Just what is the Trump/Musk presidency doing to unite the parties?
It’s clearly NOT working for the middle class or the poor.
Prices are rising, tariffs against our neighbors aren’t working to support the economy.
Ending the war in Ukraine isn’t working as Trump appears to be working with Putin and our long term relations with NATO are getting worse. Healthcare costs are rising as are groceries and gas.
The top 15-20% are the only ones who aren’t having to tighten their belts and purchases.
How long will it be until the people who are suffering financially and can no longer afford necessities, let alone a better life turn against Trump?
Thanks, Heather, for all you do! I thought you might be interested in a bit of news. I'm a Will Smith and Gene Hackman fan, especially their roles in "The Enemy of the State", and have wondered why that amazing movie about the "deep state" has not been cited in Hackman's cinema accomplishments, since all the press following his death. Too close to home? I encourage you and your readers to pull it up for a watch. It has many parallels to Tramp and Muskrat's corruption tour d force. I especially like the ending. Have a blessed evening. Gregg
Thanks Heather. You provide the best daily recap of what’s happening in our country along with an historical backstory. Would you talk a little about the cost of Trump’s weekly trips to Florida, the cost of Security and Secret Service for those trips and how the Federal Government, that is, the people, are paying for those trips.
Which majority in the country is driving the foreign policy goals to re-align with Russia? This administration, which did not receive a mandate to govern, is overstepping their approval in radically changing Democracy to a kleptocratic authoritarian regime which has acquiesced to Russian control.
Calling the 1-800 number for the Social Security mother ship was, indeed, a two hour wait. Finally, I realized there was an SS Office in nearby Fairhope, Alameda. After to rings an actual person answered the call and within a few minutes arranged for the issue (benefits for my disable brother) to be resolved. Now president Musk intends to fire 7,000 members of the understaffed Administration (mostly those who review the taxes of billionaires or are techies who maintain the ancient COBAL system)) and close local offices. This is clearly another example of Musk/Trump's intent to harm working class Americans but do everything possible for the wealthy.
With the plagure of historical amnesia spreading and the flurry of lies, half truths and propaganda apread by Musk and Trump each day supported by the GOP and his loyal misguided base in the social echo chambers., I feel overwhelmed and drained. I finally got sick and my vocal cords are swollen and sore. When I regain my strength and momentum, I'll, be making calls and recording more songs of protest on You Tube. With that said I am grateful for those who are speaking truth to power. Now Our democratic representatives need to get a plan, and unite as a force against tryanny. Democracy must prevail. Resist!
I am concerned that the many veterans who have lost their network of support will feel that there's nothing left for them and will fall back on their training and take out the ba*****rd's who destroyed their lives. It boggles my mind that Musk doesn't ever consider cause and effect, for each of his actions there will be an equal and opposite reaction. When he eliminates services that cause human suffering and death he should expect the appropriate reaction. People are fragile and civility is more frayed than ever, bad time to cut costs to fund tax breaks for billionaires and Musk's rocket ship to Mars.
Evil on display! The worst for me is taking away Ukrainian intelligence. People died immediately due to that decision. This REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION, president musk and drumpf have blood on their hands. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!
Got out and demonstrated today! There were a lot of supportive honks, thumbs up and shouts of support, enough to feel encouraged. Majority didn’t engage, a small number of hecklers. I shouted, “down with fascism” in response. 🇺🇦💙🇺🇸
All true enough--it appears that the only classic means to stop the Trump Republicans is action by the House and Senate and/or the US Court system., our much vaunted system of checks and balances. But that system depends on the will of lawfully vested men and women to actively and publically exercise their respective Constitutional authorities with fearless good faith, honor, and honesty--and the willingness to accept risk to their persons and paychecks. None of these conditions seems to be functioning at present with Trump and his operators. This is in effect the first true stress test of our Constitutional contract since our Civil War; a test in which neither our political nor social structures appear to have any effect lawful safeguards.
We have been extraordinarily lucky in the United States that this has not happened in a similar manner or to this degree before. Our country has approached dire political precipices in the past but, with the exception of the South's succession, we have always somehow stepped back from the fall. Indeed, our system of laws, Constitutional or otherwise, appears to rest only on the individual and collective the will of AMericans to do the "right thing", and work together at some level for consensus and the common good. That will now being in short supply, who knows what might happen.
What happens when there is unfettered capitalism that allows people to accumulate this much money and this much power, was asked. Fascist dystopia is the answer. This is the dawning of the age of dystopia. Heather Cox Richardson your voice feeds my soul, thank you for staying so strong when our democracy seems so weak. David Porter Misso
Once again, I shall repeat what a retired newspaper reporter wrote when he began his career with a major newspaper. He said that the editor told him that there is only one story. And that story is "The Rich Screwing the Poor." What is now happening is an obvious example of that message. Musk's parents from South Africa favored that apartheid fascist white government. He grew up in that environment. He is now speaking to the extreme right wing leaders in Hungary, Germany, Italy, etc. We all should have been alerted when we saw his Nazi salute not long ago. He has no business(interesting word!) in our government. I think it's obvious that Trump, with the help of Musk and the billionaires he has placed in positions of power are attempting a coup d' tat of the most powerful country in the world. Big business wants exactly what Trump and Musk and the administration are doing: Eliminating government safeguards against pollution and other measures the U.S. has taken to keep our environment safe against
the businesses running rough-shod over all of us. All you need to do is educate yourselves by reading what is being done to take us down into the gutter of capitalism at its worst. If we continue to be silent, our country will no longer be our country. As Howard Zinn titled one of his many books, "You Can't Be Neutral On a Moving Train
It seems this ruinous Trump/Musk Administration is something of an accident of history. There have, since before the Civil War, been about 1/3 of Americans who are short sighted, mean spirited, backward, petty, selfish and some are committed racists. Since FDR and LBJ and progressive measures they seethed. In 2010 the Tea Party, largely a reaction to a bi racial man being elected President. gave many of these folks a home. Then, a brilliant propagandist and sleazy developer from Queens, who had zero morals, was corrupt and mostly incompetent realized that he could easily manipulate a certain type of person. While he once supported Democrats, his capacity to influence the easily manipulatable made him realize that with their support he could become powerful. The 1/3rd began organizing and by voting in primary races at a very high rate. were able to get far right extremist candidates to run for offices. All these efforts and the sleazy developer's lies were magnified by the internet and what became the MAGA media universe (to quote Axios founder VandeHei)). The brilliant propagandist realized in addition to the 1/3rd being easily manipulated it included those with proclivities toward violence. The new Nazi gangs became is Brown Shirts and others threatened the lives of judges and their families, journalists, poll workers and anyone who questioned what had become Der Fuhrer. The seizure of our Constitutional form of government was actually made possible by the 1/3re as it turns out those they got elected were almost all the most cowardly, dishonorable Americans who ever lived. They became the creature of the propagandist just as he had become the creature of our greatest adversary. The question is: are the damages they are doing to our Constitutional institutions and harm they are doing to the safety, economic security, health fan future of everyday Americans irreparable?
Just what is the Trump/Musk presidency doing to unite the parties?
It’s clearly NOT working for the middle class or the poor.
Prices are rising, tariffs against our neighbors aren’t working to support the economy.
Ending the war in Ukraine isn’t working as Trump appears to be working with Putin and our long term relations with NATO are getting worse. Healthcare costs are rising as are groceries and gas.
The top 15-20% are the only ones who aren’t having to tighten their belts and purchases.
How long will it be until the people who are suffering financially and can no longer afford necessities, let alone a better life turn against Trump?
Yes. Too much money = too much power.
We forgot to remember the history.
Thanks, Heather, for all you do! I thought you might be interested in a bit of news. I'm a Will Smith and Gene Hackman fan, especially their roles in "The Enemy of the State", and have wondered why that amazing movie about the "deep state" has not been cited in Hackman's cinema accomplishments, since all the press following his death. Too close to home? I encourage you and your readers to pull it up for a watch. It has many parallels to Tramp and Muskrat's corruption tour d force. I especially like the ending. Have a blessed evening. Gregg
Thanks Heather. You provide the best daily recap of what’s happening in our country along with an historical backstory. Would you talk a little about the cost of Trump’s weekly trips to Florida, the cost of Security and Secret Service for those trips and how the Federal Government, that is, the people, are paying for those trips.
Thanks.
Which majority in the country is driving the foreign policy goals to re-align with Russia? This administration, which did not receive a mandate to govern, is overstepping their approval in radically changing Democracy to a kleptocratic authoritarian regime which has acquiesced to Russian control.
The two hour wait time when calling the Social Security office is not unusual even before the cuts. They have been chronically understaffed for years.
Calling the 1-800 number for the Social Security mother ship was, indeed, a two hour wait. Finally, I realized there was an SS Office in nearby Fairhope, Alameda. After to rings an actual person answered the call and within a few minutes arranged for the issue (benefits for my disable brother) to be resolved. Now president Musk intends to fire 7,000 members of the understaffed Administration (mostly those who review the taxes of billionaires or are techies who maintain the ancient COBAL system)) and close local offices. This is clearly another example of Musk/Trump's intent to harm working class Americans but do everything possible for the wealthy.
Much worse now
With the plagure of historical amnesia spreading and the flurry of lies, half truths and propaganda apread by Musk and Trump each day supported by the GOP and his loyal misguided base in the social echo chambers., I feel overwhelmed and drained. I finally got sick and my vocal cords are swollen and sore. When I regain my strength and momentum, I'll, be making calls and recording more songs of protest on You Tube. With that said I am grateful for those who are speaking truth to power. Now Our democratic representatives need to get a plan, and unite as a force against tryanny. Democracy must prevail. Resist!
I am concerned that the many veterans who have lost their network of support will feel that there's nothing left for them and will fall back on their training and take out the ba*****rd's who destroyed their lives. It boggles my mind that Musk doesn't ever consider cause and effect, for each of his actions there will be an equal and opposite reaction. When he eliminates services that cause human suffering and death he should expect the appropriate reaction. People are fragile and civility is more frayed than ever, bad time to cut costs to fund tax breaks for billionaires and Musk's rocket ship to Mars.
Evil on display! The worst for me is taking away Ukrainian intelligence. People died immediately due to that decision. This REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION, president musk and drumpf have blood on their hands. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!
Got out and demonstrated today! There were a lot of supportive honks, thumbs up and shouts of support, enough to feel encouraged. Majority didn’t engage, a small number of hecklers. I shouted, “down with fascism” in response. 🇺🇦💙🇺🇸
All true enough--it appears that the only classic means to stop the Trump Republicans is action by the House and Senate and/or the US Court system., our much vaunted system of checks and balances. But that system depends on the will of lawfully vested men and women to actively and publically exercise their respective Constitutional authorities with fearless good faith, honor, and honesty--and the willingness to accept risk to their persons and paychecks. None of these conditions seems to be functioning at present with Trump and his operators. This is in effect the first true stress test of our Constitutional contract since our Civil War; a test in which neither our political nor social structures appear to have any effect lawful safeguards.
We have been extraordinarily lucky in the United States that this has not happened in a similar manner or to this degree before. Our country has approached dire political precipices in the past but, with the exception of the South's succession, we have always somehow stepped back from the fall. Indeed, our system of laws, Constitutional or otherwise, appears to rest only on the individual and collective the will of AMericans to do the "right thing", and work together at some level for consensus and the common good. That will now being in short supply, who knows what might happen.
What happens when there is unfettered capitalism that allows people to accumulate this much money and this much power, was asked. Fascist dystopia is the answer. This is the dawning of the age of dystopia. Heather Cox Richardson your voice feeds my soul, thank you for staying so strong when our democracy seems so weak. David Porter Misso
Thank you - in a sea of disinformation, you are a trusted source
Once again, I shall repeat what a retired newspaper reporter wrote when he began his career with a major newspaper. He said that the editor told him that there is only one story. And that story is "The Rich Screwing the Poor." What is now happening is an obvious example of that message. Musk's parents from South Africa favored that apartheid fascist white government. He grew up in that environment. He is now speaking to the extreme right wing leaders in Hungary, Germany, Italy, etc. We all should have been alerted when we saw his Nazi salute not long ago. He has no business(interesting word!) in our government. I think it's obvious that Trump, with the help of Musk and the billionaires he has placed in positions of power are attempting a coup d' tat of the most powerful country in the world. Big business wants exactly what Trump and Musk and the administration are doing: Eliminating government safeguards against pollution and other measures the U.S. has taken to keep our environment safe against
the businesses running rough-shod over all of us. All you need to do is educate yourselves by reading what is being done to take us down into the gutter of capitalism at its worst. If we continue to be silent, our country will no longer be our country. As Howard Zinn titled one of his many books, "You Can't Be Neutral On a Moving Train
It seems this ruinous Trump/Musk Administration is something of an accident of history. There have, since before the Civil War, been about 1/3 of Americans who are short sighted, mean spirited, backward, petty, selfish and some are committed racists. Since FDR and LBJ and progressive measures they seethed. In 2010 the Tea Party, largely a reaction to a bi racial man being elected President. gave many of these folks a home. Then, a brilliant propagandist and sleazy developer from Queens, who had zero morals, was corrupt and mostly incompetent realized that he could easily manipulate a certain type of person. While he once supported Democrats, his capacity to influence the easily manipulatable made him realize that with their support he could become powerful. The 1/3rd began organizing and by voting in primary races at a very high rate. were able to get far right extremist candidates to run for offices. All these efforts and the sleazy developer's lies were magnified by the internet and what became the MAGA media universe (to quote Axios founder VandeHei)). The brilliant propagandist realized in addition to the 1/3rd being easily manipulated it included those with proclivities toward violence. The new Nazi gangs became is Brown Shirts and others threatened the lives of judges and their families, journalists, poll workers and anyone who questioned what had become Der Fuhrer. The seizure of our Constitutional form of government was actually made possible by the 1/3re as it turns out those they got elected were almost all the most cowardly, dishonorable Americans who ever lived. They became the creature of the propagandist just as he had become the creature of our greatest adversary. The question is: are the damages they are doing to our Constitutional institutions and harm they are doing to the safety, economic security, health fan future of everyday Americans irreparable?
PUTRUMUSK is not my President.
What a fabulous name you have coined, Will Bradley! PUTRUMUSK says it all!
Got it.