, or quietly left to die of starvation or disease. Also aggressive wars, or racism. Impunity for the rich and otherwise powerful. It all bleeds together in a sufficiently corrupted society where power is not held accountable for unjust and predatory behaviors. And those with power, who would be predators, take pains to make and keep it that way.
The antidote for that is transparency and responsibility where the acts of one significantly harm another. That every human being has "unalienable" rights, even those we need to keep in prisons. Even our enemies (that's what Christianity >ACTUALLY< says, right {?} along with a whole lot of other stuff as well). Requiring ultimate power (which tends to corrupt) divided in shares among the people (votes), along with the responsibilities for outcomes that inevitably goes with it. The secret hiding in plain sight is that "Liberty and Justice for All" is irreducibly cooperative; we maintain our own freedom when we recognize and protect the rights of one another.
Now that crypto currencies are “in” and president has his own meme coin (which can be bought with cash, credit, or crypto coin) there is a way to dump 10’s or 100’s of millions $ into their pocket and these transactions are not tracked. So much more convenient for the ‘gratuity’ than envelopes or suitcases full of cash, and less trackable than wire transfers.
Russian oligarchs are probably already buying up $trump memecoin. The crypto bros have in effect created the perfect vehicle for money laundering with a bonus side dish of political influence.
Expect all our legislators to issue their own meme coins soon. Judges next?
There is some evidence that votes WERE actually tampered with in swing states, in the orange direction. (What a surprise.) You can bet that will happen BIG TIME in any future election we might have (not counting on it). So at the VERY least we need to be supporting candidates NOW and VOTE VOTE VOTE every chance we get.
EVERYONE: There are two special elections this April 1st in Florida. . . . . . 1) District 01 (to fill the seat left vacant by gop matt gaetz: Dem candidate = Gay Valimont = https://gayforcongress.com/ . . . . 2) District 06 (to replace gop Michael Waltz: Dem candidate Josh Weil = https://joshweil.us/ .... If we can flip these two House seats, we might be back in the majority. There is a third seat that might come up for grabs. It's the US ambassador's position in the United Nations. (Gee, has the troika removed us from that organization yet??) If we're still to be represented there, the candidate (currently gop elise stefanik) must be confirmed by the Senate before there can be an election. This has not happened yet, mostly because the House still needs her vote.... so up in the air. BUT FOR NOW, why not throw our $$$ and other support towards Valimont and Weil? gop probably throwing tons of $$ into their gop opponents' coffers BUT what if sufficient numbers of voters disgusted enough in gop to move their votes to Valimont and Weil?? It could be possible. WORTH A TRY!
And for now, I believe that an excellent argument to toss at them in any town hall (or phone call or email) might simply be: "When you took your office, you swore to support the US Constitution. You have not been doing that and that is grounds for dismissal. So either you RESIST or RESIGN, or we will ensure you never hold any elected office again." I kinda like this because of its simplicity, but also because it gives them an "out". Even though they are scared to lose their jobs -- oh, boo hoo; who among us hasn't experienced that before? And look what they're currently letting musk/trump do right now in thoughtlessly and disrespectfully canning hundreds and thousands of federal employees without a care. Just resign. No need to provide reason. Just leave, period
My representatives are in Texas. There is no point at all in calling or writing them. I only vote because I know it's the right thing to do, but I know my vote does not count in Texas.
I’m in TN and my state should be called MAGAstan. Nevertheless, they represent me too and I refuse to let them off the hook. Btw, I call their local offices more and more because the people who staff those live in the same community I do.
ML..good for you. They are counting on people getting tired. And Rs know people are unhappy because they are basically in hiding or whining that people are mean to them. My senators and rep are all Ds and they are amazed at turnouts for town halls, even the virtual ones.
I have a friend I called recently who moved to Tennessee a few years ago and I was dismayed listening to her voice her attitude toward undocumented immigrants. She came from New Mexico where her mind was open to Central and South American undocumented workers. Is there something in the Tennessee water that hardens people's attitudes and swings them to far right wing Christian nationalism? As for Dr. Cox Richardson's newsletter, I'm still trying to straighten out my thoughts regarding her newsletter. I cannot for the life of me understand how Trump and Vance can turn on the country who's constitution allowed them to take office. I realize that Bill Katz's statement "The great American experiment has ended. At least for now" seems pessimistic, but this is where we are.
Regardless of who else there speaks out, and regardless of whether senators or reps communicate with constituents, they WILL SEE THE COMPLAINTS. People like Jen Psaki and Allysa Farah Griffin, who have worked in the WH up close with the presidency will tell you that they all pay CLOSE ATTN to every poll taken. People who have studied coups will also say that immediate and LOUD pushback (huge crowds, right down to small one) makes a HUGE difference. (They don't say why, but I think alot has to do with the fact that many of these authoritarian wannabes are bullies, and we know that bullies are really scared little boys deep down inside.) The senators/reps who refuse to communicate are SCARED to because they now what's going on is WRONG but they don't have the skills to provide constituents with answers people will believe. Have you seen any footage of recent town halls? These idiots who refuse to stand up to the president/musk are shaking in their boots. Literally. They stumble over words. They don't have answers. Then often they say they're on a tight sched and must leave for the next meeting and scurry out. There is no "next meeting", but in some cases where there was, they cancel it. They can't handle the pressure... which is right where we want them. So call every single day and write every single day. If any one of your friends or family feel as you do, encourage them to do the same. And if you haven't done it already, maybe check in with Beto's Powered by People crew for suggestions. They may even have a way for you to contribute (via action) to THAT big group's efforts.
You can still contact your representatives. You let them know that someone is watching. Short, pithy statements. "I understand that CISA has been told not to look at Russian cybersecurity threats. Can you have your staff check on that? Thank you."
That's what I am saying to my reps today, all Republican. Keep the heat on. Keep the heat on.
Please still call. Even if you don’t think it will work, it is important. You can use the app called 5Calls. They will provide you with scripts that you can use. These people need to be bombarded with calls from their constituents.
Mark Lane - please call your representatives. I am also from Texas and I refuse to remain silent in the destruction of our Constitutional Republic.
I make 6 calls every morning to the DC office and the Texas offices of our 2 senators and my 12th district congressman. If we are silent, then we are complicit, but I do understand your frustrations. At one time I was proud to say I was from Texas, but unfortunately Texas is becoming an "unfriendly" state.
Isn’t that a shame? People are just so hardened. But I know too, that when I suggest to my fellow democrats about re-examining an issue that we blindly support, I get bombarded. So I get it. I say this because when those at the top of the heap, the thinkie people, pronounce something that we must all support, we fall into formation and link arms. Or yes we do. Humans have a tendency to behave not unlike birds that fly in formation. There is much comfort to be part of that formation. And woo to the one who steps out of line to suggest another path.
many in (even ruby) red states are speaking out and they are pissed... right now, over medicaid / treating our vets badly, but once they see the entire picture, esp beginning with social security, medicare, I think they will grow even more furious. Some may NEVER want to give up on their orange leader but enough of the others will.
My senators, I trust: Warnock and Ossoff. My congresscritter is a rich white-boy southerner who won’t even respond to his constituents’ calls for a town hall, so, not worth the time. He’s not paying attention.
Still, don’t let your other side representative off the hook, they need to keep hearing that we are out there. It is important. Do it while we still can!
“ Kansans hold virtual town hall for an absent Sen. Jerry Moran to voice concerns about Trump and Musk. More than 30 speakers address lack of resistance by Republicans to federal cuts that impact farmers, veterans and vulnerable Americans”
Love those two myself and support from CA.... Not sure what the ramifications of this might be, but something to consider: Not that long ago, some constituents were in your boat (and stuff wasn't even close to as serious as what we're all dealing with right now-. The rep of the district "next door" heard about it and offered to come to give what status he could. The constituents took him up on the offer. This embarrassed their own guy big time! I don't recall what happened next but you can bet your bottom dollar it was useful and can be for you guys too. I'd approach an active, scared-of-nobody rep near your own district to see if they might do similar. (Invite the press....)
Justin While I consider Trump traitorous, I do not believe that he is a ‘Manchurian candidate.’ He was never programmed by Putin, simply flattered. There is no blackmail that Putin has over Trump that would be worse that what already is public.
Rather, Trump was enthralled by Putin and his authoritarianism. He loved the thought of acting like emperor or king. Certainly, years ago the Trumps were dependent on Russian funding for their real estate holdings.
Trump doesn’t care about NATO, climate change, or the sovereignty of Ukraine. He embraces Putin, Orban, and others who share his authoritarian passion.
America’s honorable position globally is endangered by Trump as is ‘justice’ domestically.
I PREDICT THAT TRUMP WILL STAND NEXT TO PUTIN NEXT MAY DAY IN MOSCOW
I don't like reading this, Keith. I do so value your insight and experience. Your assessment that ffpotus was "enthralled by Putin and his authoritarianism" rings true to me.
Trump has been a useful idiot ever since he began dreaming of Trump Tower Moscow back in the ‘80’s. If that be “programming,” so be it. What took him to Moscow with his first wife? Why did he hold a beauty contest in Moscow in 2013 and ask when Putin would come to see it?
Yes, I don't know what a "programmed" person might have experienced, but putin is known to be an excellent groomer and manipulator - sooo smooth, the target is clueless re what's happening. Toss in trump's fascination with "strong men" and a desire to be just like them: match made in Heaven. Putin's been taking advantage of trump's vulnerabilities for YEARS and it is now paying off. Pretty sure vlad is manipulating musk as well.
Probably correct. But if Trump did engage in a golden shower treatment as speculated in a Moscow presidential suite, it most certainly was recorded and that Putin would have over Trump.
The first story in my book began wher during the first press conference after Trump came down the escalator in his building. Enjoy.
First Press Conference of the Incoming President
(The Golden Shower Caper)
“It's a lie... It's fake news... It's a total political witch-hunt.”
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, I had just finished supper and I had tapped the TV zapper to the public television channel just in time to hear, no… No it couldn’t be something about... No it couldn't be. But it was. President-elect Donald Trump in front of a phalanx of American flags in the lobby of Trump Tower.
BuzzFeed was outing Trump's alleged hotel peccadilloes in Moscow and Trump was refusing to let BuzzFeed ask questions at the press conference by repeatedly calling the reports "Fake news. It’s a total political witch-hunt.”
This was the incoming president's first news conference? My attention was naturally aroused. What could possibly have happened? Since uncorroborated news stories are usually not published by the mainstream media, I had to search online for the full story.
BuzzFeed has rapidly become mainstream and is partially owned by NBC Universal. The whispers were that President-elect Trump paid Russian prostitutes in Moscow to urinate on his hotel bed in the president's suite – the same one that President Barack Obama slept in. But was Trump in bed when the alleged peeing occurred? Anyone can hire someone to pee on a bed. But not everyone enjoys lounging underneath a golden shower.
The U.S. director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, denied leaking claims that Russia possessed compromising personal and financial information on Trump. At the same time, Clapper tendered his resignation.
Some call this Trumpian erotica "Pissgate." Getting peed on in the wrong place lowers expectations of the most powerful man on earth.
The suffix "gate" was added to scandals after Richard Nixon’s "Watergate" crisis. Insider knowledge is an advantage in any reelection campaign. So it was with Russian operatives gaining online access to Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Trump has a fascination with gold, whether it's the color or actual gold, or just the word. But Trump is gemaphobic, as he said in an obvious reference to the accusations of the golden shower capers. But urine is an astringent. So why would our incoming president suggest that he would never submit to a “golden shower”?
Emperor Caligula hasn't anything on this president!
That said, I think that Trump is an extreme sociopath, who may care about literally nothing apart from servicing his own solipsistic whims. How weird that so many find cause to worship such a person, and have for centuries. A "security hole" in our DNA?
"Simply Flattered" is no small thing for Trump. His puerile character seems to live for it, and seems so easily swayed by it. Even the family chosen name "Trump" seems to signal a needy ego. Certainly those large injections of acknowledged Ruskie cash certainly helped Trump salvage his brand. I think of Putin as Trump's sugar-daddy banker, and (I watched Russia Today for a while) a formidable sales force. It's not for nothing Trump pumps Russia at pretty much every opportunity.
Make Russia Great Again. This adds purchase to my deepest conspiracy theory - that the election was, in fact, stolen. Between Musk and Putin, the means and the motive and the money are all there. Somebody talk me off the ledge!
Eva & Maureen there were sufficiently significant statistical irregularities and improbabilities specifically in the swing states (so-called “drop-off votes”) to warrant a detailed focus and re-examination. These irregularities make believing this particular conspiracy theory WAY more tenable than I wanted to accept …but with the most recent revelations it’s difficult not to.
I don't believe the "they faked paper ballots", and the like tales. But invading computerized machines - that I can see. How many times do we get notices that Bank A had their data stolen, Bank B was glitched, credit card information stolen at gas station readers, etc.? I'm a firm believer in having paper backups to all computerized systems. Computers crash, as I found out again, this past summer when my hard drive went bye-bye.
Provide proof, links, sue in court, have witnesses testify.
States and counties run elections, and I didn’t hear anything that WOULD MAKE A DETERMINITIVE CHANGE IN ELECTION OUTCOME. Gerymandering districts, of course. Voter rolls have been messed with, yes. There is always one random mistake or fraudulent voter or double voter. But don’t bring conspiracy theories here without the receipts.
Is there still Hope? I worry at the speed things seem to be going. Getting older is not for sissy’s. Fought the good fight growing up. Still in fighting mind but tired.
At my age, it may be irrelevant. But the folks younger than me (I'm 73), those still working, who have kids, who want to plan a life - they may not realize how much danger they're in.
Janice, I am nearly 82 and I will not give up. Because of my (our)age there is a limit to what we can do. Actually protests are out, but donating, phoning, etc. are not. I also note the post from Eva below.....younger folks and yes, many of them have no idea what they are in for.
In 2 years we may need to vote them out. Hopefully we can influence good candidates to run. Really wish some dark money could be regulated in politics it’s getting bad. If we had the money they use in campaigns we wouldn’t need to lay off workers.
I'm afraid the Republicans will not fall on their swords as republicans in Roman Republic did. Those republicans actually despaired their dishonor and paid with their lives. Modern Republicans apparently do not recognize the dishonor they live and the dishonor that surrounds them every day. We are witnessing the demise of a once great political party.
The Chair of the Chiefs of Staff (CQ Brown) was recently removed from duty and replaced with a completely inexperienced toady. The heads of the Navy and Air Force were also removed. I believe many more dismissals to come so there will be no "Gen'l Millie's" around to ensure the troops all understand who they can shoot and who they cannot. I think it's only a matter of time before the protests get a bit bigger and the brown shirts are given the signal to repeat "Charlottesville", providing the "excuse" to call martial law.
I'm here at 3:25 AM because I woke up 90 minutes ago and decided to bang out a congratulatory message to my younger son to crow over the smashing success of his older brother organizing a music night at the Medford Arts (MA) Collaborative featuring the amazing Glen David Andrews.
After this morning's post, now I worry for Heather's life and freedom . . .
People really need to calm down. The thread in these comments declaring gloom, doom and death is not only untrue at this time it is wildly counterproductive.
Today call a congress person and give them hell. State your case clearly, passionately and succinctly. Go join a protest.
no this is serious - the felon rapist is a Russian asset, selling our democracy to the highest bidder musk - if you think it's no big deal then you are part of the problem
Stop. Stop making wild accusations. Stop making extreme statements.
Start reading, protesting and making calls.
Some excellent reading:
Joyce White Vance
The Contrarian
Timothy Snyder
Jen Rubin
The Guardian
Watch:
Brian Tyler Cohen
Jim Acosta
The Meidas Touch
If we are to prevail people need to get their wits together. This begins by not attacking someone you have zero idea of who they are. If we are to prevail we need to be educated, find our protest tribe and learn how to communicate effectively.
Let's not do the "circular firing squad" thing. Personal attacks on each other in these forums are exactly what the Putin/$Trump/Musk/Vance axis wants. In fact, they stir it up.
As Hubbell says: "Every little thing helps."
Make calls, demonstrate, boycott, write, email - make noise where it matters. Thank your Congress people if you are lucky enough to have Blue ones - and exhort them to do more.
If you are in a Red Zone - read Jess Piper and learn how to be a voice regardless of the fascists you live with.
The pendulum is going to swing back to sanity and decency. Not before a boatload of death and damage. Red states are going to suffer much more than Blue. Veterans who are Republicans are already very pissed off. Millions around the world are on the verge of great suffering if not death. Watch for the political cartoons about the fat cats laughing as little children in Sudan starve to death and people all over Africa die of AIDS - because we impulsively cut them off. There ARE "Christians" who are not cruel. They will be repulsed by the depravity of Project 2025. The Great Karma Cop is on her way. And Musk is giving her enormous ammunition which will bring this administration to its knees.
And remember: It doesn't matter who is president. "The buck stops here." EVERYTHING that goes wrong is ALWAYS blamed on the sitting president. Of course, the orange one spends his time sitting in a golf cart. Repost how often President Putz plays golf !
It will need to get MUCH worse every day - and THEN - it will be enough. America has suffered through enormous trials and tribulations before. Heather reminds us of this all the time. We came through.
So let's not eat each other. Let's not roll over (sorry Carville). Let's make "some good trouble" - together.
I agree that scaring us to death...is not helpful. I do think it is intended, however, to wake people up.
And, it helps me to gather all kinds of tidbits of information in moving forward, to resist. While I find everything T & V & the entire cabinet is doing to be extraordinarily disturbing, I find Ed Martin's focused targeting of our personal liberty, especially terrifying and motivating.
We've been seeing in the news the disastrous town hall meetings and the people who are riled up. While our red congressional representatives in Texas, won't even answer their phones, let alone schedule a town hall meeting, WE can schedule a town hall meeting. WE can organize our community. WE can help people channel that anger.
Thank you Barbara and thank you 1000 times over to Professor Heather! Using the app 5Calls is very good. Also, go to protests and get involved, and help people who need it.
Well Barbara, after Friday’s exhibition, we can safely say the worldview of the USA is not good at all. This regime has ordered all our cybersecurity departments to STOP investigating Russian potential interference. Like in Covid, tRump’s stable genius mind believes is “if you don’t investigate/report, it does not exist”. Therefore, the American will hear from them “all is good” and the Russians will celebrate and have a field day messing with our cybersecurity. Incidental little things like our electric grids, our flight controllers , our weather forecasting, our infectious disease information, our ELECTIONS, our BANKING systems, including Federal Reserve, our food and drug safety…everything that keeps us operating in our LIVES and FREEDOMS. It is no longer HYPERBOLE. We are majorly at risk and the American public had better WAKE UP and see the TRUTH, which is also at GREAT RISK!
Penny, I learned yesterday that the well-known "Keep Calm and Carry On" slogan was never used in Britain in WWll. It was part of the preparation for a German invasion. Posters were to be placed everywhere when Germany invaded. So, no matter what, panic is never helpful, in my opinion.
I completely agree that we are at great risk. People who have looked at what we can do say that the most important thing is to contact our representatives.
Also, I have been writing short letters to the editor with facts, no outrage, written in a clear, 5th grade level, style. I copied your list of the things that would be affected in the case of digital sabotage. I will put those in a letter to the editor. Thank you.
I live in Trump land. I don't mind alarming a few low-information voters.
We know this. We know all of this. We are in the same nightmare as you.
It is up to all the people who are awake to this situation who must do all the work. There are people who refuse to acknowledge what is happening. I work with some of them. We move forward as a solid resistance tribe without them. We will not let them pull us down.
HCR said in a recent podcast that people who study disinformation have found that although outrage attracts, inspiration attracts at least equally. Look to be inspired. Barbara Mullen inspires me. Others in this forum inspire me. HCR of course. I am inspired not only by what she says, but also by her unmatchable steadiness.
Barbara: did you not see what trump/vance did in person, in the Oval, to Zelenskyy last Fri, 2/28? If not, please find the footage. It is disgusting. . trump/vance hi-jacked Zelenskyy in the most uncalled for, unprofessional and horrific manner with tv cameras rolling. Then they told him to leave, because to their "minds" he wasn't displaying enough gratitude to the US. No deal signed. They made it clear they will no longer provide ANY sort of support for Ukraine. They are taking the US out of NATO. They have totally sold our country out to putin, while simultaneously forcing all our allies to disassociate from us. It won't take much more to make this much more serious. No lectures re "calming down" please.
"HCR said in a recent podcast that people who study disinformation have found that although outrage attracts, inspiration attracts at least equally. Look to be inspired. Barbara Mullen inspires me. Others in this forum inspire me. HCR of course. I am inspired not only by what she says, but also by her unmatchable steadiness."
I sent a scathing message to both of my state senators on Friday evening. Am I to be afraid? As a veteran I'm not, but what I am afraid of, is what these fools are doing to our country and its citizens across the board. This is building to a crescendo of massive protests that won't be ignored, get onboard and link arms. Don't throw sand in the gears.
Heather will be fine and free...as will we ALL...ESPECIALLY if and when we ACT. That was a very reckless statement please do not speak like that again...you have no basis except if you are another TROLL for fear tactics = SEE YOU
Hmmm. Let's disagree thoughtfully and respectfully. Suggesting someone might be a troll and using all caps is counterproductive towards mounting a resistance. We need our tribe.
Barbara, I agree with you, and I tried just above to carefully address how what you had to say related to what I and you have both (along with lots of others) witnessed.
Part of the problem is the structure of Substack. Threads are more than sometimes difficult to assay. Who is being responded to? What IS the thread? Tracking them back and forth is often not easy, When I first read Shauna's comment about 'fine and free' I thought it was directed straight at my comment that I feared for Heather. It is wrong to say so? It IS how I feel! I am acutely aware there ARE 1500 newly pardoned judicially-determined insurrectionists pardoned on our streets and a lot of other unabashed malcontents whose reasonableness is an open question. I had my own life seriously, believably threatened, to my face, by a neighbor. I am frightened by the prospects of untoward events at the coming demonstrations. I witnessed the urban strife in D.C. after King's assassination. I have talked truth to power, and almost always struggled with the anxiety that came before, and certainly haven't gained everything I struggled for and had to cope with that. Shutting up is easy; engaging may have consequences.
Your comment is very confusing. Heather is fine, there are plenty of people speaking out and this kind of speech is alarmist and unnecessary. Let’s be proactive and sensible, lord knows it’s needed.
Thanks, Ally, I did wonder because I do not see Medford, OR, as doing anything like that. The only cultural lights in southern Oregon that I know of are Ashland and Jacksonville. The rest of it I see as outlaw territory. I have not finished my first cup of coffee so not reading closely.
Nope. Massachusetts where I live now that I near 90 and couldn't risk rural living any longer. I hated to leave Maine. I still vote there a and retain my property and woods for the kids and grandkids
Public opinion can be made public by each of us. We can speak up via our flag. We are still free to speak up in our country now.
My upside-down flag indicates my distress over this current administration.
The pardoning of the January 6th convictions on Jan. 20, 2025,
the refusal on Feb. 24, 2025 to vote in the United Nations to condemn Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,
and the disastrous made-for-TV meeting in the Oval Office between the authoritarian-aligned leaders of our not so United States of America and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine on Friday Feb. 28, 2025…
those three actions compel me to display my distress and take a public stand for the sake of my grandchildren’s future. The Court of Public Opinion matters. Silentium est Consensus…
Until he takes our the Military and installs only sycophants who will do as ordered. Damn the Constitution, declare Martial Law against protesters and then…we shall see. We have to fight this hard and fast BEFORE THAT HAPPENS.
I am sorry. I meant when HE says DAMN THE CONSTITUTION (which he has, by the way) and when HE DECLARES MARTIAL LAW against US. That was not clear. I see your confusion. I have to be better expressing.
The point, I think, is that our Constitution provides only one way to stop a president who refuses to obey the law and openly refuses to comply with court decisions. That one way is removal from office through the impeachment process. That has never happened and will certainly not happen with this Congress. In other words, we have our Constitution but to no avail against 77 million Americans with unflagging support for the felon in chief. The only hope is the election of a bullet-proof Democratic legislature in 2026, and that is well beyond unlikely. It would require a miracle. The 77 million comprise a profoundly evil mob that has been carefully engineered over the past 50 years by Republican exploitation of racism in white Americans.
Good people, there's always more than one way to skin a legally harvested critter. There is never an "only one way" and the multiple strategies will, sooner or later, begin to have effect. Every pressure point needs to be worked. No one thing can be relied on. It had helped me to understand that Trump/Vance are failing to follow constitutional procedural requirements. The forefathers never imagined computers could be used as a sledgehammer to fire civil service employees. Because no one not having been a Fed can imagine just how we were expected to function as backbone and stability for an ever-changing administration, scientifically sound and technically grounded workforce in service to America. I went in an academically-oriented historian, poli science guy, and philosopher and came out a planner, futurist, and policy scientist. Go figure. Do you think either, Trumpt Musk, or Vance has any sense. of that reality? That's the way the world has become and recognizing it is the only way we -- might -- retain the best of what we had and aspired to.
In 1968, the janitor's assistant hung the flag upside down. The fire department, the police, and an ambulance were at our school within 10 minutes. I vehemently oppose using the upside down flag as a political statement. It's purpose will become meaningless, as more people want to play Mrs. Alito. I suggest hanging a MAGA flag or trump flag upside down. That would definitely make a statement about our current administration
I'm guessing you're not a sailor or spent much time in or near large water. The upside flag is not an insult. It is a universal sign of distress. Fixing to fly someone else's flag is an assault on them. Expect something bad in return. them.
Pam, Congress, unfortunately, is in the hands of the Rs who are absolutely spineless. My Ds here in Oregon are doing all that they can to help their constituents. Wyden, that smart guy, is skipping the word salad nonsense BS SOTU speech and having a virtual town hall. I sent notice of that to my LMT who wants to participate in all town halls that he can. He is already signed up for one Salinas is having. She, btw, is meeting with all sorts of people and organizations in her district.
I think it would be just dandy if the entire USA population that is still relatively sane could do for Muck and Frump what Vermont did for Shady Vance's ski trip. They provided a masterclass in letting him know they weren't having him in their midst. They basically ran him right out of Sugarbush.
I'd like to think we could run Muck and Frump right out of the Oval Office.
That would be fantastic, but 77 million Americans are standiing the way, and they have the support of the vast majority of fire power, namely both military personnel and law enforcement personnel. To boot, the 77 million own the vast majority of privately-owned assault rifles.
I constantly ask WHY aren’t these DOGE HACKERS into our confidential databases, WITHOUT ANY SECURITY CLEARANCES OR BACKGROUND CHECKS, not summarily ARRESTED? It all is so mind bogglingly INSANE I cannot even Fathom it! And that is only the tippy tip of the spear of what this traitorous REGIME (the whole lot of them, including our GOP Senators and Congressmen/Women and ELON MUSK) are summarily doing to the Government of the USA.
Francine, treason is by intent narrowly defined: giving aid and comfort to the enemy or engaging in war against the United States.
I believe that we will never get a charge of treason against ffpotus because, according to MAGAverse, Russia is no longer an enemy of the United States.
Trump is a traitor phasing military equipment. What now? Impeach, nut that won't happen. Still, there's always Something you can do besides calling reps and senators, protesting, making signs, donating, etc.
Here's a thought I had: What can an ordinary Missourian do about this Oval Office Trump-Vance debacle and America-to-the-world embarrassment?
Here's what I tried--a direct apology to President Zelensky via the Ukraime embassy WDC: Sent email today to Ukraine Embassy WDC, in part (full name and location included) "Attn: The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States of America Subject: Apology to President Zelensky
Dear Madam Ambassador Markarova: On behalf of myself and the majority of American people standing for the freedom of Ukraine, may I request that the following subject apology be forwarded to President Zelensky: Please apologize to President Zelenskyy for the shameful behaviour of President Trump and Vice-President Vance on Feb. 28, 2025. It was a despicable, pre-coordinated setup ambush by two bullies against one courageous man standing tall. Trump and Vance have forever stained the sacred honor of the Oval Office. Thank you. Sincerely, (Ordinary American citizen)" s/s (full name and location, Farmington, MO)
We need to frame this loudly for what it is : a far-right, autocratic takeover. This is indeed the fight for the Soul of America. And the republicans soul-ed us out.
I live in New York State and have been voting in every election for almost 50 years. This year when I went to vote in a special election for Westchester Couny Supervisor, both me and my husband were told we had to do a paper ballot because there was a problem with our signature. Our last name is often mistaken for a Hispanic last name, although it’s actually French. It made me wonder, were we being purged in New York? Odd that both of us were having a signature problem.
Oh NO!! Democrats are ELECTION DENIERS! And we know what Democrats think of election deniers - they are committing treason, destroying our Constitution and shredding our democracy!! Thugs - insurrectionists - traitors!
MLRGRMI you are exactly correct (not “Right”) about this being an autocratic takeover, but I think it is the new form of warfare, not with guns and tanks and bombs but with our government computer systems which are used to directly fire the entire infrastructure of law and order in our country. It is a COUP by the orange autocrat and his billionaire buddies and enablers allowing them to amass even more wealth. We are witnessing war in the 21st century with our own Benedict Arnold giving away the keys to our, now his kingdom!
Unfortunately, I truly believe that the Republicans in the Senate and the Congress I’m being threatened by outside forces. I mean, I could see someone calling up a senator and saying we know where your wife works we know where your children are what school they’re in you better stay the course with Mr. Trump. Trump is a traitor, and at some point the Republicans will have to face that fact that they allowed this man to continue to be a Russian asset on our watch.
During the Civil Rights Movement, people were threatened, beaten, jailed, attacked with dogs and hoses, murdered, and spat on. They still fought against racism, classism, voter suppression, and white supremacy. We can do no differently.
Progress us a verb not a noun. These oligarchs want chaos and a great human suffering for their Great Reset. They may continue to seem all powerful in their murderous state imposed cruelties but eventually all tides of bloodshed turn. Cutting through such a Gordian knot of violence was why the guillotine was created and perceived, at the time, as a merciful solution.
Oh, so you woke up for five minutes in History class? Yeah, good on you!! The cat lady is correct and you use this old and irrelevant factoid to reject everything that has happened in party politics since the 1940’s: “During the twentieth century, America’s two political parties switched positions on civil rights. Democrats, formerly the party of the white South, became the party of northern white liberals and Black voters. Republicans, once the party of emancipation and Reconstruction, became the party of most southern whites. While older research dated this change to the upheavals of the 1960s civil rights era, a new generation of scholarship has emphasized the 1930s and 1940s as the critical period setting this change into motion.”
Get your head out of your ass. You need a history book that doesn’t end in 1940!
Republicans are NOW the party that is selling us out to Putin RIGHT NOW, and you would be wise to pay attention to what is happening now and not lie about what happened 80 years ago, asshole.
It’s OK with me if you want to live in such a deluded space. Learn nothing from history. Learn nothing. Be nothing. Because that’s exactly what you are. You’re nothing.
Janus, when we reach the point you are mentioning as Republicans facing the fact that we have a traitor as president and vice president ,it's going to be too late. There's enough evidence already and the surrender of this country to Russia is happening in front of their eyes and in all fronts. I only hope that in Tuesday's speech in front of Congress and the nation, every decent legislator ,out of their lungs, contradict every lies that comes out of the scumbag president. Every single one of them. Democrats and Republicans. We have to take our country back.
You are a very realistic person Jon. That's a rare commodity in this times. Let's see what's is going to happens. I know it's a great opportunity . The whole world will be watching.
I appreciate the positive take Ricardo. Someone else (not sure in which thread here but there are a LOT of comments today!) implied that I was a "white-Christian-cisgender-straight-$$resourced-ablebodied man" :-).
For the record I am white, and cisgender straight (for the most part!) male but definitely NOT Christian (atheist), nor $$resourced (living on Social Security) and have never been all that "ablebodied" either LOL.
Oh well, everyone will have an opinion, I guess that is the way of the substacks :-).
All you need to do Jon is clarify once, and you just did. From now on just be yourself and keep checking on reality and legality of all the crazy comments popping up on occasions. I enjoy reading your mature replays and comments.
What is likely to happen is there will be cat calls from individual democrats but not repubs. They have already been blackmailed and threatened with primary if they step out of line by you know who. And that person should be taken for a Don Corleone ride.
Exactly right Bill but we should expect and demand from democrats to double up the volume and to call every lie coming out of the scumbag president mouth. It's going to be a long show but it doesn't matter, the world will be watching and realizing that we the people are fighting back.
Ricardo, as I mentioned, one of my Senators, Wyden, is doing a virtually town hall instead. I do hope those Ds that are there do lots of booing. Maybe a lot of you lie.
Maybe if they get divided in groups,say, 25 each an take turns they might last about two hours before having to call an otorinonaringologyst MD for emergency treatment. Funny Michele 😁
Would they rather be threatened by Putin? They are getting $200,000/yr to do nothing? They took the job. They need to stand up for the American people!
This is another problem that needs to be resolved:
I will not be like Barbara Mullen and scold others about what they are allowed to post, but I will suggest that two forms of wasted keystrokes are "impeachment" and "Article 25."
The U.S. Government has been repopulated with spineless sycophants who will never, under any circumstance, use the tools at their disposal to save the nation.
Dale, thank you. People should be allowed to post without being scolded nonstop. My own feeling is that all those pulling the strings will use their puppet as long as they can. I even think they will hide his death for as long as possible unless it happens in public.
Vance may be a jerk, but he does not have the same hold on the cult as death star. He does test always which way the wind is blowing and he is n Thiel's pocket.
Clearly, you haven't come to terms on how and who makes Article 25 a viable route under the present circumstances, unless it's been thoroughly rewritten recently . . .
They may not have to threaten now that they are taking hold of all the computers and will control voting machines and voting totals that they conjure up. We are ceding all the years of hard work, the lives of the heroes that fought so many wars for our freedoms to a ragtag bunch of criminals who need to be removed and dare I say it, punished.
Elections are run by the states, and each county operates their elections with local people. Elmo is really mucking things up, but he is far away still from “they are taking hold of all the computers and will control voting machines and voting totals that they conjure up.”
The "you will be primaried" threats are real and have been publicly issued. But the funds to carry out the threats will not be Musk's. He will fund the primaries with taxpayer dollars he embezzled through DOGE. "OPM" (Other People's Money) is the favorite currency of "investors" like Musk.
Reports are circulating about threats to Republicans who don’t support trump policies/ nominees. If true, that’s sad, even if they did put themselves in that position by supporting a narcissistic criminal. Regardless, any elected official more worried about their personal safety than the safety of the country, needs to resign immediately. Save themselves while saving the country. Time is running out.
Janis. It’s all too scary. But republicans need to stand up and do their job, they made an oath. How do we support them so their life and families are not in danger.
I could believe that, except the Democrats have lived with that very scenario for nine years, and they are all still here. The Red Necktie Party is complicit.
I wouldn't hold my breath on that. Impeachment is really difficult as it requires 2/3 of the Senate and in case you haven't noticed, that would require 20+ GOP Senators to go along with impeachment. I think we would be hard pressed to get 2 let alone 20. And the 25th amendment route is worse. It requires 2/3 of BOTH houses to support an ouster. I think we all need to do what Carville said today in the NYT which is settle back and let the GOP destroy themselves as they often do. Then we can come in and pick up the pieces.
I just hope there will be enough pieces left to pick up.
The economic blackout on Friday was just a start. We need to buy local only and grow our own food or buy it at farmer's markets.
Walmart and Amazon need to suffer. Jeff Bezos has gone to the dark side and the Walton family continues to fuck over their workers and their customers.
We need to reach out to rural America showing them that Trump doesn't care about them or their economic well being. Shutting down USAid and threatening tariffs is going to cost farmers, ranchers and fishermen big time. Also, deporting migrant farm workers is going to be inflationary and cause crops to rot in the fields and orchards.
I have friends in upstate NY who are farmers - they are very distressed at the removal of climate and weather forecasting data - as they relied on this to plan the next season's crops. Apparently there is a lawsuit going forward.
I live among farmers. In addition to calling my representatives - which I just did, asking them to investigate reports that our cybersecurity agency has been told to overlook Russian cyberthreats - I am writing short and respectful letters to the editor giving facts, such as the facts in your post, Gary. I get a lot of my facts from these comments. We keep up the pressure.
Fact checking is not easy. A lot of "facts" are tossed around on these pages that strike me as highly suspect. I only speak to the most obvious misunderstandings that are easy to identify. Be very cautious.
I have also not seen any reporting about the so-called "Economic Blackout Day." My guess is that it's because there was nothing to report because it had no impact. On Bill Maher's show last Friday, columnist Fareed Zakaria equated it to "a day of interpretive dance."
As I have stated before, one-day protests are not effective. Neither is signing online petitions. In fact, any protest that does not cost or inconvenience the protester is a waste of time. To be effective boycotts must be massive, and sustained or permanent.
I had a Xitter* account a long time ago, but it was hacked and I was able to get it disabled. Never missed it. I have since set up a Blue Sky account, but I rarely log onto it because the format isn't user-friendly.
Facebook is harder to ditch. It is a way for family, friends and acquaintances who aren't especially close to keep in touch without picking up the phone every day. Unfortunately, I can't dump Facebook because I make posts there on behalf of my clients who pay me to do that.
There is an addiction factor with all social media, encouraged by algorithms designed to keep users engaged. The longer one continues scrolling, the more ads ("boosted posts") one is exposed to, which is how the social media owner makes his millions.
*The "X" in Xitter is pronounced the same as in Xi Jinping's name. 😜
I view the economic blackout day as a wake-up call to not purchase goods at Amazon, Walmart, The Home Depot--EVER!
When you buy 100 items at the grocery store, do you ever go to your local supermarket and buy the exact same items in the same quantity. Of course not. Walmart especially knows this. You may save money on several items, but overall do you really save money. And do you know if Walmart is ripping off their suppliers?
Trump is only interested in helping make the oligarchs richer and the Waltons are the richest family in the US.
And I read the economic blackout didn't have much affect, so we need to change our buying habits and help out the local stores whenever we can.
As always, I ask politely and respectfully, what do you see as "illegal" in this "takeover" as you put it? The people voted. They elected Trump, by more votes than he won in 2016. Were there some illegal votes? probably, but very very unlikely that enough illegal votes happened in enough states to swing the election... too many people would have had to be "in on the fix" and SOME of them would surely have decided to rebel by now. Yes, they used some terrible tactics to push voters to vote for them but it doesn't change the fact that very few (if any) laws were directly violated. Putting out false statements in elections goes back easily 100 or more years, maybe to the beginning of the republic. So that is hardly grounds to overturn an election just because we don't like the result.
So PLEASE help me understand what FACTS you can point to that this was an "illegal takeover" as you put it. We can hate that our side lost and that we may have done really stupid things (like who we chose as our candidates and when) but it doesn't rise to making the last election an illegal takeover.
Until people settle themselves with this fact, that the election, as awful as its outcome was, is the way we have chosen our Presidents for 224 years, we are never going to have constructive dialog about how to fix it.
Its sad, tragic even, but it is reality. And ignoring reality is the easiest way to delude yourself into doing dangerous things.
Trump is not our legal president. The tabulators show an algorithmic hack. Watch the videos. There were nearly 5 million LEGAL votes that were purged. They would have gone to Harris. She would have won.
Musk is ILLEGALLY firing/dismantling agencies that Congress set up & voted for. That is ILLEGAL. That is how Trump got his first impeachment- impounding funds already allocated.
Musk is an unelected person and is illegally into our private information.
Musk came here and worked ILLEGALLY. According to Trump’s “rules” he should be deported.
Musk has a conflict of interest. He has businesses that are being funded by our government and he is making decisions that affect his businesses.
For example: the FCC fined his spaceship program after it crashed. So he fired the head of the FCC that fined him & told him he would have to answer to the FCC. He has done that with multiple agencies.
The problem with the "whine" that Trump is not our legal President is that it plays just as poorly as Trump's whine that Biden wasn't our legal President. I expect you were quite comfortable with Biden being our legal President. Please show me ANY real evidence you have that Trump is NOT. You will have a difficult time because there isn't any. He was voted on and won both the popular vote and the electoral vote. "The tabulators" that you quote are at best the same kind of half-cocked hacks as the right-wing-nut media was which alleged that we stole the 2020 election from Trump. The voting process was monitored by each individual state. There is NOTHING ANYWHERE that proves that any of the state election processes were corrupt.
Your allegations that the votes "would have gone to Harris" are also half-baked at best. We have elections which determine the outcome. You can't say "but those votes SHOULD have been different". They weren't. Unless you have REAL evidence (not half-cocked stupid allegations) that the elections were rigged (and I have seen NONE so far, certainly no more than was alleged in 2020 that the elections were rigged against Trump), you are not entitled to much credence.
Some of the Musk allegations have merit and they are being argued in court. That is the way we do things in this country. Deal with it.
Just for the record, this kind of angst is not new. When Kennedy and then Johnson were presidents in the 60s, the GOP had just as many complaints against the Dems as we do against the GOP now. Ditto in the 50s when the GOP and McCarthy did the same against the Dems. Politics has always had people screaming "end of the earth is near" and yet we are still standing.
Please, calm down, take sstock and start working to turn the tables in 2026. You will live longer too, without all that stress.
Just kidding, I have a lot of stress too, but letting it eat you alive isn't going to help.
I don’t think so. How can you say that with the protests? The angry constituents at the Townhalls. The thousands of angry phone calls to their representatives?
Carville's suggestion is utterly, jaw-droppingly self-centered and borderline eugenic. Yes, white-Christian-cisgender-straight-$$resourced-ablebodied men have the luxury of taking that path, but only if they choose not to care about anyone out side said group. No one else does.
What is going to work? That's the question. People are going to suffer. Timothy Snyder, autocracy expert, has said that from the beginning. And people who are suffering can rarely take action. So, it is up to us. We take care of our mental health, and we keep the heat on our representatives. Call, write every day. Take care of yourself so that we can keep this up.
Anne B, if you hadn’t noticed, mental health treatment is precisely one of those parts of healthcare already hobbled and diminished by private, for-profit health insurance companies which has been even further gutted by recent defundings!
Maybe, if we (Dems) can rally the passion and votes & take back the House and Senate in 2026, perhaps we have a chance to make it so. Not just impeach in the House, but also CONVICT in the Senate.🤞
Barbara, the way what's left of the republican party is acting is not as any normal political party that needs to winn elections to stay in power to complete and keep their ideological and economical programs. Its as they don't care . And that's very scary to say the least. I strongly doubt we'll have a midterm election and the lower the approval numbers for the traitor scumbag president the less chances of an election.
Which is why the special elections in Florida on April 1st are SO critical !!! We have to focus on those if we are to have any chance of holding off the Nazis.
The threat is now. It is immediate. There are a few encouraging signs but House and Senate Democrats need to take every step at their disposa[ to intercede in the Constitution Coup that is taking place before our very eyes.
The most important thing we can do right now is retake the House seats that have been vacated by Republicans. Musk is pouring money into their campaigns, but hopefully we can stop him by urging Democrats and Independents in those districts to vote.
Exactly what I've been shouting!! April 1st is the date for 2 special House elections in Florida. We ALL need to focus on those - NOW!!! We need to get every registered Dem in these districts to the polls for these elections. That would create a virtual tie in the House, and gum up the works until the '26 mid-terms. We HAVE to do this!!!
I agree its important. But not to the exclusion of the Dems showing they have the backbone to do everything in their power to delay and shut down ton the destruction of the Civil Service and the veto of Congresssional authority for defining agencies and budget appropriations. The power of perse is their and Musk/Trump are usurping it.
I’d like to be hopeful, Barbara, but according to Heather’s information about Russia’s cyber-hold over the US, by 2026 they will be up to their cyber-elbows into US election interference.
Where are the 🇺🇸 Cybersecurity Superheroes when we need them?
At the start of the Ukraine war hundreds of hackers around the world hacked into Russian military and corporate systems. Hopefully they are still out. Even if our government stops securing our networks, private hackers across the US can continue to hack into Russian networks. The Ukrainians are also very good at hacking Russian phones, networks, etc. And what they have accomplished with their drone technology is amazing.
Are the police departments in Russia being targeted since they rule with an iron thumb in so many locations? There have been stories about recruiting centers across Russia being bombed. We need to encourage our allies to step up the fight.
It doesn't help to have the corporate media rail on and on about how the Democrats are doing nothing and that they have no leader. That's total bullshit.
There are dozens of extremely active Democrats that are guests on Progress Radio and hundreds of podcasts.
I spoke to a very passionate never Trumper yesterday who spends hours each day on Facebook and X bashing Trump and all of the MAGAs. She had never heard of Substack or Heather Cox Richardson or some of the others I mentioned.
Does Substack advertise anywhere? Who get's their profits and what do they do with them?
I had this same question a few days ago, so I searched. Best I can tell, Substack doesn't advertise outside its own channel, but rather depends on referrals.
This isn't the strategy I would use to increase audience, but I'm not sure a larger audience is the owners' goal. I guess they're getting what they want out of it. A reasonable person might ask himself, "How many millions could I spend for the remainder of my lifetime?" Of course, Zuck, Elon et al are not reasonable people.
Yes that is probably the BEST hope although winning enough seats in the Senate is highly problematical. In 2026 there will be 21 GOP Senators up for election and we would be to win every one of those seats plus keep the 12 we already have that is highly improbable. But it us the best chance we have of any immediate change m
Better, if we can just win a few more seats in both houses we can at least start to keep Trump somewhat in check (maybe). But the challenge will be great.
I heard the other day that in 2025 there are 100,000 elections. We have one in our town on Tuesday where 3 candidates are running for select person. I know one of them is a Democrat, but what if one of others is a Trump supporter and brings his BS into local politics.
Vote in EVERY election you can to rebuild the Democrat coalition.
Barbara, I sadly fear we have even more immediate threat to even THAT vote for midterm elections with the multiplying efforts to suppress voting with tools like the SAVE Act:
Except that things have moved so fast since January 20 that it will all be over by that time with agencies gutted, services bottoming up an world security dissolving before our eyes . . .
Jon, I appreciate Carville's honesty and often agree with him, but not when the "pieces" left over by the GOP when they self-destruct may be microscopic, even atom- sized. Among all recent Presidents, Trump is far and away the loosest cannon we have ever had with his finger on the nuke button. And it sounds like Europe is a more likely target for him than Russia. As an American expatriate living in Italy, I, well, y'know....
But David, why limit your talk of tRump as a loose cannon when he is visibly and on multiple occasions out to overturn the government in the USA! He is an overfed version of Benedict Arnold, not just a loos cannon. Given the evidence that we’re at war in a 21st century conflict, he is a treasonous traitor!
Please forgive me John. In this situation, understatement is a vice. Trump is the treasoniest of treasonous traitory treacherous traitors. May he roast in Hell!
We can start the process of both the Impeachment and removal and the 25th amendment. We may not get there, but at least they will know we are freaking serious.
"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
And there is the problem. With Trump "owning" the executive branch of government which includes "all civil officers" other than judges and a few legislative jobs that aren't the Congress critters themselves, Trump effectively owns the entire reins of power in the US. He owns the military, the judicial officers except the judges, virtually all the executive agencies. That is the way our government is set up. That probably isn't "optimal" by any means, but it IS the way we constructed our government and trusted to good faith on all sides that no one would step outside the guardrails.
Now that that has happened (stepped? more like trompled all over them!) the rest of us are really at a loss. There is virtually no way to remove all the officers of the government legally. Even if we managed (highly unlikely as it is) to impeach Trump and maybe even Vance, there is Mike Johnson ready to pick up the reins. And the rest of the succession runs right through a cabinet of billionaires and crazies like RFK.
In some ways, Trumps insane approach to cabinent appointments makes a lot of weird sense. If you put into the line of succession a bunch of nut cases and people with zero understanding or affinity for democracy, you radically reduce your chances of being assassinated because the replacement(s) would be far worse.
And that is where we are today. Which continually brings me to the position I have taken (which sadly doesn't resonate well with others here) which is that we have to buckle up and batten down the hatches and prepare for a brutally cold "winter of our discontent".
In the mean time, we need to prepare for the mid-term elections. Will they happen? I have no idea, but most of what has happened in the past 4 years is as a result of NOT being ready, and then letting a wave of opposition wash over us. We can't afford that now. We must be ready to take advantage of every possible opening we get, and there won't be many.
Indeed, we missed many opportunities to effectively fight current outcomes. We sure need to be ready to maximize opportunities as they come. Is the majority really the underdog here, or are we not fully tapping our own inherent collective power?
I am still not really convinced we are the "majority". At the same time, I don't for a second believe the Trump faction is. I think we as a country are very splintered, and our two-party system makes that more difficult. At least in many European countries like UK and Germany, multi-party democracies are well-known and understood. Not so here in American where we have been a mostly two-party system since our independence.
Right now, I think there is a plurality for Trump (about 35% of the country) and another group for Democrats (about 35% also) and a neutral group accounting for about 30%.
The worrying thing is of course that Trump is going to do everything he can to rupture the country in ways we have never seen before. Just today I saw that he is planning to put special "counsel" in each department reporting directly back to the White House. Thus, he will have more control over every department than any past President ever attempted. But there is nothing illegal about that except in possibly a very few specially mandated departments. THe courts will have to weigh in on that.
But for the moment, he is going to be able to do a LOT of crap that we can't do much about.
That's why my focus is on 2026. Yes, it might turn out to be useless, but in that case, this country is in REALLY serious trouble (well, we are anyway, but you know what i mean!).
In the meantime, there will be a lot of pain. I am saddened by that, but this country has experienced serious pain many times in the past. This is not new, its just startling to us right now.
Settle back, and keep the heat on. Call or write or both - all 3 reps - today. "I understand that our cybersecurity agency has been told not to look at Russian cyberthreats. Is this true?"
LOL. I've been working in and on elections for over 50 years. I have done PLENTY of "acting" over that time. I have sympathy for hating the results of this election, but there is no evidence that the election was corrupt. It was highly influenced, that is true. Propaganda has taken a much too great a position in our recent elections and maybe if we survive we will need to fix that. But as for actual election corruption, I see no evidence of it and nor does any serious follower of elections. Your sources are weak at best and mostly just spouting their own ignorance. That is fine if you want to follow that nonsense, but I don't think you gain any credibility by doing that.
I don['t like what the GOP is doing to our country any more than you do, but I also recognize that there are limits to what we can do. Unless you really want an armed coup (which I believe is doomed to fail anyway) all we have is our public credibilty, and I think you do more to damage yours by spouting nonsensical conspiracy theories than you gain.
I am a computer expert too and I see no actual evidence of vote fraud. Yes there have been attempts to manipulate via less and distortions but for the most part that is protected by free speech. Maybe it shouldn't be and we can discuss the merits of bringing new cases to get more controls in place, but that is NOT the same as actual vote fraud. These guys(and gals) you point to have NOT provided any credible evidence that ballot boxes and vote totals were manipulated. Everything they have alleged is not proven
In our country we expect proof before we act. Please remember that.
I am not doing anything Carville says to do ! Roll over ? Play Dead ? And let the Republicans destroy themselves ? We don’t have that luxury now that we know how low Trump and Vance will go !
Heather has laid out a compelling history of Trump's actions as a Russian asset. We are now seeing that Trump's minions are disabling all of the government infrastructure to combat Russian disinformation. At this moment in time, each of us has to share this on every media outlet we can, including X. We also need to get out and protest in the streets.
I worry about Heather's safety and, in fact, all of ours. But with the Russian gloating I also worry that US media will be compromised across the board in short order. The full story will not be reported. We need to act now and get it out there.
Georgia you have a very clear view of that situation this country and it's people are going through. It's really not easy to accomplish such a clarity in such a fluidity. Had someone fallen asleep January 20th and awakening up today, won't recognize anything around, it would be totally confusing. It would be like awakening in a different country.
Georgia, I like what you've written here. My belief is that what this administration is doing with its actions towards Russia are absolutely eliminating Russia as an enemy of the United States, and instead giving it "favored nation" status. Abandoning NATO, the fiasco in the Oval Office, and now, the actions of ceasing our view that Russia is a cybersecurity risk taken by Hegseth all point to the removal of Russia as an enemy state.
Republicants will not get rid of any of this. This is what they have been working for for 40 or more years. Utter chaos, and the end of Democracy. Because they can't extract enough profit off of poor people to satisfy their needs for gold. They don't give a crap about Americans, they just want to extract enough money from the little people to enlarge their wealth.
Jill, rephrasing previous comments I've made, to focus on Republicans is to focus on the sledgehammer rather than the demolitionists who are swinging it.
You are correct to note the effort has been going on for decades. I suggest that it began in the 1950s, when American affluence was on the rise. With it came a high level of materialism, secularism and sexual liberation. These new freedoms were anathema to the repression of evangelicalism. Religious conservatives felt their heavy influence on U.S. culture slipping away. Alarmed, evangelicals began searching for a strategy to reclaim their power.
In the 1960s, white Republican operatives also saw their power over politics waning as the population became more ethnically diverse and white women deferred or rejected childbearing. The GOP recognized that white evangelicals were a powerful voting bloc, being less educated and easily influenced.
An alliance was formed between these two minority groups that sought power and control. Over the following years, evangelicals and Republicans used each other to increase and maintain their power.
More recently, technology moguls such as Curtis Yarvin and Peter Thiel developed a world-view holding that technocracy could – and should – replace other forms of governance, including democracy. They, having lots of money, and Republicans, willing to be bought, formed a new alliance.
Now, the Theo Bros and the Tech Bros control the Republican Party. Since the two groups share a common lust for power, they can act as allies. But it remains to be seen whether their opposing beliefs will allow them to coexist. My money says there will be a showdown, but I am not willing to wager on the winners.
Well, parts of it are true, but other parts simply don't hold up. The true part of is the power of the Powell memo of 1971 and the capture of the Court by the Federalist Society (though not mentioned) and the crushing effect of the decision which decreed that money is speech. Inexorably, political activity has been shaped accordingly, because Repubs. have more of it. Add to that the transformation of human discourse (VERY broadly defined)as a consequence of technological innovations, I strongly question whether Facebook, Twitter, and the near universal saturation of cell phones in our lives is a net positive in improving our lives. If you spend any time looking at Dem pitches for funds you cannot but come to the idea that the underlying drivers rest on fear and loathing as well as structured by Act Blue in ways designed to encourage donation mistakes. For three four year cytles since 2016 I have paid close attention to these Dem fund-raising criticisms only yo fall on deaf ears. That's on us!
As an afterthought regarding Yarvin's fever-dream, I suggest that you find an outlet where you can watch the TV series, "Person of Interest." Pay special attention to "Samaritan," the AI entity that was built to "correct" the world, and the effects of its being in league with an uber-wealthy megalomaniac. It aired from 2011-2016, but is a relevant cautionary tale for our day.
This has all been said before. The current rrgime in power has carried out a successful
coup and replaced a legitimate government with an illegitimate one. Therefore our laws and rules as well as morals do not apply here any longer.Impeach him, he won't go. File any number of federal lawsuits, it won't help, they will be challenged and never get to court. If our Senate, Congress and Federal Court can not get rid of the Muskrat , someone who has never been elected to anything , has cart blanch to single handedly walk into our Federal Institutions with his Gang of Geeks and dismantle them ... WHY would we think another election could alter anything. After last week and the final explosion on Friday,I agree with Carville, they will wreck themselves. I do not , however agree with the settleing back.This may be the time for subversion . Who has national clout, who has been offended and disposed of, who understand fully all elements of a coup. Who defines it's charge as apolitical. WE need to get the regime out. We need to watch, perhaps utilise some of their strategies, gather,talk plan, create diversions, figure who best to align with and when.
Lou-AND we need savvy media. It’s not just Fox-they have numerous radio stations, websites, think tanks, religious figures, educators, podcasts and so much more all blasting the same messages and lies.
It is like our country is run by a bunch of toddlers in a glassware shop. They run around wildly, and do not recognize that by breaking things they are endangering themselves too. I guess the Kremlin is totally hacked into Trump and everything he does, as well as Musk and everyone else. Can the south expect power to go out in the heat of the summer? Can the north expect the heating to go off in the cold of the winter? What else?
Then we will hear more about the collective after the Thursday meeting that includes more nations. This was a smaller emergency meeting. I had heard a discussion of releasing 200 billion € to fund Ukraine, and we will hear more about collective funding then.
Right now with Germany between governments and Scholz attending but Merz taking over, we are not going to hear what Germany commits until Germany has a budget and can figure out how they are going to finance the military spending, be it by saying emergency need to raise the budget limit, or by saying we will cut social programs. That is going to be the big issue there.
According to a friend who I was talking with when we were out on Friday, he read that if Europe collectively funds a military they will each need about 1.3% of GDP to raise what is needed. Not sure about that, or where these figures came from, but I believe many countries (not Hungary) are willing to commit more money to defense for Ukraine, for national defense and for collective defense.
You have a better understanding on European sentiment. I believe but I ask you will they commit troops to save Ukraine? Arms are no longer enough. Russia is ready to collapse. Of course Trump May eve lift embargos against Russia. But the Europeans must now be all in or going half way out work. They can no longer relay on the US. At least until the Trump era ends.
Bill, I can only speak about Germany, and there I do not know. I wrote an article about it. Germany has committed troops on the ground to Estonia permanently, so that is 6000. We were discussing that the EU might need 300,000 troops without the US. Right now they cannot all come from Germany because Germany does not have that many in total.
Here is my musings on who will support what if Merz come in. His biggest challenge as chancellor will be to get people behind funding war, a possible draft, and switching funding priorities. That is a tall measure for someone who has not track record on leading.
Imagine a country where the people have internalized that they are not supposed to make war, not have a military, and not lead in any military conflict, just go along to get along. That is 4 generations that have internalized these rules over the last 80 years, and frankly, everyone in Europe, perhaps especially Russia, has been happy about that.
Now, suddenly Germans need to switch, and that is not going to be so easy. There is discussion of reinstalling the draft and that it would be male and female. That would include my daughter, who is also American. A neighbor in Chicago's son in Israel is doing military duty and through the entire war he has been sitting behind a computer. So, don't know whether that would be what my asthmatic daughter would be doing or something else. If we seem like there is going to be an expanded war, and not peacekeeping troops, then I am going to insist on getting training too. No one wants to be at home in their city, town or village and have troops march upon them with no way to defend themselves.
There is a meeting on Thursday of European countries and I think we will hear more after that. I will try to write something up. This is my revised piece on Germany and war, because all of us are thinking about Russia expanding beyond Ukraine ultimately.
From the beginning, and the beginning was the breakup of the Soviet Union, the idea that it was perfectly fine to expand NATO east to protect countries from what— the Soviet Union that no longer existed? There is much confusion around this. NATO is defensive only but to Russia why be defensive now that Russia was joining the Europeans. Well as we know, Yeltsin was a drunken clown as the first president of Russia who allowed a dictator tyrant in the making to advance. His biggest mistake. History is filled with such mistakes. And at the time I ruminated that this nato expansion was not necessarily a good idea. Then when the Maiden revolution hit and the US was reportedly a little behind the scenes, well you get it. I don’t support tyrants but one could foresee this happening. But it’s all water over the dam. Now Ukraine must be saved if for no other reason to put a check on Putin. He is a tragic figure in history a tragedy of his own making. If Europeans do not come to the aid of Ukraine there will be bell to pay. Either way, hell will be paid. Only question which will cost more.
I think that the idea of the EU is that it is united and therefore cannot be broken up just because there are disagreements. It seems that there are rules for belonging that Hungary disregards. I would say that of Slovakia as well. The entire EU package for Ukraine is in danger of being blocked by Hungary and Slovakia. As far as I am concerned both of those countries can have the heave ho. They have had long enough to get rid of these cretins that rule them.
However, they will not be just chucked out. That will take time. Right now, there is going to be a discussion of including Ukraine in the EU as a help for them economically and in other ways. This will increase their security too, but not like if they were members of NATO. However, Hungary will probably try to milk this for all it is worth. That is still the problem. Slovakia might too.
Don't know if it is so straightforward to include Ukraine in the EU though. First of all there is the fact that it has been notoriously corrupt. Secondly, if they were to keep their territories with all those Russians in the Donbas region and Crimea, then they would have a bunch of illiberal and compromised voters in each election. Russia has such a huge influence on Europe just by virtue of their hacking, disinformation campaigns in social media and bot accounts which the less savvy people pay attention to without question, that it is a constant struggle to have elections without their influence. The west should spend much more time and energy on influencing Russian in return.
Here is a recommendation to Fast Track Ukraine being admitted into the EU. What to do about Hungary and Slovakia though?
It certainly looks like treason to me. I do not know when or if the Republicans in Congress will grow a spine and take back their power. If they don’t and we are fortunate enough to have elections again, I do not see how they can win. But maybe that is the point. Trump is giving the Russians a pass so that they can further erode our democracy by having a free pass to spread even more lies on social media.
Check out Craig Unger’s substack. He is just one author that has done his research on Trump’s ties with Russians. Much of laundering through property sales.
''Shortly after the election, a newspaper reporter asked Nikolai Patrushev, who is close to Putin, if Trump’s election would mean “positive changes from Russia’s point of view.” Patrushev answered: “To achieve success in the elections, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations. And as a responsible person, he will be obliged to fulfill them.”''
We elected a gangster régime. Like those of Hitler and Mussolini, many of the educated élite are flocking to this criminal entreprise for senior posts. Like Stalin's régime, however, there are plenty of uneducated thugs around to do the dirty work. 💔
On Ukraine, that minerals deal was scheiße; relegating Ukraine to the status of a carcass to be picked apart by salivating jackals. It recalls the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact carving up Poland like a Christmas turkey. 🤢
Not going to happen, Susan! Question now is how much will pro Trump misinformation, dismantling of all that Heather has advised us on today, have an effect on American voters, and where? Participate in whatever and wherever with whomever you can!
And there you have it…we are now under the Putin regime. That 19 year old has Russian ties, as I understand it. This is so much like the FX series, “The Americans” where Russians infiltrated our country by posing as regular Americans but were spying on our people in government. The series focused on one couple who were hired assassins. They were told they had to produce children and then those children would eventually be told what their parents did for a living. Nothing like indoctrinating your kids, right? It isn’t fantasy because this story was based on real-life incidences. So be careful because you might not really know your neighbors even though you think you do! Still fighting the good fight. Went to a Tesla showroom yesterday with others to protest against the company and Musk. Felt good to do something!
Trump uttered the horrifying words himself during that fateful Friday attack on Ukraine 🇺🇦 “…you will be starting World War III” (Trump projects into others what HE will do!).
No, we are not under a Putin regime Marlene. If we were you would have been arrested at the Tesla showroom. You would not be posting on this site. Please stop making such declarations. While it might feel good to write such a dramatic opener for a comment such statements actually play into what they want you to believe and say.
"You're gonna have to fight like hell, or you're not gonna have a country anymore." Words by the Convicted Orange Felon, that, ironically, you're going to have to live by. Otherwise, it won't be much more than a few months and you'll be arrested for posting "Slava Ukraini" on Xitter or Facebook. Already, campaigns outing criticism against Muskolini are banned from Facebook... They will install a "ministry of truth" faster than you can say the word "unconstitutional".
Barbara, I am not making any assumptions or declarations. I do not comment to see how many people read what I have expressed as you have indicated as a “dramatic opener”. My own parents were Holocaust victims so I certainly know what I am talking about and how things started. Please, we are on these sites so that we can intelligently converse with others. What you did was insult me and it is not appreciated.
Yep, hate to say “I told you so”, but I said it before: if Trump is reelected, America is lost, because the US will simply be a vassal state of Russia. Now the question is: how many weeks do we still have here in Europe, before Putin orders his orange puppet to use the American military to invade us?
A question: If Trump and Reps withdraw us from NATO, what happens to our 100,000 troops stationed in Germany? Do they once again become an occupying force as they were in 1946, with Russia once again advancing from the East to meet them on Berlin?
One does. It is not clear from reading press that ANY of the doge crew went through standard hiring process: background check, clearances (for all of them), maybe even a drug pee test? Elmo himself is a self professed recreational druggie, google ‘musk smokes weed in podcast interview.’ Most times, civil service interviewees would be disqualified for this blatant conduct, am I right? Your long haul trucker is cleaner than most of these doofuses.
Recall in the first days, they showed visitor badges, were accompanied by ‘security,’ and only presented first names when ripping the place apart.
The fox is now inside the chicken coup. The goal of causing America to collapse is coming clearly into view … a goal Putin and Trump share (easily explained when you understand Trump’s psychology… as psychologist Dr Bandy Lee has been working to help the public understand for many years, despite her professional association trying to block her work).
I will say again what I have been saying for days now. Trump is an enemy of the state and must be charged with treason. If there is no one who can formally bring that charge because the authority is taken away by the GOP, then Trump must be tried in the court of public opinion! This is our red alert moment! This is the Titanic is about to hit the iceberg moment! I don’t know what more needs to be said, it is time for action to be taken. If all else fails, the American people need to surround Washington and peacefully remain there for as many months as it takes to make it clear to the world we refuse to go down without a fight. 👊🇺🇸
Thanks for commenting, Barbara. My only advice to people is think in terms of asymmetrical warfare. We cannot fight them on their preferred field of battle. We will lose if we do. That is why I imagine 10 million Americans peacefully surrounding Washington DC for however many months it takes to make it clear we won’t let them win. That would be part of a national strike, of course. The weapon we have is how we spend our money. They cannot force us to spend what they need us to spend. I wish Dr. King was alive to guide us in this direction.
I wish to could be there daily w/ my small sign…but, alas, I live nearly 3,000 miles west in a very rural area, so not on my dance card. We do have gatherings/protests, but they are small, but passionate!
Steve- Here's a word from Dr. King from his book, Where Do We Go from Here:
"The stability of the large world house which is ours will involve a revolution of values to accompany the scientific and freedom revolutions engulfing the earth. We must rapidly begin to shift from a 'thing'-oriented society to a 'person'-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered. A civilization can flounder as readily in the face of moral and spiritual bankruptcy as it can through financial bankruptcy".
If 10 million Americans peacefully surround Washington DC, they are not going to shoot 10 million of us. Peaceful protest worked for Gandhi and Dr. King even though in both movements, the protesters were attacked. Ultimately their numbers were so great that they were victorious.
We already have. They have complete control now. The Courts won't matter. They can't run government if Trump is determined to destroy it and Congress won't imprach him. The plot must therefore run its course. We can only choose to live with the consequences or determine to exploit them. There will be opportunities.
Steve - After Trump’s aliamce with Putin on Friday to attack Zelenskyy/Ukraine/(Europe), I wrote my US Congresspeople to urge them to demand that Trump resign since he is an obvious Allie of Russia and traitor to the United States. Why aren’t there marches and noise and protests for Trump to resign? It was never so obvious as it was on Friday.
I do not know why there was not an immediate nationwide uproar with people pouring out into the streets. I’ve been working on my own asymmetrical warfare plans, but now feel I need to check in with that organization called indivisible to see what they are doing.
I agree, Steve Brant. I belong to Indivisible, too. I am 80 years old, don't drive at night, and am no longer able to march, but my brain, mouth, and hands still work and I am not liking the idea of dying in a dictatorship.
Diane, I’ve posted a link to this Jackson Browne’s song here a number of times…maybe time again…it’s become my “fight song”, albeit one from the mid-80’s! Til I Go Down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmzimxfqgfw. I was bereft that Jimmy Carter, who voted for Harris/Walz did not live to see them inaugurated—something his son (I think it was he) said his dad fervently hoped for. Next time!!!! Til then, I’ll keep swinging “my chain” whatever form it may take! 🗽🇺🇸💪🏼☮️
We need to repeat 1/6/21 and have it be peaceful. And stay there. Our local indivisible group is having a March 4th march . My sign STOP PUTIN/TRUMP USA COUP!
But you know, Sheila, he’ll use that excuse, peaceful or not, to bring out the Nat’l Guard, maybe even US Armed Forces, to forcefully shut it down (think Kent State)…I shudder at his cruelty.
Brandy Lee is a questionable source in my opinion but Trump's niece Mary, who is a PhD psychologist with a front row seat on Donald's life years ago called him "The most dangerous person in the world." That seemed like an exaggeration then but not now. Follow Mary on Substack.
If he is, that because Americans have made him so. And the necessary corrollary to that is that Americans are the most dangerous people in the world. Which holds because its leaders have the most nuclear weapons at their disposal and the best among them. There are plenty more men like Donald Trump in America. He was just the one most advantaged to succeed in appealing to the rest. Mary Trump could have spoken up sooner and more publicly. She did not we must assume, out of fear. Maybe the thing that scares her the most is his ability to exploit her weaknesses. It has been reported that Donald drove his older brother to drink himself to death.
Yes, there are plenty of ultra-wealthy men influencing the Republican leaders about the merits of destroying our democracy. I’m not a psychologist; however, all of these men—Trump, Musk, Yarvin, Voight, Vance,Thiel, etc…, seem to be completely lacking in empathy. I think they are like other ruthless dictators in that they don’t care if the masses live or die. Not good leaders and disastrous for humankind and the planet.
I have been a licensed psychologist in Pa. since 1979. I have stopped joining any professional organizations as they stifle curiosity and genuine skepticism. Many of the people, not all, in leadership positions ,who as individuals were bright and compassionate ,allowed their brains to turn to mush and their hearts to stone when part of an organization. Courage was lacking. And courage requires asserting ourselves when we feel vulnerable: when we feel alone or when we feel that our thoughts and feelings may be wrong or even “ crazy “. Put professionals in an organization and it would be difficult to construct an adequately functioning backbone from the lot of us.
Khrushchev was right, not a shot fired and russia has done itI The longer this goes on without stopping them - and I have no idea how you can do that - the more entrenched it will become, how will the military react, that will be crucial? The military is a crucial component in a coup, politically the US is in a full-on political coup, a bloodless one if the left allows, wasn't that what they wanted...? trump and his sicarios have wrought treason on your country.
How can it be a "coup"? We ELECTED this government. They didn't seize the White House by illegal means.
We can hate that we didn't have the votes but WE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES. Democracies are subject to bad actors winning enough support to win elections. Why doesn't everyone here see that?
You are looking for boogiemen in the shadows and while the Russians may have used their powers to influence the election, WE the people had to cast the votes (or in the case of many Democrats, not vote). If enough people in this country are stupid enough to buy the lies, we need to accept responsibility for letting that happen.
Sorry, I just don't accept the whining and copping out when we lose. Ben Franklin said "This is our democracy, if we can keep it."
Ir was a CONSTITUTIONAL coup, No one in the nation knew what Heather's column today documents before they went to the polls, and no one could have imagined the schoolyard behavior of our elected leaders Friday afternoon before the cameras in the Oval Office, when they talked about diplomacy in ways which made it clear they hadn't the faintest idea of what the word 'diplomacy' entails!
Wow. Great piece. I need to read it again. So many moving pieces. Trump is a fool. No wonder Rubio looked so miserable. ‘Selling one pair of pants to two parties’. Love it.
I have seen your critical comments of me elsewhere. You are entitled to your opinion, but I am also entitled to mine. You appear to be a coward living overseas. If you want to comment on this country's politics, then you should have the guts to live in this country. Because being in Spain, from where I sit here in California and subject to the horrors of the Trump administration, gives me 100x the credibility to say what I think we should do (or not do).
You calling me out is a cowardly act, sir, and you should own that.
Not for one minute. We have had a dictator in this country, my husband was sentenced to jail indefinitely for defying Franco, but you sit in your little bubble and think your vote was enough. You are entitled to call me what you like, it does not matter because you know nothing about me, you on the other hand, are whingeing about something and thinking that is enough. You haven't seen any fascist horrors yet mate, you haven't got a clue. People afraid to enter a police station for fear of never coming out again, prosecuted for speaking your own language, Catalan... get the fuck outtahere with you credibility claims, and commenting on your country's politics is entirely permissible, what you lot do in the US affects all of us, Americans should have to take an exam to show they understand what voting entails, and if they fail, no vote.
They cheated, have you been watching Fox and clones…. 30% cult nuts, 30% disaffected haters (religious, white nationalist cretins, greedy bastards, Dem haters.)
It doesn't really matter that they cheated. The margins should not have been small enough for the cheats to work. That they were is the real indictment of America.
I agree with that. It reminds me of a long time ago interview that ESPN did with Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. They asked him if he ever felt the referees caused his team to lose s game. His response was amazing. He said "Officials make mistakes. Players and coaches also make mistakes. It's our job to make sure the score is never so close that an officials mistake can cost us the game. If it does, that's in us, not the officials. "
You are 100% spot on. The voting results should never be so close that a few states let alone a few precincts can cost us the election. If that happens it's on us.
The Republic of the United States of America is my religion. No matter what happens, I will always believe in the Republic. (In 1957-58, the Coach taught Civics. He started those classes, “Today we’re studying the Constitution of the United States. This is the law of the land.”)
That was in 1957/58 and for many years before and after but this is a different country now for the last 5 weeks. It's looking more and more like Russia and Hungary. Elon Musk is asking Congress to start impeachment procedures against any judge that contemplate even putting a TRO on the scumbag president orders. Could you believe it?
Is that what the constitution says?
There's a long list of similar situations, sorry to say. And there's no light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for your passionate comment Alec 👍
Our world is very fucked up. We’ve been headed this way ever since the New Deal rescued the Republic from the Great Depression. Maybe we’ve always been this way, but the spirit of our democratic Republic is sacred. It will not perish.
It will perish if we wait for someone else to do something Alec. Our legislators should call every lie coming out of the scumbag president's mouth on Tuesday while he speaks in Congress. That should be a big something.
I believe with all my heart in our election process—though that is not to say also it’s perfect. I’m in charge of a precinct during our elections; I take that seriously. Because of this, I have to respect the outcome of this election even though I fought hard to avoid this outcome. But I will not accept is meekly. Because I believe in our process, I have to do my small part (along with millions of others also doing theirs) to make sure the next one is different. BlueTennessee.org
Geez. I don't remember electing Musk, do you? I don't remember voting to elevate the Presidency to be the sole arbiter of the Rule of Law, do you? I don't remember voting to stand down against the Russian threats against the USA, do you?
Granted, I'm capable of "senior moments," but still...
You may not have voted that way (nor did I) but I also understand this country's system (and have mostly believed in it) and we lost the election. So the people who DID vote for all those things are now entitled to attempt to accomplish them. We continue to stand in opposition (as we should) but we all must accept the result of the election. That is the democratic way.
It was a bloodless coup. Everything trump and his minions have done is a clear violation of our Constitution, dirupts/destroys our system of checks and balances, and annihilate our position in the world. His stunt with vance last Friday was proof of it all. Putin helped put trump where he is because trump is a power-hungry egomaniac. Now trump has to pay Putin's dues.
Actually, while I despise most of what Trump has done and is doing, I don't at all agree that "everything" he and his minions have done "is a clear violation of our Constitution". Some might be, I agree, and there are a number of lawsuits challenging him on those issues, but I expect many of those cases will go in his favor because in fact, the president has quite wide ranging powers and only a part of what he has done is in "clear violation". As for our position in the world, that isn't "mandated" anywhere, it is earned, and if Trump, as our elected President wants to destroy that, I assume he has at least the right and the power to attempt it. It sees outrageous, yes, but the opposition has found much of what our Presidents have done to be outrageous too. There are clearly two sides in this country and they have diametrically opposing viuews on many things. Unless we decide to return to working for bipartisan results, we are going to see this separation get worse and worse until a full scale civil war breaks out. That could be highly dangerous for both sides.
And you Sir are defending them under a false premise, they have lied totally and if you think lying on this scale is simply bad faith actor, then you deserve your current pathetic outlook.
As I said elsewhere, sir, if you want to criticize from the foreign country of Spain, rather than returning to this country to help us in our hour of need, then YOU are the one with the pathetic outlook, IMHO. Please don't criticize those of us who actually have to LIVE here when you don't have the guts to do so yourself.
replied to, and I am not American, assuming again... what was it you called me.. ah yes. A coward and you are about to find out how much of one you are.
This is deeply, deeply concerning and downright scary. I have worked in cybercrime and online fraud prevention for 20 years, and I can say with absolute confidence that China and Russia consistently have been and still are attacking companies in the U.S. and Europe. I am horrified.
Yes, feel sorry for Putin and his stooge the orange felon.
And deny, deny, deny the Russian campaigns against decency. Even while indecency requires renewed input, as from Vice Sycophant, Vance, plus the far-right reporter (who is also boyfriend of Marjorie Taylor Gazpacho) who chimed in, too, his public insults to Zelensky.
How we deal with these indecencies? Sarah Smarsh’s penultimate line in her latest book of essays, “Bone of the Bone,” puts her priority as “. . . our first task is to see ourselves – a process, inevitably of casting off the false descriptions that a deranged world provides.”
Our deranged America of course was born with the Powell memo, August 23, 1971. That, with its far-right foundations brought the corruption and perjury to what had been a Supreme Court. Hegemonized dark money. And poisoned American schools with inabilities for anyone to see any others – no life as individuals nor in books or other arts as characters – so surreptitiously standardized testing sealed the deal till we got the convicted criminal in the White House.
Phil-Our "deranged America" was actually born with the nation's beginning. To establish a system where people are classified as superior and inferior based on skin color is to deny the essence of humanity. It's been more than 200 years and people still believe that "race" based on skin color is a truism. It's not. American schools, literature and the arts have been (and are still being) used to reinforce white supremacy. Like so many other events (e.g. SCOTUS decisions, MAGA) in American history, the Powell Memo was a catalyst to further entrench this ethos into American life.
I am shocked by "decent" Americans who are "sleep walking" through this.
As I watched Trump and his minions fill our prisons with persons who were accused without individual legal defenders, just "prodded" into prisons....wherever space could be found, even jails within other countries, I started thinking....maybe I need to start packing a bag for when I am taken!!!!
How easily we watched "others" being treated as subhuman, being pushed into prisons as a show of what could happen to anyone....who "is not like "us" whatever that means to those "in charge" under this administration.
It will all be fine....until they knock on our door....or the doors of our beloved family members and/or friends!!!! My friends are of all "colors and nationalities". I love and appreciate each one deeply. I actually love the various cultures they are from. I enjoy hearing about their real lives and the hope to have better lives through their willingness to take humble jobs and to work long hours. Who will take their places????
Everyday, freedoms are lost....we need to do something more to save our nation. The same old same old is not going to this time! We need STRONG LEGAL ENGAGEMENT1
BOYS AND GIRLS, this is not another country being taken over by a failing "leader"...this is THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!
And to add to this, we have a felon at the head of our government...allowed by law.
Emily, they are not "sleep walking" through this. What we see before us is the absolute desire of mediocre white folks who want to be elevated to the top position in a white, male dominated, cisgendered, heteronormative, Christian culture. This is exactly what they want; they do not care that in so doing, they are empowering an oligarchical, kleptocratic society in which the only difference between them and the others is the color of their skin and which of the "only two" genders they are. Period.
Or derive great vicarious satisfaction from feeling that have helped to raise one of their own to such a position heedless of the fact that he will mostly likely put them through a meat grinder along with everyone else.
For the Kremlin, Trump is a useful idiot - until he runs out of usefulness. But he will have sold-out the USA along with his soul. All of our protests and our attempts at voting will not matter because the Kremlin carries more weight than the US public for Trump and the Kremlin will have gotten into our systems.. So much of what could protect us is being dismantled right before our eyes and at a rapid pace.
Anyone who thinks they’re gonna be real elections in 2026 needs to read this letter from Heather. There ain’t gonna be no elections in 2026… not real elections.
As the saying goes, a nation divided against itself cannot stand. It's unfortunate that people didn't wake up sooner to realize all of the deliberate and intentional actions that have kept us divided. The question is how do we come together to fight against the cruelty, violence and indoctrination that continues to threaten our survival.
As I have seen said elsewhere and will be advocating soon on my own Substack newsletter, we need to organize at the community level … with the ultimate goal being a nation without a top down management structure. Top down management is all the founding fathersknew. But advances in management theory (see: W Edwards Deming) have given rise to a flat organization concept that can be applied to re-inventing the United States in a way that takes away Washington DC’s power. Here is the best model for community organizing (as a developmental goal not a political goal) that I have seen…
“During the 2024 campaign, Trump said repeatedly that he would end the war in Ukraine. Shortly after the election, a newspaper reporter asked Nikolai Patrushev, who is close to Putin, if Trump’s election would mean “positive changes from Russia’s point of view.” Patrushev answered: “To achieve success in the elections, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations. And as a responsible person, he will be obliged to fulfill them.”
If this is true, Trump should be imprisoned for treason. Where is the cite source for this quote by Patrushev? Many people are saying he never said that.
You must be smoking too much ganja. In case you haven't noticed, prosecuting someone for treason is a federal crime and the Justice department needs to act. Could you PLEASE explain to me in which universe you think the current TRUMP justice department is going to attempt to prosecute TRUMP for treason?
My guess is there is no such universe in existence. What you want and what can be done aren't always the same thing.
Trump is here to stay until 2028 at least. We need to deal with reality, not engage in flights of fantasy.
Sorry, not trying to be offensive but we all need to get a grip. Going insane isn't going to help this situation one bit.
This is known as "The fog of war" part right now. The intentions are beginning to become clear. What may have worked to fight this onslaught 30 days ago may not work in the situation now. Stay calm and come to grips with that. As you say what we want to do may not be what we can do. Lets figure out what we can do effectively.
The point being made is that something needs to be done NOW. Waiting 2 to 4 years is much too late. All will be lost by then … there won’t be elections.
I know many say it is useless or placating the opposition, but I think the sanest approach is to use public shaming to try to turn the tide. I see only two options:
(a) There is clamoring for a physical uprising in opposition to the legal usurpers of the throne (i.e., Trump and his minions). Sadly, I do not think that will work at all. We are no longer living in an era where single-shot muzzle-loading rifles and shotguns let alone swords and shields can hold the day. The army, under Mr. Trump's command now, has jets, tanks, artillery and oh yeah, nuclear weapons. Will he dare to use them against his own population? I wouldn't bet against it. He has a Roman-like blood lust, and it always seems to me he would be better situated in the Coliseum than in the White House Rose Garden. An attempted coup (which would, even in our almost lawless nation today, still be massively illegal) would lead to huge purges of people in the name of "patriotism". There will be many people dead in the streets and we will definitely look like a third world nation that many say we have already become.
(b) We have to hope that some of the new GOP "MAGA-adopters" still have some sense of sanity and if they see a significant amount of public opinion in opposition they will stop and think. Maybe they will start to act more responsibility. Just maybe there will be enough votes to support Democratic positions at least on really important issues, you know what we used to call bipartisanship when we considered that to be something to be proud of not shameful. I recognize it is not going to be easy but it seems (to me) to be the only sensible and possible path. Will it work? I have no idea. As they say in Star Wars, "the dark side of the force is very strong with them".
We can hope and remember that the good side of the force prevailed in Star Wars (several times but never permanently). I am not as confident that will happen in real life as it did in the movies, but I don't see any other option that doesn't lead to mass suicide by the good guys. We (as a country) have deeded them the power and it will take massive changes to get it back.
There is no one-day, or one-month or even one-year solution. We are in for a long struggle and yes, it is probably going to have some very ugly moments. That is why I found Carville's opinion piece to be most relevant, because staying calm and letting the rabble around Trump bring their own house down seems more sensible than trying to fight them outright. I just don't see that as a winning strategy.
Is the other winnable? Maybe, but we won't know unless we try.
It's not just trump Abra, it's his whole administration ,all his enablers, his donors ,his minions in Congress and the media. We need to disinfect America.
Jon, I don't think most Americans understand how quickly and "democratically" Hitler destroyed Germany's democracy.
Putin, Trump, Vance, the Oligarchs, and the authors of Project 2025 ALL understand this 👇
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933 (The day Hiter succeeded in destroying Germany"s democracy)
Justin-If only America was truly a democracy. We've been fighting to make it so since the country was founded. The words and values expressed in the Declaration of Independence are inspiring, but by allowing wealthy people to exploit and divide labor for centuries we ceded our values, promise and principles to unending greed and malice.
Hitler employed one tool Trump has yet to resort to. Murder. But it is the except that proves the point Goebbels made. How easy it is to subvert a government of laws if one has the motive, the means, and the opportunity to act outside the law. Trump employs other means that are similarly fearful. Being able to destroy someone's life. Mostly in the past that applied only to his immediate rivals. Now it applies most Americans and he sims to reach more. Like Hitler did.
The greatest threat , the damage that will run a dagger through the heart of our democracy is the pernicious campaign to poison and sabotage our electoral system. What they did in a few dozen precincts in seven states in 2024 is being refined and expanded, gathering more more personnel, money and resources to suppress and repress free, fair, and open elections at every level in every state.
My fervent hope, Marilyn, is that the Dems sweep the 2026 elections and win back a super majority in the House & Senate & pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act & take other necessary actions to secure free and fair elections are accessible to ALL eligible voters regardless of party affiliation.
I admire your honesty and good humor as well as the deep and seriousness of your comments. It's ok to take a break once in the while 🤩. Mi break now will be to go back to bed 😄💤💤💤💤
By my count a super majority in the Senate is almost impossible. Assuming no other changes before 2026, we would be to win 32 out of 33 races in 2026 including in some of the deepest red states like Texas and west Virginia. That would give us 67 seats, the number needed to override Trump vetoes. But that is almost impossible to achieve. I am focused on just winning a majority so we can keep anything outrageous from happening.
I just think crazy dreams are not a good thing to indulge in. Let's try to be rational and come up with a workable plan to beat the barbarians at the gate.
The Russian influence is right here. Of course it is possible to win a super majority. Not likely but possible. What needs to be done is to make the possible work. Because of Russian and other influences including natural diffidence people have a hard time committing to the hard work of winning back our country. Of course we want a democracy and we need to do it the hard way by convincing ourselves and our neighbors that a functioning democracy that helps everyone succeed is a possibility worth striving for.
The election fraud, voter suppression and massive, digitized disinformation war across all forms of media are only going to accelerate over the next two years. Dems are like the British, marching in formation in their bright red coats while the revolutionaries conducted trench warfare from the hills and valleys. We need to understand that their foxholes and Ha-mas tunnels today are the digital receptacles of our personal data, the financial systems on which we rely, and the access to health care and information upon which our lives depend. These are the wells of freedom which are being systematically poisoned in order to achieve a final solution. We — the American Democracy — need to change our counterterrorism tactics, to regain ground again in a war which has already substantially advanced.
I am hoping Trumps wrecking crew can convince enough of his adoring fans that it's not really them, nor any part of their lives, that he is into. They're no more than stepping stones.
“Shortly after the election, a newspaper reporter asked Nikolai Patrushev, who is close to Putin, if Trump’s election would mean “positive changes from Russia’s point of view.” Patrushev answered: “To achieve success in the elections, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations. And as a responsible person, he will be obliged to fulfill them.”
Thank you Professor,
Whether Trump has been a Russian Asset, “useful” idiot, or truly is the deranged traitor we know Trump to be; it is immaterial at this point, because the man is compromised, and has managed to destroy all that is good about our country, in record time.
Whether for greed, or because he truly is a malignant sociopath craving power (like Musk); Trump is fully aligned with Russia. Just yesterday, another Kremlin remark said it all:
“The Kremlin said in remarks aired Sunday that the United States' sudden shift in foreign policy "largely aligns" with its own position. “The new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations. This largely aligns with our vision," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a reporter from state television.” — Moscow Times, March 1, 2025
Last week was a pivotal point in history, for America, and our allies across the globe. Not only did we destroy any good will left for us in the world (US AID; it appears we have crossed the Rubicon, with no path back, or path forward, that doesn’t end in disaster for us, our allies, and possibly the world.
We watched, for the first time in UN history as America became aligned with Russia, China, N. Korea, Hungary, and the rest of the Axis of Evil. Even Israel joined this group of authoritarian kleptocrats, showing its true colors as well.
Furthermore, this isn’t just a dismantling of America; it’s a reconfiguration of THE WORLD ORDER; and the repercussions will haunt us for decades to come. Whatever, good America was, it no longer exists. And as a faithful and loyal American, I am truly heartbroken!
That said, we aren’t dead yet! Now is the time to regroup, and fight back, because lying down, and playing dead, isn’t an option; nor is it the American way.
I remember when Kevin Robert’s, president of the Heritage Foundation said before the election, “there’s going to be a revolution, and it will be bloodless, as long as the radical liberals let it be.” All I can say to that is, “bring it on!” IMHO..:)
The move away from safeguards against Russian hacking is a blatant effort to reward Russia for something. Connect the dots? The 2024 presidential election results are being scrutinized in the swing states by ElectionTruthAlliance.org, and there are some very suspicious patterns being uncovered which suggest that there was a carefully calibrated vote-flipping operation in place at the swing state ballot processing centers, just enough votes going to DJT from Harris to put him over the top but not so close as to trigger an audit. Russian hacking involvement? Funded by Musk? This is worth looking into as DJT may owe them his reelection, thus the reward.
Thank you; great information. It was apparent shenanigans were taking place. I’m not shocked in the least, especially given the amount of social engineering, and disinformation campaigns occurring on social media platforms.
Musk and Zuckerberg keep talking about freedom of speech. Vance, at Munich, claimed Europe is the enemy because they have speech guardrails.
Yet, this is part of the authoritarian playbook: Flood the zone with disinformation and misinformation, so no one knows what true or not. We’re not headed towards Orwell’s 1984; we’re already there.
Robert-With all of the lying, cheating and malice involving the Republicans, it's amazing to me that so many think the elections were fair, honest and accurate.
No it is not immaterial...He is more than a useful idiot. He is a partner. And partnerships often break up or fail. More often than not in fact.
If Trump can not succeed in forcing Ukraine to accept defeat or in bringing it about by forcing the EU to abandon it, the Putin will lose this war. It is turning against him now. If he does, he will be one of its victims and this partnership.will end. His successors in Moscow will not want a new one. It is likely that Trump will fall from power then too, of he has not done so already, or die. If not, he will have lost big on this, his final venture, and will no longer have the motive, and most likely the means and opportunity to go on destroying America. He will probably want to patch it up in a hurry if he sees that happening. So helping Ukraine is of great importance. It is fighting out battle.
Trump may yet live to denounce Putin. If on the other hand Putin remains alive and gets all he wants for Trump after Trump does his worst, and still he does not have Ukraine or at least reprieve, then he will lose interest in Trump and cashier him. He will do this by revealing that he is, in fact, a Russian agent. This will be a lie. Trump is not trustworthy enough to be an agent. But no matter, there is no one who will disbelieve him.
This eventuality also depends on Europe being willing to come to the rescue of Ukraine and to ensure that it wins the war. It has the means. So everything depends on that. So if Ukraine wins, Trump and Putin lose. And if Trump loses, the Republican party is finished, just like Lindsey Graham said.
So you see, this partnership of more than convenience has less shelf life than a box of crackers. And what happens to it matters. Give it six months.
I urge *everyone in the US* to jettison your US-based email, cloud storage and VPN, as they may no longer be secure, and several for sure are not. When the Trump regime goes onto the next phase of realignment, you are none of you secure. Pick ultra-secure systems like Proton or Infomaniak, both in Switzerland, or some ultra-secure systems based in the EU (make sure they are private and secure, as Russia cyber-attacks us too).
Thank you for saying something. I've never liked the idea of cloud storage anyway but e-mail is something to definitely think about. What a bewildering, dystopian, horror show these fascist mfrs have created for us already.
The world is under great stress and much of it originating from the White House. The previously unthinkable is now to be expected.
We are witnesses to International Relations Murder Porn produced and directed by “Dong Juan’’ Trump and his sidekick - what’s his name – one of a rotating, indistinguishable cast of sycophants.
I am an American living in Amsterdam. I had to buy a t-shirt that says "Sorry about Donald Trump." People here couldn't believe it in 2016, but this time they are PISSED OFF. We are all under threat here thanks to this two-bit grifter and his brown-nosed sidekick.
This time Trump was not lying: On July 26 of last year: “Speaking Friday in at the Turning Point Action Believers’ Summit in Florida, the former president said, “Get out and vote just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years it will be fixed. It’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
Trump added: “You’ve got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.” Politico, 7/28/24
JJC - Yes, exactly! What more can Americans do if there will no longer be legitimate elections? The US elections will be like those of Russia with no opposition to Putin. Then Trump will do what Putin did … remove term limits. The only hope is that Trump will not live that long.
Wow each time it seems can’t get worse or more immoral and despicable…. If there ever was treason this is it over the top We need enough republicans to face this and get him and his cohorts out now
Trump needs to be tried for treason, if not in a court of law, then in the court of public opinion. We cannot just roll over and let this happen!
Putin's Manchurian candidate has revealed himself beyond a shadow of a doubt now. Trump and Vance have embraced Putin and rejected our Allies. Trump and Vance spew Putin's propaganda, as if it were true. They have betrayed American ideals. When will Republicans in the House and Senate get a spine and hold Trump and Vance accountable? What will it take?
It's up to the British and the French now to depose Putin. The CIA is in the hands of Trump and Musk. We have to rely on MI6 and the German and French intelligence services to bring down the Russian government and Putin.
Trump is ignoring the federal courts and Congress is nowhere to be found.
Zelenskyy, with the building European Alliance of the Willing, have FAR MORE CARDS now than Trump seems to imagine. I counted 18 flags at the early meeting with European leaders shown on Morning Joe, with more expressing unity with Ukraine by the hour.
JD Vance claimed Ukraine has recruiting problem, but didn’t mention Russia’s far worse recruiting problems.
JD Vance insulted Zelenskyy with the remark that he had trouble getting recruits, which may be true, but pales in comparison to the problems Putin continues to have. Trump and Vance seem to forget how many soldiers Putin lost sending them on what they thought was a military training mission and then recruiting prisoners as cannon fodder when he needed more. Then they had to bring in North Koreans. Compare the numbers of captured Russians and others who didn't want to be sent back to Russia. Russia is at least far weaker than Ukraine in percentage of dedicated and competent soldiers, always more motivated than the invaders.
I had to laugh at JD's ski trip reception, that seemed even worse than the Republican town halls they had to flee.
For those at least a bit savvy, and a strong stomach, an extreme case of trying to put a positive spin on the Trump Vance shit show "negotiation" and the reaction in Europe and within Ukraine, take a look at at https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/ukrainians-are-rallying-around-zelenskyy-3-years-into-war-dan-rice/ar-AA1zIwGx
Seems dizzying spin or "weaving" as Dan Rice, special advisor to the Ukrainian military seems to indicate Trump's calling Zelenskyy a dictator has really raised Zelenskyy's popularity way up from 52 % and inspired Ukrainians and Europeans to fight Russia even harder (seems like spinning the severe backlash into claiming Trump planned it all along, as if he is pleased with Europeans and Ukrainians are turning out to be more inspired than ever to fight harder and provide so much more in resources.
This is so disgusting. And here we are, call us The 48%, sitting here hoping that "Europe" will somehow coalesce and deliver an ultimatum to Russia.., something to the effect of "stop the aggression toward Ukraine immediately OR ELSE! Else, being the operative word while they figure out what "else" is. Meanwhile, the mostly little European countries, lacking confidence in us (The "US"), are scared shirt-less and will probably opt for some deal with the bear. So much, for that. Let the ethnic/political/whatever cleansing begin. As a Country, we've just shit in our mess-kit, as the saying goes. You an I, as The 48%, however, let's get behind Vermont (thank you protesters) and Maine (thank you Gov Mills & Angus King), and let's keep it up, try to gather some momentum. WE're not un-patriotic toward the office of the President.., we're just recognizing the dope who's been elected, and that he's finally being held accountable for the nin-com-poop he is. Let's make that he and V. That's all. Simply calling a spade a spade. Speaking in spades, maybe he's dug his own grave.
Looks like Vance got a "chilly" reception. I suspect neither one will ever set foot in CT. We are so blue, you need a jacket. In my town (small upper middle class) had an 80% turnout to vote. Don't know what the percentages were but I know democrats won hands down
Unfortunately, CT has only a few electoral votes. This is why I think the electoral votes should be eliminated. Our votes hardly count. The democratic minority in states like TX are not heard, yet Texas has a huge number of electoral votes, therefore an unpopular person can be elected president. Unfortunately, he also got the popular vote. Sorry a little off topic here.
I cannot say "elected" this time. He's where he is because of a plan nearly four years in the making. Yes, those little European countries. Many of them abolished military service. NATO was a safeguard.
The only NATO country with no military is Iceland, which has been its situation since 1869.
European countries certainly will not want to share intelligence with us anymore with the possibility that it will get shared with Putin.
European countries aren't stupid, unless it's stupid to trust a friend of lifelong standing.
Congress is too busy emailing me for donations! They can't be bothered.
French Intelligence, yes. British Intelligence, no. After the manner in which they openly (and recklessly in regard to the fragile Irish peace process), supported a Russian funded extreme British Unionist political party in Northern Ireland (DUP) in order to expidite Brexit, present day British Intelligence has proven itself either compromised or incompetent. Lord Peter Mandelson, now UK’s US pro Trump ambassador, was the mastermind behind setting up ongoing UK state funds for the continuance and expansion of primarily loyalist paramilitary gangs deployed in last summer’s UK riots. With kindest regards from Northern Ireland 🐈⬛
Moussad (spelling) should help after all the weapons we gave them. They are known to be fairly tenacious and skilled.
?
Zelenskyy flew to London after the Vance-Trump hit job & met with Euro Leaders who announced they will intervene on any discussions regarding Ukraines' mineral deposits which in order of abundance are the following: Titanium, "Rare Earths", and Lithium.
Per the Institute for Rare Earths & Metals (ISE) & the NYT's article, "What's At Stake In The Ukraine-Trump Talks" circa 2/26/25, Ukraine's LITHIUM deposits are targeted & remain coveted. The formal name of the European Institute is "Institute Fur Selten Faden Und Metalle".
The United States has the world leading deposits of LITHIUM located at Thatcher Pass, Nevada. Those deposits are locked up with an American corporation & General Motors (GM) as a minority stakeholder.
Wiki 3/3 Update: The Owner of the Thatcher Pass mine is "Lithium Nevada LLC ...
a subsidiary of LITHIUM America Corp". Note that "GM has exclusive access to the first phase of the [mine's] production". It only cost GM 650 Million💲Dollars.
Tesla is a bystander.
For full context see, ALI VITALI's opening sequence on "Way to Early [MSNBC] at 5:01 am Eastern this 3/3 morning. FYI, the UK has pledged a 2.8 billion military loan to Ukraine & further support from the Euro "Coalition of the Willing".
I recommend Maria & her co-authors at the NYT article as a fact source. As some folks are aware, Musk's claim that he planning to eliminate his reliance on cobalt is contradicted by his renewed contract with his major cobalt supplier, Glencoe. Musk needs & wants Lithium.
Post any verified facts on further research in this thread. Thank you.
Well darn Bryan. You want "verified facts." How could you?
Excellent information. Thanks.
Running around screaming like Chicken Little in a comments section only hurts our cause. I so wish people could realize this.
So. Thanks for some solid information.
Thank you Barbara Mullen. I have spreading around Barbara Mullen's solid take on 'praxis'.
Bryan-
Sodium Ion batteries are gaining in popularity and acceptance as are hydrogen fuel cells.
Two years ago, I was having drinks with a billionaire who employs over 10,000 energy engineers and technicians. I asked him what will ultimately win out for the prevailing energy source? He didn't hesitate to answer, "Hydrogen."
Thank you Gary.
My younger brother now deceased was a police officer responsible for mobile communication during disasters. He was an advocate of a mobile emergency station powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The first place I heard of them being used was from some Veteran students that described them being used on long medical evacuation flights from Iraq to Germany.
Sodium Ion batteries do seem the great balance in abundant cost-effective materials that can cleanly be used to make the big increase in Energy Storage Systems to make use of the cleanest (but intermittent) energy sources. Ten years ago I met Robert F. Hemphill, one of the founders of AEC Solar when they had installed 52 grid scale solar and battery systems ($11 billions worth IIRC), that could replace so many of the older technology peaker plants. I got to talk to him over a couple years and get answers to some personal questions I had about the relative costs compared to Pumped Hydro Storage (High and Low reservoirs that absorbed energy from any source of which early examples I knew of were coal powered plants in West Virginia through nuclear plants in Japan, and on up to the solar and wind farms in parts of the US. He enlightened me to something like Japan having 5 times the pumped hydro energy storage capacity to name plate generator output for their nuclear plants (before Fukushima), as the US had at the time.
If I remember correctly, the pumped hydro was limited in where it could be used (but great in places like the Tennessee Valley Authority where it also fit in well with flood control in the high ground and maintaining navigation water levels in navigable rivers. It was usually 20 times the cost of what they could do with Battery Energy Storage Systems, which could be built in 6 months, an far easier places that were not well suited to other uses, and especially advantages where hey could be built on or near old power generation or transfer stations. They could even be built on land that could also be farmed (like the local Japanese did on radiation contaminated farmland after Fukushima). One of the farmers started the project and got permission to build more on farms where the owners couldn't be found. He set aside the profits so the owners could be paid if they could be found, as he also tried to get the radioactive soil removed so they could farm the land if it could be restored.
I've always seen Hydrogen as a great replacement for as much fossil fuel as possible, especially for stationary use or larger vehicles. JCB and others have found ways to burn hydrogen as they did Diesel, overcoming the obstacle I thought would be the toughest, NOx emissions from very hot combustion. They came up with spark ignition instead of compression ignition to keep the temperature much lower. I suspect it may still need catalytic converters to handle the remaining NOx but will be far cleaner than anything we are using that still has that problem.
I had a friend who had a Toyota Miria ( Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered) the last time I saw him in 2020. He had been an Engineer on space craft all the way back to the Apollo program, at least and had access to about 45 Hydrogen refuelling places in southern California, so was willing to put up with the inconvenience to show that it was possible. Unfortunately it seems we won't see the sponsored buildout of hydrogen infrastruture for even the larger commercial vehicles like Europe, but it does mean I can see used 2022 Mirai prices around $12,000.
If I were younger and had the resources, I'd love to build a hydrogen fueled hybrid that could use the cleanest sourced and burning hydrogen as an internal combustion engine combined with the smaller traction battery like they use in other Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles. It isn't the best portion of vehicles to use such a mix, since that would be heavier vehicles, and ideally in places where you could use clean energy sources like solar and wind to make your own hydrogen as close to the place you'll be using it as possible.
Superb post by Jim Young of Freeport, ME. Love the protein.
A lot of non-fossil power options could become workable with enough coordinated effort went into it. Like Eisenhower's Interstate Highway system. That was smart, and that was public sector.
Hydrogen is a potentially viable mass market fuel with sufficient infrastructure and renewable electric power capacity; perhaps even with enough forward thinking to be adaptable to alternative emerging technologies. It's not impossible to to replace fossil fuels, but it will take a massive effort.
I have repeatedly wondered if the "Reagan Revolution" had not occurred, and the environmental safeguarding that both Nixon and Carter had supported had continued unabated and expanded, how different might our economy, our domestic and international politics, and our existential security, might be today? In any case, better a late (and yes, in SOME ways, a too late) start to make it right than never.
Maybe more should be put out there about hydrogen fuel. This is the first I have heard of it. Hydrogen I only associate with bombs. All I hear about is lithium for batteries.
Jim-
Excellent post. Have you read the governor's energy plan? They focus on solar and wind as renewables and say very little about new hydro even though it generates 31% of the electricity in ME.
"Of the total electricity generated in Maine in 2023, about 65 percent was derived from renewable sources while 35 percent was derived from non-renewable sources. In 2023, natural gas was the largest source of electricity generated in Maine, representing approximately 32 percent of total electricity generation (Figure 13). This is closely followed by hydropower at 31 percent, wind at 19 percent, wood and wood-derived fuels at 11 percent, solar at 4 percent, and additional sources including other biomass, petroleum, and coal. "
Are you familiar with run-of-the-river hydro? Everyone is afraid to consider new hydro because of the ecological damage the large reservoir dams have created in the past.
Anyway, would you be open to talk about Maine's energy future?
My Dad was a chemical engineer for DoD. He always said hydrogen fuel cells were the future source for energy.
Iron based batteries are great for large installation, they are heavy but a city or an industry doesn’t need their batteries on wheels…and hydrogen is a great fuel for cars, and trucks, and trains.
A nod to hydrogen fuel, yes. But the generation, storage and dustribution at scale will take a couple decades of investment. It shouldn’t be too difficult to make hydrogen just another fuel in our existing fuel stations, along interstate highways and roads, and transport via pipeline. What I finally understood:
Hydrogen gas can be generated from water and application of electric current. This solves the storage problem of wind and solar. You can generate hydrogen — using intermittent electricity from wind / solar farms — at the source of electricity, store it and and then distribute the fuel. Simple base ingredient, not as complex as petroleum refining; storage and transport about the same complexity as we already deal with today.
It can power a locomotive today, trials were run in Germany.
Curious. Did he identify as a billionaire? lol.
Interesting information " subsidiary of LITHIUM America Corp". Note that "GM has exclusive access to the first phase of the [mine's] production". It only cost GM 650 Million💲Dollars.
Tesla is a bystander."- So muskrat is behind the Ukraine "deal"?
Anna, of course muskrat is behind the Ukraine deal. He is so greedy that he will do anything to get what he wants which we are witnessing as he destroys our country. At this point death star is his puppet and certainly Putin's puppet.
Of course the MuskyBoy is standing behind the raping and pillaging…it’s his brand after all. XXX
Glencoe is a most unfortunate name, historically. If America has the biggest source of lithium, why is Musk scratching around in Ukraine?
Chuckle. During the double hurricanes and the flooding, I read that some of the people did not like FEMA because they thought that FEMA was going to evict them so a lithium mine would go on their property. A case of-yeah we're all for it-but not near my house.
Follow the money.
I did JL or tried to.
$cotus says de facto bribes can be secret.
Graham, it ain't about money but about power.
Money buys power. (which see: Elon Musk)
In todays world they are the same - a symbiotic relationship
The sort of power we are talking about is power over human behavior, and with enough money you can find someone who will do just about anything on your behalf; make a sandwich, or even kill. The 1% are having a profound affect on events in our society, as they have for eons, though not always to the same extent. Who actually benefited from slavery in the Civil War? And in a corrupted society, money buys political outcomes, and political favors are exchanged for great wealth. No? That's the common form most acts of political corruption are likely to assume.
Add to that the use of violence, be it a violent spouse or thug in an alley, or draconian, authoritarian governments where people are "disappeared", tortured, tossed out of windows, imprisoned on Trumped up charges, or quietly left to die of starvation or disease. Also aggressive wars, or racism. Impunity for the rich and otherwise powerful. It all bleeds together in a sufficiently corrupted society where power is not held accountable for unjust and predatory behaviors. And those with power, who would be predators, take pains to make and keep it that way.
The antidote for that is transparency and responsibility where the acts of one significantly harm another. That every human being has "unalienable" rights, even those we need to keep in prisons. Even our enemies (that's what Christianity >ACTUALLY< says, right {?} along with a whole lot of other stuff as well). Requiring ultimate power (which tends to corrupt) divided in shares among the people (votes), along with the responsibilities for outcomes that inevitably goes with it. The secret hiding in plain sight is that "Liberty and Justice for All" is irreducibly cooperative; we maintain our own freedom when we recognize and protect the rights of one another.
“ Follow the money. ‘, you wish!
Now that crypto currencies are “in” and president has his own meme coin (which can be bought with cash, credit, or crypto coin) there is a way to dump 10’s or 100’s of millions $ into their pocket and these transactions are not tracked. So much more convenient for the ‘gratuity’ than envelopes or suitcases full of cash, and less trackable than wire transfers.
Russian oligarchs are probably already buying up $trump memecoin. The crypto bros have in effect created the perfect vehicle for money laundering with a bonus side dish of political influence.
Expect all our legislators to issue their own meme coins soon. Judges next?
When will they honor their oath of office?? Every.single.one needs to be voted out next year.
ML, I truly hope we can have elections in 2026 and now it is clear from the letter that any help from the feds is basically gone.
There is some evidence that votes WERE actually tampered with in swing states, in the orange direction. (What a surprise.) You can bet that will happen BIG TIME in any future election we might have (not counting on it). So at the VERY least we need to be supporting candidates NOW and VOTE VOTE VOTE every chance we get.
EVERYONE: There are two special elections this April 1st in Florida. . . . . . 1) District 01 (to fill the seat left vacant by gop matt gaetz: Dem candidate = Gay Valimont = https://gayforcongress.com/ . . . . 2) District 06 (to replace gop Michael Waltz: Dem candidate Josh Weil = https://joshweil.us/ .... If we can flip these two House seats, we might be back in the majority. There is a third seat that might come up for grabs. It's the US ambassador's position in the United Nations. (Gee, has the troika removed us from that organization yet??) If we're still to be represented there, the candidate (currently gop elise stefanik) must be confirmed by the Senate before there can be an election. This has not happened yet, mostly because the House still needs her vote.... so up in the air. BUT FOR NOW, why not throw our $$$ and other support towards Valimont and Weil? gop probably throwing tons of $$ into their gop opponents' coffers BUT what if sufficient numbers of voters disgusted enough in gop to move their votes to Valimont and Weil?? It could be possible. WORTH A TRY!
'from the letter' Meaning? Clarity helps in negotiating these threads.
Usually gets a capital L.
Heather's letter today.
And for now, I believe that an excellent argument to toss at them in any town hall (or phone call or email) might simply be: "When you took your office, you swore to support the US Constitution. You have not been doing that and that is grounds for dismissal. So either you RESIST or RESIGN, or we will ensure you never hold any elected office again." I kinda like this because of its simplicity, but also because it gives them an "out". Even though they are scared to lose their jobs -- oh, boo hoo; who among us hasn't experienced that before? And look what they're currently letting musk/trump do right now in thoughtlessly and disrespectfully canning hundreds and thousands of federal employees without a care. Just resign. No need to provide reason. Just leave, period
Call your representatives!
I stand with the Europeans. The great American experiment has ended. At least for now.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.
My representatives are in Texas. There is no point at all in calling or writing them. I only vote because I know it's the right thing to do, but I know my vote does not count in Texas.
I’m in TN and my state should be called MAGAstan. Nevertheless, they represent me too and I refuse to let them off the hook. Btw, I call their local offices more and more because the people who staff those live in the same community I do.
ML..good for you. They are counting on people getting tired. And Rs know people are unhappy because they are basically in hiding or whining that people are mean to them. My senators and rep are all Ds and they are amazed at turnouts for town halls, even the virtual ones.
Excellent idea! Thanks MLM.
I have a friend I called recently who moved to Tennessee a few years ago and I was dismayed listening to her voice her attitude toward undocumented immigrants. She came from New Mexico where her mind was open to Central and South American undocumented workers. Is there something in the Tennessee water that hardens people's attitudes and swings them to far right wing Christian nationalism? As for Dr. Cox Richardson's newsletter, I'm still trying to straighten out my thoughts regarding her newsletter. I cannot for the life of me understand how Trump and Vance can turn on the country who's constitution allowed them to take office. I realize that Bill Katz's statement "The great American experiment has ended. At least for now" seems pessimistic, but this is where we are.
Regardless of who else there speaks out, and regardless of whether senators or reps communicate with constituents, they WILL SEE THE COMPLAINTS. People like Jen Psaki and Allysa Farah Griffin, who have worked in the WH up close with the presidency will tell you that they all pay CLOSE ATTN to every poll taken. People who have studied coups will also say that immediate and LOUD pushback (huge crowds, right down to small one) makes a HUGE difference. (They don't say why, but I think alot has to do with the fact that many of these authoritarian wannabes are bullies, and we know that bullies are really scared little boys deep down inside.) The senators/reps who refuse to communicate are SCARED to because they now what's going on is WRONG but they don't have the skills to provide constituents with answers people will believe. Have you seen any footage of recent town halls? These idiots who refuse to stand up to the president/musk are shaking in their boots. Literally. They stumble over words. They don't have answers. Then often they say they're on a tight sched and must leave for the next meeting and scurry out. There is no "next meeting", but in some cases where there was, they cancel it. They can't handle the pressure... which is right where we want them. So call every single day and write every single day. If any one of your friends or family feel as you do, encourage them to do the same. And if you haven't done it already, maybe check in with Beto's Powered by People crew for suggestions. They may even have a way for you to contribute (via action) to THAT big group's efforts.
Brava and stick with it!
You can still contact your representatives. You let them know that someone is watching. Short, pithy statements. "I understand that CISA has been told not to look at Russian cybersecurity threats. Can you have your staff check on that? Thank you."
That's what I am saying to my reps today, all Republican. Keep the heat on. Keep the heat on.
Please still call. Even if you don’t think it will work, it is important. You can use the app called 5Calls. They will provide you with scripts that you can use. These people need to be bombarded with calls from their constituents.
At least tie up their phones and aides
Mark Lane - please call your representatives. I am also from Texas and I refuse to remain silent in the destruction of our Constitutional Republic.
I make 6 calls every morning to the DC office and the Texas offices of our 2 senators and my 12th district congressman. If we are silent, then we are complicit, but I do understand your frustrations. At one time I was proud to say I was from Texas, but unfortunately Texas is becoming an "unfriendly" state.
Isn’t that a shame? People are just so hardened. But I know too, that when I suggest to my fellow democrats about re-examining an issue that we blindly support, I get bombarded. So I get it. I say this because when those at the top of the heap, the thinkie people, pronounce something that we must all support, we fall into formation and link arms. Or yes we do. Humans have a tendency to behave not unlike birds that fly in formation. There is much comfort to be part of that formation. And woo to the one who steps out of line to suggest another path.
Please reconsider. They are counting on not hearing from you. 5Calls app will make it very easy. Gets easier after the first time.
The 5Calls app makes calling very quick and easy. A couple of minutes per call. Things are starting to change.
many in (even ruby) red states are speaking out and they are pissed... right now, over medicaid / treating our vets badly, but once they see the entire picture, esp beginning with social security, medicare, I think they will grow even more furious. Some may NEVER want to give up on their orange leader but enough of the others will.
I get it Mark, but I wouldn’t make it easy for them.
Who will do the counting?
Staffers tally the calls they receive each day and the issues and opinions pro or con.
Ditto.
My senators, I trust: Warnock and Ossoff. My congresscritter is a rich white-boy southerner who won’t even respond to his constituents’ calls for a town hall, so, not worth the time. He’s not paying attention.
Still, don’t let your other side representative off the hook, they need to keep hearing that we are out there. It is important. Do it while we still can!
Indivisible has guidelines for 'empty chair' town halls. Check them out
For an example, story here:
“ Kansans hold virtual town hall for an absent Sen. Jerry Moran to voice concerns about Trump and Musk. More than 30 speakers address lack of resistance by Republicans to federal cuts that impact farmers, veterans and vulnerable Americans”
BY: GRACE HILLS - FEBRUARY 25, 2025
https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/25/kansans-hold-virtual-town-hall-for-an-absent-sen-jerry-moran-to-voice-concerns-about-trump-and-musk/
Moran’s office did not respond to requests to comment for this story.
Love those two myself and support from CA.... Not sure what the ramifications of this might be, but something to consider: Not that long ago, some constituents were in your boat (and stuff wasn't even close to as serious as what we're all dealing with right now-. The rep of the district "next door" heard about it and offered to come to give what status he could. The constituents took him up on the offer. This embarrassed their own guy big time! I don't recall what happened next but you can bet your bottom dollar it was useful and can be for you guys too. I'd approach an active, scared-of-nobody rep near your own district to see if they might do similar. (Invite the press....)
TRUMP A TRAITOR BY CHOICE
Justin While I consider Trump traitorous, I do not believe that he is a ‘Manchurian candidate.’ He was never programmed by Putin, simply flattered. There is no blackmail that Putin has over Trump that would be worse that what already is public.
Rather, Trump was enthralled by Putin and his authoritarianism. He loved the thought of acting like emperor or king. Certainly, years ago the Trumps were dependent on Russian funding for their real estate holdings.
Trump doesn’t care about NATO, climate change, or the sovereignty of Ukraine. He embraces Putin, Orban, and others who share his authoritarian passion.
America’s honorable position globally is endangered by Trump as is ‘justice’ domestically.
I PREDICT THAT TRUMP WILL STAND NEXT TO PUTIN NEXT MAY DAY IN MOSCOW
I don't like reading this, Keith. I do so value your insight and experience. Your assessment that ffpotus was "enthralled by Putin and his authoritarianism" rings true to me.
Trump's first wife suggested that her husband kept a book of Hitler's speeches on hand. Dictators seem to be his role models.
Trump has been a useful idiot ever since he began dreaming of Trump Tower Moscow back in the ‘80’s. If that be “programming,” so be it. What took him to Moscow with his first wife? Why did he hold a beauty contest in Moscow in 2013 and ask when Putin would come to see it?
Yes, I don't know what a "programmed" person might have experienced, but putin is known to be an excellent groomer and manipulator - sooo smooth, the target is clueless re what's happening. Toss in trump's fascination with "strong men" and a desire to be just like them: match made in Heaven. Putin's been taking advantage of trump's vulnerabilities for YEARS and it is now paying off. Pretty sure vlad is manipulating musk as well.
Probably correct. But if Trump did engage in a golden shower treatment as speculated in a Moscow presidential suite, it most certainly was recorded and that Putin would have over Trump.
The first story in my book began wher during the first press conference after Trump came down the escalator in his building. Enjoy.
First Press Conference of the Incoming President
(The Golden Shower Caper)
“It's a lie... It's fake news... It's a total political witch-hunt.”
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, I had just finished supper and I had tapped the TV zapper to the public television channel just in time to hear, no… No it couldn’t be something about... No it couldn't be. But it was. President-elect Donald Trump in front of a phalanx of American flags in the lobby of Trump Tower.
BuzzFeed was outing Trump's alleged hotel peccadilloes in Moscow and Trump was refusing to let BuzzFeed ask questions at the press conference by repeatedly calling the reports "Fake news. It’s a total political witch-hunt.”
This was the incoming president's first news conference? My attention was naturally aroused. What could possibly have happened? Since uncorroborated news stories are usually not published by the mainstream media, I had to search online for the full story.
BuzzFeed has rapidly become mainstream and is partially owned by NBC Universal. The whispers were that President-elect Trump paid Russian prostitutes in Moscow to urinate on his hotel bed in the president's suite – the same one that President Barack Obama slept in. But was Trump in bed when the alleged peeing occurred? Anyone can hire someone to pee on a bed. But not everyone enjoys lounging underneath a golden shower.
The U.S. director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, denied leaking claims that Russia possessed compromising personal and financial information on Trump. At the same time, Clapper tendered his resignation.
Some call this Trumpian erotica "Pissgate." Getting peed on in the wrong place lowers expectations of the most powerful man on earth.
The suffix "gate" was added to scandals after Richard Nixon’s "Watergate" crisis. Insider knowledge is an advantage in any reelection campaign. So it was with Russian operatives gaining online access to Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Trump has a fascination with gold, whether it's the color or actual gold, or just the word. But Trump is gemaphobic, as he said in an obvious reference to the accusations of the golden shower capers. But urine is an astringent. So why would our incoming president suggest that he would never submit to a “golden shower”?
Emperor Caligula hasn't anything on this president!
That said, I think that Trump is an extreme sociopath, who may care about literally nothing apart from servicing his own solipsistic whims. How weird that so many find cause to worship such a person, and have for centuries. A "security hole" in our DNA?
"Simply Flattered" is no small thing for Trump. His puerile character seems to live for it, and seems so easily swayed by it. Even the family chosen name "Trump" seems to signal a needy ego. Certainly those large injections of acknowledged Ruskie cash certainly helped Trump salvage his brand. I think of Putin as Trump's sugar-daddy banker, and (I watched Russia Today for a while) a formidable sales force. It's not for nothing Trump pumps Russia at pretty much every opportunity.
Oh my, Keith, your are probably right in your prediction. Nice to see your post.
Sadly, it would not surprise me, Keith, just disgust me.
Make Russia Great Again. This adds purchase to my deepest conspiracy theory - that the election was, in fact, stolen. Between Musk and Putin, the means and the motive and the money are all there. Somebody talk me off the ledge!
I don't want to, but I'm also leaning toward the "Musk stole the election" side.
Eva & Maureen there were sufficiently significant statistical irregularities and improbabilities specifically in the swing states (so-called “drop-off votes”) to warrant a detailed focus and re-examination. These irregularities make believing this particular conspiracy theory WAY more tenable than I wanted to accept …but with the most recent revelations it’s difficult not to.
I don't believe the "they faked paper ballots", and the like tales. But invading computerized machines - that I can see. How many times do we get notices that Bank A had their data stolen, Bank B was glitched, credit card information stolen at gas station readers, etc.? I'm a firm believer in having paper backups to all computerized systems. Computers crash, as I found out again, this past summer when my hard drive went bye-bye.
Nope. Nope. Nope.
Provide proof, links, sue in court, have witnesses testify.
States and counties run elections, and I didn’t hear anything that WOULD MAKE A DETERMINITIVE CHANGE IN ELECTION OUTCOME. Gerymandering districts, of course. Voter rolls have been messed with, yes. There is always one random mistake or fraudulent voter or double voter. But don’t bring conspiracy theories here without the receipts.
Skum is another Putin puppet: DT/vance/Little Marco/Musk. Papa Putin runs all of them. Time the FSB takeover.
Virginia You call Musk Scum. I think of him as Muck, like what oozes out of a septic tank.
Now that they have crippled CISA we may never know for sure, which I assume was the point.
Lindsay Graham for Speaker? Er, no, perhaps not.
He speaks too much already, and stupidly.
Wrong branch of congress....
The House Speaker isn't required to be a member of Congress.
LG is a hot air balloon that moves with the slightest breath of wind.
Is there still Hope? I worry at the speed things seem to be going. Getting older is not for sissy’s. Fought the good fight growing up. Still in fighting mind but tired.
At my age, it may be irrelevant. But the folks younger than me (I'm 73), those still working, who have kids, who want to plan a life - they may not realize how much danger they're in.
They are like the children of mediviel serfs. They only know what they can see.
Janice, I am nearly 82 and I will not give up. Because of my (our)age there is a limit to what we can do. Actually protests are out, but donating, phoning, etc. are not. I also note the post from Eva below.....younger folks and yes, many of them have no idea what they are in for.
Yes! So true. Do emails and arranging some town hall meetings. Thanks for your reply.
We will continue as we did during WWII. (90,Chicago)
We cannot rely on any Republicans yo uphold their oath to the constitution and their constituents and do what is right.
In 2 years we may need to vote them out. Hopefully we can influence good candidates to run. Really wish some dark money could be regulated in politics it’s getting bad. If we had the money they use in campaigns we wouldn’t need to lay off workers.
Call your senators and congressmen regularly and ask them when they plan to stop Trump's traitorous ways.
I'm afraid the Republicans will not fall on their swords as republicans in Roman Republic did. Those republicans actually despaired their dishonor and paid with their lives. Modern Republicans apparently do not recognize the dishonor they live and the dishonor that surrounds them every day. We are witnessing the demise of a once great political party.
They'll get a spine when he dies just like they did when Hitler died and the country is in rubble.
Backbone, Republicans have none!
Probably only the end of time.
The wind and the clock.
And if they won’t do it, will the military step in? Or has this administration already undermined military impartiality?
The Chair of the Chiefs of Staff (CQ Brown) was recently removed from duty and replaced with a completely inexperienced toady. The heads of the Navy and Air Force were also removed. I believe many more dismissals to come so there will be no "Gen'l Millie's" around to ensure the troops all understand who they can shoot and who they cannot. I think it's only a matter of time before the protests get a bit bigger and the brown shirts are given the signal to repeat "Charlottesville", providing the "excuse" to call martial law.
I'm here at 3:25 AM because I woke up 90 minutes ago and decided to bang out a congratulatory message to my younger son to crow over the smashing success of his older brother organizing a music night at the Medford Arts (MA) Collaborative featuring the amazing Glen David Andrews.
After this morning's post, now I worry for Heather's life and freedom . . .
People really need to calm down. The thread in these comments declaring gloom, doom and death is not only untrue at this time it is wildly counterproductive.
Today call a congress person and give them hell. State your case clearly, passionately and succinctly. Go join a protest.
(202) 225-3121
no this is serious - the felon rapist is a Russian asset, selling our democracy to the highest bidder musk - if you think it's no big deal then you are part of the problem
Stop. Stop making wild accusations. Stop making extreme statements.
Start reading, protesting and making calls.
Some excellent reading:
Joyce White Vance
The Contrarian
Timothy Snyder
Jen Rubin
The Guardian
Watch:
Brian Tyler Cohen
Jim Acosta
The Meidas Touch
If we are to prevail people need to get their wits together. This begins by not attacking someone you have zero idea of who they are. If we are to prevail we need to be educated, find our protest tribe and learn how to communicate effectively.
Thank you Barbara! Agreed.
To all who are back biting or nitpicking:
Let's not do the "circular firing squad" thing. Personal attacks on each other in these forums are exactly what the Putin/$Trump/Musk/Vance axis wants. In fact, they stir it up.
As Hubbell says: "Every little thing helps."
Make calls, demonstrate, boycott, write, email - make noise where it matters. Thank your Congress people if you are lucky enough to have Blue ones - and exhort them to do more.
If you are in a Red Zone - read Jess Piper and learn how to be a voice regardless of the fascists you live with.
The pendulum is going to swing back to sanity and decency. Not before a boatload of death and damage. Red states are going to suffer much more than Blue. Veterans who are Republicans are already very pissed off. Millions around the world are on the verge of great suffering if not death. Watch for the political cartoons about the fat cats laughing as little children in Sudan starve to death and people all over Africa die of AIDS - because we impulsively cut them off. There ARE "Christians" who are not cruel. They will be repulsed by the depravity of Project 2025. The Great Karma Cop is on her way. And Musk is giving her enormous ammunition which will bring this administration to its knees.
And remember: It doesn't matter who is president. "The buck stops here." EVERYTHING that goes wrong is ALWAYS blamed on the sitting president. Of course, the orange one spends his time sitting in a golf cart. Repost how often President Putz plays golf !
It will need to get MUCH worse every day - and THEN - it will be enough. America has suffered through enormous trials and tribulations before. Heather reminds us of this all the time. We came through.
So let's not eat each other. Let's not roll over (sorry Carville). Let's make "some good trouble" - together.
I agree that scaring us to death...is not helpful. I do think it is intended, however, to wake people up.
And, it helps me to gather all kinds of tidbits of information in moving forward, to resist. While I find everything T & V & the entire cabinet is doing to be extraordinarily disturbing, I find Ed Martin's focused targeting of our personal liberty, especially terrifying and motivating.
We've been seeing in the news the disastrous town hall meetings and the people who are riled up. While our red congressional representatives in Texas, won't even answer their phones, let alone schedule a town hall meeting, WE can schedule a town hall meeting. WE can organize our community. WE can help people channel that anger.
Maybe this is where we carry the torch.
Thank you Barbara and thank you 1000 times over to Professor Heather! Using the app 5Calls is very good. Also, go to protests and get involved, and help people who need it.
Well Barbara, after Friday’s exhibition, we can safely say the worldview of the USA is not good at all. This regime has ordered all our cybersecurity departments to STOP investigating Russian potential interference. Like in Covid, tRump’s stable genius mind believes is “if you don’t investigate/report, it does not exist”. Therefore, the American will hear from them “all is good” and the Russians will celebrate and have a field day messing with our cybersecurity. Incidental little things like our electric grids, our flight controllers , our weather forecasting, our infectious disease information, our ELECTIONS, our BANKING systems, including Federal Reserve, our food and drug safety…everything that keeps us operating in our LIVES and FREEDOMS. It is no longer HYPERBOLE. We are majorly at risk and the American public had better WAKE UP and see the TRUTH, which is also at GREAT RISK!
Penny, I learned yesterday that the well-known "Keep Calm and Carry On" slogan was never used in Britain in WWll. It was part of the preparation for a German invasion. Posters were to be placed everywhere when Germany invaded. So, no matter what, panic is never helpful, in my opinion.
I completely agree that we are at great risk. People who have looked at what we can do say that the most important thing is to contact our representatives.
Also, I have been writing short letters to the editor with facts, no outrage, written in a clear, 5th grade level, style. I copied your list of the things that would be affected in the case of digital sabotage. I will put those in a letter to the editor. Thank you.
I live in Trump land. I don't mind alarming a few low-information voters.
What are those things on Penny’s list?
We know this. We know all of this. We are in the same nightmare as you.
It is up to all the people who are awake to this situation who must do all the work. There are people who refuse to acknowledge what is happening. I work with some of them. We move forward as a solid resistance tribe without them. We will not let them pull us down.
HCR said in a recent podcast that people who study disinformation have found that although outrage attracts, inspiration attracts at least equally. Look to be inspired. Barbara Mullen inspires me. Others in this forum inspire me. HCR of course. I am inspired not only by what she says, but also by her unmatchable steadiness.
People can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Barbara: did you not see what trump/vance did in person, in the Oval, to Zelenskyy last Fri, 2/28? If not, please find the footage. It is disgusting. . trump/vance hi-jacked Zelenskyy in the most uncalled for, unprofessional and horrific manner with tv cameras rolling. Then they told him to leave, because to their "minds" he wasn't displaying enough gratitude to the US. No deal signed. They made it clear they will no longer provide ANY sort of support for Ukraine. They are taking the US out of NATO. They have totally sold our country out to putin, while simultaneously forcing all our allies to disassociate from us. It won't take much more to make this much more serious. No lectures re "calming down" please.
"HCR said in a recent podcast that people who study disinformation have found that although outrage attracts, inspiration attracts at least equally. Look to be inspired. Barbara Mullen inspires me. Others in this forum inspire me. HCR of course. I am inspired not only by what she says, but also by her unmatchable steadiness."
I sent a scathing message to both of my state senators on Friday evening. Am I to be afraid? As a veteran I'm not, but what I am afraid of, is what these fools are doing to our country and its citizens across the board. This is building to a crescendo of massive protests that won't be ignored, get onboard and link arms. Don't throw sand in the gears.
Make "good trouble".
Heather will be fine and free...as will we ALL...ESPECIALLY if and when we ACT. That was a very reckless statement please do not speak like that again...you have no basis except if you are another TROLL for fear tactics = SEE YOU
Hmmm. Let's disagree thoughtfully and respectfully. Suggesting someone might be a troll and using all caps is counterproductive towards mounting a resistance. We need our tribe.
Barbara, I agree with you, and I tried just above to carefully address how what you had to say related to what I and you have both (along with lots of others) witnessed.
Part of the problem is the structure of Substack. Threads are more than sometimes difficult to assay. Who is being responded to? What IS the thread? Tracking them back and forth is often not easy, When I first read Shauna's comment about 'fine and free' I thought it was directed straight at my comment that I feared for Heather. It is wrong to say so? It IS how I feel! I am acutely aware there ARE 1500 newly pardoned judicially-determined insurrectionists pardoned on our streets and a lot of other unabashed malcontents whose reasonableness is an open question. I had my own life seriously, believably threatened, to my face, by a neighbor. I am frightened by the prospects of untoward events at the coming demonstrations. I witnessed the urban strife in D.C. after King's assassination. I have talked truth to power, and almost always struggled with the anxiety that came before, and certainly haven't gained everything I struggled for and had to cope with that. Shutting up is easy; engaging may have consequences.
Thank you for your encouragement and... we all slip from time to time. ("new people , trolls?").
We're all on common ground now with common purpose and some are going to come to this reality more slowly.
Your comment is very confusing. Heather is fine, there are plenty of people speaking out and this kind of speech is alarmist and unnecessary. Let’s be proactive and sensible, lord knows it’s needed.
See my comment above to Barbara Mullen.
You’re concerned about Heather? That’s a strange thing to say…
See my7 comment to Barbara Mullen above.
Is this Medford in Oregon?
No, he said Medford (MA). Medford, Oregon has no such happy thing. Glen Andrews is a fabulous NOLA musician performing in Medford, MA this week.
Thanks, Ally, I did wonder because I do not see Medford, OR, as doing anything like that. The only cultural lights in southern Oregon that I know of are Ashland and Jacksonville. The rest of it I see as outlaw territory. I have not finished my first cup of coffee so not reading closely.
You assessment is accurate!
Nope. Massachusetts where I live now that I near 90 and couldn't risk rural living any longer. I hated to leave Maine. I still vote there a and retain my property and woods for the kids and grandkids
Congratulations to you , Hendrik, you must be so proud!
Public opinion can be made public by each of us. We can speak up via our flag. We are still free to speak up in our country now.
My upside-down flag indicates my distress over this current administration.
The pardoning of the January 6th convictions on Jan. 20, 2025,
the refusal on Feb. 24, 2025 to vote in the United Nations to condemn Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,
and the disastrous made-for-TV meeting in the Oval Office between the authoritarian-aligned leaders of our not so United States of America and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine on Friday Feb. 28, 2025…
those three actions compel me to display my distress and take a public stand for the sake of my grandchildren’s future. The Court of Public Opinion matters. Silentium est Consensus…
Until he takes our the Military and installs only sycophants who will do as ordered. Damn the Constitution, declare Martial Law against protesters and then…we shall see. We have to fight this hard and fast BEFORE THAT HAPPENS.
Are you STUPID??? I’ll paying you ZERO for that thought. We NEED our Constitution MORE THAN EVER!!! GAH
I am sorry. I meant when HE says DAMN THE CONSTITUTION (which he has, by the way) and when HE DECLARES MARTIAL LAW against US. That was not clear. I see your confusion. I have to be better expressing.
The point, I think, is that our Constitution provides only one way to stop a president who refuses to obey the law and openly refuses to comply with court decisions. That one way is removal from office through the impeachment process. That has never happened and will certainly not happen with this Congress. In other words, we have our Constitution but to no avail against 77 million Americans with unflagging support for the felon in chief. The only hope is the election of a bullet-proof Democratic legislature in 2026, and that is well beyond unlikely. It would require a miracle. The 77 million comprise a profoundly evil mob that has been carefully engineered over the past 50 years by Republican exploitation of racism in white Americans.
Good people, there's always more than one way to skin a legally harvested critter. There is never an "only one way" and the multiple strategies will, sooner or later, begin to have effect. Every pressure point needs to be worked. No one thing can be relied on. It had helped me to understand that Trump/Vance are failing to follow constitutional procedural requirements. The forefathers never imagined computers could be used as a sledgehammer to fire civil service employees. Because no one not having been a Fed can imagine just how we were expected to function as backbone and stability for an ever-changing administration, scientifically sound and technically grounded workforce in service to America. I went in an academically-oriented historian, poli science guy, and philosopher and came out a planner, futurist, and policy scientist. Go figure. Do you think either, Trumpt Musk, or Vance has any sense. of that reality? That's the way the world has become and recognizing it is the only way we -- might -- retain the best of what we had and aspired to.
He's been impeached twice to no avail. Can we just go straight to 'removal from office'? I'm betting that the 77million number is down a bit by now
Jane, this is brave and true of you to do.
Bravo!!!!!!!
In 1968, the janitor's assistant hung the flag upside down. The fire department, the police, and an ambulance were at our school within 10 minutes. I vehemently oppose using the upside down flag as a political statement. It's purpose will become meaningless, as more people want to play Mrs. Alito. I suggest hanging a MAGA flag or trump flag upside down. That would definitely make a statement about our current administration
I'm guessing you're not a sailor or spent much time in or near large water. The upside flag is not an insult. It is a universal sign of distress. Fixing to fly someone else's flag is an assault on them. Expect something bad in return. them.
Virtual treason in any case.
See the explanation immediately above. Ot's not virtual treason to fly the flag upside down. It is an established sign of distress.
Did you demand that of your representatives?
(202) 225-3121
I hope and believe that “court of opinion” is rolling up its sleeves. In meantime, where the h**l is our Democratic Congress.
Pam, Congress, unfortunately, is in the hands of the Rs who are absolutely spineless. My Ds here in Oregon are doing all that they can to help their constituents. Wyden, that smart guy, is skipping the word salad nonsense BS SOTU speech and having a virtual town hall. I sent notice of that to my LMT who wants to participate in all town halls that he can. He is already signed up for one Salinas is having. She, btw, is meeting with all sorts of people and organizations in her district.
I think it would be just dandy if the entire USA population that is still relatively sane could do for Muck and Frump what Vermont did for Shady Vance's ski trip. They provided a masterclass in letting him know they weren't having him in their midst. They basically ran him right out of Sugarbush.
I'd like to think we could run Muck and Frump right out of the Oval Office.
That would be fantastic, but 77 million Americans are standiing the way, and they have the support of the vast majority of fire power, namely both military personnel and law enforcement personnel. To boot, the 77 million own the vast majority of privately-owned assault rifles.
Didn’t treason used to be punishable by death? When did that end…and why?
I constantly ask WHY aren’t these DOGE HACKERS into our confidential databases, WITHOUT ANY SECURITY CLEARANCES OR BACKGROUND CHECKS, not summarily ARRESTED? It all is so mind bogglingly INSANE I cannot even Fathom it! And that is only the tippy tip of the spear of what this traitorous REGIME (the whole lot of them, including our GOP Senators and Congressmen/Women and ELON MUSK) are summarily doing to the Government of the USA.
Francine, treason is by intent narrowly defined: giving aid and comfort to the enemy or engaging in war against the United States.
I believe that we will never get a charge of treason against ffpotus because, according to MAGAverse, Russia is no longer an enemy of the United States.
Along with all of his enablers
Trump is a traitor phasing military equipment. What now? Impeach, nut that won't happen. Still, there's always Something you can do besides calling reps and senators, protesting, making signs, donating, etc.
Here's a thought I had: What can an ordinary Missourian do about this Oval Office Trump-Vance debacle and America-to-the-world embarrassment?
Here's what I tried--a direct apology to President Zelensky via the Ukraime embassy WDC: Sent email today to Ukraine Embassy WDC, in part (full name and location included) "Attn: The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States of America Subject: Apology to President Zelensky
Dear Madam Ambassador Markarova: On behalf of myself and the majority of American people standing for the freedom of Ukraine, may I request that the following subject apology be forwarded to President Zelensky: Please apologize to President Zelenskyy for the shameful behaviour of President Trump and Vice-President Vance on Feb. 28, 2025. It was a despicable, pre-coordinated setup ambush by two bullies against one courageous man standing tall. Trump and Vance have forever stained the sacred honor of the Oval Office. Thank you. Sincerely, (Ordinary American citizen)" s/s (full name and location, Farmington, MO)
The courts is our hope!
https://youtube.com/shorts/NE-Q-PGg8ls
#IMPEACHANDREMOVE 🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸🇺🇸
We need to frame this loudly for what it is : a far-right, autocratic takeover. This is indeed the fight for the Soul of America. And the republicans soul-ed us out.
This is worse. Watch this:
https://youtu.be/Cd3d8iqJyy8?si=15nJ_LKUYOeBdw14
The purging of votes has begun. Harris would have won the election.
Go to GregPalast.com
And watch this. Donate to Nathan’s investigation. He has to pay attorneys to bring to the courts.
https://youtu.be/xyFj3pU7WI0
I live in New York State and have been voting in every election for almost 50 years. This year when I went to vote in a special election for Westchester Couny Supervisor, both me and my husband were told we had to do a paper ballot because there was a problem with our signature. Our last name is often mistaken for a Hispanic last name, although it’s actually French. It made me wonder, were we being purged in New York? Odd that both of us were having a signature problem.
Wow.
Probably. Everyone needs to check with their city clerk. It’s unfortunate. I feel like we are in 1933.
We are...
BINGO! Exactly so Marla, the current art (and outcome) of voter suppression tactics! Thank you for bringing the Palast video to our attention: https://youtu.be/Cd3d8iqJyy8?si=15nJ_LKUYOeBdw14
Oh NO!! Democrats are ELECTION DENIERS! And we know what Democrats think of election deniers - they are committing treason, destroying our Constitution and shredding our democracy!! Thugs - insurrectionists - traitors!
See how easy that is?
Don’t focus on that. Help Nathan by donating to the investigation of the election. Call your county clerks and ask for paper audits.
https://youtu.be/xyFj3pU7WI0
And we need a coup coup to take out Trump/Musk/Vance.
YES WE DO NEED A COUP
And Rubio it appears!
It will probably have to be a revolution, as in the Ukraine Orange Revolution.
Good one. « Soul-ed us out »
And certainly soul-ed what soul they had, if any.
You are so right!!! True patriots must stand up now or all will be lost!!! Rise up America!!!
Patriots? How come Democrats only claim to love America when they are campaigning or have lost an election?
Wave the flag! Oh that's right, Democrats only enthusiastically wave the Ukrainian flag.
MLRGRMI you are exactly correct (not “Right”) about this being an autocratic takeover, but I think it is the new form of warfare, not with guns and tanks and bombs but with our government computer systems which are used to directly fire the entire infrastructure of law and order in our country. It is a COUP by the orange autocrat and his billionaire buddies and enablers allowing them to amass even more wealth. We are witnessing war in the 21st century with our own Benedict Arnold giving away the keys to our, now his kingdom!
Bravo/a, MLRGRMI: "soul-ed" out.
No dear, this is treason
Lynn, it cannot be treason, ffpotus and his minions no longer believe that Russia is an enemy of the United States.
Unfortunately, I truly believe that the Republicans in the Senate and the Congress I’m being threatened by outside forces. I mean, I could see someone calling up a senator and saying we know where your wife works we know where your children are what school they’re in you better stay the course with Mr. Trump. Trump is a traitor, and at some point the Republicans will have to face that fact that they allowed this man to continue to be a Russian asset on our watch.
During the Civil Rights Movement, people were threatened, beaten, jailed, attacked with dogs and hoses, murdered, and spat on. They still fought against racism, classism, voter suppression, and white supremacy. We can do no differently.
From my observations over the last 59 years, we really can’t do anything anymore.
Progress us a verb not a noun. These oligarchs want chaos and a great human suffering for their Great Reset. They may continue to seem all powerful in their murderous state imposed cruelties but eventually all tides of bloodshed turn. Cutting through such a Gordian knot of violence was why the guillotine was created and perceived, at the time, as a merciful solution.
YES. THAT WAS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. They were the authors of lynching.
They were the authors of segregation. They were the authors of
Jim Crow. They were the KLU KLUX KLAN.
Thanks for reminding all of US.
Oh, so you woke up for five minutes in History class? Yeah, good on you!! The cat lady is correct and you use this old and irrelevant factoid to reject everything that has happened in party politics since the 1940’s: “During the twentieth century, America’s two political parties switched positions on civil rights. Democrats, formerly the party of the white South, became the party of northern white liberals and Black voters. Republicans, once the party of emancipation and Reconstruction, became the party of most southern whites. While older research dated this change to the upheavals of the 1960s civil rights era, a new generation of scholarship has emphasized the 1930s and 1940s as the critical period setting this change into motion.”
Get your head out of your ass. You need a history book that doesn’t end in 1940!
Republicans are NOW the party that is selling us out to Putin RIGHT NOW, and you would be wise to pay attention to what is happening now and not lie about what happened 80 years ago, asshole.
Ian, James A. is a troll. Scroll on by.
Republicans never switched. THAT’s A LIE.
We NEVER LYNCHED ANYONE. We never segrated cities. WE NEVER OUTLAWED INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE. WE NEVER JOINED THE KKK.
That was Democrats.
Its disgusting to claim that Republicans have taken up this mantle.
More BLACKS voted for TRUMP than ever before. More hispanics voted for Trump.
THe racism is still in the Democratic party.
It’s OK with me if you want to live in such a deluded space. Learn nothing from history. Learn nothing. Be nothing. Because that’s exactly what you are. You’re nothing.
Southern Democrats. They switched to Republican after the civil rights movement. Parties change.
ALL THE WORST THINGS DONE TO BLACKS were done by Democrats.
You are you kidding? You have NO MORAL SUPERIORITY
Key word: “were.” Not “are.” Past tense. Important.
Janus, when we reach the point you are mentioning as Republicans facing the fact that we have a traitor as president and vice president ,it's going to be too late. There's enough evidence already and the surrender of this country to Russia is happening in front of their eyes and in all fronts. I only hope that in Tuesday's speech in front of Congress and the nation, every decent legislator ,out of their lungs, contradict every lies that comes out of the scumbag president. Every single one of them. Democrats and Republicans. We have to take our country back.
I would not hold my breath.
You are a very realistic person Jon. That's a rare commodity in this times. Let's see what's is going to happens. I know it's a great opportunity . The whole world will be watching.
I don’t think anything will happen.
I’m sure they will be “polite”, not wanting to ruffle any feathers
You might be right Ian. I planned to watch something else on Tuesday but....you never know, might be a better show than a Netflix movie. 😄
I appreciate the positive take Ricardo. Someone else (not sure in which thread here but there are a LOT of comments today!) implied that I was a "white-Christian-cisgender-straight-$$resourced-ablebodied man" :-).
For the record I am white, and cisgender straight (for the most part!) male but definitely NOT Christian (atheist), nor $$resourced (living on Social Security) and have never been all that "ablebodied" either LOL.
Oh well, everyone will have an opinion, I guess that is the way of the substacks :-).
All you need to do Jon is clarify once, and you just did. From now on just be yourself and keep checking on reality and legality of all the crazy comments popping up on occasions. I enjoy reading your mature replays and comments.
I hope dems will call out his lies in real time. Shout out “liar!” Each time. Make some “good trouble”! I’d love to see it become a sh*t-show
That's the idea Deborah. To do as President Macron did in real time.
We thought our representatives should call every lie coming out of this scumbag president without a pause. The word will be watching.
Thanks for your reply 👍
What is likely to happen is there will be cat calls from individual democrats but not repubs. They have already been blackmailed and threatened with primary if they step out of line by you know who. And that person should be taken for a Don Corleone ride.
Exactly right Bill but we should expect and demand from democrats to double up the volume and to call every lie coming out of the scumbag president mouth. It's going to be a long show but it doesn't matter, the world will be watching and realizing that we the people are fighting back.
Thanks for your comment 👍
which is why one of my nicknames for him is mafia don.
Ricardo, as I mentioned, one of my Senators, Wyden, is doing a virtually town hall instead. I do hope those Ds that are there do lots of booing. Maybe a lot of you lie.
Hope so Michele. I expect many of the representatives are going to be reacting to every lie. 🤞
Then they should have a recording because they will be hoarse after the first ten minutes since if his mouth is open, he is lying.
Maybe if they get divided in groups,say, 25 each an take turns they might last about two hours before having to call an otorinonaringologyst MD for emergency treatment. Funny Michele 😁
Would they rather be threatened by Putin? They are getting $200,000/yr to do nothing? They took the job. They need to stand up for the American people!
This is another problem that needs to be resolved:
https://gregpalastinvestigates.substack.com/p/lord-save-us-from-the-save-act
Repubs are cowards, to a man - and the women
They are Nazis. All of them.
Article 25.
I will not be like Barbara Mullen and scold others about what they are allowed to post, but I will suggest that two forms of wasted keystrokes are "impeachment" and "Article 25."
The U.S. Government has been repopulated with spineless sycophants who will never, under any circumstance, use the tools at their disposal to save the nation.
Dale, thank you. People should be allowed to post without being scolded nonstop. My own feeling is that all those pulling the strings will use their puppet as long as they can. I even think they will hide his death for as long as possible unless it happens in public.
What chance do you think the Cabinet will vote to replace Trump with what? Vance? I'm with you in spirit, but I'm not sure this is likely.
Vance may be a jerk, but he does not have the same hold on the cult as death star. He does test always which way the wind is blowing and he is n Thiel's pocket.
Clearly, you haven't come to terms on how and who makes Article 25 a viable route under the present circumstances, unless it's been thoroughly rewritten recently . . .
Amendment 25.
I understood the threats were to “primary” any dissenting R’s using Musk’s money in 2026.
They may not have to threaten now that they are taking hold of all the computers and will control voting machines and voting totals that they conjure up. We are ceding all the years of hard work, the lives of the heroes that fought so many wars for our freedoms to a ragtag bunch of criminals who need to be removed and dare I say it, punished.
Yes it’s scary.
Sigh. Listen. Musk is in the federal systems.
Elections are run by the states, and each county operates their elections with local people. Elmo is really mucking things up, but he is far away still from “they are taking hold of all the computers and will control voting machines and voting totals that they conjure up.”
It is bad now, but don’t make stuff up.
The "you will be primaried" threats are real and have been publicly issued. But the funds to carry out the threats will not be Musk's. He will fund the primaries with taxpayer dollars he embezzled through DOGE. "OPM" (Other People's Money) is the favorite currency of "investors" like Musk.
Good point.
Reports are circulating about threats to Republicans who don’t support trump policies/ nominees. If true, that’s sad, even if they did put themselves in that position by supporting a narcissistic criminal. Regardless, any elected official more worried about their personal safety than the safety of the country, needs to resign immediately. Save themselves while saving the country. Time is running out.
Janis. It’s all too scary. But republicans need to stand up and do their job, they made an oath. How do we support them so their life and families are not in danger.
I could believe that, except the Democrats have lived with that very scenario for nine years, and they are all still here. The Red Necktie Party is complicit.
I wouldn't hold my breath on that. Impeachment is really difficult as it requires 2/3 of the Senate and in case you haven't noticed, that would require 20+ GOP Senators to go along with impeachment. I think we would be hard pressed to get 2 let alone 20. And the 25th amendment route is worse. It requires 2/3 of BOTH houses to support an ouster. I think we all need to do what Carville said today in the NYT which is settle back and let the GOP destroy themselves as they often do. Then we can come in and pick up the pieces.
I just hope there will be enough pieces left to pick up.
Settling back is not the right approach, but sadly that is what Dems are thinking. We are all playing with fire for letting Trump continue on his way.
The economic blackout on Friday was just a start. We need to buy local only and grow our own food or buy it at farmer's markets.
Walmart and Amazon need to suffer. Jeff Bezos has gone to the dark side and the Walton family continues to fuck over their workers and their customers.
We need to reach out to rural America showing them that Trump doesn't care about them or their economic well being. Shutting down USAid and threatening tariffs is going to cost farmers, ranchers and fishermen big time. Also, deporting migrant farm workers is going to be inflationary and cause crops to rot in the fields and orchards.
I have friends in upstate NY who are farmers - they are very distressed at the removal of climate and weather forecasting data - as they relied on this to plan the next season's crops. Apparently there is a lawsuit going forward.
I live among farmers. In addition to calling my representatives - which I just did, asking them to investigate reports that our cybersecurity agency has been told to overlook Russian cyberthreats - I am writing short and respectful letters to the editor giving facts, such as the facts in your post, Gary. I get a lot of my facts from these comments. We keep up the pressure.
Fact checking is not easy. A lot of "facts" are tossed around on these pages that strike me as highly suspect. I only speak to the most obvious misunderstandings that are easy to identify. Be very cautious.
I have not seen any reporting anywhere as to the impact of the 28th.
I have never had any social media accounts. What I'd like to see is have everyone DROP their Twitter (I refuse to call it X) and Facebook Accounts.
Why do people complain about Musk and Zuckerberg, but still keep these accounts active? Are they addicted to them?
I have also not seen any reporting about the so-called "Economic Blackout Day." My guess is that it's because there was nothing to report because it had no impact. On Bill Maher's show last Friday, columnist Fareed Zakaria equated it to "a day of interpretive dance."
As I have stated before, one-day protests are not effective. Neither is signing online petitions. In fact, any protest that does not cost or inconvenience the protester is a waste of time. To be effective boycotts must be massive, and sustained or permanent.
I had a Xitter* account a long time ago, but it was hacked and I was able to get it disabled. Never missed it. I have since set up a Blue Sky account, but I rarely log onto it because the format isn't user-friendly.
Facebook is harder to ditch. It is a way for family, friends and acquaintances who aren't especially close to keep in touch without picking up the phone every day. Unfortunately, I can't dump Facebook because I make posts there on behalf of my clients who pay me to do that.
There is an addiction factor with all social media, encouraged by algorithms designed to keep users engaged. The longer one continues scrolling, the more ads ("boosted posts") one is exposed to, which is how the social media owner makes his millions.
*The "X" in Xitter is pronounced the same as in Xi Jinping's name. 😜
I view the economic blackout day as a wake-up call to not purchase goods at Amazon, Walmart, The Home Depot--EVER!
When you buy 100 items at the grocery store, do you ever go to your local supermarket and buy the exact same items in the same quantity. Of course not. Walmart especially knows this. You may save money on several items, but overall do you really save money. And do you know if Walmart is ripping off their suppliers?
Trump is only interested in helping make the oligarchs richer and the Waltons are the richest family in the US.
And I read the economic blackout didn't have much affect, so we need to change our buying habits and help out the local stores whenever we can.
We HAVE to VOICE our OPPOSITION to this ILLEGAL take over! We are losing our democracy in front of our eyes!! Call the representatives!!
As always, I ask politely and respectfully, what do you see as "illegal" in this "takeover" as you put it? The people voted. They elected Trump, by more votes than he won in 2016. Were there some illegal votes? probably, but very very unlikely that enough illegal votes happened in enough states to swing the election... too many people would have had to be "in on the fix" and SOME of them would surely have decided to rebel by now. Yes, they used some terrible tactics to push voters to vote for them but it doesn't change the fact that very few (if any) laws were directly violated. Putting out false statements in elections goes back easily 100 or more years, maybe to the beginning of the republic. So that is hardly grounds to overturn an election just because we don't like the result.
So PLEASE help me understand what FACTS you can point to that this was an "illegal takeover" as you put it. We can hate that our side lost and that we may have done really stupid things (like who we chose as our candidates and when) but it doesn't rise to making the last election an illegal takeover.
Until people settle themselves with this fact, that the election, as awful as its outcome was, is the way we have chosen our Presidents for 224 years, we are never going to have constructive dialog about how to fix it.
Its sad, tragic even, but it is reality. And ignoring reality is the easiest way to delude yourself into doing dangerous things.
👉. “Vigilantes,Inc”. Watch Greg Palast’s movie. Voter suppression. It’s still happening!
👉. Greg Palast.com
👉. Call your representatives & tell them to VOTE NO on the SAVE ACT bill coming up this week. (More voter suppression)
(202) 225-3121
👉. ElectionTruthAlliance.org
https://electiontruthalliance.org/2024-us-election-analysis
👉. SmartElections.US
https://open.substack.com/pub/smartelections/p/so-clean
Trump is not our legal president. The tabulators show an algorithmic hack. Watch the videos. There were nearly 5 million LEGAL votes that were purged. They would have gone to Harris. She would have won.
Musk is ILLEGALLY firing/dismantling agencies that Congress set up & voted for. That is ILLEGAL. That is how Trump got his first impeachment- impounding funds already allocated.
Musk is an unelected person and is illegally into our private information.
Musk came here and worked ILLEGALLY. According to Trump’s “rules” he should be deported.
Musk has a conflict of interest. He has businesses that are being funded by our government and he is making decisions that affect his businesses.
For example: the FCC fined his spaceship program after it crashed. So he fired the head of the FCC that fined him & told him he would have to answer to the FCC. He has done that with multiple agencies.
Marlo's list is meaty and can be cross checked. Rosen is all opinion, without any underpinning on which its based.
The problem with the "whine" that Trump is not our legal President is that it plays just as poorly as Trump's whine that Biden wasn't our legal President. I expect you were quite comfortable with Biden being our legal President. Please show me ANY real evidence you have that Trump is NOT. You will have a difficult time because there isn't any. He was voted on and won both the popular vote and the electoral vote. "The tabulators" that you quote are at best the same kind of half-cocked hacks as the right-wing-nut media was which alleged that we stole the 2020 election from Trump. The voting process was monitored by each individual state. There is NOTHING ANYWHERE that proves that any of the state election processes were corrupt.
Your allegations that the votes "would have gone to Harris" are also half-baked at best. We have elections which determine the outcome. You can't say "but those votes SHOULD have been different". They weren't. Unless you have REAL evidence (not half-cocked stupid allegations) that the elections were rigged (and I have seen NONE so far, certainly no more than was alleged in 2020 that the elections were rigged against Trump), you are not entitled to much credence.
Some of the Musk allegations have merit and they are being argued in court. That is the way we do things in this country. Deal with it.
Just for the record, this kind of angst is not new. When Kennedy and then Johnson were presidents in the 60s, the GOP had just as many complaints against the Dems as we do against the GOP now. Ditto in the 50s when the GOP and McCarthy did the same against the Dems. Politics has always had people screaming "end of the earth is near" and yet we are still standing.
Please, calm down, take sstock and start working to turn the tables in 2026. You will live longer too, without all that stress.
Just kidding, I have a lot of stress too, but letting it eat you alive isn't going to help.
Be safe, be kind.
https://indivisibleknoxville.org/good-news-for-the-week-and-one-long-term-action/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIydmxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcgzLMOvQvbT11mcf1Br80Aa-KmzvFdFQRgA1M26NUdm_BUfy6knH3B7mg_aem_UxRRidQTlwt4PYrk8kYSXg
There are things happening.
I don’t think so. How can you say that with the protests? The angry constituents at the Townhalls. The thousands of angry phone calls to their representatives?
The Substack structure problem I noted somewhere above as to following threads is manifest here.
Carville's suggestion is utterly, jaw-droppingly self-centered and borderline eugenic. Yes, white-Christian-cisgender-straight-$$resourced-ablebodied men have the luxury of taking that path, but only if they choose not to care about anyone out side said group. No one else does.
Thank you. This is exactly what I've been saying!!
What is going to work? That's the question. People are going to suffer. Timothy Snyder, autocracy expert, has said that from the beginning. And people who are suffering can rarely take action. So, it is up to us. We take care of our mental health, and we keep the heat on our representatives. Call, write every day. Take care of yourself so that we can keep this up.
Anne B, if you hadn’t noticed, mental health treatment is precisely one of those parts of healthcare already hobbled and diminished by private, for-profit health insurance companies which has been even further gutted by recent defundings!
I hadn't noticed, and, of course, am not surprised.
Yes -- his opinion piece drove me nuts too.
Maybe, if we (Dems) can rally the passion and votes & take back the House and Senate in 2026, perhaps we have a chance to make it so. Not just impeach in the House, but also CONVICT in the Senate.🤞
Barbara, the way what's left of the republican party is acting is not as any normal political party that needs to winn elections to stay in power to complete and keep their ideological and economical programs. Its as they don't care . And that's very scary to say the least. I strongly doubt we'll have a midterm election and the lower the approval numbers for the traitor scumbag president the less chances of an election.
Which is why the special elections in Florida on April 1st are SO critical !!! We have to focus on those if we are to have any chance of holding off the Nazis.
Damed right Daniel!!!
The threat is now. It is immediate. There are a few encouraging signs but House and Senate Democrats need to take every step at their disposa[ to intercede in the Constitution Coup that is taking place before our very eyes.
The most important thing we can do right now is retake the House seats that have been vacated by Republicans. Musk is pouring money into their campaigns, but hopefully we can stop him by urging Democrats and Independents in those districts to vote.
Exactly what I've been shouting!! April 1st is the date for 2 special House elections in Florida. We ALL need to focus on those - NOW!!! We need to get every registered Dem in these districts to the polls for these elections. That would create a virtual tie in the House, and gum up the works until the '26 mid-terms. We HAVE to do this!!!
I agree its important. But not to the exclusion of the Dems showing they have the backbone to do everything in their power to delay and shut down ton the destruction of the Civil Service and the veto of Congresssional authority for defining agencies and budget appropriations. The power of perse is their and Musk/Trump are usurping it.
I’d like to be hopeful, Barbara, but according to Heather’s information about Russia’s cyber-hold over the US, by 2026 they will be up to their cyber-elbows into US election interference.
Where are the 🇺🇸 Cybersecurity Superheroes when we need them?
At the start of the Ukraine war hundreds of hackers around the world hacked into Russian military and corporate systems. Hopefully they are still out. Even if our government stops securing our networks, private hackers across the US can continue to hack into Russian networks. The Ukrainians are also very good at hacking Russian phones, networks, etc. And what they have accomplished with their drone technology is amazing.
Are the police departments in Russia being targeted since they rule with an iron thumb in so many locations? There have been stories about recruiting centers across Russia being bombed. We need to encourage our allies to step up the fight.
It doesn't help to have the corporate media rail on and on about how the Democrats are doing nothing and that they have no leader. That's total bullshit.
There are dozens of extremely active Democrats that are guests on Progress Radio and hundreds of podcasts.
I spoke to a very passionate never Trumper yesterday who spends hours each day on Facebook and X bashing Trump and all of the MAGAs. She had never heard of Substack or Heather Cox Richardson or some of the others I mentioned.
Does Substack advertise anywhere? Who get's their profits and what do they do with them?
Gary and Joan, the answer to your question: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substack
I had this same question a few days ago, so I searched. Best I can tell, Substack doesn't advertise outside its own channel, but rather depends on referrals.
This isn't the strategy I would use to increase audience, but I'm not sure a larger audience is the owners' goal. I guess they're getting what they want out of it. A reasonable person might ask himself, "How many millions could I spend for the remainder of my lifetime?" Of course, Zuck, Elon et al are not reasonable people.
Last sentence = good question--I've wondered too.
They’re a company that makes money by taking a percentage of what their writers charge.
Yes that is probably the BEST hope although winning enough seats in the Senate is highly problematical. In 2026 there will be 21 GOP Senators up for election and we would be to win every one of those seats plus keep the 12 we already have that is highly improbable. But it us the best chance we have of any immediate change m
Better, if we can just win a few more seats in both houses we can at least start to keep Trump somewhat in check (maybe). But the challenge will be great.
I heard the other day that in 2025 there are 100,000 elections. We have one in our town on Tuesday where 3 candidates are running for select person. I know one of them is a Democrat, but what if one of others is a Trump supporter and brings his BS into local politics.
Vote in EVERY election you can to rebuild the Democrat coalition.
Barbara, I sadly fear we have even more immediate threat to even THAT vote for midterm elections with the multiplying efforts to suppress voting with tools like the SAVE Act:
https://gregpalastinvestigates.substack.com/p/lord-save-us-from-the-save-act
Call the Representatives! Have a speech ready. I call & read what I am going to say
Except that things have moved so fast since January 20 that it will all be over by that time with agencies gutted, services bottoming up an world security dissolving before our eyes . . .
It won't be any pieces to pick Jon.
Jon, I appreciate Carville's honesty and often agree with him, but not when the "pieces" left over by the GOP when they self-destruct may be microscopic, even atom- sized. Among all recent Presidents, Trump is far and away the loosest cannon we have ever had with his finger on the nuke button. And it sounds like Europe is a more likely target for him than Russia. As an American expatriate living in Italy, I, well, y'know....
But David, why limit your talk of tRump as a loose cannon when he is visibly and on multiple occasions out to overturn the government in the USA! He is an overfed version of Benedict Arnold, not just a loos cannon. Given the evidence that we’re at war in a 21st century conflict, he is a treasonous traitor!
Please forgive me John. In this situation, understatement is a vice. Trump is the treasoniest of treasonous traitory treacherous traitors. May he roast in Hell!
We can start the process of both the Impeachment and removal and the 25th amendment. We may not get there, but at least they will know we are freaking serious.
"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
ALL civil officers?
And there is the problem. With Trump "owning" the executive branch of government which includes "all civil officers" other than judges and a few legislative jobs that aren't the Congress critters themselves, Trump effectively owns the entire reins of power in the US. He owns the military, the judicial officers except the judges, virtually all the executive agencies. That is the way our government is set up. That probably isn't "optimal" by any means, but it IS the way we constructed our government and trusted to good faith on all sides that no one would step outside the guardrails.
Now that that has happened (stepped? more like trompled all over them!) the rest of us are really at a loss. There is virtually no way to remove all the officers of the government legally. Even if we managed (highly unlikely as it is) to impeach Trump and maybe even Vance, there is Mike Johnson ready to pick up the reins. And the rest of the succession runs right through a cabinet of billionaires and crazies like RFK.
In some ways, Trumps insane approach to cabinent appointments makes a lot of weird sense. If you put into the line of succession a bunch of nut cases and people with zero understanding or affinity for democracy, you radically reduce your chances of being assassinated because the replacement(s) would be far worse.
And that is where we are today. Which continually brings me to the position I have taken (which sadly doesn't resonate well with others here) which is that we have to buckle up and batten down the hatches and prepare for a brutally cold "winter of our discontent".
In the mean time, we need to prepare for the mid-term elections. Will they happen? I have no idea, but most of what has happened in the past 4 years is as a result of NOT being ready, and then letting a wave of opposition wash over us. We can't afford that now. We must be ready to take advantage of every possible opening we get, and there won't be many.
Trump and his minions will see to that.
Indeed, we missed many opportunities to effectively fight current outcomes. We sure need to be ready to maximize opportunities as they come. Is the majority really the underdog here, or are we not fully tapping our own inherent collective power?
I am still not really convinced we are the "majority". At the same time, I don't for a second believe the Trump faction is. I think we as a country are very splintered, and our two-party system makes that more difficult. At least in many European countries like UK and Germany, multi-party democracies are well-known and understood. Not so here in American where we have been a mostly two-party system since our independence.
Right now, I think there is a plurality for Trump (about 35% of the country) and another group for Democrats (about 35% also) and a neutral group accounting for about 30%.
The worrying thing is of course that Trump is going to do everything he can to rupture the country in ways we have never seen before. Just today I saw that he is planning to put special "counsel" in each department reporting directly back to the White House. Thus, he will have more control over every department than any past President ever attempted. But there is nothing illegal about that except in possibly a very few specially mandated departments. THe courts will have to weigh in on that.
But for the moment, he is going to be able to do a LOT of crap that we can't do much about.
That's why my focus is on 2026. Yes, it might turn out to be useless, but in that case, this country is in REALLY serious trouble (well, we are anyway, but you know what i mean!).
In the meantime, there will be a lot of pain. I am saddened by that, but this country has experienced serious pain many times in the past. This is not new, its just startling to us right now.
Settle back, and keep the heat on. Call or write or both - all 3 reps - today. "I understand that our cybersecurity agency has been told not to look at Russian cyberthreats. Is this true?"
Flood the zone. Keep the heat on.
If I worked in bank security I would take a very hard look at orders to turn off cameras and alarms between 1 and 3 AM.
Oh yeah, and leave the key under the mat.
You seem like a downer. We need people to ACT! Republicans are seeing their democracy in the “shredder” and their constituents are ANGRY!
LOL. I've been working in and on elections for over 50 years. I have done PLENTY of "acting" over that time. I have sympathy for hating the results of this election, but there is no evidence that the election was corrupt. It was highly influenced, that is true. Propaganda has taken a much too great a position in our recent elections and maybe if we survive we will need to fix that. But as for actual election corruption, I see no evidence of it and nor does any serious follower of elections. Your sources are weak at best and mostly just spouting their own ignorance. That is fine if you want to follow that nonsense, but I don't think you gain any credibility by doing that.
I don['t like what the GOP is doing to our country any more than you do, but I also recognize that there are limits to what we can do. Unless you really want an armed coup (which I believe is doomed to fail anyway) all we have is our public credibilty, and I think you do more to damage yours by spouting nonsensical conspiracy theories than you gain.
But good luck, I think you will need it.
Election manipulation has already been uncovered. Fight! Donate! These are computer/statistic experts
https://youtu.be/xyFj3pU7WI0
I am a computer expert too and I see no actual evidence of vote fraud. Yes there have been attempts to manipulate via less and distortions but for the most part that is protected by free speech. Maybe it shouldn't be and we can discuss the merits of bringing new cases to get more controls in place, but that is NOT the same as actual vote fraud. These guys(and gals) you point to have NOT provided any credible evidence that ballot boxes and vote totals were manipulated. Everything they have alleged is not proven
In our country we expect proof before we act. Please remember that.
I am not doing anything Carville says to do ! Roll over ? Play Dead ? And let the Republicans destroy themselves ? We don’t have that luxury now that we know how low Trump and Vance will go !
I don't know what it would take to get the GOP to stand up to Trump, if anything.
There won’t be. Not this time. This time is for real.
Heather has laid out a compelling history of Trump's actions as a Russian asset. We are now seeing that Trump's minions are disabling all of the government infrastructure to combat Russian disinformation. At this moment in time, each of us has to share this on every media outlet we can, including X. We also need to get out and protest in the streets.
I worry about Heather's safety and, in fact, all of ours. But with the Russian gloating I also worry that US media will be compromised across the board in short order. The full story will not be reported. We need to act now and get it out there.
Georgia you have a very clear view of that situation this country and it's people are going through. It's really not easy to accomplish such a clarity in such a fluidity. Had someone fallen asleep January 20th and awakening up today, won't recognize anything around, it would be totally confusing. It would be like awakening in a different country.
Thanks for your comment 👍
Georgia, I like what you've written here. My belief is that what this administration is doing with its actions towards Russia are absolutely eliminating Russia as an enemy of the United States, and instead giving it "favored nation" status. Abandoning NATO, the fiasco in the Oval Office, and now, the actions of ceasing our view that Russia is a cybersecurity risk taken by Hegseth all point to the removal of Russia as an enemy state.
Republicants will not get rid of any of this. This is what they have been working for for 40 or more years. Utter chaos, and the end of Democracy. Because they can't extract enough profit off of poor people to satisfy their needs for gold. They don't give a crap about Americans, they just want to extract enough money from the little people to enlarge their wealth.
Jill, rephrasing previous comments I've made, to focus on Republicans is to focus on the sledgehammer rather than the demolitionists who are swinging it.
You are correct to note the effort has been going on for decades. I suggest that it began in the 1950s, when American affluence was on the rise. With it came a high level of materialism, secularism and sexual liberation. These new freedoms were anathema to the repression of evangelicalism. Religious conservatives felt their heavy influence on U.S. culture slipping away. Alarmed, evangelicals began searching for a strategy to reclaim their power.
In the 1960s, white Republican operatives also saw their power over politics waning as the population became more ethnically diverse and white women deferred or rejected childbearing. The GOP recognized that white evangelicals were a powerful voting bloc, being less educated and easily influenced.
An alliance was formed between these two minority groups that sought power and control. Over the following years, evangelicals and Republicans used each other to increase and maintain their power.
More recently, technology moguls such as Curtis Yarvin and Peter Thiel developed a world-view holding that technocracy could – and should – replace other forms of governance, including democracy. They, having lots of money, and Republicans, willing to be bought, formed a new alliance.
Now, the Theo Bros and the Tech Bros control the Republican Party. Since the two groups share a common lust for power, they can act as allies. But it remains to be seen whether their opposing beliefs will allow them to coexist. My money says there will be a showdown, but I am not willing to wager on the winners.
I wish I could like this comment 100x.
Well, parts of it are true, but other parts simply don't hold up. The true part of is the power of the Powell memo of 1971 and the capture of the Court by the Federalist Society (though not mentioned) and the crushing effect of the decision which decreed that money is speech. Inexorably, political activity has been shaped accordingly, because Repubs. have more of it. Add to that the transformation of human discourse (VERY broadly defined)as a consequence of technological innovations, I strongly question whether Facebook, Twitter, and the near universal saturation of cell phones in our lives is a net positive in improving our lives. If you spend any time looking at Dem pitches for funds you cannot but come to the idea that the underlying drivers rest on fear and loathing as well as structured by Act Blue in ways designed to encourage donation mistakes. For three four year cytles since 2016 I have paid close attention to these Dem fund-raising criticisms only yo fall on deaf ears. That's on us!
As an afterthought regarding Yarvin's fever-dream, I suggest that you find an outlet where you can watch the TV series, "Person of Interest." Pay special attention to "Samaritan," the AI entity that was built to "correct" the world, and the effects of its being in league with an uber-wealthy megalomaniac. It aired from 2011-2016, but is a relevant cautionary tale for our day.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1839578/
The Republicans are getting too much money to actually do the right thing.
This has all been said before. The current rrgime in power has carried out a successful
coup and replaced a legitimate government with an illegitimate one. Therefore our laws and rules as well as morals do not apply here any longer.Impeach him, he won't go. File any number of federal lawsuits, it won't help, they will be challenged and never get to court. If our Senate, Congress and Federal Court can not get rid of the Muskrat , someone who has never been elected to anything , has cart blanch to single handedly walk into our Federal Institutions with his Gang of Geeks and dismantle them ... WHY would we think another election could alter anything. After last week and the final explosion on Friday,I agree with Carville, they will wreck themselves. I do not , however agree with the settleing back.This may be the time for subversion . Who has national clout, who has been offended and disposed of, who understand fully all elements of a coup. Who defines it's charge as apolitical. WE need to get the regime out. We need to watch, perhaps utilise some of their strategies, gather,talk plan, create diversions, figure who best to align with and when.
Lou-AND we need savvy media. It’s not just Fox-they have numerous radio stations, websites, think tanks, religious figures, educators, podcasts and so much more all blasting the same messages and lies.
Count on Republicans?! The Republican Party gave up its identity 9 years ago. They are fascists. We will not get any help from them.
Who can we count on? Us. This is on us. We will continue to rise up and hold elected officials accountable. We will be loud, informed and persistent.
We will prevail. Not the politicians.
I totally agree.
It is like our country is run by a bunch of toddlers in a glassware shop. They run around wildly, and do not recognize that by breaking things they are endangering themselves too. I guess the Kremlin is totally hacked into Trump and everything he does, as well as Musk and everyone else. Can the south expect power to go out in the heat of the summer? Can the north expect the heating to go off in the cold of the winter? What else?
I was looking for a big money commitment from the Euros yesterday. The Brits loaned 3 billion. Maybe I missed something. Is Europe broke?
Raymond, what I read is that England, which is broke in part thanks to Brexit, is loaning £3.8 bil pounds to Ukraine right now for weapons it needs.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/02/keir-starmer-europe-crossroads-history-must-support-ukraine
Then we will hear more about the collective after the Thursday meeting that includes more nations. This was a smaller emergency meeting. I had heard a discussion of releasing 200 billion € to fund Ukraine, and we will hear more about collective funding then.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/02/keir-starmer-peace-talks-ukraine-key-takeaways-london-summit
Right now with Germany between governments and Scholz attending but Merz taking over, we are not going to hear what Germany commits until Germany has a budget and can figure out how they are going to finance the military spending, be it by saying emergency need to raise the budget limit, or by saying we will cut social programs. That is going to be the big issue there.
According to a friend who I was talking with when we were out on Friday, he read that if Europe collectively funds a military they will each need about 1.3% of GDP to raise what is needed. Not sure about that, or where these figures came from, but I believe many countries (not Hungary) are willing to commit more money to defense for Ukraine, for national defense and for collective defense.
You have a better understanding on European sentiment. I believe but I ask you will they commit troops to save Ukraine? Arms are no longer enough. Russia is ready to collapse. Of course Trump May eve lift embargos against Russia. But the Europeans must now be all in or going half way out work. They can no longer relay on the US. At least until the Trump era ends.
Bill, I can only speak about Germany, and there I do not know. I wrote an article about it. Germany has committed troops on the ground to Estonia permanently, so that is 6000. We were discussing that the EU might need 300,000 troops without the US. Right now they cannot all come from Germany because Germany does not have that many in total.
Here is my musings on who will support what if Merz come in. His biggest challenge as chancellor will be to get people behind funding war, a possible draft, and switching funding priorities. That is a tall measure for someone who has not track record on leading.
https://lindaweide.substack.com/p/friedrich-merz-the-untested-incoming?r=f0qfn
Imagine a country where the people have internalized that they are not supposed to make war, not have a military, and not lead in any military conflict, just go along to get along. That is 4 generations that have internalized these rules over the last 80 years, and frankly, everyone in Europe, perhaps especially Russia, has been happy about that.
Now, suddenly Germans need to switch, and that is not going to be so easy. There is discussion of reinstalling the draft and that it would be male and female. That would include my daughter, who is also American. A neighbor in Chicago's son in Israel is doing military duty and through the entire war he has been sitting behind a computer. So, don't know whether that would be what my asthmatic daughter would be doing or something else. If we seem like there is going to be an expanded war, and not peacekeeping troops, then I am going to insist on getting training too. No one wants to be at home in their city, town or village and have troops march upon them with no way to defend themselves.
There is a meeting on Thursday of European countries and I think we will hear more after that. I will try to write something up. This is my revised piece on Germany and war, because all of us are thinking about Russia expanding beyond Ukraine ultimately.
https://lindaweide.substack.com/p/germany-prepares-for-war-updated?r=f0qfn
From the beginning, and the beginning was the breakup of the Soviet Union, the idea that it was perfectly fine to expand NATO east to protect countries from what— the Soviet Union that no longer existed? There is much confusion around this. NATO is defensive only but to Russia why be defensive now that Russia was joining the Europeans. Well as we know, Yeltsin was a drunken clown as the first president of Russia who allowed a dictator tyrant in the making to advance. His biggest mistake. History is filled with such mistakes. And at the time I ruminated that this nato expansion was not necessarily a good idea. Then when the Maiden revolution hit and the US was reportedly a little behind the scenes, well you get it. I don’t support tyrants but one could foresee this happening. But it’s all water over the dam. Now Ukraine must be saved if for no other reason to put a check on Putin. He is a tragic figure in history a tragedy of his own making. If Europeans do not come to the aid of Ukraine there will be bell to pay. Either way, hell will be paid. Only question which will cost more.
Thank you
Linda, How long do you imagine it will be before NATO (or “ETO” - European Treaty Organization) kicks Hungary out of its fold?
Do they imagine Hungary will observe the “attack on one is an attack on all” clause if/when Russia absorbs any of the Baltic states or even Poland?
Has NATO ever ejected a nation once it is a member?
John, not too soon as far as I am concerned.
I think that the idea of the EU is that it is united and therefore cannot be broken up just because there are disagreements. It seems that there are rules for belonging that Hungary disregards. I would say that of Slovakia as well. The entire EU package for Ukraine is in danger of being blocked by Hungary and Slovakia. As far as I am concerned both of those countries can have the heave ho. They have had long enough to get rid of these cretins that rule them.
https://kyivindependent.com/hungary-slovakia-threaten-eu-unity-on-russia-ukraine-ahead-of-key-summit/
However, they will not be just chucked out. That will take time. Right now, there is going to be a discussion of including Ukraine in the EU as a help for them economically and in other ways. This will increase their security too, but not like if they were members of NATO. However, Hungary will probably try to milk this for all it is worth. That is still the problem. Slovakia might too.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/02/24/europe-ready-to-back-eu-membership-for-ukraine-to-ensure-security
Don't know if it is so straightforward to include Ukraine in the EU though. First of all there is the fact that it has been notoriously corrupt. Secondly, if they were to keep their territories with all those Russians in the Donbas region and Crimea, then they would have a bunch of illiberal and compromised voters in each election. Russia has such a huge influence on Europe just by virtue of their hacking, disinformation campaigns in social media and bot accounts which the less savvy people pay attention to without question, that it is a constant struggle to have elections without their influence. The west should spend much more time and energy on influencing Russian in return.
Here is a recommendation to Fast Track Ukraine being admitted into the EU. What to do about Hungary and Slovakia though?
https://verfassungsblog.de/fast-tracking-ukraine/
The MAGAs would be affected too. Likely won’t happen…unless it’s from incompetence because too many people have been fired.
It certainly looks like treason to me. I do not know when or if the Republicans in Congress will grow a spine and take back their power. If they don’t and we are fortunate enough to have elections again, I do not see how they can win. But maybe that is the point. Trump is giving the Russians a pass so that they can further erode our democracy by having a free pass to spread even more lies on social media.
They whisper not in halls of state,
Nor stand in light to test debate.
No banners wave, no trumpets call,
Yet unseen hands decide it all.
A thousand voices, none are real,
Yet each inflames, yet each can steal—
A flickering screen, a poisoned thread,
Where lies are sown and reason’s dead.
Not by the minds that weigh and learn,
Nor by the truths the wise discern,
But by the storm of click and share,
The tide is turned, the fate laid bare.
The bots cry out, the trolls ignite,
Each side enraged, each side in fight.
The battle burns, yet none can see—
Their fury fuels the enemy.
For in the chaos, none will ask
What hands first lit the fiendish task,
What shadowed power, cloaked and cold,
Now bends the will, now buys the soul.
And so they rage, and so they scream,
And think their cause a noble dream,
While those who rule sit back and smile—
The war was won without the trial.
A creature raised by hands unseen,
A voice not his, yet crowned as king.
He speaks their words, he bends to their knee,
Yet swears he stands for liberty.
Through wires and waves his leash is cast,
A puppet bound, a spell held fast.
He shouts of freedom, strikes the pose,
Yet foreign whispers guide his blows.
And thus the dream of old was warned—
No tyrant here shall be adorned,
No prince shall rise by foreign hand,
No king shall serve a stranger’s land.
Yet here he stands, his mask held tight,
His lies called truth, his wrong made right.
And free men cheer, and free men fall,
As foreign masters take it all.
Check out Craig Unger’s substack. He is just one author that has done his research on Trump’s ties with Russians. Much of laundering through property sales.
https://open.substack.com/pub/craigunger/p/why-trump-betrayed-ukraine-part-two?r=44kjm&utm_medium=ios
- PULLED QUOTE -
"...he will be obliged to fulfill them.''
''Shortly after the election, a newspaper reporter asked Nikolai Patrushev, who is close to Putin, if Trump’s election would mean “positive changes from Russia’s point of view.” Patrushev answered: “To achieve success in the elections, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations. And as a responsible person, he will be obliged to fulfill them.”''
COMPROMISED
In so many ways
now or it is tooooooooooo late ..... dangerously too late
This assumes Republicans are not as obliged to Putin as tRump
We elected a gangster régime. Like those of Hitler and Mussolini, many of the educated élite are flocking to this criminal entreprise for senior posts. Like Stalin's régime, however, there are plenty of uneducated thugs around to do the dirty work. 💔
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6945099109762510849/ (written June 2022) ⚖️ // https://youtu.be/EPF5E0DolG0 (Artie Shaw nails it in the pregnant year of 1938) 😱
On Ukraine, that minerals deal was scheiße; relegating Ukraine to the status of a carcass to be picked apart by salivating jackals. It recalls the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact carving up Poland like a Christmas turkey. 🤢
Not going to happen, Susan! Question now is how much will pro Trump misinformation, dismantling of all that Heather has advised us on today, have an effect on American voters, and where? Participate in whatever and wherever with whomever you can!
And there you have it…we are now under the Putin regime. That 19 year old has Russian ties, as I understand it. This is so much like the FX series, “The Americans” where Russians infiltrated our country by posing as regular Americans but were spying on our people in government. The series focused on one couple who were hired assassins. They were told they had to produce children and then those children would eventually be told what their parents did for a living. Nothing like indoctrinating your kids, right? It isn’t fantasy because this story was based on real-life incidences. So be careful because you might not really know your neighbors even though you think you do! Still fighting the good fight. Went to a Tesla showroom yesterday with others to protest against the company and Musk. Felt good to do something!
Trump uttered the horrifying words himself during that fateful Friday attack on Ukraine 🇺🇦 “…you will be starting World War III” (Trump projects into others what HE will do!).
Exactly.
And we will be allied with the Axis powers. We won’t be on the side of good this time.
No, we are not under a Putin regime Marlene. If we were you would have been arrested at the Tesla showroom. You would not be posting on this site. Please stop making such declarations. While it might feel good to write such a dramatic opener for a comment such statements actually play into what they want you to believe and say.
How about:
Americans Unite!! or Slava Ukraini!
"You're gonna have to fight like hell, or you're not gonna have a country anymore." Words by the Convicted Orange Felon, that, ironically, you're going to have to live by. Otherwise, it won't be much more than a few months and you'll be arrested for posting "Slava Ukraini" on Xitter or Facebook. Already, campaigns outing criticism against Muskolini are banned from Facebook... They will install a "ministry of truth" faster than you can say the word "unconstitutional".
100% agree
Only 9, but it's a beginning.
'We are taking action': 9 people arrested at Tesla dealership as anti-Musk protests break out in US
https://www.news24.com/news24/world/news/we-are-taking-action-9-people-arrested-at-tesla-dealership-as-anti-musk-protests-break-out-in-us-20250302
Morning, Lynell!! I think I'd call that a good start!
Morning, Ally! It's been a long time!
Yes! This new format really messes with my "routine". Right now, I am recovering from knee replacement surgery, so all "routine" is out the window.
A good start. We need to continue to hit them where it hurts-over and over and over.
Barbara, I am not making any assumptions or declarations. I do not comment to see how many people read what I have expressed as you have indicated as a “dramatic opener”. My own parents were Holocaust victims so I certainly know what I am talking about and how things started. Please, we are on these sites so that we can intelligently converse with others. What you did was insult me and it is not appreciated.
I respectfully apologize if I offended you. I enjoy your input in the comments forum and am glad we are all together here with Dr. Richardson.
Again. Please accept my apology.
Thank you and I accept your sincere apology.
Yep, hate to say “I told you so”, but I said it before: if Trump is reelected, America is lost, because the US will simply be a vassal state of Russia. Now the question is: how many weeks do we still have here in Europe, before Putin orders his orange puppet to use the American military to invade us?
I have feared Putin/Trump partnership invading Europe. Why isn’t anyone talking about this?
It's being talked about in the defense and EU press , but nowhere else that I know of.
A question: If Trump and Reps withdraw us from NATO, what happens to our 100,000 troops stationed in Germany? Do they once again become an occupying force as they were in 1946, with Russia once again advancing from the East to meet them on Berlin?
You've got it. 1 and 1 is 2, I'd say.
That, is a horrifying scenario
Tesla sales have plummeted, the Guardian today had an interesting story about people dumping their Teslas, even at losses.
MAGAs don’t buy Teslas because they don’t believe that global warming is real.
lol...
But MAGAS do buy cybertrucks!
I cannot fathom why. I’m in farm country, we laugh about the cybertruck.
People are flipping off Tesla drivers at stop signs! 😆
Is there info that the 19 year old has Russian ties? Does he have security clearance?
They don’t need them. Trump can order that any individual who otherwise might not qualify (I.e., Jared Kushner) be given sensitive information
https://www.jacobsilverman.com/p/prominent-doge-staffer-is-grandson
One does. It is not clear from reading press that ANY of the doge crew went through standard hiring process: background check, clearances (for all of them), maybe even a drug pee test? Elmo himself is a self professed recreational druggie, google ‘musk smokes weed in podcast interview.’ Most times, civil service interviewees would be disqualified for this blatant conduct, am I right? Your long haul trucker is cleaner than most of these doofuses.
Recall in the first days, they showed visitor badges, were accompanied by ‘security,’ and only presented first names when ripping the place apart.
The fox is now inside the chicken coup. The goal of causing America to collapse is coming clearly into view … a goal Putin and Trump share (easily explained when you understand Trump’s psychology… as psychologist Dr Bandy Lee has been working to help the public understand for many years, despite her professional association trying to block her work).
I will say again what I have been saying for days now. Trump is an enemy of the state and must be charged with treason. If there is no one who can formally bring that charge because the authority is taken away by the GOP, then Trump must be tried in the court of public opinion! This is our red alert moment! This is the Titanic is about to hit the iceberg moment! I don’t know what more needs to be said, it is time for action to be taken. If all else fails, the American people need to surround Washington and peacefully remain there for as many months as it takes to make it clear to the world we refuse to go down without a fight. 👊🇺🇸
I’m with you, Steve….got my kick-ass boots ready…well, OK, am old now, but I can at least reach some shins to land a blow!!!
Thanks for commenting, Barbara. My only advice to people is think in terms of asymmetrical warfare. We cannot fight them on their preferred field of battle. We will lose if we do. That is why I imagine 10 million Americans peacefully surrounding Washington DC for however many months it takes to make it clear we won’t let them win. That would be part of a national strike, of course. The weapon we have is how we spend our money. They cannot force us to spend what they need us to spend. I wish Dr. King was alive to guide us in this direction.
I wish to could be there daily w/ my small sign…but, alas, I live nearly 3,000 miles west in a very rural area, so not on my dance card. We do have gatherings/protests, but they are small, but passionate!
Steve- Here's a word from Dr. King from his book, Where Do We Go from Here:
"The stability of the large world house which is ours will involve a revolution of values to accompany the scientific and freedom revolutions engulfing the earth. We must rapidly begin to shift from a 'thing'-oriented society to a 'person'-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered. A civilization can flounder as readily in the face of moral and spiritual bankruptcy as it can through financial bankruptcy".
Yes, we are running out of time.
Unfortunately I think that’s when they would bring out the military to shoot protesters and declare martial law and complete the takeover
If 10 million Americans peacefully surround Washington DC, they are not going to shoot 10 million of us. Peaceful protest worked for Gandhi and Dr. King even though in both movements, the protesters were attacked. Ultimately their numbers were so great that they were victorious.
We already have. They have complete control now. The Courts won't matter. They can't run government if Trump is determined to destroy it and Congress won't imprach him. The plot must therefore run its course. We can only choose to live with the consequences or determine to exploit them. There will be opportunities.
Steve - After Trump’s aliamce with Putin on Friday to attack Zelenskyy/Ukraine/(Europe), I wrote my US Congresspeople to urge them to demand that Trump resign since he is an obvious Allie of Russia and traitor to the United States. Why aren’t there marches and noise and protests for Trump to resign? It was never so obvious as it was on Friday.
I do not know why there was not an immediate nationwide uproar with people pouring out into the streets. I’ve been working on my own asymmetrical warfare plans, but now feel I need to check in with that organization called indivisible to see what they are doing.
https://indivisible.org
Maine had protest rallies this past Saturday all over the state. Check out 50501. Indivisible, as well.
There is also Swing Left, which arose out of Indivisible to specifically “get out the Democratic vote” in swingable districts. https://swingleft.org
There was a huge rally with a large Ukrainian flag on Times Square in NYC on Saturday.
I agree, Steve Brant. I belong to Indivisible, too. I am 80 years old, don't drive at night, and am no longer able to march, but my brain, mouth, and hands still work and I am not liking the idea of dying in a dictatorship.
Diane, I’ve posted a link to this Jackson Browne’s song here a number of times…maybe time again…it’s become my “fight song”, albeit one from the mid-80’s! Til I Go Down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmzimxfqgfw. I was bereft that Jimmy Carter, who voted for Harris/Walz did not live to see them inaugurated—something his son (I think it was he) said his dad fervently hoped for. Next time!!!! Til then, I’ll keep swinging “my chain” whatever form it may take! 🗽🇺🇸💪🏼☮️
We need to repeat 1/6/21 and have it be peaceful. And stay there. Our local indivisible group is having a March 4th march . My sign STOP PUTIN/TRUMP USA COUP!
But you know, Sheila, he’ll use that excuse, peaceful or not, to bring out the Nat’l Guard, maybe even US Armed Forces, to forcefully shut it down (think Kent State)…I shudder at his cruelty.
Rupert directs the court of public opinion
: (
Only those who listen/read his propaganda formats…sadly way way too many folks!
Only to MAGAs.
Brandy Lee is a questionable source in my opinion but Trump's niece Mary, who is a PhD psychologist with a front row seat on Donald's life years ago called him "The most dangerous person in the world." That seemed like an exaggeration then but not now. Follow Mary on Substack.
If he is, that because Americans have made him so. And the necessary corrollary to that is that Americans are the most dangerous people in the world. Which holds because its leaders have the most nuclear weapons at their disposal and the best among them. There are plenty more men like Donald Trump in America. He was just the one most advantaged to succeed in appealing to the rest. Mary Trump could have spoken up sooner and more publicly. She did not we must assume, out of fear. Maybe the thing that scares her the most is his ability to exploit her weaknesses. It has been reported that Donald drove his older brother to drink himself to death.
Yes, there are plenty of ultra-wealthy men influencing the Republican leaders about the merits of destroying our democracy. I’m not a psychologist; however, all of these men—Trump, Musk, Yarvin, Voight, Vance,Thiel, etc…, seem to be completely lacking in empathy. I think they are like other ruthless dictators in that they don’t care if the masses live or die. Not good leaders and disastrous for humankind and the planet.
I have been a licensed psychologist in Pa. since 1979. I have stopped joining any professional organizations as they stifle curiosity and genuine skepticism. Many of the people, not all, in leadership positions ,who as individuals were bright and compassionate ,allowed their brains to turn to mush and their hearts to stone when part of an organization. Courage was lacking. And courage requires asserting ourselves when we feel vulnerable: when we feel alone or when we feel that our thoughts and feelings may be wrong or even “ crazy “. Put professionals in an organization and it would be difficult to construct an adequately functioning backbone from the lot of us.
Khrushchev was right, not a shot fired and russia has done itI The longer this goes on without stopping them - and I have no idea how you can do that - the more entrenched it will become, how will the military react, that will be crucial? The military is a crucial component in a coup, politically the US is in a full-on political coup, a bloodless one if the left allows, wasn't that what they wanted...? trump and his sicarios have wrought treason on your country.
How can it be a "coup"? We ELECTED this government. They didn't seize the White House by illegal means.
We can hate that we didn't have the votes but WE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES. Democracies are subject to bad actors winning enough support to win elections. Why doesn't everyone here see that?
You are looking for boogiemen in the shadows and while the Russians may have used their powers to influence the election, WE the people had to cast the votes (or in the case of many Democrats, not vote). If enough people in this country are stupid enough to buy the lies, we need to accept responsibility for letting that happen.
Sorry, I just don't accept the whining and copping out when we lose. Ben Franklin said "This is our democracy, if we can keep it."
That is still true even after 248 years.
Ir was a CONSTITUTIONAL coup, No one in the nation knew what Heather's column today documents before they went to the polls, and no one could have imagined the schoolyard behavior of our elected leaders Friday afternoon before the cameras in the Oval Office, when they talked about diplomacy in ways which made it clear they hadn't the faintest idea of what the word 'diplomacy' entails!
Suggest you read Nadin Brzezinski's commentary
https://nadinbrzezinski.medium.com/meeting-in-london-34a905762aa3
There's been lots of activity we appear to have been unaware of.
Wow. Great piece. I need to read it again. So many moving pieces. Trump is a fool. No wonder Rubio looked so miserable. ‘Selling one pair of pants to two parties’. Love it.
I’d love to but it’s behind a paywall.
Carol, I did a free signup. I’ve been trying to avoid the information bombardment but this one was worth it.
From what I could read, that is heartening news... I am reading stuff regarding that summit, but from here in Spain, there is potential...
I have seen your critical comments of me elsewhere. You are entitled to your opinion, but I am also entitled to mine. You appear to be a coward living overseas. If you want to comment on this country's politics, then you should have the guts to live in this country. Because being in Spain, from where I sit here in California and subject to the horrors of the Trump administration, gives me 100x the credibility to say what I think we should do (or not do).
You calling me out is a cowardly act, sir, and you should own that.
Not for one minute. We have had a dictator in this country, my husband was sentenced to jail indefinitely for defying Franco, but you sit in your little bubble and think your vote was enough. You are entitled to call me what you like, it does not matter because you know nothing about me, you on the other hand, are whingeing about something and thinking that is enough. You haven't seen any fascist horrors yet mate, you haven't got a clue. People afraid to enter a police station for fear of never coming out again, prosecuted for speaking your own language, Catalan... get the fuck outtahere with you credibility claims, and commenting on your country's politics is entirely permissible, what you lot do in the US affects all of us, Americans should have to take an exam to show they understand what voting entails, and if they fail, no vote.
The schoolyard bully behavior has been obvious for years. Decades in drumph’s case. People knew what they were voting for and they wanted this.
If they did not it was because they weren't paying attention. There is no news here.
They cheated, have you been watching Fox and clones…. 30% cult nuts, 30% disaffected haters (religious, white nationalist cretins, greedy bastards, Dem haters.)
It doesn't really matter that they cheated. The margins should not have been small enough for the cheats to work. That they were is the real indictment of America.
I agree with that. It reminds me of a long time ago interview that ESPN did with Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. They asked him if he ever felt the referees caused his team to lose s game. His response was amazing. He said "Officials make mistakes. Players and coaches also make mistakes. It's our job to make sure the score is never so close that an officials mistake can cost us the game. If it does, that's in us, not the officials. "
You are 100% spot on. The voting results should never be so close that a few states let alone a few precincts can cost us the election. If that happens it's on us.
The Republic of the United States of America is my religion. No matter what happens, I will always believe in the Republic. (In 1957-58, the Coach taught Civics. He started those classes, “Today we’re studying the Constitution of the United States. This is the law of the land.”)
That was in 1957/58 and for many years before and after but this is a different country now for the last 5 weeks. It's looking more and more like Russia and Hungary. Elon Musk is asking Congress to start impeachment procedures against any judge that contemplate even putting a TRO on the scumbag president orders. Could you believe it?
Is that what the constitution says?
There's a long list of similar situations, sorry to say. And there's no light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for your passionate comment Alec 👍
Our world is very fucked up. We’ve been headed this way ever since the New Deal rescued the Republic from the Great Depression. Maybe we’ve always been this way, but the spirit of our democratic Republic is sacred. It will not perish.
It will perish if we wait for someone else to do something Alec. Our legislators should call every lie coming out of the scumbag president's mouth on Tuesday while he speaks in Congress. That should be a big something.
And today it is under threat in its entirety and the very idea of democracy is teetering in the US.
I believe with all my heart in our election process—though that is not to say also it’s perfect. I’m in charge of a precinct during our elections; I take that seriously. Because of this, I have to respect the outcome of this election even though I fought hard to avoid this outcome. But I will not accept is meekly. Because I believe in our process, I have to do my small part (along with millions of others also doing theirs) to make sure the next one is different. BlueTennessee.org
Wonderful for Jon Rosen that he accepts bad actors, and that he himself doesn't sink to the level of whining and copping out. What a guy !!
Geez. I don't remember electing Musk, do you? I don't remember voting to elevate the Presidency to be the sole arbiter of the Rule of Law, do you? I don't remember voting to stand down against the Russian threats against the USA, do you?
Granted, I'm capable of "senior moments," but still...
You may not have voted that way (nor did I) but I also understand this country's system (and have mostly believed in it) and we lost the election. So the people who DID vote for all those things are now entitled to attempt to accomplish them. We continue to stand in opposition (as we should) but we all must accept the result of the election. That is the democratic way.
It was a bloodless coup. Everything trump and his minions have done is a clear violation of our Constitution, dirupts/destroys our system of checks and balances, and annihilate our position in the world. His stunt with vance last Friday was proof of it all. Putin helped put trump where he is because trump is a power-hungry egomaniac. Now trump has to pay Putin's dues.
Actually, while I despise most of what Trump has done and is doing, I don't at all agree that "everything" he and his minions have done "is a clear violation of our Constitution". Some might be, I agree, and there are a number of lawsuits challenging him on those issues, but I expect many of those cases will go in his favor because in fact, the president has quite wide ranging powers and only a part of what he has done is in "clear violation". As for our position in the world, that isn't "mandated" anywhere, it is earned, and if Trump, as our elected President wants to destroy that, I assume he has at least the right and the power to attempt it. It sees outrageous, yes, but the opposition has found much of what our Presidents have done to be outrageous too. There are clearly two sides in this country and they have diametrically opposing viuews on many things. Unless we decide to return to working for bipartisan results, we are going to see this separation get worse and worse until a full scale civil war breaks out. That could be highly dangerous for both sides.
And you Sir are defending them under a false premise, they have lied totally and if you think lying on this scale is simply bad faith actor, then you deserve your current pathetic outlook.
As I said elsewhere, sir, if you want to criticize from the foreign country of Spain, rather than returning to this country to help us in our hour of need, then YOU are the one with the pathetic outlook, IMHO. Please don't criticize those of us who actually have to LIVE here when you don't have the guts to do so yourself.
replied to, and I am not American, assuming again... what was it you called me.. ah yes. A coward and you are about to find out how much of one you are.
We obviously can’t keep it.
But did we?
Oh yes, coups happen during mandates too...
Oh, and your Constitution is under assault, if that isn't part of a coup, I don't know what is because you certainly don't.
That is why Hegseth, the historically unqualified war criminal apologist was trumps pick for Secretary of Defense.
He will happily comply with trump's orders to use any measures necessary to put down protests against his policies.
These people are Sociopathic, oppression is their dream come true.
Trump is clearly a Russian operative. Everything we suspected has been confirmed. Traitor is the apt word.
Needs to be tried for treason!
needs to be OUSTED. TALK THE TALK.
Ditto Donald. The question is what to do to wake up from this nightmare.
This is deeply, deeply concerning and downright scary. I have worked in cybercrime and online fraud prevention for 20 years, and I can say with absolute confidence that China and Russia consistently have been and still are attacking companies in the U.S. and Europe. I am horrified.
Yes, feel sorry for Putin and his stooge the orange felon.
And deny, deny, deny the Russian campaigns against decency. Even while indecency requires renewed input, as from Vice Sycophant, Vance, plus the far-right reporter (who is also boyfriend of Marjorie Taylor Gazpacho) who chimed in, too, his public insults to Zelensky.
How we deal with these indecencies? Sarah Smarsh’s penultimate line in her latest book of essays, “Bone of the Bone,” puts her priority as “. . . our first task is to see ourselves – a process, inevitably of casting off the false descriptions that a deranged world provides.”
Our deranged America of course was born with the Powell memo, August 23, 1971. That, with its far-right foundations brought the corruption and perjury to what had been a Supreme Court. Hegemonized dark money. And poisoned American schools with inabilities for anyone to see any others – no life as individuals nor in books or other arts as characters – so surreptitiously standardized testing sealed the deal till we got the convicted criminal in the White House.
Phil-Our "deranged America" was actually born with the nation's beginning. To establish a system where people are classified as superior and inferior based on skin color is to deny the essence of humanity. It's been more than 200 years and people still believe that "race" based on skin color is a truism. It's not. American schools, literature and the arts have been (and are still being) used to reinforce white supremacy. Like so many other events (e.g. SCOTUS decisions, MAGA) in American history, the Powell Memo was a catalyst to further entrench this ethos into American life.
Phil Balla,
Wow...3 full paragraphs of hard reality!!!!
I am shocked by "decent" Americans who are "sleep walking" through this.
As I watched Trump and his minions fill our prisons with persons who were accused without individual legal defenders, just "prodded" into prisons....wherever space could be found, even jails within other countries, I started thinking....maybe I need to start packing a bag for when I am taken!!!!
How easily we watched "others" being treated as subhuman, being pushed into prisons as a show of what could happen to anyone....who "is not like "us" whatever that means to those "in charge" under this administration.
It will all be fine....until they knock on our door....or the doors of our beloved family members and/or friends!!!! My friends are of all "colors and nationalities". I love and appreciate each one deeply. I actually love the various cultures they are from. I enjoy hearing about their real lives and the hope to have better lives through their willingness to take humble jobs and to work long hours. Who will take their places????
Everyday, freedoms are lost....we need to do something more to save our nation. The same old same old is not going to this time! We need STRONG LEGAL ENGAGEMENT1
BOYS AND GIRLS, this is not another country being taken over by a failing "leader"...this is THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!
And to add to this, we have a felon at the head of our government...allowed by law.
Emily, they are not "sleep walking" through this. What we see before us is the absolute desire of mediocre white folks who want to be elevated to the top position in a white, male dominated, cisgendered, heteronormative, Christian culture. This is exactly what they want; they do not care that in so doing, they are empowering an oligarchical, kleptocratic society in which the only difference between them and the others is the color of their skin and which of the "only two" genders they are. Period.
Or derive great vicarious satisfaction from feeling that have helped to raise one of their own to such a position heedless of the fact that he will mostly likely put them through a meat grinder along with everyone else.
I'd amend your last single word, Emily.
I'd have it read instead, "allowed by disregard for and corruption of the law."
For the Kremlin, Trump is a useful idiot - until he runs out of usefulness. But he will have sold-out the USA along with his soul. All of our protests and our attempts at voting will not matter because the Kremlin carries more weight than the US public for Trump and the Kremlin will have gotten into our systems.. So much of what could protect us is being dismantled right before our eyes and at a rapid pace.
Anyone who thinks they’re gonna be real elections in 2026 needs to read this letter from Heather. There ain’t gonna be no elections in 2026… not real elections.
Completely agree.
So, that being the case, if elections will not save us, I have 4 questions:
1) What's the new plan and how and by whom will it be led?
2) Will we, should we fight as one country?
3) What kind of world are we fighting to have once we win?
4) How do we survive together until we prevail?
And no, I do not believe we have already lost; I believe "we have only just begun to fight." - FDR 1936
It is so hard for Americans to fight to protect America, when the ignorant half of the Americans voted for Trump. It’s crazy.
As the saying goes, a nation divided against itself cannot stand. It's unfortunate that people didn't wake up sooner to realize all of the deliberate and intentional actions that have kept us divided. The question is how do we come together to fight against the cruelty, violence and indoctrination that continues to threaten our survival.
As I have seen said elsewhere and will be advocating soon on my own Substack newsletter, we need to organize at the community level … with the ultimate goal being a nation without a top down management structure. Top down management is all the founding fathersknew. But advances in management theory (see: W Edwards Deming) have given rise to a flat organization concept that can be applied to re-inventing the United States in a way that takes away Washington DC’s power. Here is the best model for community organizing (as a developmental goal not a political goal) that I have seen…
https://communitiesofexcellence2026.org
He is more than that. They are partners. They have a pact.
“During the 2024 campaign, Trump said repeatedly that he would end the war in Ukraine. Shortly after the election, a newspaper reporter asked Nikolai Patrushev, who is close to Putin, if Trump’s election would mean “positive changes from Russia’s point of view.” Patrushev answered: “To achieve success in the elections, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations. And as a responsible person, he will be obliged to fulfill them.”
If this is true, Trump should be imprisoned for treason. Where is the cite source for this quote by Patrushev? Many people are saying he never said that.
You must be smoking too much ganja. In case you haven't noticed, prosecuting someone for treason is a federal crime and the Justice department needs to act. Could you PLEASE explain to me in which universe you think the current TRUMP justice department is going to attempt to prosecute TRUMP for treason?
My guess is there is no such universe in existence. What you want and what can be done aren't always the same thing.
Trump is here to stay until 2028 at least. We need to deal with reality, not engage in flights of fantasy.
Sorry, not trying to be offensive but we all need to get a grip. Going insane isn't going to help this situation one bit.
This is known as "The fog of war" part right now. The intentions are beginning to become clear. What may have worked to fight this onslaught 30 days ago may not work in the situation now. Stay calm and come to grips with that. As you say what we want to do may not be what we can do. Lets figure out what we can do effectively.
Trump, in some form, is here from now on . It’s too late for the electoral process.
The point being made is that something needs to be done NOW. Waiting 2 to 4 years is much too late. All will be lost by then … there won’t be elections.
I know many say it is useless or placating the opposition, but I think the sanest approach is to use public shaming to try to turn the tide. I see only two options:
(a) There is clamoring for a physical uprising in opposition to the legal usurpers of the throne (i.e., Trump and his minions). Sadly, I do not think that will work at all. We are no longer living in an era where single-shot muzzle-loading rifles and shotguns let alone swords and shields can hold the day. The army, under Mr. Trump's command now, has jets, tanks, artillery and oh yeah, nuclear weapons. Will he dare to use them against his own population? I wouldn't bet against it. He has a Roman-like blood lust, and it always seems to me he would be better situated in the Coliseum than in the White House Rose Garden. An attempted coup (which would, even in our almost lawless nation today, still be massively illegal) would lead to huge purges of people in the name of "patriotism". There will be many people dead in the streets and we will definitely look like a third world nation that many say we have already become.
(b) We have to hope that some of the new GOP "MAGA-adopters" still have some sense of sanity and if they see a significant amount of public opinion in opposition they will stop and think. Maybe they will start to act more responsibility. Just maybe there will be enough votes to support Democratic positions at least on really important issues, you know what we used to call bipartisanship when we considered that to be something to be proud of not shameful. I recognize it is not going to be easy but it seems (to me) to be the only sensible and possible path. Will it work? I have no idea. As they say in Star Wars, "the dark side of the force is very strong with them".
We can hope and remember that the good side of the force prevailed in Star Wars (several times but never permanently). I am not as confident that will happen in real life as it did in the movies, but I don't see any other option that doesn't lead to mass suicide by the good guys. We (as a country) have deeded them the power and it will take massive changes to get it back.
There is no one-day, or one-month or even one-year solution. We are in for a long struggle and yes, it is probably going to have some very ugly moments. That is why I found Carville's opinion piece to be most relevant, because staying calm and letting the rabble around Trump bring their own house down seems more sensible than trying to fight them outright. I just don't see that as a winning strategy.
Is the other winnable? Maybe, but we won't know unless we try.
I hate agreeing with you on this, because it is sooooo hard, but, reluctantly, I do.
It's not just trump Abra, it's his whole administration ,all his enablers, his donors ,his minions in Congress and the media. We need to disinfect America.
In Heather's notes...
I tried to open that link in Heather’s letter and it wouldn’t open.
Jon, I don't think most Americans understand how quickly and "democratically" Hitler destroyed Germany's democracy.
Putin, Trump, Vance, the Oligarchs, and the authors of Project 2025 ALL understand this 👇
“The big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” - Joseph Goebbels, March 23, 1933 (The day Hiter succeeded in destroying Germany"s democracy)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/
Those who don't understand history are doomed to repeat it... Wake Up America!
Justin-If only America was truly a democracy. We've been fighting to make it so since the country was founded. The words and values expressed in the Declaration of Independence are inspiring, but by allowing wealthy people to exploit and divide labor for centuries we ceded our values, promise and principles to unending greed and malice.
Hitler employed one tool Trump has yet to resort to. Murder. But it is the except that proves the point Goebbels made. How easy it is to subvert a government of laws if one has the motive, the means, and the opportunity to act outside the law. Trump employs other means that are similarly fearful. Being able to destroy someone's life. Mostly in the past that applied only to his immediate rivals. Now it applies most Americans and he sims to reach more. Like Hitler did.
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The greatest threat , the damage that will run a dagger through the heart of our democracy is the pernicious campaign to poison and sabotage our electoral system. What they did in a few dozen precincts in seven states in 2024 is being refined and expanded, gathering more more personnel, money and resources to suppress and repress free, fair, and open elections at every level in every state.
My fervent hope, Marilyn, is that the Dems sweep the 2026 elections and win back a super majority in the House & Senate & pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act & take other necessary actions to secure free and fair elections are accessible to ALL eligible voters regardless of party affiliation.
This is not the America it was a month ago Barbara. Don't bet on an election to regain control of Congress.
Yeah, but I like tilting at windmills…a la Don Quixote! Gotta try at least!
Jessie Jackson said something like "You don't sink until you stop swimming.".
I admire your honesty and good humor as well as the deep and seriousness of your comments. It's ok to take a break once in the while 🤩. Mi break now will be to go back to bed 😄💤💤💤💤
By my count a super majority in the Senate is almost impossible. Assuming no other changes before 2026, we would be to win 32 out of 33 races in 2026 including in some of the deepest red states like Texas and west Virginia. That would give us 67 seats, the number needed to override Trump vetoes. But that is almost impossible to achieve. I am focused on just winning a majority so we can keep anything outrageous from happening.
I just think crazy dreams are not a good thing to indulge in. Let's try to be rational and come up with a workable plan to beat the barbarians at the gate.
The Russian influence is right here. Of course it is possible to win a super majority. Not likely but possible. What needs to be done is to make the possible work. Because of Russian and other influences including natural diffidence people have a hard time committing to the hard work of winning back our country. Of course we want a democracy and we need to do it the hard way by convincing ourselves and our neighbors that a functioning democracy that helps everyone succeed is a possibility worth striving for.
The Barbarians are inside the gates. You’re locked in with them. It’s gonna take hand to hand, to drive them out.
Too late. They are in the city. They have worked their way to the heart of it.. Got something else ?
The election fraud, voter suppression and massive, digitized disinformation war across all forms of media are only going to accelerate over the next two years. Dems are like the British, marching in formation in their bright red coats while the revolutionaries conducted trench warfare from the hills and valleys. We need to understand that their foxholes and Ha-mas tunnels today are the digital receptacles of our personal data, the financial systems on which we rely, and the access to health care and information upon which our lives depend. These are the wells of freedom which are being systematically poisoned in order to achieve a final solution. We — the American Democracy — need to change our counterterrorism tactics, to regain ground again in a war which has already substantially advanced.
Great analogy, and on point.
I am hoping Trumps wrecking crew can convince enough of his adoring fans that it's not really them, nor any part of their lives, that he is into. They're no more than stepping stones.
We have had our last free and fair election. Any going forward will be just pro- forma like in most banana republics.
“Shortly after the election, a newspaper reporter asked Nikolai Patrushev, who is close to Putin, if Trump’s election would mean “positive changes from Russia’s point of view.” Patrushev answered: “To achieve success in the elections, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations. And as a responsible person, he will be obliged to fulfill them.”
Thank you Professor,
Whether Trump has been a Russian Asset, “useful” idiot, or truly is the deranged traitor we know Trump to be; it is immaterial at this point, because the man is compromised, and has managed to destroy all that is good about our country, in record time.
Whether for greed, or because he truly is a malignant sociopath craving power (like Musk); Trump is fully aligned with Russia. Just yesterday, another Kremlin remark said it all:
“The Kremlin said in remarks aired Sunday that the United States' sudden shift in foreign policy "largely aligns" with its own position. “The new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations. This largely aligns with our vision," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a reporter from state television.” — Moscow Times, March 1, 2025
Last week was a pivotal point in history, for America, and our allies across the globe. Not only did we destroy any good will left for us in the world (US AID; it appears we have crossed the Rubicon, with no path back, or path forward, that doesn’t end in disaster for us, our allies, and possibly the world.
We watched, for the first time in UN history as America became aligned with Russia, China, N. Korea, Hungary, and the rest of the Axis of Evil. Even Israel joined this group of authoritarian kleptocrats, showing its true colors as well.
Furthermore, this isn’t just a dismantling of America; it’s a reconfiguration of THE WORLD ORDER; and the repercussions will haunt us for decades to come. Whatever, good America was, it no longer exists. And as a faithful and loyal American, I am truly heartbroken!
That said, we aren’t dead yet! Now is the time to regroup, and fight back, because lying down, and playing dead, isn’t an option; nor is it the American way.
I remember when Kevin Robert’s, president of the Heritage Foundation said before the election, “there’s going to be a revolution, and it will be bloodless, as long as the radical liberals let it be.” All I can say to that is, “bring it on!” IMHO..:)
The move away from safeguards against Russian hacking is a blatant effort to reward Russia for something. Connect the dots? The 2024 presidential election results are being scrutinized in the swing states by ElectionTruthAlliance.org, and there are some very suspicious patterns being uncovered which suggest that there was a carefully calibrated vote-flipping operation in place at the swing state ballot processing centers, just enough votes going to DJT from Harris to put him over the top but not so close as to trigger an audit. Russian hacking involvement? Funded by Musk? This is worth looking into as DJT may owe them his reelection, thus the reward.
Thank you; great information. It was apparent shenanigans were taking place. I’m not shocked in the least, especially given the amount of social engineering, and disinformation campaigns occurring on social media platforms.
Musk and Zuckerberg keep talking about freedom of speech. Vance, at Munich, claimed Europe is the enemy because they have speech guardrails.
Yet, this is part of the authoritarian playbook: Flood the zone with disinformation and misinformation, so no one knows what true or not. We’re not headed towards Orwell’s 1984; we’re already there.
Robert-With all of the lying, cheating and malice involving the Republicans, it's amazing to me that so many think the elections were fair, honest and accurate.
Agreed…:)
No it is not immaterial...He is more than a useful idiot. He is a partner. And partnerships often break up or fail. More often than not in fact.
If Trump can not succeed in forcing Ukraine to accept defeat or in bringing it about by forcing the EU to abandon it, the Putin will lose this war. It is turning against him now. If he does, he will be one of its victims and this partnership.will end. His successors in Moscow will not want a new one. It is likely that Trump will fall from power then too, of he has not done so already, or die. If not, he will have lost big on this, his final venture, and will no longer have the motive, and most likely the means and opportunity to go on destroying America. He will probably want to patch it up in a hurry if he sees that happening. So helping Ukraine is of great importance. It is fighting out battle.
Trump may yet live to denounce Putin. If on the other hand Putin remains alive and gets all he wants for Trump after Trump does his worst, and still he does not have Ukraine or at least reprieve, then he will lose interest in Trump and cashier him. He will do this by revealing that he is, in fact, a Russian agent. This will be a lie. Trump is not trustworthy enough to be an agent. But no matter, there is no one who will disbelieve him.
This eventuality also depends on Europe being willing to come to the rescue of Ukraine and to ensure that it wins the war. It has the means. So everything depends on that. So if Ukraine wins, Trump and Putin lose. And if Trump loses, the Republican party is finished, just like Lindsey Graham said.
So you see, this partnership of more than convenience has less shelf life than a box of crackers. And what happens to it matters. Give it six months.
I urge *everyone in the US* to jettison your US-based email, cloud storage and VPN, as they may no longer be secure, and several for sure are not. When the Trump regime goes onto the next phase of realignment, you are none of you secure. Pick ultra-secure systems like Proton or Infomaniak, both in Switzerland, or some ultra-secure systems based in the EU (make sure they are private and secure, as Russia cyber-attacks us too).
Things we need to think about and do after only 5 weeks. This is not America anymore. Thanks for your concern Sophie.
I’m so sorry. But it’s time to be hard-headed and practical. These people don’t have your best interests at heart.
Thank you for saying something. I've never liked the idea of cloud storage anyway but e-mail is something to definitely think about. What a bewildering, dystopian, horror show these fascist mfrs have created for us already.
It's a daily horror show horhai. We have no brake and it's going worse.
Thanks, Sophie, will research this info.
The world is under great stress and much of it originating from the White House. The previously unthinkable is now to be expected.
We are witnesses to International Relations Murder Porn produced and directed by “Dong Juan’’ Trump and his sidekick - what’s his name – one of a rotating, indistinguishable cast of sycophants.
I am an American living in Amsterdam. I had to buy a t-shirt that says "Sorry about Donald Trump." People here couldn't believe it in 2016, but this time they are PISSED OFF. We are all under threat here thanks to this two-bit grifter and his brown-nosed sidekick.
This time Trump was not lying: On July 26 of last year: “Speaking Friday in at the Turning Point Action Believers’ Summit in Florida, the former president said, “Get out and vote just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years it will be fixed. It’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
Trump added: “You’ve got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.” Politico, 7/28/24
It all makes sense now.
JJC - Yes, exactly! What more can Americans do if there will no longer be legitimate elections? The US elections will be like those of Russia with no opposition to Putin. Then Trump will do what Putin did … remove term limits. The only hope is that Trump will not live that long.