I remain incredulous that America elected this psychopath in the first place, and even more so that so many still support him after these past four years. I cannot understand how so many of us support our own destruction. For surely that is their goal. Hundreds of thousands of Americans dead. Even more destroyed economically. Our natural resources plundered and some gone forever. Our children’s educations degraded. And more. To what end? So a few fat, old, white men can have more power, more dollars??? Again, to what end? I thought America was better than this. I completely bought into the WWII era and later propaganda that we really were that “shining city on a hill”. My faith in this nation is shaken, devastated. We are dying in record numbers and still they obstruct. Once unimaginable behavior, now commonplace. Truly, an American tragedy. Our Founders must be weeping in their graves.
There are several reasons for voting for Trump. The rich and powerful intend to stay that way, the Religious Right want to increase their ability to force others to obey their beliefs. But the bulk of the great unwashed are afraid of anything that will life BIPOC up even close to equal to whites. It is white supremacy which is baked into the American psyche for 400 years.
Yes and no. I know way too many good, hardworking, non-racist people who have simply been conned by the Great Gaslighter-in-Chief, along with his trumpeter, Fox News. They truly believe our economy will dive into the penniless depths of "socialism" with a Democratic administration, that everything Trump says is true (instead of the opposite), and that Fox news really is news. These are techies, business owners, custodians and economics majors. Sure, as explained in "Let Them Eat Tweets", the "radical" Republicans have strategically fomented Rage, Religion and Race (latent or otherwise), in order to win. But again- this is the con. I believe we need to start with respect and calm facts (I say after I threw my phone across the room last night when yet another well educated relative said, "But we had to vote Republican to save the economy). And then just follow Bidens lead to fix enough national pribkems so that these folks get out of politics and on with there better lives. And reinstate Fairness Doctrine. And...
There were plenty of "good, honest, decent, hardworking, neighbourly Germans who wholeheartedly supported Hitler too. Some even were members of the SS and some worked in the death camps. They were not conned, though of course after the war, they "knew nothing". Regardless of their excuses, they are what they are.
Yes. There is anger also at the idea a "liberal" is going to take their tax money and give it to undeserving people in need. They will say they are not racist, but they believe people in need are just being lazy, and a high proportion are people of color.
Which all circles back to education. Our history books literally white wash what we have done to our Black population. I live in Atlanta, home of MLK, there was so much I didn't know about how the city was actually built and laid out to put Black neighborhoods at a disadvantage, even changing the names of streets so that White and Black didn't live on same street name. Not all, but I think if people understood how every step and turn has been calculated to keep Whites in power, I think we stand a better chance of helping people to understand racism and how it is everywhere, but in our privilege it has been easy to ignore.
And never mind that a majority of those "lazies" have ancestors dating back to 1619 who were enslaved and later denied any sort of reparation for non-compensated labor.
You hit the nail on the head. Behind much of it is a basic cheapness which manifests itself politically in support of those who don’t want to spend money to help the needy because “they don’t deserve it.” I know people like this.
I have heard variations on this from a lot of people I know. To a person they support trump, feel BLM and Antifa actively want to destroy America (as opposed to make it live up to its ideals, which is my view), and that Democrats are all socialists in disguise, also working to destroy our country. They believe these things to their core. It's difficult to see how how our two sides will ever find a way to understand each other. It makes me worry for our future.
I just want to see Biden and the Democratic leadership plainly address the dystopic oligarchy that McConnell seems intent on bringing about.The Republican Senate majority may be more vulnerable in 2022 than it was this year but it won't be if Democrats in the Senate and WH value "civility" over reality.
I think everything in this country is tied to money. The 1% want more (although there isn't much more beyond what they have already accumulated) and a huge number of Americans think the 1% level can be theirs too. Everything that happens here is tied to the hunt for more wealth. It is a curse on us.
Are you talking about Trump or McConnell? I feel like Lauren Morril could have been speaking directly to them when she said "I don't know how to explain to you why you should care about other people."
White supremacy is at the root of the blind support of Trump and the Republicans. It's fear of redistribution of wealth to the "other" and the ingrained need for white people to be in charge.
This is what happens in an Oligarchy. Which is what we are living under. It may be thought of as the mirror image of Communism, which the GOP keeps scaring voters with if they elect Democrats to office. With half the population hoodwinked into believing in this false reality story, how do we get out of this mess? We as a people are completely to blame for this misery we share.
It was good to hear from Biden and Harris today. They should continue holding press conferences so that the daily news will be on them and the American people can hear and see what they plan and are doing. They need to be front and center!
Fully agree. The voice at the mic that characterizes daily doings wields enormous power. Gingrich knew it, Trump knows it. It’s time for Biden & Harris to control their own narrative, and a daily press conference is the first essential way to do so.
"[US and NATO Military commanders'] concerns are that the removal of US troops will permit Taliban fighters to take control of the country, permitting terrorists to use it as a base."
That is exactly the scenario leading up to 9/11.
Meaning that 20 yrs of US blood and treasure went for.....nothing?
That is indeed a Saigon situation, Senator Rubio.
Even so, I have no fear of foreign terrorists. They need only sit back and watch as the USA self-destructs. It's our home-grown terrorists that scare me.
Vietnam is indeed doing well. Had they been left alone maybe they might have gotten there twenty years sooner.
My point wasn't about Vietnam or Aghanistan, it was about our almost identical failed experiences in both countries. At least in Afghanistan the US death toll wasn't as bad as Vietnam, though I'm sure that is little solice to the friends and family of those US military personnel who gave their lives there.
Thank you Heather for this breakdown of another day in Crazytown. Although, golf and complete hand washing of this pandemic are the only priorities that Trump has on a daily basis, he is still dangerous as hell. In fact, more so now than anytime in the last 4 years. I am a life long resident of the State you mentioned, New York. The Republicans take over, or atleast the grifting of the funds is a reality. I feel any other Governor would have buckled by now. Hats off to Cuomo for spitting in Trumps and the GOP faces.
I count the days until sanity moves back into the White House. January can't come soon enough. Until then, I still sleep with one eye open and an unhealthy level of anxiety.
The Biden/Harris team will have their hands full for sure, but we must do all we can to retrieve the Senate.
I’m a NY resident, as well, and really appreciated Governor Cuomo’s attempts to bite his tongue and flatter tRump in the early frightening months of 2020 in my state. You could tell he was frustrated beyond belief at Trump’s behavior. To hear Trump, yesterday, threaten NY and blame Cuomo for being careful about the vaccine was galling. But to be expected. Andrew Cuomo was recently interviewed on The Axe Files, and I recommend a listen for his talk about Trump. NY and NYC, especially, know Trump for the liar and thief and psychopath he is. ❤️🤍💙
I feel safer here living here (NY) & hearing him stand up to Trump is always a pleasure! The whole reason for the bankrupting of blue states was enlightening and scary. I will pass that on as much as I can. There needs to be awareness of what is behind the old buzzard's push.
From now until Inauguration news operations need to do a "Trump Watch"....a specific segment at the top of each hour reporting on his desperate and destructive machinations behind the green curtain. Repeated over and over through the day instead of buried among other stories. We are lulled into complacency thinking he is just sulking, "doing nothing" or playing golf. Bullet points will do but we need to know, for instance, that he is even floating the thought of a military strike on Iran's nuclear pile!!! This is why HCR is so critical....she digs into his veiled movements and tells us about them.
A letterwriter in the morning's Palm Beach Post comments that she has "never seen such turncoasts as Senators Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham." Of course, that would be an impossibilty since she could not have been alive in 1860. History is important. She went on to ask for the President's immediate removal before he can do damage that will never get undone. I wonder if that might cause more immediate harm than good.
Absolutely! That is a huge problem with Dems. We have never been good at getting our messages out. Think about it...why else has The Lincoln Project between so successful!? They are all either Repubs or ex-Repubs but they cleverly post a video-a-minute putting Fake 45 and those around him on the spot. Why the hell are we not doing that? Biden should be reminding us every single frigging day of how our democracy has been taken away from us.
I hate to say this but sadly for Dems to "go high when they go low" just doesnt work with people who have no bottom line as to how low they will go, no hesitation to lie and if Dems keep not calling them out on it - not putting the truth OUT THERE?Apparently the Repubs dont have any need to "work with the Dems" - at least not yet! The thought that some are sneaking around & whispering to the Democrats that they congratulate Biden & Harris - Really what chicken s***ts - thats what they are.
I had always thought DT would bankrupt America somehow. Now that Heather has explained this has been a Republican goal for years McConnell's actions make sick sense. Thank are dismantling the FDR's New Deal and all the social programs like Social Security and Medicare that go with it. And, so the biggest RINO of them all, Donald J. Trump, and the Republicans are the real culprits trying to Defund of the Police and First Responders. So much for states rights which I thought was another Republican policy position. It always comes down to power and controlling the wealth. The Republicans are destroying America and 70 million people are unknowingly being useful idiots in their plot against democracy.
I just wonder if any of them have honestly thought about what happens to our country if they succeed. In the long run, it will hurt them as well and as we have just witnessed, the long run, isn't very long... especially with Covid and climate change and the state we are in right now. Our country could become 3rd world very very quickly.
The over-privileged old white male doesn't think past his nose or the current day on the stock exchange. What they are doing isn't sustainable and will plummet the country into a crisis it may never recover from. They are destroying capitalism by taking away the buying power of the middle class, the consumer who drives capitalism. I don't understand regular conservatives who don't see the crisis to democracy of all this and won't/didn't vote for Biden because of the right propaganda that he will raise their taxes.
A priest, a minister, and a rabbit go into a bar. Bartender says to the rabbit, What'll you have? Beats me, says the rabbit, I'm only here because of autocorrect.
Just a little levity. The comments from this remarkable community which Dr HCR has created fill me with joy every day, just to know there are so many smart, sensitive, and progressive folks out there. Not to mention my great appreciation of the Letters themselves!
"AHA!" moment here when you explained why the Republicans are so hot and bothered to have states declare bankruptcy. How dastardly to allow people to lose their homes and go hungry just so you can control their state! On Trump's part I think he just wants to leave as big a mess as possible for Biden and Harris to clean up out of spite. He's the tenant trashing the apartment after receiving an eviction notice.
Just finished Barbara Res’s book, Tower of Lies. She worked for him as a construction manager and occasionally appears on TV to talk about him. While the book tells us nothing new, really, I found it compelling because someone who actually watched him degrade tells it.
Having lived in Latin America for 15 years and seen systemic corruption and rigged elections, I am horrified by what has taken place in the USA over the last 4 years. While I did everything I could to get Joe Biden elected, I feel helpless as I watch Trump and McConnell continue to work as fast as they can to further their own agendas, with no regard for the American people. If the Democrats could win both Senate seats in the upcoming Senate Runoff elections in Georgia, that would give Biden a much better chance to quickly right some of the wrongs forced on us by a corrupt Trump administration. Joe Biden will do his best, but he is not a miracle worker. He will be much more effective if the Democrats have a majority in the senate. After some research, I have donated to the campaigns of R. Warnock, J. Ossoff and to Fair Fight, in the hope that more Georgian citizens will be registered and vote. The time to do that is now so that all donations can be put to their best use. In addition, anyone, including non-Georgia residents, can work phone banks and text banks for the candidates. Let’s actively work together to give Biden a Democratic majority in the senate, which would also clip Mitch McConnell’s wings.
Is anyone else amazed that our government, which has been in existence for over 240 years, can be undone in 4 short years, by one individual and his minions including low level employees, with no Republican standing up and trying to stop it? This, I think, is the most frightening thing of all to me.
I am stunned at how few safe guards there are. I was so positive our system of checks and balances would prevent anything too horrible from happening. To me, it shows up how corrupt Congress has become. They have the ability to write and pass laws. In doing so, they have written themselves in a lot of enticements to stay in power which welcomes corruption. There is no transparancy with tax returns of elected officials, so they are free to write and pass laws that benefit themselves, not to mention access to knowledge that makes insider trading so tempting. They have tons of vacation time, perks with expenses, and have written themselves an amazing health care package that is not under threat and long generous pensions and won't even go to everything with Lobbiests. Also the idea if Trump Resigned Pence could give him a blanket pardon for Federal crimes (Trump can do the same for his family and Administration) - who on earth thought this was ok when it was given to Nixon, frankly I'm surprised we haven't had more grifters like Trump - it is an open door for Criminals to appoint someone like Barr, make them abover the law , commit crimes and skim off money all to be pardoned without a thought. Serious problems.
I think basic human morality and respect for American ideals kept unscrupulous characters from going after the presidency for purely personal motives. trump essentially blew the lid off that way of thinking and the door is wide open now. We will need to be on the lookout for this type of garbage politics going forward from now on, and squash it before it gains momentum again.
Trump, et al, brought the decline to a head in 4 years but it's been in the works for years. Trump is the face of it, he did not engineer any of it. (IMHO)
I'm glad you mentioned ALEC, because I hadn't seen them mentioned here. If they were, I missed it. Most people, including me, are blissfully unaware of them. I learned about them about 10-12 years ago and was stunned! They are thick as thieves with the movers and shakers in the NC General Assembly (Republican side, of course), and have been instrumental in gerrymandering this state to a fair-thee-well.
Parler (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parler) is a social media platform that launched in August 2018. It has "a significant user base of Trump supporters, conservatives, and right-wing extremists."
Yes, but aren't you surprised at the pure capitulation of the Republicans in office and the fact that no one is standing up for the Constitution? Our country is in peril and their cowardice is just stunning. I never thought that there would not be a bridge too far for them.
DT, indeed, is only a symptom. And the distraction from the real goals. The irony is DT has such a cult following that the sycophants are trapped like spiders in a web.
Trump did do it. Took advantage of breaking every social norm. All to line his pockets. His supporters keep touting his wonders and he keeps taking us to the cleaners.
We all should be, if not for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren. But historically, the ill-founded populism which fuels the Trumps, McConnells, the Grahams, etc. is not a permanent thing. Sooner or later, the people will wise up and throw the charletans into the trash can, but only, usually, after significan harm has been done.
It stuns me how callous the GOP is. I am not so stunned about Trump. People are suffering, losing their homes, going hungry, dying, and the GOP, Trump and his henchmen only want to punish anyone who didn’t vote for Trump. All for power and egotism. A pox on them.
I initially said that I wished for that ability. But after a moment’s thought, I remembered my daily prayers. They include “all (even them) to rise to be who we were intended to be.”
...and the Bannon plan continues to play out...the destruction of our American government.
As the actions of this administration become more and more dangerous and clearly a threat to our national security, who is to stop it? What checks and balances do we have? If Congress is blocked by Mitch McConnell from halting crazy and destructive plans from this White House, then what?
Could someone please suggest the next move from the sane people who believe in the sanctity of our American representative democracy? Lawsuits, force, the 25th amendment?
Is anyone out there listening? Where are the good guys? 😔
I wonder the proprietary of a Senator making comments to an election official in another state about how that official is managing the election. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Sen. Lindsay Graham is trying to put pressure on the Georgia Sec. of State. Of course it's Georgia Sec. of State Brad Raffensperger's word against Sen. Graham's as to what exactly Graham said, but it seems quite clear what Raffensperger thought he meant. And if we read between the lines, what Raffensperger believed he heard from Graham was right out of Reconstruction. Graham wants Raffensperger to de-legitimize African American votes.
One thing you can say for the Republicans - they are masters at playing the long game. And they are also masters at designing strategies that not only benefit themselves, but kneecap their opponents in the process.
The suggestion that states declare bankruptcy reminded me of what happened when Detroit declared bankruptcy (under duress, as I recall), after the housing bubble crash.
The Bush administration put in a 'manager', if I remember correctly, and that person forced exactly what Heather described - cuts to pensions, gutting services, and letting the bond holders off scott free.
Listening to a talk show during that period, someone said that the municipal retirees would still have their Social Security, so what was the big deal? But many municipalities, and Detroit was one, do not participate in Social Security; they have a separate retirement system. So, there were thousands of retired employees who were, literally thrown into chaos, through no fault of their own.
There seems to be no moral center in the Republican Party anymore. I get their pro-business focus. They've always been pro-business. But they used to understand that business includes all stakeholders, not just the shareholders and boards of directors. Employees, customers, without whom there wouldn't BE a business, are disregarded as being incidental.
Some years back, again, during the aftermath of 2008, I heard a CEO of a multi-national corporation interviewed, and he said he felt no particular loyalty to the United States, because, as his company was international, they - and he - could make it anywhere, and didn't need the U.S.!
My first thought was, "How can we take this fool's citizenship away from him?"
I think you are right. Well intentioned perhaps, but very ethnocentric. Based on the premise, as we earn on this site, thst government is better run by efficient businessMEN.
I imagine you are exhausted after today’s events... me too. Annoyed at this Murphy woman for being such a blind Trump loyalist in not allowing Biden’s staff to conduct much needed business. She can add “major obstructionist” to her LinkedIn page.
Bless the Sec’y of State for being so forthcoming about Ms. Lindsay calling him! Let the infighting of the Republican Party begin!
"That Murphy woman" is a Smith College Graduate and she is taking a serious bashing from Smith alumni through letters, signed protests, emails, and postcards. I'm not sure that she will find welcome in any position that relies on foresight or humane commitment. Perhaps banking?
How can Republican Senators sleep at night? I have students whose families are on the verge of eviction from the hotel they’ve been living in for over a year. One family has FIVE CHILDREN. They have nowhere to go but their car. I would really love for Mitch McConnell and Ted Cruz to live in that hotel for one month on $12/hour. I find them to be despicable.
We need a modern Dorothea Lange to document the misery out there now.
Sadly, I think Republicans, in general, are unfazed by eviction, hunger and disease. All they see are "lazy people" looking for a hand out; despite the fact that their very policies and inaction have caused the lion's share of the degradation in the quality of life people are now facing. Those who were disgusted by the GOP's goings on left the party and/or voted blue. Those who remain are hard-core haters.
You and I might be moved by Dorothea Lange style documentation, but trust me the average Republican would not. They would shrug their shoulders and say, "They brought it on themselves".
That attitude is completely captured by so many members of Congress not knowing who Breonna Taylor was when newly-elected Congresswoman Cori Bush wore a mask to her new job bearing Taylor's name.
It’s so heartbreaking. My only solace is knowing the depth of understanding I have reached in getting proximate to the poor and in connecting with BIPOC parents at my kids’ schools, has so enriched my life and has given me new purpose. And I have fathoms to go! So, I feel sorry for the shallow fat cats in leadership. My husband mentions often that every senator is a millionaire. I wish we could change that. They have little incentive to legislate policy that helps more Americans if it’s at the expense of their ultra comfortable lifestyles. I like to think Democrats are different, and maybe they are “better.” But I read about Pelosi trying to silence AOC and it concerned me. Even if I am a centrist myself, I don’t want that brilliant young woman silenced. Maybe Obama is right in saying this experiment, the great American experiment could fail.
They live in their expensive bubble. They have their fancy neighborhoods and only see a certain section of town and honestly they don't want to know more. They are happy to live in their bubble and reap the rewards. I don't think they are being cruel or insensitive, they were brought up like this and it just doesn't occur to them to learn or look at what they are doing and how it affects people. Yes, of course they know it does and they know people are suffering, but it is just too much for them to deal with, they will OK small programs, throw out some money for a few programs and they are satisfied they tried to help. With the internet and Fox news and such, it allows people to stay in their bubbles. During the Civil Rights Movement, stories and videos and photos were plastered across the news and papers. Now... if you don't want to see it... you don't have to.
McConnell has always been despicable, but his increased and unfettered power is making him more so. The R's are sparing no effort in keeping Georgia's Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock out of the Senate. I hope Stacey Abrams, through her Fair Fight organization, and other Dems can rally enough voters to get them into that body.
Whatever law permits a head of the GSA, in this case a Trump loyalist, to wield so much harmful power must be fixed.
I remain incredulous that America elected this psychopath in the first place, and even more so that so many still support him after these past four years. I cannot understand how so many of us support our own destruction. For surely that is their goal. Hundreds of thousands of Americans dead. Even more destroyed economically. Our natural resources plundered and some gone forever. Our children’s educations degraded. And more. To what end? So a few fat, old, white men can have more power, more dollars??? Again, to what end? I thought America was better than this. I completely bought into the WWII era and later propaganda that we really were that “shining city on a hill”. My faith in this nation is shaken, devastated. We are dying in record numbers and still they obstruct. Once unimaginable behavior, now commonplace. Truly, an American tragedy. Our Founders must be weeping in their graves.
There are several reasons for voting for Trump. The rich and powerful intend to stay that way, the Religious Right want to increase their ability to force others to obey their beliefs. But the bulk of the great unwashed are afraid of anything that will life BIPOC up even close to equal to whites. It is white supremacy which is baked into the American psyche for 400 years.
Yes and no. I know way too many good, hardworking, non-racist people who have simply been conned by the Great Gaslighter-in-Chief, along with his trumpeter, Fox News. They truly believe our economy will dive into the penniless depths of "socialism" with a Democratic administration, that everything Trump says is true (instead of the opposite), and that Fox news really is news. These are techies, business owners, custodians and economics majors. Sure, as explained in "Let Them Eat Tweets", the "radical" Republicans have strategically fomented Rage, Religion and Race (latent or otherwise), in order to win. But again- this is the con. I believe we need to start with respect and calm facts (I say after I threw my phone across the room last night when yet another well educated relative said, "But we had to vote Republican to save the economy). And then just follow Bidens lead to fix enough national pribkems so that these folks get out of politics and on with there better lives. And reinstate Fairness Doctrine. And...
There were plenty of "good, honest, decent, hardworking, neighbourly Germans who wholeheartedly supported Hitler too. Some even were members of the SS and some worked in the death camps. They were not conned, though of course after the war, they "knew nothing". Regardless of their excuses, they are what they are.
I aimed the phone at the couch. Goid catch.
Problems
I think this is the terrible truth.
Yes. It’s fear and white supremacy baked into a very long cake of history. ❤️🤍💙
Yes. There is anger also at the idea a "liberal" is going to take their tax money and give it to undeserving people in need. They will say they are not racist, but they believe people in need are just being lazy, and a high proportion are people of color.
Which all circles back to education. Our history books literally white wash what we have done to our Black population. I live in Atlanta, home of MLK, there was so much I didn't know about how the city was actually built and laid out to put Black neighborhoods at a disadvantage, even changing the names of streets so that White and Black didn't live on same street name. Not all, but I think if people understood how every step and turn has been calculated to keep Whites in power, I think we stand a better chance of helping people to understand racism and how it is everywhere, but in our privilege it has been easy to ignore.
And never mind that a majority of those "lazies" have ancestors dating back to 1619 who were enslaved and later denied any sort of reparation for non-compensated labor.
Absolutely. Systematic racism is at the core of these issues.
yes. anything that might level the playing field between the whites and lower classes is going to get backlash.
You hit the nail on the head. Behind much of it is a basic cheapness which manifests itself politically in support of those who don’t want to spend money to help the needy because “they don’t deserve it.” I know people like this.
I have heard variations on this from a lot of people I know. To a person they support trump, feel BLM and Antifa actively want to destroy America (as opposed to make it live up to its ideals, which is my view), and that Democrats are all socialists in disguise, also working to destroy our country. They believe these things to their core. It's difficult to see how how our two sides will ever find a way to understand each other. It makes me worry for our future.
I wonder if some of these same people who saw poverty for the first time up close and personal, are still ignorant of the facts about Trumpianism?
Yep.
Sad and true.
I just want to see Biden and the Democratic leadership plainly address the dystopic oligarchy that McConnell seems intent on bringing about.The Republican Senate majority may be more vulnerable in 2022 than it was this year but it won't be if Democrats in the Senate and WH value "civility" over reality.
Karen, I completely agree with you. Why I’m no longer able to tolerate family members who supported Trump, Barr, and McConnell a second time. ❤️🤍💙
I cannot abide them, either. 😔
I think everything in this country is tied to money. The 1% want more (although there isn't much more beyond what they have already accumulated) and a huge number of Americans think the 1% level can be theirs too. Everything that happens here is tied to the hunt for more wealth. It is a curse on us.
The LUST for Money Is The Root of All Evil!!!😥😣
It really is.
Are you talking about Trump or McConnell? I feel like Lauren Morril could have been speaking directly to them when she said "I don't know how to explain to you why you should care about other people."
https://www.oprahmag.com/life/a33547008/viral-dr-fauci-quote-caring-for-others/
White supremacy is at the root of the blind support of Trump and the Republicans. It's fear of redistribution of wealth to the "other" and the ingrained need for white people to be in charge.
White MEN
This is what happens in an Oligarchy. Which is what we are living under. It may be thought of as the mirror image of Communism, which the GOP keeps scaring voters with if they elect Democrats to office. With half the population hoodwinked into believing in this false reality story, how do we get out of this mess? We as a people are completely to blame for this misery we share.
I would like to post this, you said this so well.
be my guest...
It was good to hear from Biden and Harris today. They should continue holding press conferences so that the daily news will be on them and the American people can hear and see what they plan and are doing. They need to be front and center!
Yes! Just act like he is President already, tRump might be relieved and give him the keys to the mansion.
Fully agree. The voice at the mic that characterizes daily doings wields enormous power. Gingrich knew it, Trump knows it. It’s time for Biden & Harris to control their own narrative, and a daily press conference is the first essential way to do so.
PLUS it must really tick off the "occupant" - dont you think?
The thought of that makes me smile!
"[US and NATO Military commanders'] concerns are that the removal of US troops will permit Taliban fighters to take control of the country, permitting terrorists to use it as a base."
That is exactly the scenario leading up to 9/11.
Meaning that 20 yrs of US blood and treasure went for.....nothing?
That is indeed a Saigon situation, Senator Rubio.
Even so, I have no fear of foreign terrorists. They need only sit back and watch as the USA self-destructs. It's our home-grown terrorists that scare me.
I know there is a vast difference between Afghanistan and today's Vietnam, but Vietnam, despite its ruination by a long war, is one of the economic success stories of this decade. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/how-vietnam-became-an-economic-miracle/
Jan, Thanks for reading my post.
Vietnam is indeed doing well. Had they been left alone maybe they might have gotten there twenty years sooner.
My point wasn't about Vietnam or Aghanistan, it was about our almost identical failed experiences in both countries. At least in Afghanistan the US death toll wasn't as bad as Vietnam, though I'm sure that is little solice to the friends and family of those US military personnel who gave their lives there.
Thank you Heather for this breakdown of another day in Crazytown. Although, golf and complete hand washing of this pandemic are the only priorities that Trump has on a daily basis, he is still dangerous as hell. In fact, more so now than anytime in the last 4 years. I am a life long resident of the State you mentioned, New York. The Republicans take over, or atleast the grifting of the funds is a reality. I feel any other Governor would have buckled by now. Hats off to Cuomo for spitting in Trumps and the GOP faces.
I count the days until sanity moves back into the White House. January can't come soon enough. Until then, I still sleep with one eye open and an unhealthy level of anxiety.
The Biden/Harris team will have their hands full for sure, but we must do all we can to retrieve the Senate.
Be well, be safe, be viligent.
I’m a NY resident, as well, and really appreciated Governor Cuomo’s attempts to bite his tongue and flatter tRump in the early frightening months of 2020 in my state. You could tell he was frustrated beyond belief at Trump’s behavior. To hear Trump, yesterday, threaten NY and blame Cuomo for being careful about the vaccine was galling. But to be expected. Andrew Cuomo was recently interviewed on The Axe Files, and I recommend a listen for his talk about Trump. NY and NYC, especially, know Trump for the liar and thief and psychopath he is. ❤️🤍💙
Your state had better hang onto Cuomo...you have a good one there!
We certainly do. He fights for everyone in the State.
I feel safer here living here (NY) & hearing him stand up to Trump is always a pleasure! The whole reason for the bankrupting of blue states was enlightening and scary. I will pass that on as much as I can. There needs to be awareness of what is behind the old buzzard's push.
From now until Inauguration news operations need to do a "Trump Watch"....a specific segment at the top of each hour reporting on his desperate and destructive machinations behind the green curtain. Repeated over and over through the day instead of buried among other stories. We are lulled into complacency thinking he is just sulking, "doing nothing" or playing golf. Bullet points will do but we need to know, for instance, that he is even floating the thought of a military strike on Iran's nuclear pile!!! This is why HCR is so critical....she digs into his veiled movements and tells us about them.
A letterwriter in the morning's Palm Beach Post comments that she has "never seen such turncoasts as Senators Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham." Of course, that would be an impossibilty since she could not have been alive in 1860. History is important. She went on to ask for the President's immediate removal before he can do damage that will never get undone. I wonder if that might cause more immediate harm than good.
Absolutely! That is a huge problem with Dems. We have never been good at getting our messages out. Think about it...why else has The Lincoln Project between so successful!? They are all either Repubs or ex-Repubs but they cleverly post a video-a-minute putting Fake 45 and those around him on the spot. Why the hell are we not doing that? Biden should be reminding us every single frigging day of how our democracy has been taken away from us.
I hate to say this but sadly for Dems to "go high when they go low" just doesnt work with people who have no bottom line as to how low they will go, no hesitation to lie and if Dems keep not calling them out on it - not putting the truth OUT THERE?Apparently the Repubs dont have any need to "work with the Dems" - at least not yet! The thought that some are sneaking around & whispering to the Democrats that they congratulate Biden & Harris - Really what chicken s***ts - thats what they are.
Excellent suggestion!
I had always thought DT would bankrupt America somehow. Now that Heather has explained this has been a Republican goal for years McConnell's actions make sick sense. Thank are dismantling the FDR's New Deal and all the social programs like Social Security and Medicare that go with it. And, so the biggest RINO of them all, Donald J. Trump, and the Republicans are the real culprits trying to Defund of the Police and First Responders. So much for states rights which I thought was another Republican policy position. It always comes down to power and controlling the wealth. The Republicans are destroying America and 70 million people are unknowingly being useful idiots in their plot against democracy.
Not all of them are "unknowing" unfortunately...
I just wonder if any of them have honestly thought about what happens to our country if they succeed. In the long run, it will hurt them as well and as we have just witnessed, the long run, isn't very long... especially with Covid and climate change and the state we are in right now. Our country could become 3rd world very very quickly.
The over-privileged old white male doesn't think past his nose or the current day on the stock exchange. What they are doing isn't sustainable and will plummet the country into a crisis it may never recover from. They are destroying capitalism by taking away the buying power of the middle class, the consumer who drives capitalism. I don't understand regular conservatives who don't see the crisis to democracy of all this and won't/didn't vote for Biden because of the right propaganda that he will raise their taxes.
Should have checked my typing.. That "They are" rather than "Thank". My fingers like to type their own words.
A priest, a minister, and a rabbit go into a bar. Bartender says to the rabbit, What'll you have? Beats me, says the rabbit, I'm only here because of autocorrect.
Just a little levity. The comments from this remarkable community which Dr HCR has created fill me with joy every day, just to know there are so many smart, sensitive, and progressive folks out there. Not to mention my great appreciation of the Letters themselves!
Thank you for that! We all need a laugh - actually more than one!!
A little levity goes along way.
😂😂
I, or my brain, actually read it as "They are."
No problem, Cathy. I do it, too; and I think we're all getting good at fixing it ourselves as we read along!
"AHA!" moment here when you explained why the Republicans are so hot and bothered to have states declare bankruptcy. How dastardly to allow people to lose their homes and go hungry just so you can control their state! On Trump's part I think he just wants to leave as big a mess as possible for Biden and Harris to clean up out of spite. He's the tenant trashing the apartment after receiving an eviction notice.
Just finished Barbara Res’s book, Tower of Lies. She worked for him as a construction manager and occasionally appears on TV to talk about him. While the book tells us nothing new, really, I found it compelling because someone who actually watched him degrade tells it.
That would be an interesting reading.
Having lived in Latin America for 15 years and seen systemic corruption and rigged elections, I am horrified by what has taken place in the USA over the last 4 years. While I did everything I could to get Joe Biden elected, I feel helpless as I watch Trump and McConnell continue to work as fast as they can to further their own agendas, with no regard for the American people. If the Democrats could win both Senate seats in the upcoming Senate Runoff elections in Georgia, that would give Biden a much better chance to quickly right some of the wrongs forced on us by a corrupt Trump administration. Joe Biden will do his best, but he is not a miracle worker. He will be much more effective if the Democrats have a majority in the senate. After some research, I have donated to the campaigns of R. Warnock, J. Ossoff and to Fair Fight, in the hope that more Georgian citizens will be registered and vote. The time to do that is now so that all donations can be put to their best use. In addition, anyone, including non-Georgia residents, can work phone banks and text banks for the candidates. Let’s actively work together to give Biden a Democratic majority in the senate, which would also clip Mitch McConnell’s wings.
Is anyone else amazed that our government, which has been in existence for over 240 years, can be undone in 4 short years, by one individual and his minions including low level employees, with no Republican standing up and trying to stop it? This, I think, is the most frightening thing of all to me.
I am stunned at how few safe guards there are. I was so positive our system of checks and balances would prevent anything too horrible from happening. To me, it shows up how corrupt Congress has become. They have the ability to write and pass laws. In doing so, they have written themselves in a lot of enticements to stay in power which welcomes corruption. There is no transparancy with tax returns of elected officials, so they are free to write and pass laws that benefit themselves, not to mention access to knowledge that makes insider trading so tempting. They have tons of vacation time, perks with expenses, and have written themselves an amazing health care package that is not under threat and long generous pensions and won't even go to everything with Lobbiests. Also the idea if Trump Resigned Pence could give him a blanket pardon for Federal crimes (Trump can do the same for his family and Administration) - who on earth thought this was ok when it was given to Nixon, frankly I'm surprised we haven't had more grifters like Trump - it is an open door for Criminals to appoint someone like Barr, make them abover the law , commit crimes and skim off money all to be pardoned without a thought. Serious problems.
All of us were surprised! We had a rogue president but never did we fathom that the GOP become the same.
I think basic human morality and respect for American ideals kept unscrupulous characters from going after the presidency for purely personal motives. trump essentially blew the lid off that way of thinking and the door is wide open now. We will need to be on the lookout for this type of garbage politics going forward from now on, and squash it before it gains momentum again.
Trump, et al, brought the decline to a head in 4 years but it's been in the works for years. Trump is the face of it, he did not engineer any of it. (IMHO)
ALEC and the Federalist Society are very happy.
I'm glad you mentioned ALEC, because I hadn't seen them mentioned here. If they were, I missed it. Most people, including me, are blissfully unaware of them. I learned about them about 10-12 years ago and was stunned! They are thick as thieves with the movers and shakers in the NC General Assembly (Republican side, of course), and have been instrumental in gerrymandering this state to a fair-thee-well.
And check out the app Parler which was devised by Rebekah Mercer!
Parler (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parler) is a social media platform that launched in August 2018. It has "a significant user base of Trump supporters, conservatives, and right-wing extremists."
ALEC (https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/02/republican-red-state-legislature-control-alec-democrats.html), founded in 1973, actually influences legislation, and the Federalist Society (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_Society), founded in 1982, works behind the scenes to get originalist and textualist judges on the bench and into federal jobs. Its latest victory is the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. But other Supreme Court justices they put forward are Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Thomas, Roberts and Alito.
Yes, but aren't you surprised at the pure capitulation of the Republicans in office and the fact that no one is standing up for the Constitution? Our country is in peril and their cowardice is just stunning. I never thought that there would not be a bridge too far for them.
Horrified but not surprised.
DT, indeed, is only a symptom. And the distraction from the real goals. The irony is DT has such a cult following that the sycophants are trapped like spiders in a web.
Guess that should read "like flies in a spider's web." My fingers do a lot of editing these days.
Did he do it or was he used as a tool by McConnell, who is actually trying to turn the republic into an oligarchy?
Trump did do it. Took advantage of breaking every social norm. All to line his pockets. His supporters keep touting his wonders and he keeps taking us to the cleaners.
I remain frighteningly appalled!
We all should be, if not for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren. But historically, the ill-founded populism which fuels the Trumps, McConnells, the Grahams, etc. is not a permanent thing. Sooner or later, the people will wise up and throw the charletans into the trash can, but only, usually, after significan harm has been done.
Ditto your remarks, Annette.
It stuns me how callous the GOP is. I am not so stunned about Trump. People are suffering, losing their homes, going hungry, dying, and the GOP, Trump and his henchmen only want to punish anyone who didn’t vote for Trump. All for power and egotism. A pox on them.
I initially said that I wished for that ability. But after a moment’s thought, I remembered my daily prayers. They include “all (even them) to rise to be who we were intended to be.”
Gets a bit harder every day, I'm thinking!
It does. However, that would be the greatest good for all concerned. That’s what I am about.
I think trump was intended to be the Destroyer.
...and the Bannon plan continues to play out...the destruction of our American government.
As the actions of this administration become more and more dangerous and clearly a threat to our national security, who is to stop it? What checks and balances do we have? If Congress is blocked by Mitch McConnell from halting crazy and destructive plans from this White House, then what?
Could someone please suggest the next move from the sane people who believe in the sanctity of our American representative democracy? Lawsuits, force, the 25th amendment?
Is anyone out there listening? Where are the good guys? 😔
(Thanks Heather, but this is a scary one...💔)
There is no one in this administration willing to invoke the 25th, period. No one.
A sorry, cowardly lot.
I wonder the proprietary of a Senator making comments to an election official in another state about how that official is managing the election. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Sen. Lindsay Graham is trying to put pressure on the Georgia Sec. of State. Of course it's Georgia Sec. of State Brad Raffensperger's word against Sen. Graham's as to what exactly Graham said, but it seems quite clear what Raffensperger thought he meant. And if we read between the lines, what Raffensperger believed he heard from Graham was right out of Reconstruction. Graham wants Raffensperger to de-legitimize African American votes.
Bingo! Sadly you hit the nail on the head--Senator Graham wishes to disenfranchise Black voters because he's a Trump puddle of skeeze.
But he was that even before Trump entered the political arena!
Indeed!
I so wish that call had been recorded!
A staff person in the Secretary of State's office heard the exchange and corroborated what the Secretary of State alleges Sen. Graham asked him to do.
Then Graham needs to go to jail.
True, but he probably won't even face charges.
One thing you can say for the Republicans - they are masters at playing the long game. And they are also masters at designing strategies that not only benefit themselves, but kneecap their opponents in the process.
The suggestion that states declare bankruptcy reminded me of what happened when Detroit declared bankruptcy (under duress, as I recall), after the housing bubble crash.
The Bush administration put in a 'manager', if I remember correctly, and that person forced exactly what Heather described - cuts to pensions, gutting services, and letting the bond holders off scott free.
Listening to a talk show during that period, someone said that the municipal retirees would still have their Social Security, so what was the big deal? But many municipalities, and Detroit was one, do not participate in Social Security; they have a separate retirement system. So, there were thousands of retired employees who were, literally thrown into chaos, through no fault of their own.
There seems to be no moral center in the Republican Party anymore. I get their pro-business focus. They've always been pro-business. But they used to understand that business includes all stakeholders, not just the shareholders and boards of directors. Employees, customers, without whom there wouldn't BE a business, are disregarded as being incidental.
Some years back, again, during the aftermath of 2008, I heard a CEO of a multi-national corporation interviewed, and he said he felt no particular loyalty to the United States, because, as his company was international, they - and he - could make it anywhere, and didn't need the U.S.!
My first thought was, "How can we take this fool's citizenship away from him?"
Flint was also assigned a manager (by then Governor Snyder) who later approved tge change in city water supply that lead poisoned so many children.
Republican Governor
But of course. Didn't he also name the manager for Detroit, now that you've jogged my memory?
MaryPat, that's right! I didn't think of that in this context. Both screwed people over in devastating ways.
I think you are right. Well intentioned perhaps, but very ethnocentric. Based on the premise, as we earn on this site, thst government is better run by efficient businessMEN.
I imagine you are exhausted after today’s events... me too. Annoyed at this Murphy woman for being such a blind Trump loyalist in not allowing Biden’s staff to conduct much needed business. She can add “major obstructionist” to her LinkedIn page.
Bless the Sec’y of State for being so forthcoming about Ms. Lindsay calling him! Let the infighting of the Republican Party begin!
"That Murphy woman" is a Smith College Graduate and she is taking a serious bashing from Smith alumni through letters, signed protests, emails, and postcards. I'm not sure that she will find welcome in any position that relies on foresight or humane commitment. Perhaps banking?
The Smith College Alumnae network is strong. Murphy will always have a job.
That is probably sadly true. Rebekah Mercer might end up employing her.
Good idea about the Linkedin page. I hear she's been scouting around for a new job, anyway.
How can Republican Senators sleep at night? I have students whose families are on the verge of eviction from the hotel they’ve been living in for over a year. One family has FIVE CHILDREN. They have nowhere to go but their car. I would really love for Mitch McConnell and Ted Cruz to live in that hotel for one month on $12/hour. I find them to be despicable.
We need a modern Dorothea Lange to document the misery out there now.
Sadly, I think Republicans, in general, are unfazed by eviction, hunger and disease. All they see are "lazy people" looking for a hand out; despite the fact that their very policies and inaction have caused the lion's share of the degradation in the quality of life people are now facing. Those who were disgusted by the GOP's goings on left the party and/or voted blue. Those who remain are hard-core haters.
You and I might be moved by Dorothea Lange style documentation, but trust me the average Republican would not. They would shrug their shoulders and say, "They brought it on themselves".
That attitude is completely captured by so many members of Congress not knowing who Breonna Taylor was when newly-elected Congresswoman Cori Bush wore a mask to her new job bearing Taylor's name.
It’s so heartbreaking. My only solace is knowing the depth of understanding I have reached in getting proximate to the poor and in connecting with BIPOC parents at my kids’ schools, has so enriched my life and has given me new purpose. And I have fathoms to go! So, I feel sorry for the shallow fat cats in leadership. My husband mentions often that every senator is a millionaire. I wish we could change that. They have little incentive to legislate policy that helps more Americans if it’s at the expense of their ultra comfortable lifestyles. I like to think Democrats are different, and maybe they are “better.” But I read about Pelosi trying to silence AOC and it concerned me. Even if I am a centrist myself, I don’t want that brilliant young woman silenced. Maybe Obama is right in saying this experiment, the great American experiment could fail.
We can’t let it.
So sadly true.
They live in their expensive bubble. They have their fancy neighborhoods and only see a certain section of town and honestly they don't want to know more. They are happy to live in their bubble and reap the rewards. I don't think they are being cruel or insensitive, they were brought up like this and it just doesn't occur to them to learn or look at what they are doing and how it affects people. Yes, of course they know it does and they know people are suffering, but it is just too much for them to deal with, they will OK small programs, throw out some money for a few programs and they are satisfied they tried to help. With the internet and Fox news and such, it allows people to stay in their bubbles. During the Civil Rights Movement, stories and videos and photos were plastered across the news and papers. Now... if you don't want to see it... you don't have to.
McConnell does know his home in K Kentucky is very modest. He keeps up appearances to enable hoodwinking that populace.
That makes him even worse.
People are doing just that. You just have to look beyond your front yard.
Thank you, Heather.
McConnell has always been despicable, but his increased and unfettered power is making him more so. The R's are sparing no effort in keeping Georgia's Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock out of the Senate. I hope Stacey Abrams, through her Fair Fight organization, and other Dems can rally enough voters to get them into that body.
Whatever law permits a head of the GSA, in this case a Trump loyalist, to wield so much harmful power must be fixed.