The murder of those 11 men frightens me to my core. And honestly, it feels like Heather is the only one really parsing and refusing to use the language the Regime is. We don’t know they were drug runners. We have no proof. They were not tried by a jury of their peers. And even if eh had proof and they were tried, drug running does not carry the death sentence.
The fact that no one in the army is speaking up against these fascist uses of troops should give us all pause.
"The fact that no one in the army is speaking up," Shervyn, shows something more ominous.
It shows how totally the drunken Fox Spews amateur eviscerated all the competent leadership in the armed services -- just so he, the flake, the amateur, could suck up more to Donald, who wants the U.S. ruled only by the most wildly incompetent. To mirror his own history of frauds, bankruptcies, rapes, bullying, cover-ups, and other ongoing criminality.
And how it must hurt, to be so thoroughgoing a fuck-up himself now that all the world's worst dictators can party together in Shanghai, but he, the orange idiot, gets excluded from the criminality club he most covets.
Hello Phil... Notice that Putin has spent Days in China, and just a few hours in Alaska with DJT?... Allegedly, Xi has not talked to DJT since DJT was re-inaugurated... I suspect that Xi senses American Weakness under DJT... China will capitalize starting with relations with India under Modi.... Seems that many things are starting crumble under DJT, His Health, His Sanity, Our Country....
The only time Xi has talked to Trump since inauguration was a 1 1/2 hour long phone call in early June of this year. Trump was threatening the 145% tariffs on China at the time, then backing off to 30%, and then up again.
Donold is playing a chickenshit, puerile tariff shell game while Xi is playing 3-dimensional chess like Spock plays in Star Trek. Now that Donold has placed 50% tariffs on India, Modi is probably looking for a workaround to Don's exasperating demands and economic shakedowns. Now Xi is having a having a supervillain conference and the pouty petty petulant Trump was not invited, although there were surely laughs at his expense...
Hello Horhai... Thanks for the info about the 1-1/2 hr call between Xi & DJT... I'm aware that they haven't met... The Military, Foreign Policy, and Tech Elite are alarmed over China's rise, particularly if the USA has to go to Taiwan's Defense... Eric Schmidt of Google is particularly alarmed by Chinese AI... Recently a group from Silicon Valley went to China, and came back alarmed about how advanced China's Electrical Infrastructure was, and how the USA's is regressing back to the 19th Century... Cheap, Reliable Power is more AI Friendly... For Some People, $$$ Has No Borders...
The West is touting AI as a sentient being and using it to make immense profits at the expense of the world and its climate, China is using AI pragmatically to make their climate greener and its science better. I am not a fan of China, I know too much about their history and the long fight many Tai Chi and martial monk warriors have fought to stand by the side of the Chinese people as they were abused right and left by their Emperor and his soldiers. I know too much about the 1000 years of crushing young girls' feet and cutting off the external genitalia of young Chinese scholars--a terrible fate to live with. But, right now China isn't driven by the insanity that drives the West where AI is concerned. It isn't surprising the west can't make headway with AI as a sentient better than humans (which is complete bunk but our society including the NYTImes fervently believes humans are stupid and need to be directed by AI). Most in the west also believe fervently that only AI can make billionaires money. Again, China sees it as just one tool humans use to help them, especially climate-wise. China will prevail where anything using the AI tool is concerned--they are using AI for what it actually is, even though it is true that China is a dictatorial regime happy to hurt as many of their own people as necessary so the few at the top can stay at the top, not unlike Trump and crew. As for us, I just paid twice at the grocery store compared to what I paid during Biden and the pandemic. Further, under Trump and crew, food will become more scarce for the middle class and below. The rich won't notice, as Trump and crew have been happy to note. So here is our main difference: China, and now its allies, are pragmatic, while Trump and crew care about one thing and one thing only--using the People to make pleasure and profit while The People starve, have no health care, no education, and few jobs. As these men rejoice over this, they work to 'sell' the Trump approach as helping The People. You can't sell starvation, no healthcare, and few jobs as being better for the People. We have to live that evil. That is the problem the Republicans and their foul industralist brothers face. Good. Let them receive what they have earned. Let us take back what is ours. Let us begin that project yesterday.
Great comments. Let me add that we have foolishly elected the dumbest who have sent us to war every generation. We Americans are the most dangerous yet we constantly comment that the Russians and Chinese are the bad boys. When Russia fails in Afghanistan, we move right in and fight for 20 years wasting untold resources. Others with a better knowledge of ancient history can better state but constant war I believe is what ended the Roman Empire as war will end or has ended the golden age of America. 🇺🇸 it was rather brief. Now we are reduced to blowing up a fishing vessel full of fishermen and no drugs just to take our attention away from the rape history of underage women by one Donald Trump. This is the fucken mess we have on our hands. I wish I could be a hero for the homeland.
Hello Teresa... Thanks for your Post... I too have studied the Chinese, and Russians, as well as STEMS, and Military Studies during my Undergrad years... I respect the Chinese, as well as all Peoples.... Cultures tend to evolve as a response to their environment... In talking to Contemporary Chinese, they are aware of their long, and Proud History which spans about 5,000years... I've been warning about the rise of China for about 50Yrs... Post Mao, they have looked to the Future, while the USA has been on a Nostalgia Trip... Seems to me that the Chinese desire to use AI for Constructive uses since they have a serious Demographic Challenge, and they have trashed their environment because of Environmental Despoliation due to their rapid Industrialization... The Chinese are taking Climate Change Seriously as are the Indians...
Though I cavil at your use of the phrase, "these men" floating Donald. As if Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard, Nancy Mace, Joni Ernst, Susan Collins, Katie Britt, Marsha Blackburn, et al. didn't exist.
I do appreciate, however, your many cogent comments as to the U.S. and China. One that you might add: how both experienced cultural revolutions, the Chinese by theirs hounding, imprisoning, work-farming, and killing intellectuals under Mao, and the U.S. since the Powell memo killing the schools to lift testing.
Just as concerning is that The People, as you call them, are aware that the game is stacked against them. You would think Trump would be concerned about preserving enough support to win the next election or two, but he seems unconcerned. That should worry all of us, outside of the billionaires.
Yay Teresa! China has some very bad history. When they see new science as a method towards improvement & the US keeps getting it wrong, it's no wonder people here are confused.
at the same time tRUMP wants to get rid of clean energy, wind & solar, cut EPA regulation all while ignoring the effects of climate change in favor of continuing with big oil and coal to glad hand with these corps. at the expense of everyone except the filthy rich who are using AI for their own personal wealth and greed.
He knows full well, horhai, that on the world stage he's a total fool.
But in the U.S., given the state of American schools, tens of millions and the entire Republican Congress, the entire Clarence court, all cravenly idiotically root for him.
The problem with American schools is that there is no national system or curriculum. States are free to choose how and what students are taught. I teach 8th grade American History in a Los Angeles public school, and am ready, willing, and able to teach how Donald Trump came about and what he is doing to the Constitution and who he is emulating. If I tried that in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Missouri, or even Virginia, I'd be fired. In some states, I might lose my teaching credential.
Ignorant people are more easily manipulated. That's how we wound up with MAGA in the first place.
I have a friend who is the band director at one of the LA high schools. I suspect you are 100% accurate on losing your teaching credential if you taught that in OK or TX.
I meet them every day. In a way though, this gives credence to the thought of saving money and closing all schools since we don’t seem to be able to educate our unwashed youth population. Let them return to the farms to pick where immigrants formerly worked. /S
I intend to move soon and anytime I look at taxes in smaller communities, taxes are lower where there are fewer schools. Schools are by far the biggest municipal expense. We accept it today as the natural price of educating our population. But I often put this into my calculations when looking for a homestead. Fewer youth population = lower taxes, lol.
85% of my Real estate tax goes to the schools where I live. At age 70 raising my taxes from 6 to 10 k last year is crippling. BTW - I have no children. I understand it 'takes a village' - a little discount would go a long way though.
It'll be very interesting to see how history views the disastrous economic policies of Trump under Lutnick, Bessent, Vance, and Miller. Taking the worlds strongest economy (2024) and turning it on its ear to benefit Trump and his cronies will not look good from a 100 years out. Like Hoover.
I am sure Modi will find a work-a-round because all these autocrats back each other up in whatever they need to keep control over their countries.
Also, I don't think Trump could have made it to China because he does not appear to be in good enough health.
Is Putin inviting Zelenskyy to Moscow to negotiate like Trump inviting Putin to Alaska? No. It is not. No one can trust Putin. I have been wondering if he poisoned Trump in the car with something undetectable and slow acting.
Linda, I suspect it was the other way around. Did you see the photo of Putin holding his nose while seated next to Donald in "The Beast?" He was undoubtedly the victim of silent-but-deadly noxious gases generated by the intestinal combination of hamberders, ketchup and Diet Coke.
At first blush, the possibility of poisoning is tantalizing. But Donald needs to die of natural causes, even if provoked by his own unhealthy lifestyle. We don't need a MAGA martyr.
I also loved the pic of putin plugging his nose but before I shared it I had to check. Alas, it's a fake.
Also, it won't matter how or when trump dies, he will be a martyr to some. How many will depend upon how soon he dies. The longer he lives the more he will be the author of destruction and that could diminish his star even in the eyes of current worshipers.
But it would be best if he just keeled over now. The world needs him gone!
Linda, I like you poison conspiracy thought. I also wonder if that long of a flight, even with it's fancy bedroom, would be adequate to maintain his health. Hand bruises? As a nurse, the position is where an IV needle would be inserted for medication administration (perhaps for his edema which does end up causing heart issues) or he banged it- older skin does not respond well to hits & bumps.
Cindy, I read a book on the Stasi and am reading The Illegals: Russias Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West by Shaun Walker.
This is Putin's training, and he is a master at spycraft because he has lived so long and was trained both in Russia and East Germany. While the Illegals program was not that successful for all the effort that was put into it, it certainly has been responsible for the death of a lot of people. Not always fast. Russia cannot risk a US war on Russia right now if it were obvious that he had done something, but he could have done something slower acting that would be attributed to Trump's age and poor health.
Recently 6 AfD members all in the State of Nordrhein Westfalen died right before an election that they were a candidate in. All seemed to be natural and not suspicious, which makes me not think to highly of the investigative skills of their police force, because that is just a high number to be coincidence. It bears more scrutiny. Trump is ripe for someone to do something because of his reported age and ill health even if that is not official.
horhai, the rest of the world, both friends and foes, are playing chess while death star, announcing that he is right about everything, certainly does not know where the pea is in the shell game. And of course, the cabal around him, who do know where the pea is, are trying to set themselves to make out like bandits a la the treasury secretary. Meanwhile the economy continues to tank in many areas. I doubt calling the BS bill tax relief for working families is going to fool many people.
I think they all think he’s the idiot he obviously IS! Good God! Are the American people really this stupid that we VOTED FOR this madman? I guess we are, sadly. Maybe we should do something about EDUCATING ourselves in the future…teaching thinking skills, decision-making skills, how to dig thru the BS and find truth. Is it too late for that?
"The POTHUS is a fool, and it's no secret. He treats the military like his personal toy, deploying forces indiscriminately and even sinking a ship for a flimsy, drummed-up reason. This puppet of Russell Vought's will soon be gone. Russ will install a sharper one in his place—and JD Vance is inline for the job.
My sense is a total breakdown in the administration is about to occur along with the economy. That boat was devoid of drug supplies. And when trump is mention as one of the rapists, that would end the era.
Having a total breakdown of the economy is not something I could afford, what about you? I know how people lived in Germany after the war when they had a totally broken economy and they were ripe for anything after that as you see. Burning money for fuel because it was more valuable that way.
Industries can only function so much. The tariffs have discombobulated international markets. The stock market will soon take a hit and no I can’t afford any catastrophic incidents. We have been overdue a recession by several years. The administration will light the fuse.
What do the rich get out of it? Their money won’t be worth anything either? And what about business? Corporations will suffer as well? Why aren’t they wealthy equally worried? I don’t get why they are silent right now?
Bill.., are you serious. When one of those 100 or so young ladies stands up and accuses 'one of those' soon (maybe) to be named clowns of having fucked her.., not simply having "spent the night" sleeping..., do you think her word will hold up? "Prove it", will be the response. Next. Gizzlane will be on a 300 foot yacht somewhere, no passport needed. This is going to be milked for the next three years at least, and OBE.
Can you please be more specific in your predictions?
(joking)
I hope you're right. I'm getting the same feel. And I'm not sure where that will leave the Left, or the world, for that matter. Who knows...maybe a comet will come and destroy us.
I’ve already been in touch with Starship Enterprise. They are on their way back from a mission and Captain Picard will be imprisoning the Trump clan and sending them all to the Klingon planet labor camp.
If Trump is named, the MAGAs split. Blondy not Bondi will crack his water jug strapped to his leg and toss it against the wall along with the ketchup bottle. And without that shit jug strapped to his leg, crap just oozes out at any given moment. That’s how I know it will be over. And now I’m taking bets.
Trump will NEVER ALLOW the Epstein files to see the light of day. It simply won’t happen. He’ll do a Nixon move to have certain parts mysteriously destroyed first. We will not see his actual part in that story.
The EVIDENCE is the victims actual stories. Can someone tell me why they haven’t been publicized by now? They certainly wish to speak out on their own behalf.
Yes. this fight over the Federal Reserves and who is over it and trying to get rid of Lisa Cook to replace one of his insiders. The US feels a lot like the wild west that we were always viewed as being by Europeans when I was a child.
The situation with Venezuela makes me think Trump wants to develop a war economy like his buddy Putin has.
Yep. Heather wrote: “ There was a period of time, briefly, where the middle-income consumer looked like they were being dragged up by all that was going well in the world. Then things fell off a cliff.”
But that’s wrong. Things didn’t fall off a cliff, they were PUSHED off of it, very liberately. By the Orange Goblin Baby himself.
Hello Dutch Mike.... I believe that towards to end of Clinton's Regime, things were looking better for Most... Than Bush v. Gore happened.... It has been disastrous since...
Sorry, Apache, but the off-shoring was underway two decades by then.
And when that began (circa 1980, after the Powell memo's far right foundations had killed the schools) CEO to average worker salary was 25-1 or 35-1 (measures differ). By the end of Clinton's time, CEO to worker salary had grown to 325-1. Plus the Powell memo's many new far right foundations inundated Washington D.C. with the true crime wave of lobbyists as floats all MAGA now,
Dems? Another pathetically sad story all its own. But of course hewed to the crippled, dehumanized schools, the testing, the offshoring, the lobbyists, and the systematic bribery of Congress and the Clarence court.
And let’s never forget who let Clarence in at the end. Right, uncle Joe who wanted to save his own ass after Clarence declared, “This is nothing but a high tech lynch mob.”
I’m sick of hearing kindness thoughts sent to Biden. And one last point, Biden lost this nation to the most vile. It’s 100% his fault.
Yes, pushed off a cliff with Agent Orange as the figurehead of the shove. The real power is the Heritage Foundation and its greedy, power-hungry cabal.
Well Apache maybe it's not so bad to take 'merikkka down a notch. While the US did some good around the world the amount of wars, regime change and dirty dealing was much more and destroyed many lives...
The moves of Dear Leader make perfect sense when you understand that Putin has kompromat on him and is directing him to destroy America from within. While the Nerd Reich looks to feast on the carcass of our Democracy and set up their dystopian vision.
I agree in theory but IMO DJT’s mind is beyond thinking strategically. I believe he is consumed by revenge and only what is best for him.
My point is that he’s not the mastermind behind what is happening. Miller, Vought, Putin, Thiel… these are the people whispering in his ear and directing the big picture. As long as it makes him richer or allows him to hurt people who have “wronged “ him, he is happy to go along.
What we have right now, Brown is exactly what Americans voted for democracy and the rule of law. The difference is you don’t control the rule of law or the democracythe Republicans control the democracy
Yup. No "Leaders" yet, in the Western World. Ohh, I'm sorry, Trump has taken that seat by the looks of things. No? China may just be holding a match near the fuse. The've watched civilizations come and go for thousands of years and have records to prove it. Not a lot of white faces over there, not a lot of 'round eyes' either. Strange. No?
And Biden spent four years in his basement. So..your point is ?
Apache, this was probably the lamest most naive of all your former posts.
Ouch. Putin -attacked Ukraine and took crimea under obamas watch.
Putin invaded Ukraine YET AGAIN under Biden’s watch. And took 25% more. And your comment is Trump is weak? How much more of Ukraine did Putin take under trumps watch? And you might want to talk to Iran if you’d like to discuss Trumps weakness. Or maybe the mayor of DC. YIKES. HOW SAD.
Rick... You are being your usual intemperate self.... I was talking about China, and not Iran... DJT attacked Iran after Israel destroyed their defenses, and Command Structure because the Israeli attacks were playing well on Fox News, and DJT wanted to look tough.. After the Alaska Summit, Putin escalated the Russian Attacks on Ukraine while DJT was calling for Peace.... What does Biden have to do with this?... Did you watch China's Military Parade?... Pretty Impressive, it made DJT's Birthday Parade look pathetic... I suggest that you read the Professional Military, and Foreign Policy Journals, or talk to the Professionals in those fields about China's Rise before you spew out Garbage...
Thanks Gigi... In Elite Military Units.. Manners are taught... They are important in Stressful Situations... Besides, it has been said that the only Difference between Animals, and Humans, is that some People have Manners.... ;-)
Yeah, Gigi, but guess what? It’s not about Rick. It’s about facts. It’s about evidence. It’s about truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth which you do not get here and I’ve said that time and time again you’re getting a slanted view of one side of the aisle and that’s all you’re getting. Yes
Yup, Poor Rick - like the rest of Trump’s apologists - is trying to soften the blow up that we are heading toward. P Rick is just one of the 77 million that we need to help make better decisions about choosing our leadership. Yes, economically, this is turning out to be a good run for Trump and his children. And, NOTHING that he is doing is a surprise.
it shouldn’t be a surprise, but it is to most of you because you don’t know the other side of the story, papa. You don’t wanna hear the other side of the story and you refuse to see the other side of the story. To your detriment and to this group’s failures for not knowing that Heather doesn’t tell you the whole truth. And many times doesn’t even discuss the story of the day but hit you instead with minutia
How do you think Israel was able to destroy Iran’s defenses? Huh?
Do you know Apache you don’t mean to sound ignorant, but you are Iran’s nuclear weaponry was threatening the entire planet and Donald Trump did whatever everybody wanted to do years ago and that is destroy it and Obama God bless his soul gave them permission to enrich uranium and thought they would be honest about it. Talk about naïveté.. Donald Trump held save the planet so credit wherecredit is due And before you say it, Donald Trump said if he finds that they’re still enriching or had the enriched geranium moved somewhere else if they start again, he said he would level Tehran and they know he will do it and so does the world
What about China? Do we have any control over china? Do we have any control over Russia? Do we have any control over North Korea?
When Russia, China and North Korea get together and have a parade, CNN and MSMSNBC are saying look at this parade how wonderful look at the precision look at all the weaponry they have
When Donald Trump has an army parade celebrating the success of the army over 250 years, you liberals come out and say it’s Donald Trump’s parade it’s embarrassing. It’s shameful. China and Russia have been doing military parades for decades and America has done none but as soon as Trump wanted to do it oh my God this is horrible. This is terrible. This is disgusting and here you are approving my point by talking about how wonderful the China military parade was. Perhaps it’s time for you to move there. ?
China has been a big threat to America long before Donald Trump there Apache… and I’m in temperate at times because people are so willfully ignorant, and so two-faced where I say that liberals live at the intersection right at the corner of hypocrisy and double standard. And that’s why they’re not in office right now. Because they lied and lied and lied on TV and in the White House. For four years, they lied about Biden‘s health and the Legacy media has suffered because of it CNN and MSNBC have lost almost 60% of the audience. And now fox news a cable network news program is now dominating the news cycle with more viewership of MSMSNBC and CNN combined it it’s called life. Is it do it to yourself proposition? Legacy media is almost dead.
Hello Rick... I'll keep this short & to the Point... "How do you think Israel was able to destroy Iran’s defenses? Huh?"... The Israelis have American Weapons, American $$$, and the Iranians are Incompetent... The Israelis Plan in advance, and the Iranians want to live in the past... The Iranian's Air Defenses were destroyed in April 2024 during the Air War that the Israelis precipitated by conducting a Assignation in Tehran during their President's Inauguration.... I never said that the Iranians were the good guys... I'm not Pro-Chinese.. I come from People that walked here over a 1,000 Generations ago, and You? Good thing that we are not Neighbors...
Hey Brown, Cecilia Linda that was a very in-depth erudite articulate expressive post with absolutely no backup whatsoever. No facts no details and so wrong as well. You might wanna ask the Iatola about Taco, which by the way you’re a little bit falling behind that Name stopped the minute that Trump annihilated the nuclear threat in Iran. And that Trump sent troops into Washington DC and lowered the crime immensely so much so that the mayor has now behind him and supported his effort and is now out there recruiting more police now that she sees more police will stop crime. It’s wake up time for liberals on the wrong side of the law. You’re supposed to be protecting Americans not protecting criminals
That has been trump's complaint his ENTIRE life! He feels that no matter what he does, no matter how much he owns, or no matter what position he holds, he just CAN'T get enough respect to feed his pompous arrogance.
THAT IS how a narcissistic psychopathic sociopath ALWAYS thinks!
And trump IS a narcissistic psychopathic sociopath and ALWAYS has been.
No matter what trump gets...it is NEVER enough for him. That's how truly insecure he is. TRUMP IS A BULLY! A low class incompetent insecure paranoid unwell and unserious man who has no self-respect.
We ALL know that we can NEVER EVER BACK DOWN TO A BULLY or they will continue to chase you forever!
We can also NEVER EVER TRUST A BULLY because sooner than later EVERYONE becomes one of their TARGETS!!
trump is nearly dead.... it's only a matter of time now. He leaves behind a wake of incompetence, ignorance and sadism. Sadly many people are being hurt. Many of the SAME people who voted for him.
The maga's are JUST LIKE HIM but their fragile egos will NEVER allow them to admit they were wrong in believing his gaslighting no matter how trump disrespects them.
Just NEVER forget.... there are STILL MORE of US than them! And we can NEVER lose HOPE because when you lose HOPE... you quit FIGHTING BACK!
And that is EXACTLY what ALL BULLIES like trump and his maga cult regime want people to do! WE WILL NOT be intimidated and submissive! WE WILL NOT back down! WE SHALL OVERCOME!!! We've done it before and we'll do it again!!
Just as his niece says, T never grew emotionally, will never stop spending to get love & respect. I want to know, do we HAVE TO bury the POS @ Arlington?? How about a green burial? That way he gets to commune with the insects whose names he used against good people. (No offense intended to our insect world)
How about we bury him alongside the first hole at trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey, next to where he had the gall to bury his ex-wife Ivana so it wouldn't cost him anything?
Maybe even under the sand pit would be more fitting.
The fact that - "38% of Americans approve of Trump’s deployment of troops in Washington, D.C." - seems to me to be a very high approval rating. 38% of Americans think that is ok, really?
They are obviously not aware that none of these troops are actually going into crime-ridden areas of DC and appear to be spending most of their time picking up litter - at a cost of $1m a day. I suspect that if you told them that was what they were really doing you might get a somewhat less enthusiastic response.
That hasn't been my experience. What the MAGAts are now being fed for their information is that the NG is doing the "other work" that MPD does so that the PD can concentrate on crime. This is not so, Metro PD does NOT do park maintenance in DC, that is the National Park Service.
Of course, as the court in California has recently ruled, they're not allowed to do anything that comes under the heading of law enforcement yet that is exactly what Trump and Noem continue to claim they are doing. At any rate, it's an abominably expensive service. I've read that moving this show on the road to Chicago is likely to be even more expensive at around $1.6m per day.
Ally, if it were a part of a response to a disaster, NG would willingly help clean up but, to have to do so because there is NOTHING else to so is disgusting.
Hey do me a favor I’m not speaking to the idiot above me because he’s lives in another country and he’s got problems of his own. They’re actually arresting comedians for free speech for making fun of a trans individual in a joke during a comedy sketch. Arresting him they’ve arrested some 30 to 50 people for their speech in England recently.
No murders for three weeks means that 16 young Black people survived murder and are alive today because of Trump’s efforts
Crime is down throughout Washington DC and there’s a reason for that especially in the black community because they know Trump means business and he’s proving it with action not words not money not dialogue but controlling crime and you guys are in the 10% of Americans that think it’s OK to fight against fighting crime Muriel Bowser the mayor of Washington DC ask her about the crime stats
He read about the crime statistics in Chicago. And this has been going on in South Chicago for decades and to all you liberals here if the statistics showed that The murders were against trans students you’d be millions and millions protesting yet but because they’re not you have let it go on for decades. And here’s the problem. It’s all black on black youth and they’re all dying too early and Chicago is afraid that if Trump goes in there and stops it that Chicago officials will be embarrassed because they haven’t been doing the job. They’ve been elected to do and that’s exactly what’s gonna happen very shortly.
As I commented yesterday, we should send our "thoughts and prayers" to those crime-infested red cities/states that are not receiving "protection" from trump's military trash picker-uppers.
Hey guess what Lynelle your prayers have been answered after he finishes with Chicago. He’s going to New Orleans then maybe you’ll shut your hate infested mouth
Christopher, 38% is a consistent number in Felon-Land. It represents the members of his cult. And yes, it is worrying that 38% of the (pollster-contacted) public thinks that totalitarianism is a really good thing. But I would also point out that polls have become increasingly unreliable because pollsters still contact the same people over and over: those who have landlines and those who are willing to pick up when their phone rings. Think about it: how often do you answer your mobile when some random number shows up? Also, the 38% correlates well with the number of disaffected white people who resent non-white people gaining an economic toehold, angry men who hate the idea of women in power who are not like the compliant Stepford Wives the Felon prefers, and crazy pseudo-Christians who think that they will be taken up in the Rapture. I would also suggest that the number is actually higher because people lie to pollsters when asked questions about their biases.
Linda, polls are skewed and that is why I do not pay attention to them. It would be nice to know who the individuals are the pollsters use. A breakdown of ages, states where they live, questions asked, how many people answered, party affiliation, etc. I have only seen a mere one or two that show ages.
Yeah tell that to all the Washington DC blacks that are now thanking Trump, including the mayor. And stop using the word fascist doesn’t exist in America. There was an election you guys got tranced. This is what happens when you’re not in control… and you just can’t deal with that
I'm sure that many of these people do not live in cities and believe all the BS about the supposedly high rates of crime in urban areas. As I've said elsewhere, they're racists: they associate cities and crime with black and brown people. Of course, the real crime in D.C. is in the White House.
It's roughly the percentage of the US that voted for him. I cannot imagine the mental contortions it takes for cops and former military folks in my retired work cohort to find these actions approval worthy. The only explanation I can find is that their sources of "information" are heavily laced with propaganda and lies.
I had one guy (former sergeant of mine) tell me, in the same post, that the NG in DC was "helping crack down on crime" and that they were "doing park maintenance so that DC cops could focus on criminal conduct." I told him the DC cops do not have primary jurisdiction in the parks. Crickets.
Ali there were 187 murders in the small city of Washington DC last year. Guess what percentage of those were minorities ?
A vast majority of the crime is taking place in black communities in Washington DC and now that he’s being successful, you still people are so stupid and so ignorant and so hateful that you’re against fighting crime because Trump is the one doing it if Biden had stopped crime and Washington DC through any method at all, you’d be carrying him around DC on your shoulders you two-faced hypocrite
Please ask them morRon above you then why is crime down all over the city? Hmmmmm. No murders. Violent crime down 50% carjacking down 88% according to the mayor who is now caught on the policing works and is now on an increasing the police force hunt, and thanked Trump for his help. Ouch
Christopher, there was a brief exchange about this in yesterday's conversation. The overwhelming majority of MAGA's "true believers" – or about 38% of all Americans – seldom venture beyond the county lines where they live, almost never out of state. Their only knowledge of the world beyond their front doors and back yards comes from their TVs.
If one's "television diet" is nothing but crime shows and Fox Entertainment, one believes that all big cities are scary, crime-infested places where dark-skinned thugs wreak havoc on little old white ladies.
Yeah Christopher.., agree. Kinda like the statement we heard a couple weeks ago about DC Crime being 'down' 18%. HAAHAHAAA.., and on page 12 we read that car-jackings, drug-deals, robberies, and un-apprehended violence is largely going un-checked. BBBBUT.. CRIME is down 18% (err ahh.., from when?). This is what has caused the Democratic Party to tank. These categorical answers, being fed to us by people we try to rely on (TRUST) everywhere is maddening enough. The MAGAtts make fun of us by pointing to Page 12. Geezzzusss! I just read about all the "crime" over the Labor day weekend which purportedly occurred in Chicago! Did you? Almost sounds like a war zone, not an American City. My first question to Chicago is: WHAT THE HELL is being done about it? Or, is it "down 16% from last year? Huh?? How about Atlanta? Would you feel safe parking your Corvette on the street down there? Or, taking a walk downtown after darkness sets in? Huh? Folks.., we are guilty of not being tough enough on crime, and you know it. Numbnuts will use this platform to get installed for another fours years should he live that long. At the same time.., this is an opportunity for Pritzker to EXCELL. Or will T-Rump do it? What's your guess?
Actually 88% down on carjackings and 50% down on violent crime. In DC.
Last year Washington DC had 187 murders that’s over three per week and for the first three weeks that Donald Trump tried to help Washington DC there was no murders which means 18 to 20 young black lives were saved. The only people protesting involvement there now are white liberals. And now you have Muriel Bowser who got on TV the other day and was thanking Trump for her involvement and guess what she’s doing pal she’s out recruiting Moore police all of a sudden there’s a focus on her hiring more police Y because Trump’s policies worked.
I read a headline this morning that suggested that DC is suing the Trump administration, but I don’t know the details, but there were certainly video if you’d like to see it of Muriel Bowser thanking Donald Trump for bringing in troops and for lowering the crime rate and for saving lives
Well, you should ask all the black families in Washington DC who are out thinking Trump for reducing crime in their neighborhoods and you should look at Muriel Bowser who is actually in reality on the ground in DC not only thanking Trump for diminishing the horrendous crime that they have including this is her quote Incredibly lowering car jacking and murder and now guess what she’s doing. She’s out in full force, recruiting more police because she sees that it works.
The sad part about you guys is you you live on links you live on history and you live on poles the problem with you. You don’t live on the street where these things are happening every day last week in Chicago they’re telling you how great Chicago was and how safe it is in one weekend alone 54 shootings 8 black youth, dead one weekend
Oh, and I forgot to mention last year in Washington DC 187 murders or 3 1/2 murders every week and over 500 carjackings. Why don’t you ask Muriel Bowser how she feels about it now ? No murders in three weeks violent crime down 50% and carjackings down to 88%. And over 1000 arrests. That’s reality not polls not links not history books for what Andrew Jackson did on Thursday when it was raining 175 years ago
38% is not unbelievable. Keep in mind trump’s steady 36%(?) that has stood by him no matter what- his cult. They are the same people who get all of their information from fox’nfrenz etc and nowhere else. It is a fat third of America, sad to say.
, Bowser highlighted that the increase in federal law enforcement contributed to “an extreme reduction in carjackings” and a decrease in gun crimes and homicides.
If it was one of your children’s lives, you idiots you wouldn’t be protecting the criminals. You would be thanking the people that are stopping the crime.
Sabine you are not even listening to what I’m saying, which is no surprise I haven’t pouted since November 5. I’m like the sand in an oyster creating the pearl. I’m like the voice of reason shelter. I’m like the opposing force you can’t deny because it’s fact filled. Without me all you have is an oyster you have to have the rub to create a sense of reality. Otherwise you’re totally an incredibly 100% gullible because you believe everything you hear but as soon as you hear something different, you dismiss it without even knowing the entire truth at your peril. As I say many times with very few exceptions, Life is a do it to yourself proposition. Ask yourself how is it possible that Trump is only the second person in history to win the presidency in alternate terms ? Think about that!!! The answer is very plain and evident, but even you guys don’t see it nor there is a Democrat party who hasn’t figured it out after nine months of trying.
Nice try Sabine. You guys continue to deny the facts that’s fine with the rest of the country. Who sees right through your hypocrisy.
And while the people in Chicago, continue to say the city is safe this past weekend just this weekend 54 shootings 8 black children, dead and you’re silent
If these eight people were trans, you people would be traveling there with protest signs all over the place but since they’re black kids, you honestly don’t give a shit
://www.illinoispolicy.org/press-releases/black-hispanic-chicagoans-made-up-95-of-homicide-victims/ And this has been going on for decades and Trump is gonna stop it. What are you gonna say then now that he stopped the crime in Washington DC and the reason the people in Chicago don’t want him there is because they know they’ll be embarrassed when the crime goes down tremendously and they’ll realize they haven’t been doing enough to protect South Chicago and they haven’t been doing it for decades. Wtfu
Hey Phil, do you know the definition of ineptocracy? it actually wreaks of what you said above but not on the way you think. Here you go.
Ineptocracy. A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and Where the members of society least ikely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services Paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.
What this war crime against Venezuelans demonstrates is infinitely worse than "eviscerated...leadership." It is by far the most rationally terrifying atrocity of the MAGAT triumph because it proves the entire oath-breaking U.S. military, the most powerful military on the planet, is collaborating with Trump in exactly the same unhesitatingly genocidal manner Germany's Wehrmacht, then the most powerful military on the planet, collaborated with Hitler.
The only difference -- that the U.S. military is in ever-more-defiantly treasonous violation of its oath to defend the Constitution -- actually makes its conduct indescribably worse than that of Hitler's Wehermacht; it is the unspeakably terrible, irrefutably damning proof that -- thanks to the grant of presidential immunity by the irremediably Christonazified SCOTUS -- absolutely nothing protects us from a presidential order to the military to exterminate untold numbers of U.S. citizens.
Like the permanent Christonazification of SCOTUS, the Christonazification of the military is clandestinely supported by the "Democratic" (sic) Party in its post-JFK function as the Fifth Column of the "Republican" (sic) Christonazi/Neoconfederate Party: see https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2023/06/26/defense-bill-targets-religious-freedom-group-for-its-advocacy-work/, which notes the Democrats' (unanimous) support of the anti-constitutional measure and is therefore additional evidence of their unforgivable culpability in the slaying of the Republic and the nullification of its Constitution.
Again our circumstances are proven infinitely worse than the national cults of mandatory optimism and prideful ignorance would allow us to believe. To understand how that came to be, I emphatically recommend Jeff Sharlet's epic investigative report, "The Family: the Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power," Harper: 2008.
Yesterday, Xi held a massive military parade ostensibly in honor of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Japan. Putin and Kim were his guests. Former Fox entertainer and our current Secretary of Defense was on Fox “news” claiming that impressive and frightening power display by our adversaries was Biden’s fault. I almost laughed at the hypocrisy(?) cluelessness(?) of it all.
Two things - - you pointed out one, yourself. He has fired all the competent leadership - if there is one thing the Orange Imbecile cannot stand. it is competence. The other is that criticizing the CIC is insubordination. The military knows that tRump is really the Retributor in Chief. They can keep their mouths shut and not suffer having their careers and permanent record trashed. Also Hogsbreath fired all the senior JAGS just about day one. The people charged with deciding if an order is illegal are gone - replaced by MAGAts, I'm sure.
Poor Donald ... just can't get into the "In Crowd," no matter which crowd it is. He's mad at the world because Manhattan's aristocrats rejected him and his entire family. Now, the world's dictators don't invite him to their parties. But can you blame them? Who wants to be in a room with the stench of a walking outhouse? Recall Vladimir holding his nose during that little joyride in "The Beast."
Boy Phil, you are so good with words! I appreciate them. It is very telling that zero military comments are out there. Their commander- in- shit would prosecute those who did & remove them. And poor pouting orange idiot! He's getting a taste of what happens to the classless. He is sure not needed @ their club meetings.
Yeah and that’s why Phil Fox dominates the new cycle because they spew fake news and that’s why CNN and MSNBC have lost 59% of their audience because they told nothing but the truth for four years yikes somebody I know is totally upside down and they’re thinking and reality
Yes, I was wondering why Trump wasn’t invited to their little party of DICKtators, but then I realized they ALL want to see America fail and think he’s just the idiot to destroy her from within.
Phil, he must be really miffed about the big three meeting in China and Kim even brought his daughter And there was this huge military parade too. I am in total agreement too with Apache's post below. He can crumble in terms of his health and sanity, but it is our country that I care about as I know that Apache does too. Last night I had an opportunity to rant on another thread about death star and rant I did. So tired of people trying to excuse that monster and no, both sides do not do what is happening now. The culprit is a cousin of one of my ex-students who also happens to be our CPA and whose father was an exception, thankfully, to the males in her paternal grandfather's family.
As a soldier we talked to each other and in our letters home to our families. I don’t think any important events escape our military personnel. We were well trained in the matter of lawful orders including ones which required us to quash them. To participate in illegal orders was always threatened with a quick trip to Leavenworth prison. Our military has a strong policy that leaves very little room for interpretation. There have always been incidents but they usually end careers quite quickly. I have testified as witness in a Court Marshall proceeding.
Hello ICTT.... Don't forget that one of the 1st actions of the DJT 2.0 Regime was to eliminate the Military AGs, and the top 2-layers of the Military Services... Pete Hegseth?.... Need I Say More... The US Military UCMJ only applies if it is enforced... DJT is a Convicted Criminal... Do You Expect Him To Aide By Maritime Laws?...
I just want to jump in here to provide this link from Malcolm Nance, "Remember Your Oath." He says in his substack, "We have also been engaging in a bit of psychological operations. Every time the guardsman moved a large unit to Union Station, they started playing the retirement speech of General Milley … nonstop."
If nothing else, watch the short video at the top of the newsletter:
Do you remember Malcolm’s first “rant”on MSNBC? I was lucky to hear it and have kept an eye on him ever since. He’s the best. Thank you for the link. May we have friends of his at Union Station Chicago if the guard comes to town. Too bad ICE is oathless to US.
Why do military voices stay silent? Samecreason as why REPUBLICAN'T Congress members stay silent: direct death threats to them and their families. He's a mafia thug with his own bought and paid for death squad: ICE
Really? Simple as being trumpers? Sorry I expect a horsewoman to have more comprehension. The military cannot take a political direction favoring one faction over another. I really thought that tradition you call silence of being non denominational was well known in American political circles. The civil war if nothing else showed exactly what taking political sides wrought. In Hollywood circles they called it holding the fort. Following the whims of political partisanship resulted in near annihilation of indigenous peoples. In this age of near instant destruction we cannot and do not have a partisan military presence. Republicans within military command must walk a very distinctly constitutional pathway. The silence of the military is unilaterally maintained as non-political.
Bring "non political"? Is that what you call the military's oath-breaking surrender to the felonious tyrant's nullification of the Constitution and its (eager) obedience to his criminal orders?
When I first heard of the Venezuelan boat attack yesterday, while appalled by it, I just thought “well, here we go again.” Just another example of the US behaving badly on the world stage and using the military inappropriately. It’s happened under every recent president, an unfortunate result of the rise of the neocons who normalized such behavior.
But given a little more distance, this is worse. Much worse. A sitting president appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner of 11 people who, good or bad (and we don’t know the answer to that), presented zero military threat to the nation. He cherry picked an “enemy” to show “strength” and there is no telling who he will target next. It could be another overseas target, or it could be a domestic one. We’ve already seen the MSM normalize through their silence the assassination of a Minnesota state senator.
Meanwhile the Epstein files circle like a vulture over his decaying mind and body. And those circles are getting smaller and tighter. He’s made it clear that no amount of wag-the-dog misadventurism, no amount of related collateral damage, is off limits to him. The SCOTUS last year handed him a stay-out-of-jail-free card and he intends to use it however he sees fit.
All that said, there are too many of us to be silenced. He cannot win this war of attrition unless we let him. Keep speaking up. Keep standing up.
As usual, tRvmp wants to divert attention from the Epstein files. The killing of purported Venezuelan "drug runners" with no drugs was just that, a diversion. The press conference outting him specifically by some of the speakers, was not silenced by his childish fly overs. They are a determined lot. He's running scared and being the most dangerous and hated "leader" in our country’s history, he will only escalate his actions against all of us.
Vivian, wonder how much $ was spent doing that stupid flyover? And you bet T had people watching their watches to time the arrival as those people got to speak about the horrors of the past.
Vivian, yes the flyovers are childish, but they are also expensive ... on the taxpayer's dime.
"The cost of flyovers is also already a part of the military’s operational budget, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t expensive: high performance jets burn at least 1,200 gallons of fuel per hour— that’s a cost of $109,000 for the fuel alone during the 2011 Super Bowl flyover, with the total cost clocking in at closer to $450,000."
Trump campaigned on lowering prices( remember the price of eggs),ending the war in Ukraine on day one, and releasing the Epstein files.He has failed miserably and I suspect that these promises were just empty campaign rhetoric.His believability factor is a miserable zero acts.
From my own personal experience with the general and his staff we were commanded by Generals who were obligated to the President, the joint chiefs and ipse facto congress. Which faction would you like us to support politically. Now that begs your question.
I don’t understand your point. All of you are loyal to the Constitution, which you swear an oath to uphold, rather than to a President or a General. What about the faction of law, about opposing piracy and murder on the high seas? What am I missing?
When and where have you seen DonOLD/Miller obey the law in DJT 1.O or 2.0? Hasn't happened and now with his own private death squad (ICE), it will only get worse - a country of laws, not any more. And paid for with YOUR tax dollars.
It is a very noble aspiration, even a grandiose expectation, that all service members, active duty, reservists, National Guard, veterans, that everyone of us will be loyal to the Constitution. How many that enlist these days even have a good sense of constitutionality or the Bill of Rights that are so paramount to what is happening to our country right now? But the oath to uphold, support and defend the Constitution of the U.S. from enemies, foreign and domestic is the absolute first part of enlisting or being commissioned an officer in the Armed Forces. A deep commitment to the U.S. Constitution as the foundational principle of service.
Except we're in uncharted waters here. Piracy and murder on the high seas? The so-called president is a Putin fanboy and a traitor to our Nation. What is a service member supposed to do? There's never been a situation like this before. The Republicans in Congress and in the Supreme Court have abdicated their responsibilities or acquiesce to the whims of Trump and the regime.
Military service members are told that they must disobey an unlawful order but it could be a very unpleasant situation or a court martial, maybe something even more severe in this climate. What I can tell you is there is a real cross section of America and also of the territories(Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines, etc) in the military, and all types of people just like the makeup of our Nation.
Sorry that I can't really answer your question but things like military strikes on Iran and vaporizing a boatload of supposed drug runners should not be made without approval from Congress, in the first place. It's a lawless regime and I hope the military service members will not have to use they were just following orders as a defense when the newest iteration of the Nuremburg trials come about.
It is my humble opinion that military service be mandatory for all Americans without regard for race creed color or financial connection. All missions conducted have appropriate declassification. Hold your horses.
ICTT, the military people face expulsion for daring to say anything against the non- commander in chief. All their benefits go also. It will take a huge outcry from them to be heard. Which is so sad!
Pat, I suspect that what you experienced in your term of service is vastly different that what has happened to the military since the GWOT. I had the experience (not military service myself; I would not lie about my sexual orientation to get into the Navy) of working with men and women who were Vietnam, Cold War, and GWOT veterans. There is a vast, vast difference in all three of those "generations" of veterans, and for a variety of reasons.
My experience is few of our brothers and sisters who swore an oath to uphold and defend the constitution of our state and nation could tell what was in either them beyond a cursory understanding to get through the academy.
Gary, if your service was post-Vietnam, your assessment is woefully accurate. Adjunct faculty at two public colleges c. 1975-1982 -- I taught photography -- I noted that my students who were post-1968 high-school graduates were increasingly deficient in their understanding of the Constitution. I soon discovered they had been denied the mandatory K-12 studies of civics, history and governance that had characterized the pre-'68 grads as far back as I could determine. (My own K-12 years, 1945-1958, included mandatory civics; world, national and state histories; and "American Government," essentially an intro to political science; the social-studies requirements fulfilled by my students who finished high school before 1968 were the same as applied to my generation.)
Several of my fellow faculty members made identical observations; we concluded the deliberate post-'68 denial of know-your-rights education was a product of Nixon's reaction to anti-Vietnam-War protests and Carter's efforts to push the nation toward theocracy -- proto-Christonazi subversion that went mostly unreported apart from the sneeringly sadistic defiant misogyny of his Hyde Amendment atrocity. These efforts were continued by subsequent administrations -- see Jeff Sharlet's "The Family: the Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power" (Harper:2008) for detailed exposure of the Democrats' mostly clandestine theocracy efforts.
As Ally House correctly implies, the pro-theocracy cult got a powerful boost from the War on Terror's tacit resumption of the religious warfare that defines Europe's post-Roman history. Which -- as never before -- encouraged and legitimized the recruitment of Christonazi fanatics into the U.S. military.
My military service was Regular Army active duty 1959-1962, the last 16 months in Korea; after three more years in the inactive reserve. I was honorably discharged in 1965. In my era, the orders requiring all personnel to attend Christian religious services that define today's military were literally unthinkable. Though the government had already officially declared its theocratic intent by its addition of "under (the sadistically tyrannical fundamentalist Christian) God" to the "Pledge of Allegiance."
Well Loren, I being a boomer and growing up in the 60s, protesting Vietnam and the war which continued and continues through today, I never trusted the military and would have nothing to do with it. I don’t trust the state. Living in Florence, Italy in 1977-1979, I enjoyed living outside the bubble of Americana. Once at a party, I overheard two Italian women speaking of “those stupid Americans” and as I turned around, they immediately apologized to me but I interrupted them to acknowledge that we Americans are a stupid lot. I kind of feel that sentiment still.
I was selected to attend Annapolis, Ally. In the midst of the Viet Nam conflict, during which time the nation was severely conflicted, I chose to be drafted out of college by not claiming a deferment. The rank and file members of the military schools, ie Annapolis, West Point, Colorado Springs, etc, held formidable entrance requirements. I doubt that has changed. I was deployed in 266 combat assault missions in which military discipline was anally maintained. We took much tragedy, much villainy, and there were many villagers killed and many officers fragged. War is hell and both sides of conflict result in horrific wrongdoing. As soldiers we wanted to go to Hanoi and end the war. Congress said no. Police action only. We had to follow the political tide which ebbed and flooded with political wisdom. I think the officer core of American institutions is the most well educated group of military officers and commanders in the world. They are not a vending machine for political whim. Again I say “hold your horses.” Damn spot will out. Pol Pot Trump will find his “angle of repose.”
Pat, I think you need quote marks around the word “wisdom”.
The change I see in veterans of those eras is a different political stance; with a heavy dose of Fox “News” on military bases, a philosophical shift has taken place.
Ally, why not lie to get into the service if that’s what you wanted. I was going to lie in an application vendor app when it asked me if I was LBGTQ and I was ready to lie and say yes, lol.
You know I thought about your response all evening. I conclude that you had every right to lie and go into the service. Fuck them all for asking such ignorant info. It was non of their business. In a way, similar, I don’t believe in DEI. I do believe in equality but I don’t begin slicing and dicing our society until it puts one against the other as it has under DEI. I don’t expect you to agree. I’m from an older school that understands everyone is equal in society and I’m not changing for anyone. I don’t care how cool it sounds.
How long Victoria, has the military defended this continent now. You can choose me as your relic but that logic doesn’t change the coarse of military history. A modern day example would be my own commanding general, General Louisell passed away just a couple of years ago at age 90 some. He was active in high command up until you might find he was as modern as you might accept. He was a Republican by vote, a humanitarian by heart, an elegant example of a military officer who maintained strict military anonymity . Whoever commanded the boat incident will become subject of AAR scrutiny.
Pat, to clarify: coming from a somewhat military family with a long tradition of enlisting rather than awaiting the draft, I understand and indeed empathize with your trust in the internal UCMJ effectiveness of the U.S. military system, especially in terms of its historically proven worth in contrast, say, to the Prussian system of unquestioning do-or-die obedience or the Roman system and its descendants in which the military makes the civilian government rather than vice versa. I agree with you the integrity of our military system -- if indeed it prevails -- will most likely enable us to avoid the unmitigated horrors of a second civil war and yet restore justice, which is the outcome we both want. But is it possible?
I believe your trust in the system epitomized by the UCMJ is closely analogous to the trust we typically place in the democracy-preservation pledged by our civilian system of checks and balances. But our Founders -- and for that matter, we ourselves -- could not imagine a moral imbecile so fanatically intent on imposing tyranny his diabolical cunning would enable him to weasel around presumably impassible Constitutional restraints literally as if they were nonexistent. Nor could they -- or we -- conceive of a time in which the supportive ethical principles would vanish with the instant totality of a bright lamp suddenly extinguished in absolute darkness. But that too has happened, and now Donald the Destroyer and his Christonazi/Neoconfederate rabble reign supreme, rendered unstoppable by the permanent Christonazification of the Supreme Court and all national, state and local law enforcement and their total control of the remainder of the federal government. Many Americans -- probably a big majority of our anti-MAGAT comrades -- still cannot believe we have been so easily conquered.
Which brings me back to the military. Like civilian law enforcement, it has been targeted for decades by Christonazi infiltrators. My profound respect for the courageous efforts of Michael Weinstein not withstanding, I believe the military's criminal obedience to a felon's illegal orders proves it as permanently infiltrator-subjugated as are all the federal, state and local police agencies. You clearly believe our military has retained its secular independence. And it is my most profound hope yours is the correct estimate.
Yours is a plausible script. But for a country to throw off ties with the British government when half the populace remained loyal to the crown despite traitors such as Benjamin Arnold, the American rabble prevailed the tyranny of the most significant armed force in the world. From those military victories Congress was born for the first time in the world. The lessons were not lost as finally the Constitution was patched together and ratified on the blood 🩸 of the founders.
What this regime is attempting to pull off from the darkest closets of cynical strategy is now in our hands again. It is again time for two if by land, one if by sea. We stand now riveted to the courts. As I see it we have 2/3 of
the power in hand. If we do not prevail then let us lie in the blood of those before us. Freedom has it’s crimson cost.
It came across as if draftees were some kind of trailer trash while your enlistment was better sanctified. Thanks so much for the sleight. Your having served in the peace time army is more than I had expected. Congratulations.
It's hard to see how a small boat carrying drugs (let's assume for argument's sake that that part of the story is true) a thousand miles from the US could be an 'imminent threat'. But then this is an administration led by a crackpot who is posting on Truth Social early this morning claiming that Rosie O'Donnell is a 'threat to humanity' and threatening once again to withdraw her citizenship, something he is clearly not empowered to do.
Trump is following the lead of Rodrigo Duterte when he was President of The Philippines. His execution of "drug runners" - in the streets, without trial, has landed him in a spot of bother. President Xi dealt with "corruption" the same way. Putin doesn't need any excuse. People fall out of windows. Planes fall out of the sky. It's a very slippery slope.
The murder of those men was a convenient distraction from the stories shared by sexually abused women who were demanding the release of the Epstein files. Once again, Trump trying anything, including the flyover of jets, to draw attention away from brave women sharing their stories about sexual abuse as children by billionaires. Fox had nothing about the women, only a repeated video of blowing up the boat.
How the hell would you know anything about what goes on in Fox? They spent almost 5 hours discussing the epstein issue this past weekend. And the only reason it’s important to you left these because when Biden was president and he had the files, we didn’t hear this out cry. Biden had the files and did nothing with them since January 2024 nine months before the election and if there was something in it about Trump, he would’ve buried him
Now all you guys are hoping that Trump is involved but unfortunately yesterday the attorney for 200 of the women said he had never seen anything on any document that suggested that Trump was involved in anyway. Ooooops
You guys are only looking for blame you’re not looking to protect the women or you would’ve been yelling and screaming for the last five years not the last five months.
As recent as yesterday, three of the highest viewership programs on Fox, discuss the epstein files in detail and they even showed an interview of the attorney for the victims.
There is little Trump has done that surprised most of us. But I was shocked that he would actually commit murder. That there has been no serious attention paid to this confirms the American people are not worth much. This is a disgrace beyond comprehension
Gary and every time you protect the criminals instead of citizens who’ve been killed or died because of drugs you continue to lose points with a public this year is not the public. This is a pimple of what the public thinks 2% perhaps and this is a 9010 issue 90% of the people want the drugs STOPPED.
I bet your media didn’t show you the incredibly huge drug bust of millions of gallons of the drugs used to make methamphetamines enough to make 540 million people die. Barrel after barrel after barrel maybe we should just let that go and not worry. Until one of your family dies.
There is no way, the Trump administration will allow free and fair elections in 2026. The Republicans culled several million voters without verifying their validity.
Meanwhile, the GOP Senators and Congressmen not only normalize the Trump regime's illegal activities, they encourage their ranks to lie about them.
Every day Trump and his Project 2025 cronies look more and more like Russia and Hungary. Now that Trump has crossed the red line of illegally murdering people it is a very dark day for America.
Not at all like "Russia and Hungary," infinitely worse: exactly like Nazi Germany, the Auschwitz Nation that is the ultimate model for what Trump and his puppetmasters are imposing.
Urgently suggested reading: William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," Simon & Schuster: 1960 and 2011. Google Bookfinder for best price; used hardcover volumes, fair condition, start at $7.96 with free shipping.
I wonder how Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 10 might influence politics. Poor folks may be unable to upgrade and might need to rely even more on TV media (such and Fox, Sinclair, and friends) for information.
An account I read said they were 1000 miles away from the United States, 11 people in a boat 1000 miles away poses no imminent threat to the United States. This part is not being emphasized enough. It wasn’t like they were going land in Key West any moment. There’s no end to the disgrace this president and his minions are bringing down upon us.
What is wrong with you people go to the doctor and see about your TDS do you not want to stop drugs? Do you not want to protect your children? Do you want to continue protecting the criminals like Kilmore Abrego? You’re on the 10% side of justice rather than the 90% side of America. Kilmore Abrego was an illegal immigrant. He was a wife beater factually. His wife twice ask for a restraining order it was granted one by the judge. He was trafficking illegals across the country. He was a member of an MS 13 gang and he was into child porn and his even his best friend told him to knock it off and these are the people you want to protect no wonder your party is losing credibility everywhere now at the lowest point in the last 35 years so keep it up. This might be the first midterm election that you lose.
Look close there are no bundles of drugs. Our military has gone rogue. We are now indiscriminately killing people for no reason. Oppsie nothing new here.
There's a lot more to this story than Heather reports... the speedboat shown was not large enough for 11 people and drugs, no drug runner would take 11 people when they only need 2-3: the others would take up space for drugs. There's a stand-off brewing between Venezuela's Maduro and Trump, with Maduro accusing Trump of wanting to drag him into a war.. Trump signed a secret directive to use military force against some Latin American drug cartels.
Again I wonder how many times it must be said: the U.S. mainstream media monopoly is -- exactly as intended -- the world's first privately owned, for-(maximum)-profit descendant of Josef Goebbels' Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda, the infamous Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Thus it is futile to expect mainstream coverage of the Regime's atrocities.
I agree. It is truly frightening. Last night at dinner my husband was asking what I think of Trump's actions in Venezuela, and I said I could not understand his hatred for Latino people so much that he goes after Maduro, who is just like him. Robbing his country blind while pretending to help the people.
The other day Dean Blundell and Zev Shalev were discussing in their Substack podcast that we are potentially facing a world war with the provocations from Putin on NATO countries in the EU and Trump, and it will be on our continent as well, and not just off in Europe. This is that kind of action that provokes a battle. While the US may have the most powerful military in the world we did not "win" in Vietnam and we did not win in Afghanistan or Iraq. At some point we just had to leave without having improved the situation or done anything for the long term good.
Hey Linda, here’s an interesting question for you. Do you think we’re on the brink of war because of Donald Trump or because of Bill Clinton who is the responsible for this entire thing or for Obama just standing by with his finger up his butt while Putin took Crimea or Biden sat by and watched and did nothing while Putin once again invaded Ukraine. ? And now you’re blaming Trump for a war he didn’t start wasn’t involved in. ? Why don’t you look up why Putin is able to attack Ukraine?
You suppose historians are full of crap go look that up then come back and tell me and I could wait till eternity and you won’t do it because you don’t wanna know what the truth is you just want to point the finger
Yes, and that’s why they remain in Congress, Virginia and that’s why they Republicans won because they understand what the future means for our children when drugs are running rampant and hundreds of thousands are dying from drugs allowed in through a southern border. And thousands more of being killed on the streets and there’s not enough police to stop it but now Trump has stood up in Washington DC and the mayor is not only thanking him, but is now focusing on hiring 800 more police to protect her city, as last year Washington DC a relatively small city by comparison had 187 murders and you know what the
Conviction rate was go take a look.
And while the people in Chicago are saying oh the crime is not bad. The crime is going down well this past week they had 54 shootings and eight murders. One weekend. And in California and I read just one stats so I can’t confirm it that said in California of all the. Indictments and prosecution against violent crime only 6.6%. We’re actually convicted and sent to prison. It’s like a revolving door in liberal cities. One guy was on TV the other day a black guy he says what difference does it make? I could shoot somebody today and they let me out of prison tomorrow. I can carJack today and they’ll let me out of prison tomorrow.
So do us all a favor stop hating and be on the side of stopping crime not protecting the criminal
"...we already are -- and have long been -- a pariah nation."
Really? A long time pariah nation?
I respectfully disagree. When we created a nation where all are created equal as a foundation to which the world flocked to, we were a pariah nation?
When we fought a great civil war to make men free, when much of the world still embraced slavery we were a pariah nation?
When we contributed to saving the world from National Socialism and Japanese military imperialism we were a pariah to the rest of the world.
When people climbed over the Berlin Wall risking their lives to escape the East German Socialist Republic to get to the American Sector we were a pariah nation?
When we sent foreign aid to those less fortunate we were a pariah nation?
It is because we were not a pariah nation that so many of us resist becoming one.
Have we been wrong and imperfect in the past? Yes, and who hasn't been.
But a pariah? We have stepped off the path but we have always been on the road to a more perfect union.
Gary, I cannot fault (nor disagree with) your list of what I too recognize as anti-pariah achievements. For most of the first half of my 85 years -- and despite nearly two decades as a reflexively despised "yankee" involuntarily damned to reside in the viciously Christian theocracy of the South -- I believed these achievements absolute proof of humanitarianism's ultimate victory. But then came the bipartisan rejection of empathy that began creeping out of our national miasmas of moral imbecility in the Vietnam era and rose to (permanent) tsunami magnitude in the Reagan years. It was then I began to realize these benevolent achievements -- all the more miraculous given the run-amok hatefulness by which they were opposed -- were never sufficient to compensate for a pariahdom of ecogenocidal bigotry and greed so overwhelmingly deadly it became the model for Hitler's genocide machine. Still -- despite increasing doubts -- I wanted to believe in our national benevolence and the notion of an arc of history that bends toward justice, until finally -- thanks to the 2016 election -- I could no longer resist concluding that notion is perhaps our species' most crippling lie ever, that the real curve is toward ever intensifying anti-humanitarian tyranny rendered ever more omnipotent by ever-more-lethally perfected technology. Thus I am (woefully) compelled to recognize the 5 November 2024 election as our nation's declaration the only true "American Exceptionalism"is our relentlessly defiant public assertion of global anti-humanitarianism -- the fanatical determination to cancel every progressive achievement in our species' history and embrace the pariahdom to which that evil quest condemns us. In which context I can never forget the horror and dismay in my then lover's olive-green eyes as she turned to me the instant after we had witnessed the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald on live television and whispered, as if already fearful of being overheard, "we live in a banana republic."
It's like the nonsensical myth that the Iroquois Confederation was a basis for our republican form of government.
Myths created from whole cloth.
One need only read Mein Kampf to understand this an undeserved bashing of American history. One need only read the minutes and debates of the Second Constitutional Congress and Federalist Papers to know the latter to be a nonsensical assertion.
All of the rest does not make our history one of being a pariah among nations.
That doesn't follow when even today hundreds of thousands risk their lives to get here.
Have we become a pariah? I would agree.
Do we have a history of being a pariah? No.
Here is a link to a peer reviewed academic paper refuting the notion Hitler used our Western expansion as a model for his imperialism.
Gary...In blunt but intellectually respectful rebuttal, what you so glibly dismiss as a “trope” is in fact among our most powerful antidotes to the relentlessly imposed silence that denies the terrible malignancy – its deadly international metastasis included – of the unyielding white male supremacy that perpetually defeats our nation’s definitively revolutionary quest for humanitarian democracy. This antidote is the extensively documented, carefully reasoned book by legal scholar James Q. Whitman, Yale University Law School’s Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law entitled “Hitler’s American Model: the United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law” (Princeton University Press: 1917). It is by no means an obscure work; it is universally available on line as PDFs thanks to several major universities, and it is favorably reviewed by a significant number of authoritative sources including the magazine “Foreign Affairs,” also by Cambridge University, JSTOR, Project MUSE and Kirkus. All of which – free PDFs and reviews (some reviews as abstracts only, with full texts censored by paywalls) – are available merely by googling Hitler’s American Model. In recognition of your open mind, I most vehemently urge you to read it.
For broader context, I also urge reading of “An Indigenous People’s History of the United States” (Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz; Beacon Press: 2014); “How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America” (Heather Cox Richardson; Oxford University Press: 2020); “Illiberal America” (Steven Hahn; W.W. Norton and Company: 2024); the ideologically definitive “Invisible Doctrine: the Secret History of Neoliberalism” (George Monbiot & Peter Hutchison; Crown: 2024); plus “American Fascists: the Christian Right and the War on America” (Chris Hedges; Free Press: 2008); and “The Family: the Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power” (Jeff Sharlet; Harper 2008), the last two volumes vital to understanding Christonazism as the ecogenocidal glue that binds all these toxins into the MAGAT doomsday machine.
I would not say “have long been” but rather getting there, mostly with Republican presidential stupidity and greed, arriving totally at pariah status with Trump.
Do you live in America Loren? Why do you still live here? Why is it that when we opened our border 15 million illegals came from From all over the planet to come here …. I have a shirt that says the following America love it or leave it. Why don’t you go live next-door to Rosie O’Donnell or Helen Ellen DeGeneres?
The person who pulled the trigger is probably some 22-23 year old kid whose prefrontal cortex has not yet fully developed. But where is their commanding officer. That’s the person who should and must know better.
it’s obvious to me that none of your children have been killed or died by fentanyl or any other narcotics or didn’t become addicted because of people that are dragging drugs into this country, and since Trump closed the border which you used to be in favor of now they’re trying to bring in drugs through alternate methods. They’re even using boats off the California coast to come in at night and drop their drugs and they’re being caught as well.
I am also a veteran and I’m shouting around the house thank God for Donald Trump killing all the criminals… I guess he’s a Supreme Court justice to determine that that was an illegal order. You know most people know nothing about that boat other than it was shot you don’t know the history. You don’t know where it came from. You don’t know what it did when it was here.
Here’s what happened in your mind and this is the sickness that runs through your veins of Donald Trump Donald Trump just saw on video because he has nothing else to do about looking at a little boat speeding away with three 250 hp engines on the back We found them speeding away and for no reason at all just decided to select boat and destroy it that’s what he did. Yikes???
I am all for arresting, trying, convicting and jailing drug dealers/muIes/producers. I am all for the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. I am against the death penalty in all cases. So yeah just shooting people dead without proof, without a trial, for a crime that does not bear the death penalty doesn’t work for me.
When you have the most powerful military in the history of the world, you have to be 100% sure that their use is ethical or we are no better than common criminals.
Shervyn. You obviously are missing a lot of the facts and or what I call willfully ignorant when it comes to not only the arrested convictions, but the judge’s decision as to what to do with these criminals once convicted. There was a nice video on the other day, but I doubt very seriously. It came on a network that you watch that show this black guy young black man in handcuffs screaming at the cops go ahead and arrest me just cause I shot somebody I’ll be out on the street tomorrow and if I want a car Jack somebody I’ll do that and I’ll be out on the street tomorrow and that’s one of the issues that you’re totally missing.
Well, you might be against the death penalty until you witness a criminal entering your home and shooting your wife and children right in front of you. Then you might change your mind. Especially if the criminal were white and you’re black.
And as far as illegal immigrants are concerned do you know how many missing children there have been there’s almost 600,000 children that they don’t know we’re half of them are and do you know that 60% have been said to be trafficked and where is that? Where is the crime and punishment there?
Do you know that many criminals have deportation orders to leave the country immediately and after over a year they’re still here ?
Do you know that in California up until very recently you could steal $900 worth of merchandise from a store and it was a misdemeanor and only 6.6% of those cases ended in a conviction of course you don’t know that and that’s why they recently changed the law because businesses were closing up like dead fish
Do you know that 11 to 15,000,000 illegals into this country you’re ready for what I’m gonna tell you without being checked for any vaccinations when you guys were fanatical crazy lunatics when it came to Covid vaccines oooooops.
You would be better off protecting Americans than protecting criminals
Unless you have judges that give the criminals what is due and right now and many precincts it’s nothing but a revolving door
Good that Heather talks both about the corruption among billionaires, and the boat attack.
The corrupt child rapist Donald and his idiot drunken Fox Spews Hegseth are both bragging now about that monstrously illegal act. Just out and out destroyed that civilian boat from Venezuela, killing all its crew. They didn’t have U.S. service personnel attempt to cripple its engines, nor try to board it. Its crew of 11 were all apparently unarmed, and the U.S. is not at war with their country, nor with nearby Trinidad, where the craft was apparently heading.
But this flagrant illegality typifies all the U.S. billionaire classes, in their thuggery to widen the wealth gap, to impoverish more of the working classes, and to deny government programs to the people. It's all thug Donald.
So the U.S. devolves into the world’s rogue bully. Just as at home its ICE thugs terrorize for the sake of being bullies only. As Donald’s pals from the rich and famous for years raped young women, underage girls – and the chief thug covers it up. Because he’s a criminal, and he exults in wanton criminality.
We all need to associate the Fascist Trump regime with EVERY Republican.
ALL Republican politicians are complicit in EVERY illegal and heinous action committed by the administration.
The OBBBA is arguably the worst piece of legislation ever passed. The oligarchs won including Elon who is strangely silent as he realizes his actions have severely damaged his reputation and that of every one of his enterprises.
It seems like years ago that Trump was hosting a car show on the White House lawn for Elon and now he's persona non grata.
It is tragic to see citizens of the USA, witness the horrors of such a person sitting in the seat of President of the USA, at this time. His presence is an insult to our nation.
I’m amazed that you guys continue to lose and you don’t know why and here’s why because you keep protecting the criminals instead of American citizens.
Because it’s OK to rape our daughters and Traffic them because it’s OK to kill and bring drugs in. And you wonder why the Democrats approval rating is the lowest it’s been in 35 years.
You have your information a little bit incorrect there Mike Trump is the president of the United States. Biden was a criminal but pardoned his entire family and his immune from prosecution. Clinton was a criminal and lied under oath Now would you please tell me how that matters in reality today? And by the way, this is the problem with you people you still don’t get it 77 million people voted for who you think is a criminal
And if any of his trials would’ve been held in another venue, they wouldn’t even made it to the courtroom And they’re all but gone
you don't get it Mac 77 million people knew it was a sham and it was a ham but you can keep harping on the pass all you want. He's president of United States now.
I've reported the troll several times in the past for some of it's ... intemperate ... comments, but it keeps coming back and stinking up the place - a noisome reek.
I believe reports go to HCR and not Substack admins.
Thank you Derek Smith. No worries, I have blocked the Troll. The important matters are the words of the Survivors.
However, per the terms of Substack Inc binding 2025 TOU, I have already started a Mediation at JAMS SF which against the Platform, Substack Inc, based on their own choice of law not mine.
I understand Substack Inc still uses the Palo Alto law office of Wilson Sonsini. I respect that law firm if not Substack Inc regarding what I allege are multiple 2025 TOU contract violations against defined "Authors" & "Readers" & indeed against this entire larger digital community.
Heather, would love to have your take on Michael Wolff’s reported interview with Epstein alleging that Trump out bid him on a Florida mansion with Russian money then turned him in for sex trafficking when Epstein protested.
On the CBS Mornings show today, I didn't hear about the boat attack or the drowning out of the survivors, but they were OUTAGED that Steve Balmer has found a way around the NBA salary cap. These rich guys cheat at everything to get ahead. That's how they got where they are. Why is basketball the point of outage?
You'll concede that those of team Donald "are presenting the US as a kind of rogue bully" -- but that that's far different from the U.S. actually being that?
Donald is president. His policy openly covers for Putin's mass murders of civilians and destruction of social infrastructure of all kinds there. Donald refuses to apply the secondary sanctions to those trading with Russia and thus subsidizing its war. While same Donald brags that he's not giving anything to Ukraine. That's U.S. policy, Margaret-Rose.
U.S. policy that millions suffer and die in Africa due to cutting off U.S. A.I.D.
U.S. policy to keep giving Netanyahu the weaponry for Gaza genocide, while abetting Netanyahu's parallel campaign of starvation in Gaza. U.S. also abets settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, and ongoing thievery of Palestinian land.
U.S. fossil fuel giants continue their juggernaut to speed global warming. And, again as official U.S. policy, Donald kills all federal support for green energy projects.
U.S. standardized testing spreads also like another cancer to many school systems of the world -- so same schools to same proportion of upping testing are shedding humanities, as did U.S. schools. All the world's schools should be stressing essay writing more, so students get skilled in seeing "others" as people -- which the U.S. could support, but does not.
At every level, Margaret-Rose, I see seamless, systematic, destructive, dehumanizing, real damage, not just a few images or the "presenting" of such.
Sorry Margaret-Rose. As Ally House puts it, we are non-theists. 😏
I believe in science instead of worshipping an imaginary being or beings.
While researching my ancestry I came across a great grandmother who married 4 times and lived in the 9th century. As the legend goes, one of her husbands she had put to death because he tried to force Christianity on her.
Phil, i believe MRS is saying that she is discerning between the trump regime and the American populace at large. If i am not mistaken. Just being kind to us.
Well, aren't we all living in so-called "liberal democracies" where all the power comes from "We, the people"? I don't think it's that easy to wriggle our way out of responsibility, not only US Americans, but the whole rest of the West, who supposedly live in "the free world". You're not only part of a country when it's winning, you share the losses too.
I think I get it - you don't want people who stand against this administration feel guilty - I just remember the history of my birth-country (Germany) and that everybody, Nazi or not, had eventually to bear the consequences of the actions of a minority of psychopaths. And how often we went during school through "What would you have done during the Third Reich to prevent it?" I can't even count.
Living through the current times, it turns out - we would have done nothing, just like the majority of Germans did.
The White Rose Society did and some paid for their lives. Carrie Ten Boom abd her family did abd she abd her sister at the female concentration camp. I Coukd never understand those times until PBS did a documentary about the tactics and strategies used by the powers that be. One was targeting relatives of trouble makers. Actually an old old tool.
The nuns would ask us what would you do if the communist cane? Red Dawn was a novel that came up fir young people around that time.
What I have observed is the courage of sone folks from all over the world and time who did stand up and pay the price. Many, many were aware that yes they were putting their lives in danger. But they freely choose to keep on walking. I am utterly astounded at the weak level of courage so many people have exhibited at the WH and other places. Were they raised to be cowards? Did not they read George Bernard Shaw’s Androcles and the Lion? Abd did not one read the big Republican William Edward Bennet’s A Child’s Book off Virtues? I wonder if the current head of Efucation Linda McMahon even knows of its existence. I would read these books into the Congresfional Record if nothing else.
And always remember The Book Thief book and film. There are ways and there are ways to support good when you live in a bad world.
It always feels like "is it enough?", or is that just me? I try to engage as much as possible against the right-wing shift here in Australia, and was devastated to see so many thousands participating in the right-wing, nazi-supporting, anti-migrant demonstrations in our country last weekend.
Well, no time for complaining, I suppose, we've got lots of work to do 😉
EPSTEIN FILES... GHISLAINE MAXWELL... It is the ultimate in moral depravity when Ghislaine Maxwell denies any accountability for what she did, shows no remorse for ruining so many young lives, and then sells her already "blackened" soul for a few selfish creature comforts. This is in contrast to the victims/survivors who live and breathe trauma and fear every single day.
TODAY...LAST WORDS OF VICTIM/ SURVIVOR ANOUSKA DE GEORGIOU: "So the fear is very real for us. I have also been in multiple situations with both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, where they have been direct and indirect about implying and saying that if I was to talk, if I was to bring any kind of trouble, then there would be severe consequences, including DEATH."
Michele, thank you for adding that chilling testimony from Anouska de Georgiou. I hope people here are not only discussing these depravities by the supposed president and his cronies in this forum, but taking the information out to our spheres of influence.
You know, if Trump had nothing to do with any of this, if he weren’t such a gobsmacking moron, he wouldn’t have arranged a military fly-over during these women’s press conference in front of the Capitol to drown them out.
Hard to come up with a stronger metaphor for a cornered rat desperate to change the conversation.
I’m thinking the genie is coming out of the bottle, and we all know there’s no putting it (her) back in. Watch for even more and bigger distraction attempts.
If you are a consituent of Khanna or one of the House members working on the petition to open the Epstein records, Congress should hear from former case prosecutor AUSA Marie Villafaña, who prepared a sex-trafficking indictment against Epstein that was not filed. If he trafficked, to whom?
Also although Epstein lawyers Jay Lekowitz, Ken Starr and Roy Black passed away, their Epstein files should be subpoenaed, as he is dead and attorney client privilege died with him. Other lawyers working for Epstein at the time that Acosta gave Epstein the deal of the century were Alan Derskowitz, Marty Weinberg, Jack Goldberger, Darren Indyke and Jeffrey Schantz.
I loved when the survivor speaking (I believe it was Ms. de Georgiou) raised her hand and flipped off the planes causing the disruption.
I also love the choice of the word "survivor" as the adjective of choice for these brave, strong women. While they were definitely once victimized, their strength as survivors much better defines them.
It Comes to This. Even with the flyover it did not detour them from speaking their truth. They just took a pause, very strong, dedicated women to free themselves and all the survivors.
I hope so. We will see if the discharge petition gets enough signatures. It is close, but Trump and Mike Johnson will be threatening Republicans... Thank you for posting!
I'm seeing cracks develop throughout this administration. We all need to widen those cracks and exploit them in any and every way possible. Protesting may seem symbolic but, it is worth it and, writing letters, speaking up at town halls.
I totally agree! In fact, just today Ezra Levin was interviewed on the Contrarian. There is a nationwide protest, NO KINGS 2" on Sat., Oct 18. He is looking at it as strategic. There were 6 million protesters at the original NO KINGS protest. Authoritarian experts say 3.5% of the population is a tipping point to prevent an autocratic breakthrough moment. So we would need 11 to 12 million protesters to make that happen - essentially double our numbers. So we start now trying to get the word out... All of those things you said are important. Also music, graphic art, videos, political satire, etc... We have the momentum... On the Indivisible website last week there was a place to go to email your governor to say you don't want troops deployed. They have a message you can use and it will pull up your governor. They make it easy. Check it out... Anyway, I am glad you brought those ideas to everyone's attention... I really appreciate your post. It is inspiring! Thank you...
I wonder how many of the victims were forced to get abortions when they got pregnant by these animals. And who are the doctors that performed these abortions.
It's hard to imagine that Trump wasn't involved in "taking care" of this problem.
Doesn't it make any of us even a LITTLE queasy that the three GOP "turncoat" legislators here are Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace? I mean my body almost feels DIRTY being associated with these three.
Sigh, I guess we need to be thankful for having supporters from the other side, but there still feels like something definitely is "wrong" here. I just wish I could put my finger on the exact problem.
I would LOVE to agree with you here, but none of those three have been particularly forthcoming in any OTHER womens' rights issues that have been faced by the GOP.
Maybe they have come to their senses, but MTG? Seriously?
I just wish I understood more about what was going on behind the curtains.
MTG is likely polling very poorly against the Brigadier General running against her plus she can't be well liked by most of her constituents.
There are dozens of silent Republican women like Collins and Murkowski that used to be very supportive of women, but the GOP men have shut them all up (or down).
And keep in mind, NONE of these women have exactly been banner-carriers for womens' rights in the GOP. Boebert's little "theater" incident doesn't suggest she is a particularly strong supporter of womens' rights in sexual harassment situations.
I appreciate the cracks in Maga world.. But I know what you are saying. Don't forget Thomas Massie is co-sponsor of the petition... It is an upside down, surreal world we are inhabiting ... Truth really is stranger than fiction in this moment...
Yes, but Massie has been a relatively more centrist GOP congresscritter and it didn't COMPLETELY surprise me that he would get on board here. He also has 4 kids and his wife died last year so he might still have some basic humanity.
I have a REALLY hard time feeling the same way about the other three, particularly Greene and Boebert. Mace has her own history of dealing with sexual harassment so that might be a little more likely to be sincere. But Greene and Boebert? If they have really changed, I would love to see more evidence of it.
I was reluctantly impressed by Greene's short comments during the press briefing. I think she's sincere, and I think her own sharp experience being dissed as a woman in the GOP has begun to turn her away from MAGA, at least a tiny little bit.
The chance that their personalities have totally transformed is vanishingly small, but their votes, for whatever reason, may make an important difference. It's even possible that just being a jerk about everything gets old even for the likes of MT, and she needs a break.
I very much doubt any of these 3 have changed on other issues, but I will put a tick on the credit side of their ledgers, contrasting many on the debit side. They've shown courage to step forward, unlike the rest of their party. I'm pleased to see them shake that tree of poisonous fruit, to see what falls from it, and hope that enough others do the same.
It’s political theater. Of the absurd kind. And a terrible distraction from REAL events happening right now — including, apparently, piracy and murder on the high seas.
I honestly do not know why people want the focus to keep returning to a long-dead child predator. What do people hope to find, photos of Trump with Epstein? They already exist by the jillion.
MAGAworld shoved itself up Trump’s ass years ago. They knew what he was then, and now. They don’t care. Some are performing for the cameras now, just as they always have.
Strategically, this is a cul-de-sac for us. It will lead to nowhere in particular. It may feel good to rant and rave about how morally depraved Trump is, but you knew that already. Time to focus on how to dislodge what few sane Republicans exist, not on what Marjorie-Traylor-Trash said and did yesterday.
I've generally agreed with your comments, but will not on this one. It's not just trump, and who knows what, if anything, will ever be told of his involvement. It's about justice for the women who have come forward, and it's about bringing to justice the clients of Epstein (who escaped it under still-mysterious circumstances) and Maxwell (who is attempting to escape it by way of a cushy confinement and a hopeful eventual pardon.) And I honestly don't care whose names come to light, but light must shine on their dark deeds.
Gary, my concern about that is this: will the survivors, by releasing names, open themselves up to defamation suits? Without proof, it will be a case of "he said, she said", and I worry that the threat of such suits will have a chilling effect on their participation. Imagine them having to take the stand against an adversarial attorney who shreds them and their dignities. The plaintiff will be made out to be the true victim. And what if they were made/paid to sign NDAs after they became adults, when news of Epstein began to surface? I'm no attorney, mind you, and I'd love to hear from one to learn if my concerns are justified.
I fully support and demand that the DoJ release the COMPLETE EPSTEIN FILES, redacting only the names of the victims as necessary.
These women have some very good legal counsel and lots of it. And it's only defamation if they can prove malice I think?? They will probably release the names to Congress first and as a last resort will release them publicly.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the only reason Trump is refusing to release the Epstein files is that he is not only mentioned in them, but is accused of rape and/or child molestation. Thus, he will never release them UNLESS he has them creatively edited. If then released, how can we possibly trust them as accurate?
We can't... And today the discharge petition didn't have enough signatures thanks to Trump's threatening Republicans. I' m sure you are right and that Trump is hiding an unconscionable act. We need to keep hammering at that crack, though, as it creates division in the Maga world and some chaos and worry in Trump' s demented mind... We keep pushing back... Thanks for your wise words!
I was impressed that Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Bobert, and Nancy Mace had signed it. For once, these women have reached across the aisle. I hope more can locate their moral cores.
During the press conference by Epstein’s victims I was checking FOX news. They announced that it was about to happen, then reported on everything else but, including “the left’s lame conspiracy theory” that trump was dead after he made no appearances in six days. This is the “information” spewed to the MAGAs without compunction….
Our fucking lame stream media didn't give the press conference a fraction of the air and print time they should have.
One of the Epstein/Maxwell/Trump victims said that several of the victims are compiling a list of the pedophiles that were involved in the trafficking and sexual predations.
Anyone involved in recruiting and raping these women and ruining their lives should be OUTED. It shouldn't matter how powerful or wealthy the individual is or what their party affiliation is or even if they are dead. EXPOSE THEM ALL!!
They don't. There was more to that quote from Anouska. She has been followed in an unmarked car when she drives her child to school.. Also, there was talk that the women might publish a list, if nothing was done. That would put their lives in extreme danger... It is truly heartbreaking... And Trump is complicit. Remember that Hollywood Access tape- his bragging.- he has no respect for women! We have to keep hammering at that crack, because, if nothing else, it causes dissension in the Maga ranks, and those brave survivors deserve our continued fight for them...
Regarding the survivors of abuse: I was angered by the fly-over as they were speaking. It seemed intentional, and you confirmed that. I am only recently feeling the chains of abuse released when my abuser died. Listening to these women is helping me with the 60 years of silence and pain I endured. Boy do I feel angry when a male interviewer asks..."Why wait so long to speak up?" Translation: This guy does not believe you. He has no stinking clue what women have been dragged through, and speaking up brings new rounds of abuse.
That’s why so many women would choose the bear, Laurie….many men have no clue, tho I see some men nowadays are starting to “get it” and being vocal about calling out misogyny in all forms when they see it.
To many men, this is a "no big deal" thing--though they realize they don't dare say that out loud. Women exist mainly to please men, and underage girls have even less value, outside their capacity to give men pleasure.
The vile truth of this whole Epstein sh[tshow is that most men (emotionally they are just boys) lustfully crave a female child as their own sex slave. When you get right down to the nitty-gritty of all of this perversion - that's what it is. Emotionally retarded men who want to degrade a female child. Now, that's JUST SICK!
There’s actually quite a few women who have no clue, as well. I think some are survivors with repressed memories, but some are simply as complicit as the men you speak of.
Sexual abuse of children is horrific under any circumstances, but one step creepier, it seems to me, when the perpetrators are rich, powerful, and organized in their criminality. Even worse when the government we empower in order to protect us, chooses to protect the perps instead, as long as they are able.
Well, Biden was in charge when July Maxwell was tried and convicted, and he had all the documents and didn’t release a thing. And by the way, I hope you heard the attorney representing a number of the clients and he admitted on TV. He has never seen a list produced by epstein of the men involve in his disgusting adventure
But I do like the fact that the women are gathering together, and hopefully will disclose these names, but you have to understand there’s so much more depth to what is going on in that case first of all the women are scared to death that if they expose the names of these Extremely powerful men that their lives are at risk there’s also the risk of the women that don’t want it known that they were involved in victims because of the names come out of the men, and these women were involved their lives could be ruined. Their families could be ruined. Their children could now know their mother was trafficked which they didn’t know before, and of course, they will live forever in fear of looking over their shoulder. Should any of these people find out about their admissions.
Do you have any idea why Biden did not release any information ?
I think it’s gonna be very interesting to see the chaos and mayhem I’d the names are who we imagine they are.
Oh, and by the way, the attorney who is interviewed 200 of the women says there is nothing he knows about any involvement, but Donald Trump whatsoever that that’s their attorney speaking just tonight
Bravo to Jess Michaels for declaring her truth and the truth of all of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse. Bravo to all of those throughout our government who are speaking the truth about the incompetence, venality, and lawlessness of this regime. The more the lies are shown to be lies, the more truth is able to replace those lies. Bravo to everyone who does not cringe or cower in the face of threats of retribution but who loudly proclaims the truths that they know.
Someone explain to me why Americans would care about what the Epstein survivors say any more than they cared about the 27 women and girls who accused Trump of rape and/or sexual assault and/or sexual impropriety. I don't understand why Democrats are grabbing on to this (sorry, my bad). We, as a country, don't care what women say and we don't care if women and girls are raped. Asked and answered! One girl already accused Trump of raping her with Epstein when she was 13. We shrugged, ignored her and voted him in to 'lower the costs of eggs' anyway.
I keep wondering this, too. Some part of it makes no sense at all. What else do people expect from the man who boasted about tic-tacs, “moving on her like a bitch” and boasting “when you’re famous they let you do it.” Why are the “Epstein Files” (whatever that even is) considered some magic elixir that will totally undo MAGA world in a flash? That isn’t logical.
The administration is awash in illegalities, anti-constitutional violations of the Emoluments Clause and the separation of powers on a daily basis. Judges get up at 3am to stop ICE from deporting a plane load of children to Guatemala, and now we commit murder on the high seas.
Shouldn’t what’s happening right under our noses be the one, overwhelming focus of our attentions right now?
What stands the greatest chance of dislodging what few sane, honorable Republicans still exist from the MAGA cesspool of death.
Hint: it’s not Marjorie Traylor-Trash performing for the cameras. It’s the few GOP moderates watching him piss all over the Constitution and saying nothing.
Add to that, Laura Loomer's complaint to the Pentagon about Virginia Senator Mark Warner visiting a military spy agency with the Pentagon ending up canceling the visit. Senator Warner, because of his leadership role on a committee, has every right to interview members of the spy agency to gain information and provide oversight on activities. Laura Loomer brands Senator Warner a traitor who should be removed from the Senate because he speaks his mind about Trump's illegalites.
Persistent social injustices are often (pointedly) ignored until the aren't, and even then, reform is often only partial. Yet organizers and leaders sometimes move the needle a significant notch closer to liberty and justice for all. Sometimes a highlighted outrage, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, the human and legal atrocities associated with the murder of Emmett Till, help shock society out of a stupor of denial.
This would not be a new 'shock to the system'. The evidence to logically conclude that Trump is a serial rapist and sexual abuser is already readily available. The evidence to logically conclude that Trump was good friends with Epstein and used him for access to children to rape is already out there. On a larger scale, we already had the 'Me Too' movement but decided that it went too far when it hurt a few men so we decided to go back to ignoring women and leaving the problem unsolved in favor of the ruling class (straight white men). Honestly, I think for the 77 million Americans who voted for a felon and rapist and the 90 million who couldn't even be bothered to vote, it is going to come down to the increasing price of groceries that *might* cause them to vote against Trump and for democracy next time. None of them will actually be voting to save democracy (even if that is the result hopefully) but to maybe (there is never any real plan, they are just rolling the dice) save a few dollars.
Most of the same people who don't care about sexual assault on women and girls are the same ones who voted the orange psychopath sexual predator into office, 23% of the US population. It could be that there is momentum now for Democrats (at least the ones who care) because part of the MAGA base is demanding the Epstein files?
I am doubtful to say the least. MAGA only cared about Epstein and his files because they thought it was going to lead to the downfall of their evil enemy, the other team, the Democrats. If it turned out that their guy is all over the files and raped dozens/hundreds/thousands of young girls just like his good friend Epstein, they would just say that it was fake. They do not and never have cared about the survivors just like they did not care about the other Trump victims that came forward. Just like they did not care about the little kids slaughtered at Sandy Hook. But thanks for trying to explain it. I fear it is just more political theater and nonsense. The fact that Marjorie Taylor Green was there is pretty convincing evidence that it is. Political theter and performance art are her bread and butter!
Yet the MAGAs still care knowing their cherished pedophile is in the files. Dems can use that to their advantage against the orange psychopath. As I said those MAGAs who voted for the psychopath don't care about the victims of sexual assault, gun violence. I reserve judgement about the MAGAs who have crossed over to sign the petition in spite of their leaders threats and fury.
If it is real threats and fury. Hard to believe it's any thing more than another edition of the reality show we have all been forced to watch. I'm not even sure if the whole Trump/Musk feud was anything but an act as their actual actions still support each other completely. And hard to believe MTG cares about anything but herself. Maybe we find out, maybe we never do.
I wish your comment was at the top of this commentary, not buried under the usual blather about how evil evil is, and Rick Sender’s farting up the elevator.
The “Epstein Files” are not a strategy for getting rid of MAGA, if they’re even a real thing. (What do people expect to find, photos of Trump with Epstein? They already exist by the jillion). They will not cause these people to defect en masse and suddenly start voting for law and order, or vote Blue. It isn’t going to happen.
We need to start thinking very carefully about attracting sane Republicans, not pieces of trash whose words are as worthless as their brains.
There are no sane Republicans left that haven't already defected as the Republican Party is no longer a legitimate political party. Unfortunately, what's left to try to pick up are the so-called 'independents' (who are just contrarian and tend to just vote on whim, back and forth with no rationality behind it) and the non-voters who make MAGA seem like thoughtful, dutiful citizens. If MAGA is misinformed, the non-voters are completely uninformed and might not even be able to tell you who the President is.
There are Democrats who argue that in that latter group, there is a large group of people who would vote if only they felt that their vote mattered but feel it doesn't because neither party 'fights for them'. The problem with this theory is that it is stunningly true to anyone who pays attention at all, that the two parties are not the same and one party consistently works to help the bottom 90% and one party helps only the top 10% by consistently moving to hurt the bottom 90%. With this reality already being so crystal clear, I'm not sure what the Democrats could say to convince them of it.
PS If there are Epstein Files that existed that proved Trump used Epstein to get access to young girls to rape, those files are long since destroyed and will never see the light of day. I think we already have enough evidence to conclude that it happened but again, people want to ignore that evidence so what good will new evidence, that they can also ignore, do??
I listened to the press conference from the beginning and when MTG started speaking and I'm thinking, what, then she mentions Bobert, I just about turned the PBS live conference off. I did turn the volume off until she finished and the real speaking started. Why was she even there??
I can't disagree with you Dana, but to a lot of people it's a deeply personal issue. Unfortunately, I know several women who were sexually abused as teenagers and most of them are scarred for life. And in many cases their abuser had their sentences reduced if they were brought to trial at all.
And now that most of the red states are FORCING victims of rape and/or incest to carry these babies to term hopefully more and more people are becoming aware of the problems.
I hope that this is just another tipping point issue that makes SOME people realize that Trump and his regime feel they are above the law. Trump's approval rating is in the pits and if this drives it down a few more points how long before the MAGAs realize that being associated with Trump is not a good thing?
Google "Patriarchy". It is hardwired into most men that women exist mainly to please them, and many women internalize this belief as well. That's why the tepid response to crimes against girls and women.
Reach out to as many House reps as you can about the Epstein files. This is bigger than a “I only represent my constituents” issue.
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Goodtrouble) as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, and those in a committee that fits your topic. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. We deserve better ❤️🩹🤍💙
Basic morality, by which I mean civilized and harmless behaviors toward one another, is always a bedrock human issue. Perhaps it's less evident at moments of comparative ease (though at all times it's a problem for someone, somewhere) and during other times of distraction, often laced with efforts to deliberately distract; yet most humanity's problems, and most of our opportunities, boil down to how we choose to interact with one another. That said, we are in very troubled times, and I recall some online discussion of "This is not as much a matter of left or right, but of good and evil".
" To stir the masses, to appeal to their higher, better selves, to set them thinking for themselves, and to hold ever before them the ideal of mutual kindness and goodwill, based upon mutual interests, is to render real service to the cause of humanity." Eugene V. Debs
A good question, but one that is no longer relevant since he's no longer in government. At this point, it's raised mainly to distract people from the real, current issues surrounding Epstein. That wouldn't be you by any chance, would it?
Do you not realize why LEX that every administration runs into the next administration like if one ADMINISTRATION allows a war the next administration is left to deal with that war or if some president decides to open the borders and let 15 million illegals in that the next president has to deal with that so enough with your BS about it’s no longer relevant. OK it’s always relevant no matter which side is wrong or right.
Unless you live in some fantasy land, they think that the day the new president takes office. He’s not responsible for anything left him by the previous administration.
LET ME GIVE YOU THE MOST EGREGIOUS FAULT IN YOUR POST UP ABOVE… THE REASON THAT UKRAINE AND RUSSIA ARE FIGHTING RIGHT NOW IS ESSENTIALLY ON THE SHOULDERS OF WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON. WHY DON’T YOU HISTORIANS GO LOOK UP WHY AND STOP TALKING NONSENSE LIKE THE POST ABOVE?
And I’m going to provide you with one more post addressing this issue
And the only reason that you lefties all of a sudden are excited about the epstein files when you didn’t hear a peep when Biden had the files except wanting to blame Trump on some involvement with Epstein on Lolita Island and that’s the MAIN reason you want to file now it has nothing to do with All the accusers need to go because you were silent since 2021 when Biden took office …
Like I say many times the liberal seem to live on the intersection right on the corner of double standard and hypocrisy
First of all, Rick, I'm not a lefty. I was a Republican for 40 years before the party lost its damn mind and nominated a thieving grifter for the presidency. And I was NOT been silent about Epstein under Biden; you just assumed that because it makes you feel better.
Second, I'm going to ask you a simple question: Granted, Biden should have released the files -- I've never claimed otherwise -- but what can he do about it NOW, today? That is a relevant question and it is neither rhetorical nor hypocritical.
For the record, and not for the first time: I want all the child rapists locked up, whether they're Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, or unaffiliated. I notice you're not questioning why 208 Republicans voted yesterday against releasing the files. I think Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor Greene are both idiots, but on THIS issue, at least, they're on the side of the angels. The question is, why aren't you?
Thanks for the spreadsheet. 5calls is also a great tool because it provides guidance on what to say-which is especially good for someone like me, who can get tongue tied when i am angry.
Yup, 5calls is amazing. I used it for a while (and still do for scripts). It’s listed at the top of my sheet along with other resources - Card Campaign, Action Network, ResistBot, Indivisible, and other how to take action sites. But I wanted to be able call beyond my state quicker than changing the state each time, as well as email after my kids went to bed. All of the information on my sheet is on government sites, but not all in one place so I put it in one place to make it easier.
How sad is it that the writings of a respected Professor of History and reporter of politics must preface her message with the note that the post talks about sexual assault in the last four paragraphs?
How much did it cost--in dollars and in loss of dignity of the American people--to send fighter planes to attempt to drown out the voices of women?
And yet, their voices swell the trumpet that shall never call retreat. The dim and flaring lamps glow more brightly to read the righteous sentence that is coming to his evil and all who have enabled him with word, deed, and silence. Truth is marching on.
Why didn’t Joe Biden release the documents when he had them in his possession long before Trump was president ? He had them in December 1923 or January 1924 for the whole entire year and did nothing with them. Why do you think that is?
because the files talk about more than the sexual attacks... They must also spell out the financial transactions that Epstein carried on with other governments which will expose many very rich and powerful men.....they must be trying to keep this out of public view.
1. Biden was focused on re-election. He rarely, if ever, slung dirt during a campaign, so it's unlikely he would have used it--have you forgotten how folks criticized him for that?
2. Many of the files were sealed to protect the victims, and given what we have seen about the rigamarole needed to unseal them, and the likelihood of multiple appeals by, shall we say, interested parties, and the Supreme Court's obvious bias, getting the courts to unseal them would be a hassle and unlikely.
3. Given the snail's pace with which the Jan 6 investigations proceeded, and the emphasis on those, it is likely that it was not going to happen with Garland as AG.
4. Remember that Maxwell's case is being appealed, and any release of information could be considered prejudicial and cause her conviction to be overturned.
5. While it is possible, even likely, that the earlier friendship between Bill Clinton and Epstein, was the reason, I'm not sure it would have been any more damning than the "pedophile pizza parlor" rumors that flew during Hillary's campaign.
6. It is highly unusual for the FBI to release information unrelated to charging a person with a crime. Epstein was dead; Maxwell was convicted.
7. While it is possible that the files would damage relationships with other countries and Biden's emphasis on diplomacy would have wanted to avoid that, there are these and many other factors.
In short, it's possible, but given the number of Congressional attempts to make the files public, led by Democrats, dating back to 2019, it's also likely that the inaction was just a matter of priorities and political positioning. It is Trump's re-election that has reawakened interest in their contents.
"ALERT: TRUMP HANDS ICE A DANGEROUS SURVEILLANCE TOOL
Please Share Widely: Everyone Needs to Know ICE Will Soon Have Graphite Spyware"
OLGA LAUTMAN, "RUSSIA UNMASKED" Substack, 9/3/25
[I apologize for taking this Comment section to post this, but it is critical information, and NOT being reported by the media in this nation. All CAPS are mine.]
GRAPHITE SPYWARE Was Used to Infect iPhones of European Journalists, Researchers Confirm
The University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab has produced forensic proof that Paragon Solutions’ “Graphite” iOS spyware was used to hack European journalists’ phones, deepening concern over the booming mercenary-spyware industry.
As I document my daily Trump Tyranny Tracker, I came across something extremely disturbing that is receiving virtually NO COVERAGE OUTSIDE OF "THE GUARDIAN" and deserves our full attention. Yesterday, they reported that Trump lifted the freeze on a $2 million contract granting ICE access to Graphite, a commercial spyware tool developed by the Israeli company Paragon Solutions. This move reverses a Biden-era pause imposed after mounting evidence showed that spyware was being misused against journalists and human rights defenders in Europe. And out of all agencies, Trump has chosen to hand this technology to ICE—an agency he is shaping into his own private police force.
Graphite’s track record abroad ALREADY DEEPLY ALARMING. Citizen Lab has confirmed that Italian journalists’ iPhones were compromised, Amnesty International has documented its use against activists conducting sea rescue work, and Meta reported its exploitation of WhatsApp to target users in more than twenty countries, including a campaign disrupted in December 2024 that used Paragon’s spyware against about 90 journalists and civil society members. From Europe to Africa, these campaigns show that the spyware is nothing more than mercenary surveillance technology turned against civil society. GRAPHITE IS A WEAPON FOR AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENTS AND A DIRECT THREAT TO ALL OF US.
Once installed, the software gives near-total access to a device: encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp, location data, photos and contacts, and EVEN THE ABILITY TO REMOTELY ACTIVATE MICROPHONES OR CAMERAS. Giving this power to ICE—already notorious for lawlessness—does not make any of us safer, hands Trump’s private police force a weapon of control, and pushes the U.S. closer to a surveillance state.
The spread of commercial spyware always follows the same playbook: sold as tools to “fight” crime or terrorism, they end up turned inward to crush dissent, monitor activists, silence journalists, and intimidate political opponents. Graphite is a dictator’s weapon, and putting it in the hands of ICE makes clear that TRUMP IS ACCELERATING A SURVEILLANCE STATE.
What We Can Do
I’m asking everyone to please spread the word and share this widely, so more people understand what Graphite is and the danger it poses. Contact your representatives in Congress and state officials, demand answers, and push for strict limits or an outright ban on government spyware. Report abuses to Citizen Lab or trusted media, and protect yourself by keeping devices updated and using tools like Lockdown Mode. We cannot let ICE have this dictator’s weapon, and we can try to stop it by bringing attention to it.
As i have come to Not believe everything I read-I am doing some research on this. From what little I have looked at so far-Thank you for bringing this up- It is horrifying to say the least. Thank you!
Our privacy is absolutely a protection we no longer have. Here's a link I listened to. It's a Congressional hearing with Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former high level executive with Meta, held in April about Meta and Zuckerberg's part in being a sellout of our Nation's data to the Chinese. It is in-depth testimony about the inner workings of Meta.
The voices of the women have all of my focus today. Their bravery, their solidarity, and their power. They lift us all and they have shifted the momentum going forward.
Will be interesting, progwoman, to see if/how they vote if the Discharge Petition is brought to the floor. Sometimes, when something has affected you in a personal way (self, loved ones), you might join with folks you generally oppose. Dunno ‘bout them & what might have prompted this affiliation, but if they are two votes in favor of passing the DP, then for all that I dislike so very much about them, I would applaud their actions.
I’m only surprised they didn’t try to rename it the Happy Days Are Here Again Bill. “Once people start tapping their toes out to that tune, they’ll realize how great a bill it is,” the Maybelline Asswipe could claim.
And if he hadn’t passed the bill, everybody’s tax would’ve gone up almost $1800 this year and that’s starting from the bottom up and how do you give a tax break Mister when people don’t pay tax in the first place because the bottom 50% of income murderers pay 3% of the total tax so Trump managed to meander around the income tax issue and found an alternative way to give people a break, the poorest people in the world and the middle income people. I’m guessing that Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are not gonna have to work overtime.. and I doubt they make a lot of money on tips lmao
This Letter portrays an excellent reflection of this Administration. Well past time for people to say “Enough is enough” until it echoes loudly through all branches of government. Plus release all the Epstein documents.
"The word 'democracy. comes from the Ancient Greek words 'demos,' meaning 'people,' and 'kratos,' meaning 'rule' or 'power.' Thus, it translates to 'rule by the people.' - Search Assist
How many times do you people need to learn that Joe Biden had these files on his desk a year before Trump was elected and before the voting actually began so why didn’t he destroy Trump when he had the chance if these documents say what you think they do which according to their attorney he has never seen any document that suggest that Trump did anything wrong or was involved in anyway that’s from the ladies attorney, whose representing 200 of the victims
Dear Rick Sender, I force myself to read your comments, suppressing my gag reflex. Then I routinely ignore them, deleting your black-hearted idiocy, at least from my view. Go back under your rock where you live in the dark. All by yourself.
Wow. Jess Michaels and the other Epstein survivors who spoke today are now my heroes. I just hope that people listen. It's way past time for the perpetrators to be identified and face the consequences of their behavior. I find myself becoming angrier and angrier at how women are so often violated and treated as second class citizens.
Was Hegseth drunk??? Did the orange blight personally order the strike against a boat, floating in the ocean? Does anyone really think that was a show of strength??? He's making our country a laughing stock. I am so ashamed of my country 😞
Carol and the problem with you and why you’re losing every fight other than the judges protecting you were trying to and failing anyway because you’re on the side of the 10% of Americans that want to protect criminals versus protect protecting citizens. Kilmore a Rakow for example was a illegal immigrant a member of a gang a wife beater whose wife asked three times for protective custody begged for somebody to come and take him away to keep him from beating her was caught trafficking illegals and even the people who knew him knew that he was gathering naked photos of minors and even they told him to knock it off. And these are the people you’re protecting who’s drunk you or hr]egseth
The murder of those 11 men frightens me to my core. And honestly, it feels like Heather is the only one really parsing and refusing to use the language the Regime is. We don’t know they were drug runners. We have no proof. They were not tried by a jury of their peers. And even if eh had proof and they were tried, drug running does not carry the death sentence.
The fact that no one in the army is speaking up against these fascist uses of troops should give us all pause.
"The fact that no one in the army is speaking up," Shervyn, shows something more ominous.
It shows how totally the drunken Fox Spews amateur eviscerated all the competent leadership in the armed services -- just so he, the flake, the amateur, could suck up more to Donald, who wants the U.S. ruled only by the most wildly incompetent. To mirror his own history of frauds, bankruptcies, rapes, bullying, cover-ups, and other ongoing criminality.
And how it must hurt, to be so thoroughgoing a fuck-up himself now that all the world's worst dictators can party together in Shanghai, but he, the orange idiot, gets excluded from the criminality club he most covets.
Hello Phil... Notice that Putin has spent Days in China, and just a few hours in Alaska with DJT?... Allegedly, Xi has not talked to DJT since DJT was re-inaugurated... I suspect that Xi senses American Weakness under DJT... China will capitalize starting with relations with India under Modi.... Seems that many things are starting crumble under DJT, His Health, His Sanity, Our Country....
The only time Xi has talked to Trump since inauguration was a 1 1/2 hour long phone call in early June of this year. Trump was threatening the 145% tariffs on China at the time, then backing off to 30%, and then up again.
Donold is playing a chickenshit, puerile tariff shell game while Xi is playing 3-dimensional chess like Spock plays in Star Trek. Now that Donold has placed 50% tariffs on India, Modi is probably looking for a workaround to Don's exasperating demands and economic shakedowns. Now Xi is having a having a supervillain conference and the pouty petty petulant Trump was not invited, although there were surely laughs at his expense...
Hello Horhai... Thanks for the info about the 1-1/2 hr call between Xi & DJT... I'm aware that they haven't met... The Military, Foreign Policy, and Tech Elite are alarmed over China's rise, particularly if the USA has to go to Taiwan's Defense... Eric Schmidt of Google is particularly alarmed by Chinese AI... Recently a group from Silicon Valley went to China, and came back alarmed about how advanced China's Electrical Infrastructure was, and how the USA's is regressing back to the 19th Century... Cheap, Reliable Power is more AI Friendly... For Some People, $$$ Has No Borders...
The West is touting AI as a sentient being and using it to make immense profits at the expense of the world and its climate, China is using AI pragmatically to make their climate greener and its science better. I am not a fan of China, I know too much about their history and the long fight many Tai Chi and martial monk warriors have fought to stand by the side of the Chinese people as they were abused right and left by their Emperor and his soldiers. I know too much about the 1000 years of crushing young girls' feet and cutting off the external genitalia of young Chinese scholars--a terrible fate to live with. But, right now China isn't driven by the insanity that drives the West where AI is concerned. It isn't surprising the west can't make headway with AI as a sentient better than humans (which is complete bunk but our society including the NYTImes fervently believes humans are stupid and need to be directed by AI). Most in the west also believe fervently that only AI can make billionaires money. Again, China sees it as just one tool humans use to help them, especially climate-wise. China will prevail where anything using the AI tool is concerned--they are using AI for what it actually is, even though it is true that China is a dictatorial regime happy to hurt as many of their own people as necessary so the few at the top can stay at the top, not unlike Trump and crew. As for us, I just paid twice at the grocery store compared to what I paid during Biden and the pandemic. Further, under Trump and crew, food will become more scarce for the middle class and below. The rich won't notice, as Trump and crew have been happy to note. So here is our main difference: China, and now its allies, are pragmatic, while Trump and crew care about one thing and one thing only--using the People to make pleasure and profit while The People starve, have no health care, no education, and few jobs. As these men rejoice over this, they work to 'sell' the Trump approach as helping The People. You can't sell starvation, no healthcare, and few jobs as being better for the People. We have to live that evil. That is the problem the Republicans and their foul industralist brothers face. Good. Let them receive what they have earned. Let us take back what is ours. Let us begin that project yesterday.
Great comments. Let me add that we have foolishly elected the dumbest who have sent us to war every generation. We Americans are the most dangerous yet we constantly comment that the Russians and Chinese are the bad boys. When Russia fails in Afghanistan, we move right in and fight for 20 years wasting untold resources. Others with a better knowledge of ancient history can better state but constant war I believe is what ended the Roman Empire as war will end or has ended the golden age of America. 🇺🇸 it was rather brief. Now we are reduced to blowing up a fishing vessel full of fishermen and no drugs just to take our attention away from the rape history of underage women by one Donald Trump. This is the fucken mess we have on our hands. I wish I could be a hero for the homeland.
Hello Teresa... Thanks for your Post... I too have studied the Chinese, and Russians, as well as STEMS, and Military Studies during my Undergrad years... I respect the Chinese, as well as all Peoples.... Cultures tend to evolve as a response to their environment... In talking to Contemporary Chinese, they are aware of their long, and Proud History which spans about 5,000years... I've been warning about the rise of China for about 50Yrs... Post Mao, they have looked to the Future, while the USA has been on a Nostalgia Trip... Seems to me that the Chinese desire to use AI for Constructive uses since they have a serious Demographic Challenge, and they have trashed their environment because of Environmental Despoliation due to their rapid Industrialization... The Chinese are taking Climate Change Seriously as are the Indians...
Superbly you write, Teresa.
Though I cavil at your use of the phrase, "these men" floating Donald. As if Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard, Nancy Mace, Joni Ernst, Susan Collins, Katie Britt, Marsha Blackburn, et al. didn't exist.
I do appreciate, however, your many cogent comments as to the U.S. and China. One that you might add: how both experienced cultural revolutions, the Chinese by theirs hounding, imprisoning, work-farming, and killing intellectuals under Mao, and the U.S. since the Powell memo killing the schools to lift testing.
I believe it's called the "Let Them Eat Cake" syndrome. . .
Just as concerning is that The People, as you call them, are aware that the game is stacked against them. You would think Trump would be concerned about preserving enough support to win the next election or two, but he seems unconcerned. That should worry all of us, outside of the billionaires.
Thank you, Teresa Hawkins! This is the intelligence America needs to look at.
Yay Teresa! China has some very bad history. When they see new science as a method towards improvement & the US keeps getting it wrong, it's no wonder people here are confused.
Teresa, well said, thank you.
at the same time tRUMP wants to get rid of clean energy, wind & solar, cut EPA regulation all while ignoring the effects of climate change in favor of continuing with big oil and coal to glad hand with these corps. at the expense of everyone except the filthy rich who are using AI for their own personal wealth and greed.
i'd love more backup... sources on this... very very interesting.
He knows full well, horhai, that on the world stage he's a total fool.
But in the U.S., given the state of American schools, tens of millions and the entire Republican Congress, the entire Clarence court, all cravenly idiotically root for him.
Hi, Phil -
The problem with American schools is that there is no national system or curriculum. States are free to choose how and what students are taught. I teach 8th grade American History in a Los Angeles public school, and am ready, willing, and able to teach how Donald Trump came about and what he is doing to the Constitution and who he is emulating. If I tried that in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Missouri, or even Virginia, I'd be fired. In some states, I might lose my teaching credential.
Ignorant people are more easily manipulated. That's how we wound up with MAGA in the first place.
I have a friend who is the band director at one of the LA high schools. I suspect you are 100% accurate on losing your teaching credential if you taught that in OK or TX.
I meet them every day. In a way though, this gives credence to the thought of saving money and closing all schools since we don’t seem to be able to educate our unwashed youth population. Let them return to the farms to pick where immigrants formerly worked. /S
I intend to move soon and anytime I look at taxes in smaller communities, taxes are lower where there are fewer schools. Schools are by far the biggest municipal expense. We accept it today as the natural price of educating our population. But I often put this into my calculations when looking for a homestead. Fewer youth population = lower taxes, lol.
85% of my Real estate tax goes to the schools where I live. At age 70 raising my taxes from 6 to 10 k last year is crippling. BTW - I have no children. I understand it 'takes a village' - a little discount would go a long way though.
I've no idea, Bill, how to replace the current ways of financing education.
And I don't think any Dems are going to rise to this occasion, since it would also require admitting the rot that has taken over.
Even here on Heather's, most hate me for even suggesting things wrong with the status quo that so nicely floated them.
I don't think he does.
He saw the gathering of European leaders on Zelinsky's visit as kowtowing to him. He thinks Chine, India, et.al. will succumb to his threats.
He is truly delusional, ignorant and mad with power.
A deadly combination in a dictator.
Yes Phil, your phrase "cravenly idiotic" makes a lot of sense. They haven't come above ground in a long time.
It'll be very interesting to see how history views the disastrous economic policies of Trump under Lutnick, Bessent, Vance, and Miller. Taking the worlds strongest economy (2024) and turning it on its ear to benefit Trump and his cronies will not look good from a 100 years out. Like Hoover.
I am sure Modi will find a work-a-round because all these autocrats back each other up in whatever they need to keep control over their countries.
Also, I don't think Trump could have made it to China because he does not appear to be in good enough health.
Is Putin inviting Zelenskyy to Moscow to negotiate like Trump inviting Putin to Alaska? No. It is not. No one can trust Putin. I have been wondering if he poisoned Trump in the car with something undetectable and slow acting.
Linda, I suspect it was the other way around. Did you see the photo of Putin holding his nose while seated next to Donald in "The Beast?" He was undoubtedly the victim of silent-but-deadly noxious gases generated by the intestinal combination of hamberders, ketchup and Diet Coke.
At first blush, the possibility of poisoning is tantalizing. But Donald needs to die of natural causes, even if provoked by his own unhealthy lifestyle. We don't need a MAGA martyr.
I also loved the pic of putin plugging his nose but before I shared it I had to check. Alas, it's a fake.
Also, it won't matter how or when trump dies, he will be a martyr to some. How many will depend upon how soon he dies. The longer he lives the more he will be the author of destruction and that could diminish his star even in the eyes of current worshipers.
But it would be best if he just keeled over now. The world needs him gone!
Oh Dale! What a mental picture I have.
Well, they shook hands. I would never touch Putin, because it is a good opportunity to slip some noxious something into Trump's skin.
Linda, I like you poison conspiracy thought. I also wonder if that long of a flight, even with it's fancy bedroom, would be adequate to maintain his health. Hand bruises? As a nurse, the position is where an IV needle would be inserted for medication administration (perhaps for his edema which does end up causing heart issues) or he banged it- older skin does not respond well to hits & bumps.
Cindy, I read a book on the Stasi and am reading The Illegals: Russias Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West by Shaun Walker.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671708/the-illegals-by-shaun-walker/
This is Putin's training, and he is a master at spycraft because he has lived so long and was trained both in Russia and East Germany. While the Illegals program was not that successful for all the effort that was put into it, it certainly has been responsible for the death of a lot of people. Not always fast. Russia cannot risk a US war on Russia right now if it were obvious that he had done something, but he could have done something slower acting that would be attributed to Trump's age and poor health.
Recently 6 AfD members all in the State of Nordrhein Westfalen died right before an election that they were a candidate in. All seemed to be natural and not suspicious, which makes me not think to highly of the investigative skills of their police force, because that is just a high number to be coincidence. It bears more scrutiny. Trump is ripe for someone to do something because of his reported age and ill health even if that is not official.
horhai, the rest of the world, both friends and foes, are playing chess while death star, announcing that he is right about everything, certainly does not know where the pea is in the shell game. And of course, the cabal around him, who do know where the pea is, are trying to set themselves to make out like bandits a la the treasury secretary. Meanwhile the economy continues to tank in many areas. I doubt calling the BS bill tax relief for working families is going to fool many people.
I think they all think he’s the idiot he obviously IS! Good God! Are the American people really this stupid that we VOTED FOR this madman? I guess we are, sadly. Maybe we should do something about EDUCATING ourselves in the future…teaching thinking skills, decision-making skills, how to dig thru the BS and find truth. Is it too late for that?
Kathryn. I hope with all that right in the world that’s not true that we are finished. We still have a lot of fighting in US Democrats.
I’m not quitting. I’ll be in this fight to the end. I’m just hoping a LOT more people wake up and join us before it’s too late.
"The POTHUS is a fool, and it's no secret. He treats the military like his personal toy, deploying forces indiscriminately and even sinking a ship for a flimsy, drummed-up reason. This puppet of Russell Vought's will soon be gone. Russ will install a sharper one in his place—and JD Vance is inline for the job.
Wish we could hear recordings from the club house.
My sense is a total breakdown in the administration is about to occur along with the economy. That boat was devoid of drug supplies. And when trump is mention as one of the rapists, that would end the era.
Having a total breakdown of the economy is not something I could afford, what about you? I know how people lived in Germany after the war when they had a totally broken economy and they were ripe for anything after that as you see. Burning money for fuel because it was more valuable that way.
Industries can only function so much. The tariffs have discombobulated international markets. The stock market will soon take a hit and no I can’t afford any catastrophic incidents. We have been overdue a recession by several years. The administration will light the fuse.
Hello Bill… A severe Market Correction will be blamed on Biden, and the Democrats by DJT…
What do the rich get out of it? Their money won’t be worth anything either? And what about business? Corporations will suffer as well? Why aren’t they wealthy equally worried? I don’t get why they are silent right now?
And now Linda, we get to add the likelihood of a government shutdown in a few weeks as both parties try to use it as leverage against the other! : >(
A government shut down would PLEASE this administration to no end.
Bill.., are you serious. When one of those 100 or so young ladies stands up and accuses 'one of those' soon (maybe) to be named clowns of having fucked her.., not simply having "spent the night" sleeping..., do you think her word will hold up? "Prove it", will be the response. Next. Gizzlane will be on a 300 foot yacht somewhere, no passport needed. This is going to be milked for the next three years at least, and OBE.
Can you please be more specific in your predictions?
(joking)
I hope you're right. I'm getting the same feel. And I'm not sure where that will leave the Left, or the world, for that matter. Who knows...maybe a comet will come and destroy us.
I’ve already been in touch with Starship Enterprise. They are on their way back from a mission and Captain Picard will be imprisoning the Trump clan and sending them all to the Klingon planet labor camp.
If Trump is named, the MAGAs split. Blondy not Bondi will crack his water jug strapped to his leg and toss it against the wall along with the ketchup bottle. And without that shit jug strapped to his leg, crap just oozes out at any given moment. That’s how I know it will be over. And now I’m taking bets.
Trump will NEVER ALLOW the Epstein files to see the light of day. It simply won’t happen. He’ll do a Nixon move to have certain parts mysteriously destroyed first. We will not see his actual part in that story.
The EVIDENCE is the victims actual stories. Can someone tell me why they haven’t been publicized by now? They certainly wish to speak out on their own behalf.
Oh Bill, will they land the Starship on Mara Lago property?? I hope Picard's crew brings their own food. I wouldn't touch to food @ T's place.
Yes. this fight over the Federal Reserves and who is over it and trying to get rid of Lisa Cook to replace one of his insiders. The US feels a lot like the wild west that we were always viewed as being by Europeans when I was a child.
The situation with Venezuela makes me think Trump wants to develop a war economy like his buddy Putin has.
He also likes the idea of “if we’re in a war, NO ELECTION!” He really, really liked that idea!
The last large comet was a sight to see. My Dad & I waved as it flew over NC.
Do you believe his cult minions care and will turn on him bc he is a rapist?
Nothing else Trumps done has bothered his cult so far…I think they are focused on the Dems that may be revealed…like Clinton.
She already have. And they have said some very nasty things about Trump. Go dig it up it’s easy to find.
The boat blowup was just another case on T sanctioned murder. Don't wait for confirmation, just shoot.
Once sexually abused as children, they speak out telling us all we need to know. Call your Congress people. These abused speakers have the names. Trump is clearly a complicit abuser. There is more to expose with this administration. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/vegas-joint-ops-child-sex-decoy-stings?r=3m1bs
Yep. Heather wrote: “ There was a period of time, briefly, where the middle-income consumer looked like they were being dragged up by all that was going well in the world. Then things fell off a cliff.”
But that’s wrong. Things didn’t fall off a cliff, they were PUSHED off of it, very liberately. By the Orange Goblin Baby himself.
Hello Dutch Mike.... I believe that towards to end of Clinton's Regime, things were looking better for Most... Than Bush v. Gore happened.... It has been disastrous since...
Sorry, Apache, but the off-shoring was underway two decades by then.
And when that began (circa 1980, after the Powell memo's far right foundations had killed the schools) CEO to average worker salary was 25-1 or 35-1 (measures differ). By the end of Clinton's time, CEO to worker salary had grown to 325-1. Plus the Powell memo's many new far right foundations inundated Washington D.C. with the true crime wave of lobbyists as floats all MAGA now,
Dems? Another pathetically sad story all its own. But of course hewed to the crippled, dehumanized schools, the testing, the offshoring, the lobbyists, and the systematic bribery of Congress and the Clarence court.
And let’s never forget who let Clarence in at the end. Right, uncle Joe who wanted to save his own ass after Clarence declared, “This is nothing but a high tech lynch mob.”
I’m sick of hearing kindness thoughts sent to Biden. And one last point, Biden lost this nation to the most vile. It’s 100% his fault.
And we all know the Supreme Court stole that election for Bush! Justice O’Connor was largely to blame.
Yes, pushed off a cliff with Agent Orange as the figurehead of the shove. The real power is the Heritage Foundation and its greedy, power-hungry cabal.
True dat.
Many players in this tawdry saga, Dutch.
Well Apache maybe it's not so bad to take 'merikkka down a notch. While the US did some good around the world the amount of wars, regime change and dirty dealing was much more and destroyed many lives...
The moves of Dear Leader make perfect sense when you understand that Putin has kompromat on him and is directing him to destroy America from within. While the Nerd Reich looks to feast on the carcass of our Democracy and set up their dystopian vision.
You got that right, Ellen.
Hello Ellen... I don't think that Putin needs to direct DJT to destroy the USA... DJT is doing that on his own thru Evil, and Incompetence...
I agree in theory but IMO DJT’s mind is beyond thinking strategically. I believe he is consumed by revenge and only what is best for him.
My point is that he’s not the mastermind behind what is happening. Miller, Vought, Putin, Thiel… these are the people whispering in his ear and directing the big picture. As long as it makes him richer or allows him to hurt people who have “wronged “ him, he is happy to go along.
Ellen. yikes 🤬
And our sanity.
So very true…
Crumbling like a dried out old cookie.
Apache. All to true and desperately sad for us Americans who believe in Democracy and the Rule of Law.
What we have right now, Brown is exactly what Americans voted for democracy and the rule of law. The difference is you don’t control the rule of law or the democracythe Republicans control the democracy
And the safety of the Western world.
Yup. No "Leaders" yet, in the Western World. Ohh, I'm sorry, Trump has taken that seat by the looks of things. No? China may just be holding a match near the fuse. The've watched civilizations come and go for thousands of years and have records to prove it. Not a lot of white faces over there, not a lot of 'round eyes' either. Strange. No?
And Biden spent four years in his basement. So..your point is ?
Apache, this was probably the lamest most naive of all your former posts.
Ouch. Putin -attacked Ukraine and took crimea under obamas watch.
Putin invaded Ukraine YET AGAIN under Biden’s watch. And took 25% more. And your comment is Trump is weak? How much more of Ukraine did Putin take under trumps watch? And you might want to talk to Iran if you’d like to discuss Trumps weakness. Or maybe the mayor of DC. YIKES. HOW SAD.
Rick... You are being your usual intemperate self.... I was talking about China, and not Iran... DJT attacked Iran after Israel destroyed their defenses, and Command Structure because the Israeli attacks were playing well on Fox News, and DJT wanted to look tough.. After the Alaska Summit, Putin escalated the Russian Attacks on Ukraine while DJT was calling for Peace.... What does Biden have to do with this?... Did you watch China's Military Parade?... Pretty Impressive, it made DJT's Birthday Parade look pathetic... I suggest that you read the Professional Military, and Foreign Policy Journals, or talk to the Professionals in those fields about China's Rise before you spew out Garbage...
Kind of you to give Rick the time of day.
Thanks Gigi... In Elite Military Units.. Manners are taught... They are important in Stressful Situations... Besides, it has been said that the only Difference between Animals, and Humans, is that some People have Manners.... ;-)
Not kind at all, Gigi. Shows Apache actually reads this Putin team.
Yeah, Gigi, but guess what? It’s not about Rick. It’s about facts. It’s about evidence. It’s about truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth which you do not get here and I’ve said that time and time again you’re getting a slanted view of one side of the aisle and that’s all you’re getting. Yes
Yup, Poor Rick - like the rest of Trump’s apologists - is trying to soften the blow up that we are heading toward. P Rick is just one of the 77 million that we need to help make better decisions about choosing our leadership. Yes, economically, this is turning out to be a good run for Trump and his children. And, NOTHING that he is doing is a surprise.
it shouldn’t be a surprise, but it is to most of you because you don’t know the other side of the story, papa. You don’t wanna hear the other side of the story and you refuse to see the other side of the story. To your detriment and to this group’s failures for not knowing that Heather doesn’t tell you the whole truth. And many times doesn’t even discuss the story of the day but hit you instead with minutia
Did I say anything incorrect up above there Apache? Was it not in fact, Obama and Biden that were weak having to do with Putin ?
And was not the fact that Bill Clinton is the reason that this whole Ukraine Russia conflict is going on right now. It’s not intemperate to post facts
How do you think Israel was able to destroy Iran’s defenses? Huh?
Do you know Apache you don’t mean to sound ignorant, but you are Iran’s nuclear weaponry was threatening the entire planet and Donald Trump did whatever everybody wanted to do years ago and that is destroy it and Obama God bless his soul gave them permission to enrich uranium and thought they would be honest about it. Talk about naïveté.. Donald Trump held save the planet so credit wherecredit is due And before you say it, Donald Trump said if he finds that they’re still enriching or had the enriched geranium moved somewhere else if they start again, he said he would level Tehran and they know he will do it and so does the world
What about China? Do we have any control over china? Do we have any control over Russia? Do we have any control over North Korea?
When Russia, China and North Korea get together and have a parade, CNN and MSMSNBC are saying look at this parade how wonderful look at the precision look at all the weaponry they have
When Donald Trump has an army parade celebrating the success of the army over 250 years, you liberals come out and say it’s Donald Trump’s parade it’s embarrassing. It’s shameful. China and Russia have been doing military parades for decades and America has done none but as soon as Trump wanted to do it oh my God this is horrible. This is terrible. This is disgusting and here you are approving my point by talking about how wonderful the China military parade was. Perhaps it’s time for you to move there. ?
China has been a big threat to America long before Donald Trump there Apache… and I’m in temperate at times because people are so willfully ignorant, and so two-faced where I say that liberals live at the intersection right at the corner of hypocrisy and double standard. And that’s why they’re not in office right now. Because they lied and lied and lied on TV and in the White House. For four years, they lied about Biden‘s health and the Legacy media has suffered because of it CNN and MSNBC have lost almost 60% of the audience. And now fox news a cable network news program is now dominating the news cycle with more viewership of MSMSNBC and CNN combined it it’s called life. Is it do it to yourself proposition? Legacy media is almost dead.
Hello Rick... I'll keep this short & to the Point... "How do you think Israel was able to destroy Iran’s defenses? Huh?"... The Israelis have American Weapons, American $$$, and the Iranians are Incompetent... The Israelis Plan in advance, and the Iranians want to live in the past... The Iranian's Air Defenses were destroyed in April 2024 during the Air War that the Israelis precipitated by conducting a Assignation in Tehran during their President's Inauguration.... I never said that the Iranians were the good guys... I'm not Pro-Chinese.. I come from People that walked here over a 1,000 Generations ago, and You? Good thing that we are not Neighbors...
Rick.., your SeaRay is still stuck on the ledge in the middle of the river.., come get it.
🙄
Rick. You are as ignorant as taco!
Hey Brown, Cecilia Linda that was a very in-depth erudite articulate expressive post with absolutely no backup whatsoever. No facts no details and so wrong as well. You might wanna ask the Iatola about Taco, which by the way you’re a little bit falling behind that Name stopped the minute that Trump annihilated the nuclear threat in Iran. And that Trump sent troops into Washington DC and lowered the crime immensely so much so that the mayor has now behind him and supported his effort and is now out there recruiting more police now that she sees more police will stop crime. It’s wake up time for liberals on the wrong side of the law. You’re supposed to be protecting Americans not protecting criminals
That has been trump's complaint his ENTIRE life! He feels that no matter what he does, no matter how much he owns, or no matter what position he holds, he just CAN'T get enough respect to feed his pompous arrogance.
THAT IS how a narcissistic psychopathic sociopath ALWAYS thinks!
And trump IS a narcissistic psychopathic sociopath and ALWAYS has been.
No matter what trump gets...it is NEVER enough for him. That's how truly insecure he is. TRUMP IS A BULLY! A low class incompetent insecure paranoid unwell and unserious man who has no self-respect.
We ALL know that we can NEVER EVER BACK DOWN TO A BULLY or they will continue to chase you forever!
We can also NEVER EVER TRUST A BULLY because sooner than later EVERYONE becomes one of their TARGETS!!
trump is nearly dead.... it's only a matter of time now. He leaves behind a wake of incompetence, ignorance and sadism. Sadly many people are being hurt. Many of the SAME people who voted for him.
The maga's are JUST LIKE HIM but their fragile egos will NEVER allow them to admit they were wrong in believing his gaslighting no matter how trump disrespects them.
Just NEVER forget.... there are STILL MORE of US than them! And we can NEVER lose HOPE because when you lose HOPE... you quit FIGHTING BACK!
And that is EXACTLY what ALL BULLIES like trump and his maga cult regime want people to do! WE WILL NOT be intimidated and submissive! WE WILL NOT back down! WE SHALL OVERCOME!!! We've done it before and we'll do it again!!
Very well said, Sky Blue! I agree with you wholeheartedly. We shall overcome!
Just as his niece says, T never grew emotionally, will never stop spending to get love & respect. I want to know, do we HAVE TO bury the POS @ Arlington?? How about a green burial? That way he gets to commune with the insects whose names he used against good people. (No offense intended to our insect world)
How about we bury him alongside the first hole at trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey, next to where he had the gall to bury his ex-wife Ivana so it wouldn't cost him anything?
Maybe even under the sand pit would be more fitting.
Hello Sky Blue… Maybe DJT has a Black-Hole for a Heart that can never be filled….
Send him to Whoville for lessons. Oh wait, he can't make sense out of good feelings can he?
Donald's niece, Mary, agrees with you. In fact, it's the title of her book about her uncle.
https://bookshop.org/p/books/too-much-and-never-enough-mary-l-trump-ph-d/22260732?ean=9781982141486&next=t
I very much agree. Hopefully Trump’s days are numbered and MAGA will self destruct once their cult leader is gone.
His truth-post about it was hysterically funny - like a school kid pouting, "I anyway didn't want to come to your party" 😂
The fact that - "38% of Americans approve of Trump’s deployment of troops in Washington, D.C." - seems to me to be a very high approval rating. 38% of Americans think that is ok, really?
They are obviously not aware that none of these troops are actually going into crime-ridden areas of DC and appear to be spending most of their time picking up litter - at a cost of $1m a day. I suspect that if you told them that was what they were really doing you might get a somewhat less enthusiastic response.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5474272-troops-clean-up-washington/
That hasn't been my experience. What the MAGAts are now being fed for their information is that the NG is doing the "other work" that MPD does so that the PD can concentrate on crime. This is not so, Metro PD does NOT do park maintenance in DC, that is the National Park Service.
Of course, as the court in California has recently ruled, they're not allowed to do anything that comes under the heading of law enforcement yet that is exactly what Trump and Noem continue to claim they are doing. At any rate, it's an abominably expensive service. I've read that moving this show on the road to Chicago is likely to be even more expensive at around $1.6m per day.
Ally, if it were a part of a response to a disaster, NG would willingly help clean up but, to have to do so because there is NOTHING else to so is disgusting.
Hey do me a favor I’m not speaking to the idiot above me because he’s lives in another country and he’s got problems of his own. They’re actually arresting comedians for free speech for making fun of a trans individual in a joke during a comedy sketch. Arresting him they’ve arrested some 30 to 50 people for their speech in England recently.
No murders for three weeks means that 16 young Black people survived murder and are alive today because of Trump’s efforts
Crime is down throughout Washington DC and there’s a reason for that especially in the black community because they know Trump means business and he’s proving it with action not words not money not dialogue but controlling crime and you guys are in the 10% of Americans that think it’s OK to fight against fighting crime Muriel Bowser the mayor of Washington DC ask her about the crime stats
He read about the crime statistics in Chicago. And this has been going on in South Chicago for decades and to all you liberals here if the statistics showed that The murders were against trans students you’d be millions and millions protesting yet but because they’re not you have let it go on for decades. And here’s the problem. It’s all black on black youth and they’re all dying too early and Chicago is afraid that if Trump goes in there and stops it that Chicago officials will be embarrassed because they haven’t been doing the job. They’ve been elected to do and that’s exactly what’s gonna happen very shortly.
://www.illinoispolicy.org/press-releases/black-hispanic-chicagoans-made-up-95-of-homicide-victims/
Concerning and indicative of their lack of honest news that the District of Columbia is safer than large cities in many red states.
I doubt the safety of the DC citizens was ever any of Trump's concerns.
As I commented yesterday, we should send our "thoughts and prayers" to those crime-infested red cities/states that are not receiving "protection" from trump's military trash picker-uppers.
Morning Lynell. Tots and pears indeed.
Hey guess what Lynelle your prayers have been answered after he finishes with Chicago. He’s going to New Orleans then maybe you’ll shut your hate infested mouth
Christopher, 38% is a consistent number in Felon-Land. It represents the members of his cult. And yes, it is worrying that 38% of the (pollster-contacted) public thinks that totalitarianism is a really good thing. But I would also point out that polls have become increasingly unreliable because pollsters still contact the same people over and over: those who have landlines and those who are willing to pick up when their phone rings. Think about it: how often do you answer your mobile when some random number shows up? Also, the 38% correlates well with the number of disaffected white people who resent non-white people gaining an economic toehold, angry men who hate the idea of women in power who are not like the compliant Stepford Wives the Felon prefers, and crazy pseudo-Christians who think that they will be taken up in the Rapture. I would also suggest that the number is actually higher because people lie to pollsters when asked questions about their biases.
Linda Mitchell, KCMO,
The "YES" only, men and women sitting around Trump are unbelievably horrifying!
These are supposed to be our leaders?!
No wonder world leaders are laughing at us and mocking us.
We are unprepared for what is to come....for what is here!
We have never been more vulnerable. Our enemies know it!
Linda, polls are skewed and that is why I do not pay attention to them. It would be nice to know who the individuals are the pollsters use. A breakdown of ages, states where they live, questions asked, how many people answered, party affiliation, etc. I have only seen a mere one or two that show ages.
That was my reaction, too! I think 6% would be too high! Zero percent should approve of this fascist takeover of American cities.
Yeah tell that to all the Washington DC blacks that are now thanking Trump, including the mayor. And stop using the word fascist doesn’t exist in America. There was an election you guys got tranced. This is what happens when you’re not in control… and you just can’t deal with that
That would be the 38% MAGA voters. The rest are slowly starting to wake up.
I know MAGA voters who are too embarrassed to speak of what their vote did to USA.
Wow. I feel deep sorrow for them. I wish us all the best. We will need it.
I'm sure that many of these people do not live in cities and believe all the BS about the supposedly high rates of crime in urban areas. As I've said elsewhere, they're racists: they associate cities and crime with black and brown people. Of course, the real crime in D.C. is in the White House.
It's roughly the percentage of the US that voted for him. I cannot imagine the mental contortions it takes for cops and former military folks in my retired work cohort to find these actions approval worthy. The only explanation I can find is that their sources of "information" are heavily laced with propaganda and lies.
I had one guy (former sergeant of mine) tell me, in the same post, that the NG in DC was "helping crack down on crime" and that they were "doing park maintenance so that DC cops could focus on criminal conduct." I told him the DC cops do not have primary jurisdiction in the parks. Crickets.
Very scary indeed Ally. I know several Viet Nam vets that were actually drafted and are loyal to Trump to the death. It is beyond my comprehension.
Ali there were 187 murders in the small city of Washington DC last year. Guess what percentage of those were minorities ?
A vast majority of the crime is taking place in black communities in Washington DC and now that he’s being successful, you still people are so stupid and so ignorant and so hateful that you’re against fighting crime because Trump is the one doing it if Biden had stopped crime and Washington DC through any method at all, you’d be carrying him around DC on your shoulders you two-faced hypocrite
I agree -- the percentage shocks me every time I read it.
I agree, you certainly have still quite a way ahead of you.
Please ask them morRon above you then why is crime down all over the city? Hmmmmm. No murders. Violent crime down 50% carjacking down 88% according to the mayor who is now caught on the policing works and is now on an increasing the police force hunt, and thanked Trump for his help. Ouch
It doesn’t count when the criminals are doing the counting, lill’ idiot.
Christopher, there was a brief exchange about this in yesterday's conversation. The overwhelming majority of MAGA's "true believers" – or about 38% of all Americans – seldom venture beyond the county lines where they live, almost never out of state. Their only knowledge of the world beyond their front doors and back yards comes from their TVs.
If one's "television diet" is nothing but crime shows and Fox Entertainment, one believes that all big cities are scary, crime-infested places where dark-skinned thugs wreak havoc on little old white ladies.
Everytime there is a poll and a majority disapprove, I think the same time. Who are the people in the substantial minority who approve?
Yeah Christopher.., agree. Kinda like the statement we heard a couple weeks ago about DC Crime being 'down' 18%. HAAHAHAAA.., and on page 12 we read that car-jackings, drug-deals, robberies, and un-apprehended violence is largely going un-checked. BBBBUT.. CRIME is down 18% (err ahh.., from when?). This is what has caused the Democratic Party to tank. These categorical answers, being fed to us by people we try to rely on (TRUST) everywhere is maddening enough. The MAGAtts make fun of us by pointing to Page 12. Geezzzusss! I just read about all the "crime" over the Labor day weekend which purportedly occurred in Chicago! Did you? Almost sounds like a war zone, not an American City. My first question to Chicago is: WHAT THE HELL is being done about it? Or, is it "down 16% from last year? Huh?? How about Atlanta? Would you feel safe parking your Corvette on the street down there? Or, taking a walk downtown after darkness sets in? Huh? Folks.., we are guilty of not being tough enough on crime, and you know it. Numbnuts will use this platform to get installed for another fours years should he live that long. At the same time.., this is an opportunity for Pritzker to EXCELL. Or will T-Rump do it? What's your guess?
Actually 88% down on carjackings and 50% down on violent crime. In DC.
Last year Washington DC had 187 murders that’s over three per week and for the first three weeks that Donald Trump tried to help Washington DC there was no murders which means 18 to 20 young black lives were saved. The only people protesting involvement there now are white liberals. And now you have Muriel Bowser who got on TV the other day and was thanking Trump for her involvement and guess what she’s doing pal she’s out recruiting Moore police all of a sudden there’s a focus on her hiring more police Y because Trump’s policies worked.
I read a headline this morning that suggested that DC is suing the Trump administration, but I don’t know the details, but there were certainly video if you’d like to see it of Muriel Bowser thanking Donald Trump for bringing in troops and for lowering the crime rate and for saving lives
Well, you should ask all the black families in Washington DC who are out thinking Trump for reducing crime in their neighborhoods and you should look at Muriel Bowser who is actually in reality on the ground in DC not only thanking Trump for diminishing the horrendous crime that they have including this is her quote Incredibly lowering car jacking and murder and now guess what she’s doing. She’s out in full force, recruiting more police because she sees that it works.
The sad part about you guys is you you live on links you live on history and you live on poles the problem with you. You don’t live on the street where these things are happening every day last week in Chicago they’re telling you how great Chicago was and how safe it is in one weekend alone 54 shootings 8 black youth, dead one weekend
Oh, and I forgot to mention last year in Washington DC 187 murders or 3 1/2 murders every week and over 500 carjackings. Why don’t you ask Muriel Bowser how she feels about it now ? No murders in three weeks violent crime down 50% and carjackings down to 88%. And over 1000 arrests. That’s reality not polls not links not history books for what Andrew Jackson did on Thursday when it was raining 175 years ago
38% is not unbelievable. Keep in mind trump’s steady 36%(?) that has stood by him no matter what- his cult. They are the same people who get all of their information from fox’nfrenz etc and nowhere else. It is a fat third of America, sad to say.
https://nypost.com/2025/08/27/us-news/trumps-dc-take-over-wins-praise-from-residents-biz-owners-as-crime-plummets/
, Bowser highlighted that the increase in federal law enforcement contributed to “an extreme reduction in carjackings” and a decrease in gun crimes and homicides.
If it was one of your children’s lives, you idiots you wouldn’t be protecting the criminals. You would be thanking the people that are stopping the crime.
Funny, but dangerous.
Sabine you are not even listening to what I’m saying, which is no surprise I haven’t pouted since November 5. I’m like the sand in an oyster creating the pearl. I’m like the voice of reason shelter. I’m like the opposing force you can’t deny because it’s fact filled. Without me all you have is an oyster you have to have the rub to create a sense of reality. Otherwise you’re totally an incredibly 100% gullible because you believe everything you hear but as soon as you hear something different, you dismiss it without even knowing the entire truth at your peril. As I say many times with very few exceptions, Life is a do it to yourself proposition. Ask yourself how is it possible that Trump is only the second person in history to win the presidency in alternate terms ? Think about that!!! The answer is very plain and evident, but even you guys don’t see it nor there is a Democrat party who hasn’t figured it out after nine months of trying.
Nice try Sabine. You guys continue to deny the facts that’s fine with the rest of the country. Who sees right through your hypocrisy.
And while the people in Chicago, continue to say the city is safe this past weekend just this weekend 54 shootings 8 black children, dead and you’re silent
If these eight people were trans, you people would be traveling there with protest signs all over the place but since they’re black kids, you honestly don’t give a shit
://www.illinoispolicy.org/press-releases/black-hispanic-chicagoans-made-up-95-of-homicide-victims/ And this has been going on for decades and Trump is gonna stop it. What are you gonna say then now that he stopped the crime in Washington DC and the reason the people in Chicago don’t want him there is because they know they’ll be embarrassed when the crime goes down tremendously and they’ll realize they haven’t been doing enough to protect South Chicago and they haven’t been doing it for decades. Wtfu
Hey Phil, do you know the definition of ineptocracy? it actually wreaks of what you said above but not on the way you think. Here you go.
Ineptocracy. A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and Where the members of society least ikely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services Paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.
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Perfect…if tragic.
What this war crime against Venezuelans demonstrates is infinitely worse than "eviscerated...leadership." It is by far the most rationally terrifying atrocity of the MAGAT triumph because it proves the entire oath-breaking U.S. military, the most powerful military on the planet, is collaborating with Trump in exactly the same unhesitatingly genocidal manner Germany's Wehrmacht, then the most powerful military on the planet, collaborated with Hitler.
The only difference -- that the U.S. military is in ever-more-defiantly treasonous violation of its oath to defend the Constitution -- actually makes its conduct indescribably worse than that of Hitler's Wehermacht; it is the unspeakably terrible, irrefutably damning proof that -- thanks to the grant of presidential immunity by the irremediably Christonazified SCOTUS -- absolutely nothing protects us from a presidential order to the military to exterminate untold numbers of U.S. citizens.
As to how this politically fatal betrayal came about, I do not doubt it is the never-to-be-overturned fulfillment of the long years of Christonazi infiltration of the U.S. military courageously battled by Michael Weinstein's Military Religious Freedom Foundation. (See https://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/about__trashed/religious-freedom-and-the-military-a-short-history/)
Like the permanent Christonazification of SCOTUS, the Christonazification of the military is clandestinely supported by the "Democratic" (sic) Party in its post-JFK function as the Fifth Column of the "Republican" (sic) Christonazi/Neoconfederate Party: see https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2023/06/26/defense-bill-targets-religious-freedom-group-for-its-advocacy-work/, which notes the Democrats' (unanimous) support of the anti-constitutional measure and is therefore additional evidence of their unforgivable culpability in the slaying of the Republic and the nullification of its Constitution.
Again our circumstances are proven infinitely worse than the national cults of mandatory optimism and prideful ignorance would allow us to believe. To understand how that came to be, I emphatically recommend Jeff Sharlet's epic investigative report, "The Family: the Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power," Harper: 2008.
His exclusion from The Dictator Club had to knock Agent Orange off his game. He will undoubtedly blame the Democrats....or maybe trans people?
Yesterday, Xi held a massive military parade ostensibly in honor of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Japan. Putin and Kim were his guests. Former Fox entertainer and our current Secretary of Defense was on Fox “news” claiming that impressive and frightening power display by our adversaries was Biden’s fault. I almost laughed at the hypocrisy(?) cluelessness(?) of it all.
Two things - - you pointed out one, yourself. He has fired all the competent leadership - if there is one thing the Orange Imbecile cannot stand. it is competence. The other is that criticizing the CIC is insubordination. The military knows that tRump is really the Retributor in Chief. They can keep their mouths shut and not suffer having their careers and permanent record trashed. Also Hogsbreath fired all the senior JAGS just about day one. The people charged with deciding if an order is illegal are gone - replaced by MAGAts, I'm sure.
Poor Donald ... just can't get into the "In Crowd," no matter which crowd it is. He's mad at the world because Manhattan's aristocrats rejected him and his entire family. Now, the world's dictators don't invite him to their parties. But can you blame them? Who wants to be in a room with the stench of a walking outhouse? Recall Vladimir holding his nose during that little joyride in "The Beast."
Boy Phil, you are so good with words! I appreciate them. It is very telling that zero military comments are out there. Their commander- in- shit would prosecute those who did & remove them. And poor pouting orange idiot! He's getting a taste of what happens to the classless. He is sure not needed @ their club meetings.
Yeah and that’s why Phil Fox dominates the new cycle because they spew fake news and that’s why CNN and MSNBC have lost 59% of their audience because they told nothing but the truth for four years yikes somebody I know is totally upside down and they’re thinking and reality
Yes, I was wondering why Trump wasn’t invited to their little party of DICKtators, but then I realized they ALL want to see America fail and think he’s just the idiot to destroy her from within.
Phil, he must be really miffed about the big three meeting in China and Kim even brought his daughter And there was this huge military parade too. I am in total agreement too with Apache's post below. He can crumble in terms of his health and sanity, but it is our country that I care about as I know that Apache does too. Last night I had an opportunity to rant on another thread about death star and rant I did. So tired of people trying to excuse that monster and no, both sides do not do what is happening now. The culprit is a cousin of one of my ex-students who also happens to be our CPA and whose father was an exception, thankfully, to the males in her paternal grandfather's family.
Well said!
Someone in the military spoke up when Trump deployed Troops to LA questioning whether it violated PC and was shut down by superiors.
Strategy…hold what’s most desired from the victim …he is so insecure but uses it like a weapon ( cult/authoritarian tactics, very effective)
As a soldier we talked to each other and in our letters home to our families. I don’t think any important events escape our military personnel. We were well trained in the matter of lawful orders including ones which required us to quash them. To participate in illegal orders was always threatened with a quick trip to Leavenworth prison. Our military has a strong policy that leaves very little room for interpretation. There have always been incidents but they usually end careers quite quickly. I have testified as witness in a Court Marshall proceeding.
Which sort of begs the question — where are the military voices that know what’s going on, and why do they stay so silent?
Hello ICTT.... Don't forget that one of the 1st actions of the DJT 2.0 Regime was to eliminate the Military AGs, and the top 2-layers of the Military Services... Pete Hegseth?.... Need I Say More... The US Military UCMJ only applies if it is enforced... DJT is a Convicted Criminal... Do You Expect Him To Aide By Maritime Laws?...
I just want to jump in here to provide this link from Malcolm Nance, "Remember Your Oath." He says in his substack, "We have also been engaging in a bit of psychological operations. Every time the guardsman moved a large unit to Union Station, they started playing the retirement speech of General Milley … nonstop."
If nothing else, watch the short video at the top of the newsletter:
https://malcolmnance.substack.com/p/remember-your-oath-washington-dc?
Do you remember Malcolm’s first “rant”on MSNBC? I was lucky to hear it and have kept an eye on him ever since. He’s the best. Thank you for the link. May we have friends of his at Union Station Chicago if the guard comes to town. Too bad ICE is oathless to US.
Thank You, Lynell. Shared.
With all due respect, ma'am, false hope -- among other things the Democrats' stock-in-trade -- is worse than no hope at all.
Everyone needs to share this!
Agree, Miselle. Very inspiring!
I’m sharing this. Good to know when they come to my town. Thanks.
The veterans' valiant Union Station effort is having exactly the same results as Michael Weinstein's years of courageous efforts -- none whatsoever to avert the MAGAT triumph.. How many times must it be said, the only accurate metaphor for our situation is "The Last Article,' full text here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5rMljbFiemoMWIxZjJkNjctOGJmMS00Njg1LTg4YzMtODRjNGQwM2JlZWEz/view?resourcekey=0-DqeA4bJmsRifVCIOA1WksQ
Yup! Good old house cleaning to remove the ones with so much knowledge. Less secure(mentally) people to deal with.
Why do military voices stay silent? Samecreason as why REPUBLICAN'T Congress members stay silent: direct death threats to them and their families. He's a mafia thug with his own bought and paid for death squad: ICE
It's as simple as that; thanks, Montana.
Really? Simple as being trumpers? Sorry I expect a horsewoman to have more comprehension. The military cannot take a political direction favoring one faction over another. I really thought that tradition you call silence of being non denominational was well known in American political circles. The civil war if nothing else showed exactly what taking political sides wrought. In Hollywood circles they called it holding the fort. Following the whims of political partisanship resulted in near annihilation of indigenous peoples. In this age of near instant destruction we cannot and do not have a partisan military presence. Republicans within military command must walk a very distinctly constitutional pathway. The silence of the military is unilaterally maintained as non-political.
Bring "non political"? Is that what you call the military's oath-breaking surrender to the felonious tyrant's nullification of the Constitution and its (eager) obedience to his criminal orders?
My bad with an inarticulate reply that focused on the possible death threats and an administration that has deployed a military-style presence, ICE.
And pardoned Jan. 6th rioters.
When I first heard of the Venezuelan boat attack yesterday, while appalled by it, I just thought “well, here we go again.” Just another example of the US behaving badly on the world stage and using the military inappropriately. It’s happened under every recent president, an unfortunate result of the rise of the neocons who normalized such behavior.
But given a little more distance, this is worse. Much worse. A sitting president appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner of 11 people who, good or bad (and we don’t know the answer to that), presented zero military threat to the nation. He cherry picked an “enemy” to show “strength” and there is no telling who he will target next. It could be another overseas target, or it could be a domestic one. We’ve already seen the MSM normalize through their silence the assassination of a Minnesota state senator.
Meanwhile the Epstein files circle like a vulture over his decaying mind and body. And those circles are getting smaller and tighter. He’s made it clear that no amount of wag-the-dog misadventurism, no amount of related collateral damage, is off limits to him. The SCOTUS last year handed him a stay-out-of-jail-free card and he intends to use it however he sees fit.
All that said, there are too many of us to be silenced. He cannot win this war of attrition unless we let him. Keep speaking up. Keep standing up.
As usual, tRvmp wants to divert attention from the Epstein files. The killing of purported Venezuelan "drug runners" with no drugs was just that, a diversion. The press conference outting him specifically by some of the speakers, was not silenced by his childish fly overs. They are a determined lot. He's running scared and being the most dangerous and hated "leader" in our country’s history, he will only escalate his actions against all of us.
Vivian, wonder how much $ was spent doing that stupid flyover? And you bet T had people watching their watches to time the arrival as those people got to speak about the horrors of the past.
Dale Posted up above about the cost. $109 million for fuel alone. Just so tRump can feel good about hurting others.
Vivian, yes the flyovers are childish, but they are also expensive ... on the taxpayer's dime.
"The cost of flyovers is also already a part of the military’s operational budget, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t expensive: high performance jets burn at least 1,200 gallons of fuel per hour— that’s a cost of $109,000 for the fuel alone during the 2011 Super Bowl flyover, with the total cost clocking in at closer to $450,000."
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/was-that-military-flyover-really-worth-the-cost-to-taxpayers/
And Chris, we will never know more about that boat. Death sentence carried out on a whim or for media effect. Sick
Chris Johnston, thank you for “decaying mind and body.” They are one and the same and still dangerous to the body politic.
Trump campaigned on lowering prices( remember the price of eggs),ending the war in Ukraine on day one, and releasing the Epstein files.He has failed miserably and I suspect that these promises were just empty campaign rhetoric.His believability factor is a miserable zero acts.
You suspect? Why would have ever believed anything a gaslighting crook told you in the first place — about anything?
From my own personal experience with the general and his staff we were commanded by Generals who were obligated to the President, the joint chiefs and ipse facto congress. Which faction would you like us to support politically. Now that begs your question.
I don’t understand your point. All of you are loyal to the Constitution, which you swear an oath to uphold, rather than to a President or a General. What about the faction of law, about opposing piracy and murder on the high seas? What am I missing?
When and where have you seen DonOLD/Miller obey the law in DJT 1.O or 2.0? Hasn't happened and now with his own private death squad (ICE), it will only get worse - a country of laws, not any more. And paid for with YOUR tax dollars.
It is a very noble aspiration, even a grandiose expectation, that all service members, active duty, reservists, National Guard, veterans, that everyone of us will be loyal to the Constitution. How many that enlist these days even have a good sense of constitutionality or the Bill of Rights that are so paramount to what is happening to our country right now? But the oath to uphold, support and defend the Constitution of the U.S. from enemies, foreign and domestic is the absolute first part of enlisting or being commissioned an officer in the Armed Forces. A deep commitment to the U.S. Constitution as the foundational principle of service.
Except we're in uncharted waters here. Piracy and murder on the high seas? The so-called president is a Putin fanboy and a traitor to our Nation. What is a service member supposed to do? There's never been a situation like this before. The Republicans in Congress and in the Supreme Court have abdicated their responsibilities or acquiesce to the whims of Trump and the regime.
Military service members are told that they must disobey an unlawful order but it could be a very unpleasant situation or a court martial, maybe something even more severe in this climate. What I can tell you is there is a real cross section of America and also of the territories(Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines, etc) in the military, and all types of people just like the makeup of our Nation.
Sorry that I can't really answer your question but things like military strikes on Iran and vaporizing a boatload of supposed drug runners should not be made without approval from Congress, in the first place. It's a lawless regime and I hope the military service members will not have to use they were just following orders as a defense when the newest iteration of the Nuremburg trials come about.
As this is the congress that has authorized the rape of National Wilderness for a mine, in this time of climate change, it seems of a piece.
It is my humble opinion that military service be mandatory for all Americans without regard for race creed color or financial connection. All missions conducted have appropriate declassification. Hold your horses.
?
I was under the impression the military is supposed to be apolitical.
ICTT, the military people face expulsion for daring to say anything against the non- commander in chief. All their benefits go also. It will take a huge outcry from them to be heard. Which is so sad!
They can be court martialed for speaking out publicly.
The framers were careful to ensure the military is subservient to civil authority.
Internally, there is discussion. Re-enlistments are down, some are outright quitting.
And as always, be careful what you ask for. There are some left wing extremists I don't trust with power any more than I do Trump.
from our youth...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NzLs-xSss0&list=RD_NzLs-xSss0&start_radio=1
Pat, I suspect that what you experienced in your term of service is vastly different that what has happened to the military since the GWOT. I had the experience (not military service myself; I would not lie about my sexual orientation to get into the Navy) of working with men and women who were Vietnam, Cold War, and GWOT veterans. There is a vast, vast difference in all three of those "generations" of veterans, and for a variety of reasons.
My experience is few of our brothers and sisters who swore an oath to uphold and defend the constitution of our state and nation could tell what was in either them beyond a cursory understanding to get through the academy.
Gary, if your service was post-Vietnam, your assessment is woefully accurate. Adjunct faculty at two public colleges c. 1975-1982 -- I taught photography -- I noted that my students who were post-1968 high-school graduates were increasingly deficient in their understanding of the Constitution. I soon discovered they had been denied the mandatory K-12 studies of civics, history and governance that had characterized the pre-'68 grads as far back as I could determine. (My own K-12 years, 1945-1958, included mandatory civics; world, national and state histories; and "American Government," essentially an intro to political science; the social-studies requirements fulfilled by my students who finished high school before 1968 were the same as applied to my generation.)
Several of my fellow faculty members made identical observations; we concluded the deliberate post-'68 denial of know-your-rights education was a product of Nixon's reaction to anti-Vietnam-War protests and Carter's efforts to push the nation toward theocracy -- proto-Christonazi subversion that went mostly unreported apart from the sneeringly sadistic defiant misogyny of his Hyde Amendment atrocity. These efforts were continued by subsequent administrations -- see Jeff Sharlet's "The Family: the Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power" (Harper:2008) for detailed exposure of the Democrats' mostly clandestine theocracy efforts.
As Ally House correctly implies, the pro-theocracy cult got a powerful boost from the War on Terror's tacit resumption of the religious warfare that defines Europe's post-Roman history. Which -- as never before -- encouraged and legitimized the recruitment of Christonazi fanatics into the U.S. military.
My military service was Regular Army active duty 1959-1962, the last 16 months in Korea; after three more years in the inactive reserve. I was honorably discharged in 1965. In my era, the orders requiring all personnel to attend Christian religious services that define today's military were literally unthinkable. Though the government had already officially declared its theocratic intent by its addition of "under (the sadistically tyrannical fundamentalist Christian) God" to the "Pledge of Allegiance."
Well Loren, I being a boomer and growing up in the 60s, protesting Vietnam and the war which continued and continues through today, I never trusted the military and would have nothing to do with it. I don’t trust the state. Living in Florence, Italy in 1977-1979, I enjoyed living outside the bubble of Americana. Once at a party, I overheard two Italian women speaking of “those stupid Americans” and as I turned around, they immediately apologized to me but I interrupted them to acknowledge that we Americans are a stupid lot. I kind of feel that sentiment still.
I was selected to attend Annapolis, Ally. In the midst of the Viet Nam conflict, during which time the nation was severely conflicted, I chose to be drafted out of college by not claiming a deferment. The rank and file members of the military schools, ie Annapolis, West Point, Colorado Springs, etc, held formidable entrance requirements. I doubt that has changed. I was deployed in 266 combat assault missions in which military discipline was anally maintained. We took much tragedy, much villainy, and there were many villagers killed and many officers fragged. War is hell and both sides of conflict result in horrific wrongdoing. As soldiers we wanted to go to Hanoi and end the war. Congress said no. Police action only. We had to follow the political tide which ebbed and flooded with political wisdom. I think the officer core of American institutions is the most well educated group of military officers and commanders in the world. They are not a vending machine for political whim. Again I say “hold your horses.” Damn spot will out. Pol Pot Trump will find his “angle of repose.”
Pat, I think you need quote marks around the word “wisdom”.
The change I see in veterans of those eras is a different political stance; with a heavy dose of Fox “News” on military bases, a philosophical shift has taken place.
Ally, why not lie to get into the service if that’s what you wanted. I was going to lie in an application vendor app when it asked me if I was LBGTQ and I was ready to lie and say yes, lol.
I was swearing an oath; my ability to take that oath would have been based on a lie. That is not honest.
You know I thought about your response all evening. I conclude that you had every right to lie and go into the service. Fuck them all for asking such ignorant info. It was non of their business. In a way, similar, I don’t believe in DEI. I do believe in equality but I don’t begin slicing and dicing our society until it puts one against the other as it has under DEI. I don’t expect you to agree. I’m from an older school that understands everyone is equal in society and I’m not changing for anyone. I don’t care how cool it sounds.
And I’m old school. I won’t lie on or under oath.
So what are you saying? How it WAS?
How long Victoria, has the military defended this continent now. You can choose me as your relic but that logic doesn’t change the coarse of military history. A modern day example would be my own commanding general, General Louisell passed away just a couple of years ago at age 90 some. He was active in high command up until you might find he was as modern as you might accept. He was a Republican by vote, a humanitarian by heart, an elegant example of a military officer who maintained strict military anonymity . Whoever commanded the boat incident will become subject of AAR scrutiny.
Pat, to clarify: coming from a somewhat military family with a long tradition of enlisting rather than awaiting the draft, I understand and indeed empathize with your trust in the internal UCMJ effectiveness of the U.S. military system, especially in terms of its historically proven worth in contrast, say, to the Prussian system of unquestioning do-or-die obedience or the Roman system and its descendants in which the military makes the civilian government rather than vice versa. I agree with you the integrity of our military system -- if indeed it prevails -- will most likely enable us to avoid the unmitigated horrors of a second civil war and yet restore justice, which is the outcome we both want. But is it possible?
I believe your trust in the system epitomized by the UCMJ is closely analogous to the trust we typically place in the democracy-preservation pledged by our civilian system of checks and balances. But our Founders -- and for that matter, we ourselves -- could not imagine a moral imbecile so fanatically intent on imposing tyranny his diabolical cunning would enable him to weasel around presumably impassible Constitutional restraints literally as if they were nonexistent. Nor could they -- or we -- conceive of a time in which the supportive ethical principles would vanish with the instant totality of a bright lamp suddenly extinguished in absolute darkness. But that too has happened, and now Donald the Destroyer and his Christonazi/Neoconfederate rabble reign supreme, rendered unstoppable by the permanent Christonazification of the Supreme Court and all national, state and local law enforcement and their total control of the remainder of the federal government. Many Americans -- probably a big majority of our anti-MAGAT comrades -- still cannot believe we have been so easily conquered.
Which brings me back to the military. Like civilian law enforcement, it has been targeted for decades by Christonazi infiltrators. My profound respect for the courageous efforts of Michael Weinstein not withstanding, I believe the military's criminal obedience to a felon's illegal orders proves it as permanently infiltrator-subjugated as are all the federal, state and local police agencies. You clearly believe our military has retained its secular independence. And it is my most profound hope yours is the correct estimate.
Yours is a plausible script. But for a country to throw off ties with the British government when half the populace remained loyal to the crown despite traitors such as Benjamin Arnold, the American rabble prevailed the tyranny of the most significant armed force in the world. From those military victories Congress was born for the first time in the world. The lessons were not lost as finally the Constitution was patched together and ratified on the blood 🩸 of the founders.
What this regime is attempting to pull off from the darkest closets of cynical strategy is now in our hands again. It is again time for two if by land, one if by sea. We stand now riveted to the courts. As I see it we have 2/3 of
the power in hand. If we do not prevail then let us lie in the blood of those before us. Freedom has it’s crimson cost.
It came across as if draftees were some kind of trailer trash while your enlistment was better sanctified. Thanks so much for the sleight. Your having served in the peace time army is more than I had expected. Congratulations.
It's hard to see how a small boat carrying drugs (let's assume for argument's sake that that part of the story is true) a thousand miles from the US could be an 'imminent threat'. But then this is an administration led by a crackpot who is posting on Truth Social early this morning claiming that Rosie O'Donnell is a 'threat to humanity' and threatening once again to withdraw her citizenship, something he is clearly not empowered to do.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-giving-serious-thought-revoking-rosie-odonnells-us-citizenship?msockid=13378ba6f3b860b635ee9e79f29f61ee
https://x.com/yashar/status/1963418466343391577
Trump is following the lead of Rodrigo Duterte when he was President of The Philippines. His execution of "drug runners" - in the streets, without trial, has landed him in a spot of bother. President Xi dealt with "corruption" the same way. Putin doesn't need any excuse. People fall out of windows. Planes fall out of the sky. It's a very slippery slope.
You must be talking about Hillary.
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Frank so long as you keep protecting the criminals against American citizens, you will remain on the losing side of history
The murder of those men was a convenient distraction from the stories shared by sexually abused women who were demanding the release of the Epstein files. Once again, Trump trying anything, including the flyover of jets, to draw attention away from brave women sharing their stories about sexual abuse as children by billionaires. Fox had nothing about the women, only a repeated video of blowing up the boat.
How the hell would you know anything about what goes on in Fox? They spent almost 5 hours discussing the epstein issue this past weekend. And the only reason it’s important to you left these because when Biden was president and he had the files, we didn’t hear this out cry. Biden had the files and did nothing with them since January 2024 nine months before the election and if there was something in it about Trump, he would’ve buried him
Now all you guys are hoping that Trump is involved but unfortunately yesterday the attorney for 200 of the women said he had never seen anything on any document that suggested that Trump was involved in anyway. Ooooops
You guys are only looking for blame you’re not looking to protect the women or you would’ve been yelling and screaming for the last five years not the last five months.
As recent as yesterday, three of the highest viewership programs on Fox, discuss the epstein files in detail and they even showed an interview of the attorney for the victims.
There is little Trump has done that surprised most of us. But I was shocked that he would actually commit murder. That there has been no serious attention paid to this confirms the American people are not worth much. This is a disgrace beyond comprehension
Gary and every time you protect the criminals instead of citizens who’ve been killed or died because of drugs you continue to lose points with a public this year is not the public. This is a pimple of what the public thinks 2% perhaps and this is a 9010 issue 90% of the people want the drugs STOPPED.
I bet your media didn’t show you the incredibly huge drug bust of millions of gallons of the drugs used to make methamphetamines enough to make 540 million people die. Barrel after barrel after barrel maybe we should just let that go and not worry. Until one of your family dies.
What makes the murder of these men even more ominous is that a video of the attack was proudly circulated by Trump.
There is no way, the Trump administration will allow free and fair elections in 2026. The Republicans culled several million voters without verifying their validity.
Meanwhile, the GOP Senators and Congressmen not only normalize the Trump regime's illegal activities, they encourage their ranks to lie about them.
Every day Trump and his Project 2025 cronies look more and more like Russia and Hungary. Now that Trump has crossed the red line of illegally murdering people it is a very dark day for America.
Not at all like "Russia and Hungary," infinitely worse: exactly like Nazi Germany, the Auschwitz Nation that is the ultimate model for what Trump and his puppetmasters are imposing.
Urgently suggested reading: William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," Simon & Schuster: 1960 and 2011. Google Bookfinder for best price; used hardcover volumes, fair condition, start at $7.96 with free shipping.
I wonder how Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 10 might influence politics. Poor folks may be unable to upgrade and might need to rely even more on TV media (such and Fox, Sinclair, and friends) for information.
Good question. One by one applications will no longer run and eventually their machines will be worthless.
An account I read said they were 1000 miles away from the United States, 11 people in a boat 1000 miles away poses no imminent threat to the United States. This part is not being emphasized enough. It wasn’t like they were going land in Key West any moment. There’s no end to the disgrace this president and his minions are bringing down upon us.
What is wrong with you people go to the doctor and see about your TDS do you not want to stop drugs? Do you not want to protect your children? Do you want to continue protecting the criminals like Kilmore Abrego? You’re on the 10% side of justice rather than the 90% side of America. Kilmore Abrego was an illegal immigrant. He was a wife beater factually. His wife twice ask for a restraining order it was granted one by the judge. He was trafficking illegals across the country. He was a member of an MS 13 gang and he was into child porn and his even his best friend told him to knock it off and these are the people you want to protect no wonder your party is losing credibility everywhere now at the lowest point in the last 35 years so keep it up. This might be the first midterm election that you lose.
Look close there are no bundles of drugs. Our military has gone rogue. We are now indiscriminately killing people for no reason. Oppsie nothing new here.
There's a lot more to this story than Heather reports... the speedboat shown was not large enough for 11 people and drugs, no drug runner would take 11 people when they only need 2-3: the others would take up space for drugs. There's a stand-off brewing between Venezuela's Maduro and Trump, with Maduro accusing Trump of wanting to drag him into a war.. Trump signed a secret directive to use military force against some Latin American drug cartels.
gifted link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/us/politics/hegseth-venezuela-drug-strike.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jU8.Q8V7.1VTk1pfcIiji&smid=url-share
I did not find coverage of this murder in any of three major newspapers.
Again I wonder how many times it must be said: the U.S. mainstream media monopoly is -- exactly as intended -- the world's first privately owned, for-(maximum)-profit descendant of Josef Goebbels' Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda, the infamous Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Thus it is futile to expect mainstream coverage of the Regime's atrocities.
I agree. It is truly frightening. Last night at dinner my husband was asking what I think of Trump's actions in Venezuela, and I said I could not understand his hatred for Latino people so much that he goes after Maduro, who is just like him. Robbing his country blind while pretending to help the people.
The other day Dean Blundell and Zev Shalev were discussing in their Substack podcast that we are potentially facing a world war with the provocations from Putin on NATO countries in the EU and Trump, and it will be on our continent as well, and not just off in Europe. This is that kind of action that provokes a battle. While the US may have the most powerful military in the world we did not "win" in Vietnam and we did not win in Afghanistan or Iraq. At some point we just had to leave without having improved the situation or done anything for the long term good.
Hey Linda, here’s an interesting question for you. Do you think we’re on the brink of war because of Donald Trump or because of Bill Clinton who is the responsible for this entire thing or for Obama just standing by with his finger up his butt while Putin took Crimea or Biden sat by and watched and did nothing while Putin once again invaded Ukraine. ? And now you’re blaming Trump for a war he didn’t start wasn’t involved in. ? Why don’t you look up why Putin is able to attack Ukraine?
You suppose historians are full of crap go look that up then come back and tell me and I could wait till eternity and you won’t do it because you don’t wanna know what the truth is you just want to point the finger
We are on our way to being a pariah nation. Is there a Republican in Congress who understands this and what it means for our children?
Yes, and that’s why they remain in Congress, Virginia and that’s why they Republicans won because they understand what the future means for our children when drugs are running rampant and hundreds of thousands are dying from drugs allowed in through a southern border. And thousands more of being killed on the streets and there’s not enough police to stop it but now Trump has stood up in Washington DC and the mayor is not only thanking him, but is now focusing on hiring 800 more police to protect her city, as last year Washington DC a relatively small city by comparison had 187 murders and you know what the
Conviction rate was go take a look.
And while the people in Chicago are saying oh the crime is not bad. The crime is going down well this past week they had 54 shootings and eight murders. One weekend. And in California and I read just one stats so I can’t confirm it that said in California of all the. Indictments and prosecution against violent crime only 6.6%. We’re actually convicted and sent to prison. It’s like a revolving door in liberal cities. One guy was on TV the other day a black guy he says what difference does it make? I could shoot somebody today and they let me out of prison tomorrow. I can carJack today and they’ll let me out of prison tomorrow.
So do us all a favor stop hating and be on the side of stopping crime not protecting the criminal
Actually, we already are -- and have long been -- a pariah nation.
"...we already are -- and have long been -- a pariah nation."
Really? A long time pariah nation?
I respectfully disagree. When we created a nation where all are created equal as a foundation to which the world flocked to, we were a pariah nation?
When we fought a great civil war to make men free, when much of the world still embraced slavery we were a pariah nation?
When we contributed to saving the world from National Socialism and Japanese military imperialism we were a pariah to the rest of the world.
When people climbed over the Berlin Wall risking their lives to escape the East German Socialist Republic to get to the American Sector we were a pariah nation?
When we sent foreign aid to those less fortunate we were a pariah nation?
It is because we were not a pariah nation that so many of us resist becoming one.
Have we been wrong and imperfect in the past? Yes, and who hasn't been.
But a pariah? We have stepped off the path but we have always been on the road to a more perfect union.
Gary, I cannot fault (nor disagree with) your list of what I too recognize as anti-pariah achievements. For most of the first half of my 85 years -- and despite nearly two decades as a reflexively despised "yankee" involuntarily damned to reside in the viciously Christian theocracy of the South -- I believed these achievements absolute proof of humanitarianism's ultimate victory. But then came the bipartisan rejection of empathy that began creeping out of our national miasmas of moral imbecility in the Vietnam era and rose to (permanent) tsunami magnitude in the Reagan years. It was then I began to realize these benevolent achievements -- all the more miraculous given the run-amok hatefulness by which they were opposed -- were never sufficient to compensate for a pariahdom of ecogenocidal bigotry and greed so overwhelmingly deadly it became the model for Hitler's genocide machine. Still -- despite increasing doubts -- I wanted to believe in our national benevolence and the notion of an arc of history that bends toward justice, until finally -- thanks to the 2016 election -- I could no longer resist concluding that notion is perhaps our species' most crippling lie ever, that the real curve is toward ever intensifying anti-humanitarian tyranny rendered ever more omnipotent by ever-more-lethally perfected technology. Thus I am (woefully) compelled to recognize the 5 November 2024 election as our nation's declaration the only true "American Exceptionalism"is our relentlessly defiant public assertion of global anti-humanitarianism -- the fanatical determination to cancel every progressive achievement in our species' history and embrace the pariahdom to which that evil quest condemns us. In which context I can never forget the horror and dismay in my then lover's olive-green eyes as she turned to me the instant after we had witnessed the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald on live television and whispered, as if already fearful of being overheard, "we live in a banana republic."
Respectfully,
I have heard the trope that Hitler used the US as a model for genocide.
Somehow this has gained traction amongst a certain few. Yet it is patently false.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14623528.2013.856084#:~:text=Many%20scholars%20of%20German%20and,America's%20Native%20Peoples%20during%20the%20'
It's like the nonsensical myth that the Iroquois Confederation was a basis for our republican form of government.
Myths created from whole cloth.
One need only read Mein Kampf to understand this an undeserved bashing of American history. One need only read the minutes and debates of the Second Constitutional Congress and Federalist Papers to know the latter to be a nonsensical assertion.
All of the rest does not make our history one of being a pariah among nations.
That doesn't follow when even today hundreds of thousands risk their lives to get here.
Have we become a pariah? I would agree.
Do we have a history of being a pariah? No.
Here is a link to a peer reviewed academic paper refuting the notion Hitler used our Western expansion as a model for his imperialism.
Gary...In blunt but intellectually respectful rebuttal, what you so glibly dismiss as a “trope” is in fact among our most powerful antidotes to the relentlessly imposed silence that denies the terrible malignancy – its deadly international metastasis included – of the unyielding white male supremacy that perpetually defeats our nation’s definitively revolutionary quest for humanitarian democracy. This antidote is the extensively documented, carefully reasoned book by legal scholar James Q. Whitman, Yale University Law School’s Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law entitled “Hitler’s American Model: the United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law” (Princeton University Press: 1917). It is by no means an obscure work; it is universally available on line as PDFs thanks to several major universities, and it is favorably reviewed by a significant number of authoritative sources including the magazine “Foreign Affairs,” also by Cambridge University, JSTOR, Project MUSE and Kirkus. All of which – free PDFs and reviews (some reviews as abstracts only, with full texts censored by paywalls) – are available merely by googling Hitler’s American Model. In recognition of your open mind, I most vehemently urge you to read it.
For broader context, I also urge reading of “An Indigenous People’s History of the United States” (Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz; Beacon Press: 2014); “How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America” (Heather Cox Richardson; Oxford University Press: 2020); “Illiberal America” (Steven Hahn; W.W. Norton and Company: 2024); the ideologically definitive “Invisible Doctrine: the Secret History of Neoliberalism” (George Monbiot & Peter Hutchison; Crown: 2024); plus “American Fascists: the Christian Right and the War on America” (Chris Hedges; Free Press: 2008); and “The Family: the Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power” (Jeff Sharlet; Harper 2008), the last two volumes vital to understanding Christonazism as the ecogenocidal glue that binds all these toxins into the MAGAT doomsday machine.
I would not say “have long been” but rather getting there, mostly with Republican presidential stupidity and greed, arriving totally at pariah status with Trump.
Do you live in America Loren? Why do you still live here? Why is it that when we opened our border 15 million illegals came from From all over the planet to come here …. I have a shirt that says the following America love it or leave it. Why don’t you go live next-door to Rosie O’Donnell or Helen Ellen DeGeneres?
My husband is a veteran. He's shouting around the house that whoever pulled the trigger should not have obeyed the illegal order.
The person who pulled the trigger is probably some 22-23 year old kid whose prefrontal cortex has not yet fully developed. But where is their commanding officer. That’s the person who should and must know better.
it’s obvious to me that none of your children have been killed or died by fentanyl or any other narcotics or didn’t become addicted because of people that are dragging drugs into this country, and since Trump closed the border which you used to be in favor of now they’re trying to bring in drugs through alternate methods. They’re even using boats off the California coast to come in at night and drop their drugs and they’re being caught as well.
I am also a veteran and I’m shouting around the house thank God for Donald Trump killing all the criminals… I guess he’s a Supreme Court justice to determine that that was an illegal order. You know most people know nothing about that boat other than it was shot you don’t know the history. You don’t know where it came from. You don’t know what it did when it was here.
Here’s what happened in your mind and this is the sickness that runs through your veins of Donald Trump Donald Trump just saw on video because he has nothing else to do about looking at a little boat speeding away with three 250 hp engines on the back We found them speeding away and for no reason at all just decided to select boat and destroy it that’s what he did. Yikes???
I am all for arresting, trying, convicting and jailing drug dealers/muIes/producers. I am all for the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. I am against the death penalty in all cases. So yeah just shooting people dead without proof, without a trial, for a crime that does not bear the death penalty doesn’t work for me.
When you have the most powerful military in the history of the world, you have to be 100% sure that their use is ethical or we are no better than common criminals.
Shervyn. You obviously are missing a lot of the facts and or what I call willfully ignorant when it comes to not only the arrested convictions, but the judge’s decision as to what to do with these criminals once convicted. There was a nice video on the other day, but I doubt very seriously. It came on a network that you watch that show this black guy young black man in handcuffs screaming at the cops go ahead and arrest me just cause I shot somebody I’ll be out on the street tomorrow and if I want a car Jack somebody I’ll do that and I’ll be out on the street tomorrow and that’s one of the issues that you’re totally missing.
Well, you might be against the death penalty until you witness a criminal entering your home and shooting your wife and children right in front of you. Then you might change your mind. Especially if the criminal were white and you’re black.
And as far as illegal immigrants are concerned do you know how many missing children there have been there’s almost 600,000 children that they don’t know we’re half of them are and do you know that 60% have been said to be trafficked and where is that? Where is the crime and punishment there?
Do you know that many criminals have deportation orders to leave the country immediately and after over a year they’re still here ?
Do you know that in California up until very recently you could steal $900 worth of merchandise from a store and it was a misdemeanor and only 6.6% of those cases ended in a conviction of course you don’t know that and that’s why they recently changed the law because businesses were closing up like dead fish
Do you know that 11 to 15,000,000 illegals into this country you’re ready for what I’m gonna tell you without being checked for any vaccinations when you guys were fanatical crazy lunatics when it came to Covid vaccines oooooops.
You would be better off protecting Americans than protecting criminals
Unless you have judges that give the criminals what is due and right now and many precincts it’s nothing but a revolving door
Trump is just enjoying the video game aspect of these murders. Childlike.
I’ll tell you what Michael how about if we capture these people instead and move them in next-door to you would that be OK?
Good that Heather talks both about the corruption among billionaires, and the boat attack.
The corrupt child rapist Donald and his idiot drunken Fox Spews Hegseth are both bragging now about that monstrously illegal act. Just out and out destroyed that civilian boat from Venezuela, killing all its crew. They didn’t have U.S. service personnel attempt to cripple its engines, nor try to board it. Its crew of 11 were all apparently unarmed, and the U.S. is not at war with their country, nor with nearby Trinidad, where the craft was apparently heading.
But this flagrant illegality typifies all the U.S. billionaire classes, in their thuggery to widen the wealth gap, to impoverish more of the working classes, and to deny government programs to the people. It's all thug Donald.
So the U.S. devolves into the world’s rogue bully. Just as at home its ICE thugs terrorize for the sake of being bullies only. As Donald’s pals from the rich and famous for years raped young women, underage girls – and the chief thug covers it up. Because he’s a criminal, and he exults in wanton criminality.
The blatant disregard for the law and the arrogance of this motley crew of imbeciles is finding a new level of disgust every day!
We all need to associate the Fascist Trump regime with EVERY Republican.
ALL Republican politicians are complicit in EVERY illegal and heinous action committed by the administration.
The OBBBA is arguably the worst piece of legislation ever passed. The oligarchs won including Elon who is strangely silent as he realizes his actions have severely damaged his reputation and that of every one of his enterprises.
It seems like years ago that Trump was hosting a car show on the White House lawn for Elon and now he's persona non grata.
GJ Loft,
It is tragic to see citizens of the USA, witness the horrors of such a person sitting in the seat of President of the USA, at this time. His presence is an insult to our nation.
I’m amazed that you guys continue to lose and you don’t know why and here’s why because you keep protecting the criminals instead of American citizens.
Because it’s OK to rape our daughters and Traffic them because it’s OK to kill and bring drugs in. And you wonder why the Democrats approval rating is the lowest it’s been in 35 years.
Trump is a criminal..
You have your information a little bit incorrect there Mike Trump is the president of the United States. Biden was a criminal but pardoned his entire family and his immune from prosecution. Clinton was a criminal and lied under oath Now would you please tell me how that matters in reality today? And by the way, this is the problem with you people you still don’t get it 77 million people voted for who you think is a criminal
And if any of his trials would’ve been held in another venue, they wouldn’t even made it to the courtroom And they’re all but gone
Hey idiot.. he was charged and fuckin found guilty..
you don't get it Mac 77 million people knew it was a sham and it was a ham but you can keep harping on the pass all you want. He's president of United States now.
🙄
Substack Inc's violations of their own TOU are binding on the Platform per the 2025 TOU and were reported as Exhibits.
I've reported the troll several times in the past for some of it's ... intemperate ... comments, but it keeps coming back and stinking up the place - a noisome reek.
I believe reports go to HCR and not Substack admins.
Thank you Derek Smith. No worries, I have blocked the Troll. The important matters are the words of the Survivors.
However, per the terms of Substack Inc binding 2025 TOU, I have already started a Mediation at JAMS SF which against the Platform, Substack Inc, based on their own choice of law not mine.
I understand Substack Inc still uses the Palo Alto law office of Wilson Sonsini. I respect that law firm if not Substack Inc regarding what I allege are multiple 2025 TOU contract violations against defined "Authors" & "Readers" & indeed against this entire larger digital community.
Heather, would love to have your take on Michael Wolff’s reported interview with Epstein alleging that Trump out bid him on a Florida mansion with Russian money then turned him in for sex trafficking when Epstein protested.
"Because he’s a criminal, and he exults in wanton criminality." Sums it up perfectly PB.
Military jets flying over the Capitol could not silence the Survivors' potent words on a bright sunny day on the Capitol steps:
HCR quoting Jess Michaels: "We are the experts & subjects of this story" ... "We will never be silenced again".
Anoukska De Georgiou: "That is why the Epstein Files Transparency Act is so essential."
Release the Files!
I hope these brave women finally get justice.
And I hope they have ample security to protect them from those who will be named.
Hopefully the video testimony of these woman have already been recorded and disseminated to say places in the event they are all killed.
After having been given permission to engage in this wanton criminality by the Supreme Court, knowing he can’t be held accountable.
A question: did the troops who carried out the bombing obey an illegal order?
On the CBS Mornings show today, I didn't hear about the boat attack or the drowning out of the survivors, but they were OUTAGED that Steve Balmer has found a way around the NBA salary cap. These rich guys cheat at everything to get ahead. That's how they got where they are. Why is basketball the point of outage?
I have no clue. I have NEVER been a fan of these "morning shows".
Hey bryan. Why don’t you report Phil to sub stack for him wrongfully calling Trump a child rapist
I’m going to use some words now, troll. STFU.
"Two disparate things," here, Margaret-Rose?
You'll concede that those of team Donald "are presenting the US as a kind of rogue bully" -- but that that's far different from the U.S. actually being that?
Donald is president. His policy openly covers for Putin's mass murders of civilians and destruction of social infrastructure of all kinds there. Donald refuses to apply the secondary sanctions to those trading with Russia and thus subsidizing its war. While same Donald brags that he's not giving anything to Ukraine. That's U.S. policy, Margaret-Rose.
U.S. policy that millions suffer and die in Africa due to cutting off U.S. A.I.D.
U.S. policy to keep giving Netanyahu the weaponry for Gaza genocide, while abetting Netanyahu's parallel campaign of starvation in Gaza. U.S. also abets settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, and ongoing thievery of Palestinian land.
U.S. fossil fuel giants continue their juggernaut to speed global warming. And, again as official U.S. policy, Donald kills all federal support for green energy projects.
U.S. standardized testing spreads also like another cancer to many school systems of the world -- so same schools to same proportion of upping testing are shedding humanities, as did U.S. schools. All the world's schools should be stressing essay writing more, so students get skilled in seeing "others" as people -- which the U.S. could support, but does not.
At every level, Margaret-Rose, I see seamless, systematic, destructive, dehumanizing, real damage, not just a few images or the "presenting" of such.
Ask. all of your white Christian friends if Jesus would approve of Trump's and Bibi's use of starvation as a weapon.
And Trump is doing it right here in the US as well as to every country around the world.
Meanwhile Xi, Putin and Modi are laughing at the orange wannabe dictator and his insane tariffs.
Hopefully, the courts will nullify the Trump tariff's but hundreds of businesses have already gone under.
Facts. Funny how they matter to some of us, GJ.
But Donald cannot even begin to process them, not when fantasies have so insanely lodged in that fat head of his.
As I see it, GL is responding to Phil B. in his response to you.
Sorry Margaret-Rose. As Ally House puts it, we are non-theists. 😏
I believe in science instead of worshipping an imaginary being or beings.
While researching my ancestry I came across a great grandmother who married 4 times and lived in the 9th century. As the legend goes, one of her husbands she had put to death because he tried to force Christianity on her.
Phil, i believe MRS is saying that she is discerning between the trump regime and the American populace at large. If i am not mistaken. Just being kind to us.
Thank you for that kind distinction, Margaret-Rose. From another Phil.
Well, aren't we all living in so-called "liberal democracies" where all the power comes from "We, the people"? I don't think it's that easy to wriggle our way out of responsibility, not only US Americans, but the whole rest of the West, who supposedly live in "the free world". You're not only part of a country when it's winning, you share the losses too.
I think I get it - you don't want people who stand against this administration feel guilty - I just remember the history of my birth-country (Germany) and that everybody, Nazi or not, had eventually to bear the consequences of the actions of a minority of psychopaths. And how often we went during school through "What would you have done during the Third Reich to prevent it?" I can't even count.
Living through the current times, it turns out - we would have done nothing, just like the majority of Germans did.
The White Rose Society did and some paid for their lives. Carrie Ten Boom abd her family did abd she abd her sister at the female concentration camp. I Coukd never understand those times until PBS did a documentary about the tactics and strategies used by the powers that be. One was targeting relatives of trouble makers. Actually an old old tool.
The nuns would ask us what would you do if the communist cane? Red Dawn was a novel that came up fir young people around that time.
What I have observed is the courage of sone folks from all over the world and time who did stand up and pay the price. Many, many were aware that yes they were putting their lives in danger. But they freely choose to keep on walking. I am utterly astounded at the weak level of courage so many people have exhibited at the WH and other places. Were they raised to be cowards? Did not they read George Bernard Shaw’s Androcles and the Lion? Abd did not one read the big Republican William Edward Bennet’s A Child’s Book off Virtues? I wonder if the current head of Efucation Linda McMahon even knows of its existence. I would read these books into the Congresfional Record if nothing else.
And always remember The Book Thief book and film. There are ways and there are ways to support good when you live in a bad world.
Again the misspellings! My sincere apologies.
It always feels like "is it enough?", or is that just me? I try to engage as much as possible against the right-wing shift here in Australia, and was devastated to see so many thousands participating in the right-wing, nazi-supporting, anti-migrant demonstrations in our country last weekend.
Well, no time for complaining, I suppose, we've got lots of work to do 😉
EPSTEIN FILES... GHISLAINE MAXWELL... It is the ultimate in moral depravity when Ghislaine Maxwell denies any accountability for what she did, shows no remorse for ruining so many young lives, and then sells her already "blackened" soul for a few selfish creature comforts. This is in contrast to the victims/survivors who live and breathe trauma and fear every single day.
TODAY...LAST WORDS OF VICTIM/ SURVIVOR ANOUSKA DE GEORGIOU: "So the fear is very real for us. I have also been in multiple situations with both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, where they have been direct and indirect about implying and saying that if I was to talk, if I was to bring any kind of trouble, then there would be severe consequences, including DEATH."
Michele, thank you for adding that chilling testimony from Anouska de Georgiou. I hope people here are not only discussing these depravities by the supposed president and his cronies in this forum, but taking the information out to our spheres of influence.
You know, if Trump had nothing to do with any of this, if he weren’t such a gobsmacking moron, he wouldn’t have arranged a military fly-over during these women’s press conference in front of the Capitol to drown them out.
Hard to come up with a stronger metaphor for a cornered rat desperate to change the conversation.
I’m thinking the genie is coming out of the bottle, and we all know there’s no putting it (her) back in. Watch for even more and bigger distraction attempts.
Trump has done so many stupid things, but repeating ad nauseam that he would release the Epstein files ranks right up there.
Every day Miller, Wiles, Hogsbreath, Pissant, Bondi and Trump try to distract us from Trump's empty promise of releasing the files.
As it turns out, even a few Republicans are opposed to pedophiles and sex traffickers running their country.
Not enough!!!
And then there’s the disgusting Fox (News?) take on it. Spinning it to support the regime in the White House 🙄
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6378330878112
Thanks for the link, Kari, but I just can’t bring myself to watch Fox w/o spewing 🤮 & don’t wanna mess up my keyboard!
If you are a consituent of Khanna or one of the House members working on the petition to open the Epstein records, Congress should hear from former case prosecutor AUSA Marie Villafaña, who prepared a sex-trafficking indictment against Epstein that was not filed. If he trafficked, to whom?
Also although Epstein lawyers Jay Lekowitz, Ken Starr and Roy Black passed away, their Epstein files should be subpoenaed, as he is dead and attorney client privilege died with him. Other lawyers working for Epstein at the time that Acosta gave Epstein the deal of the century were Alan Derskowitz, Marty Weinberg, Jack Goldberger, Darren Indyke and Jeffrey Schantz.
I loved when the survivor speaking (I believe it was Ms. de Georgiou) raised her hand and flipped off the planes causing the disruption.
I also love the choice of the word "survivor" as the adjective of choice for these brave, strong women. While they were definitely once victimized, their strength as survivors much better defines them.
It Comes to This. Even with the flyover it did not detour them from speaking their truth. They just took a pause, very strong, dedicated women to free themselves and all the survivors.
#PublicHealthHaiku
Tactics escalate /
Cornered rats are desperate /
Will devour their own...
Yes. I’m so glad that Heather included that bit.
Or he would be way out in front of the situation and release the files, as he said he would. He's protecting himself and/or others in high position.
I hope so. We will see if the discharge petition gets enough signatures. It is close, but Trump and Mike Johnson will be threatening Republicans... Thank you for posting!
It is agonizing that those men are in charge. Since Epstein is the one issue that seems to stick to Teflon Don, we need to amplify it daily.
Yes... The more cracks in this House of Mirrors, the more potential for broken glass...
Trump is very visibly squirming on this one.
Love to see him squirm! Wish it was a medical condition!
I'm seeing cracks develop throughout this administration. We all need to widen those cracks and exploit them in any and every way possible. Protesting may seem symbolic but, it is worth it and, writing letters, speaking up at town halls.
I totally agree! In fact, just today Ezra Levin was interviewed on the Contrarian. There is a nationwide protest, NO KINGS 2" on Sat., Oct 18. He is looking at it as strategic. There were 6 million protesters at the original NO KINGS protest. Authoritarian experts say 3.5% of the population is a tipping point to prevent an autocratic breakthrough moment. So we would need 11 to 12 million protesters to make that happen - essentially double our numbers. So we start now trying to get the word out... All of those things you said are important. Also music, graphic art, videos, political satire, etc... We have the momentum... On the Indivisible website last week there was a place to go to email your governor to say you don't want troops deployed. They have a message you can use and it will pull up your governor. They make it easy. Check it out... Anyway, I am glad you brought those ideas to everyone's attention... I really appreciate your post. It is inspiring! Thank you...
I wonder how many of the victims were forced to get abortions when they got pregnant by these animals. And who are the doctors that performed these abortions.
It's hard to imagine that Trump wasn't involved in "taking care" of this problem.
Doesn't it make any of us even a LITTLE queasy that the three GOP "turncoat" legislators here are Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace? I mean my body almost feels DIRTY being associated with these three.
Sigh, I guess we need to be thankful for having supporters from the other side, but there still feels like something definitely is "wrong" here. I just wish I could put my finger on the exact problem.
I'll state the obvious - I have to hope it's because they are WOMEN, under all that MAGA, and they know like every other woman knows.
I would LOVE to agree with you here, but none of those three have been particularly forthcoming in any OTHER womens' rights issues that have been faced by the GOP.
Maybe they have come to their senses, but MTG? Seriously?
I just wish I understood more about what was going on behind the curtains.
My guess? MTG has either had a personal experience like these girls or knows someone close in her orbit that did...
MTG is likely polling very poorly against the Brigadier General running against her plus she can't be well liked by most of her constituents.
There are dozens of silent Republican women like Collins and Murkowski that used to be very supportive of women, but the GOP men have shut them all up (or down).
Perhaps they are hoping their support of the dp will increase their reelection chances? I read somewhere that Mace is also a survivor.
And keep in mind, NONE of these women have exactly been banner-carriers for womens' rights in the GOP. Boebert's little "theater" incident doesn't suggest she is a particularly strong supporter of womens' rights in sexual harassment situations.
I appreciate the cracks in Maga world.. But I know what you are saying. Don't forget Thomas Massie is co-sponsor of the petition... It is an upside down, surreal world we are inhabiting ... Truth really is stranger than fiction in this moment...
Yes, but Massie has been a relatively more centrist GOP congresscritter and it didn't COMPLETELY surprise me that he would get on board here. He also has 4 kids and his wife died last year so he might still have some basic humanity.
I have a REALLY hard time feeling the same way about the other three, particularly Greene and Boebert. Mace has her own history of dealing with sexual harassment so that might be a little more likely to be sincere. But Greene and Boebert? If they have really changed, I would love to see more evidence of it.
Jon, nobody's saying they've CHANGED. I'm saying the obvious reason they're speaking out is that they've been triggered.
I was reluctantly impressed by Greene's short comments during the press briefing. I think she's sincere, and I think her own sharp experience being dissed as a woman in the GOP has begun to turn her away from MAGA, at least a tiny little bit.
The chance that their personalities have totally transformed is vanishingly small, but their votes, for whatever reason, may make an important difference. It's even possible that just being a jerk about everything gets old even for the likes of MT, and she needs a break.
Yes... Good point...
I very much doubt any of these 3 have changed on other issues, but I will put a tick on the credit side of their ledgers, contrasting many on the debit side. They've shown courage to step forward, unlike the rest of their party. I'm pleased to see them shake that tree of poisonous fruit, to see what falls from it, and hope that enough others do the same.
It’s political theater. Of the absurd kind. And a terrible distraction from REAL events happening right now — including, apparently, piracy and murder on the high seas.
I honestly do not know why people want the focus to keep returning to a long-dead child predator. What do people hope to find, photos of Trump with Epstein? They already exist by the jillion.
MAGAworld shoved itself up Trump’s ass years ago. They knew what he was then, and now. They don’t care. Some are performing for the cameras now, just as they always have.
Strategically, this is a cul-de-sac for us. It will lead to nowhere in particular. It may feel good to rant and rave about how morally depraved Trump is, but you knew that already. Time to focus on how to dislodge what few sane Republicans exist, not on what Marjorie-Traylor-Trash said and did yesterday.
I've generally agreed with your comments, but will not on this one. It's not just trump, and who knows what, if anything, will ever be told of his involvement. It's about justice for the women who have come forward, and it's about bringing to justice the clients of Epstein (who escaped it under still-mysterious circumstances) and Maxwell (who is attempting to escape it by way of a cushy confinement and a hopeful eventual pardon.) And I honestly don't care whose names come to light, but light must shine on their dark deeds.
Strange that you want to sweep a decades-long child sexual assault cabal to shut up. Listen to the survivors!!!
Believe the women who still bear the scars
LISTEN to their words.
Nancy Mace spoken of her own sexual assault many times.
Damned if they do damned if they don't. They will NEVER release the files without redacting EVERY single Republican named in them.
So it's up to the victims to make the names public. Over 100 of them are already in touch with each other and that list is likely to grow even more.
Hopefully, Maxwell will release some of the videos she has as well.
Gary, my concern about that is this: will the survivors, by releasing names, open themselves up to defamation suits? Without proof, it will be a case of "he said, she said", and I worry that the threat of such suits will have a chilling effect on their participation. Imagine them having to take the stand against an adversarial attorney who shreds them and their dignities. The plaintiff will be made out to be the true victim. And what if they were made/paid to sign NDAs after they became adults, when news of Epstein began to surface? I'm no attorney, mind you, and I'd love to hear from one to learn if my concerns are justified.
I fully support and demand that the DoJ release the COMPLETE EPSTEIN FILES, redacting only the names of the victims as necessary.
These women have some very good legal counsel and lots of it. And it's only defamation if they can prove malice I think?? They will probably release the names to Congress first and as a last resort will release them publicly.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the only reason Trump is refusing to release the Epstein files is that he is not only mentioned in them, but is accused of rape and/or child molestation. Thus, he will never release them UNLESS he has them creatively edited. If then released, how can we possibly trust them as accurate?
We can't... And today the discharge petition didn't have enough signatures thanks to Trump's threatening Republicans. I' m sure you are right and that Trump is hiding an unconscionable act. We need to keep hammering at that crack, though, as it creates division in the Maga world and some chaos and worry in Trump' s demented mind... We keep pushing back... Thanks for your wise words!
I was impressed that Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Bobert, and Nancy Mace had signed it. For once, these women have reached across the aisle. I hope more can locate their moral cores.
During the press conference by Epstein’s victims I was checking FOX news. They announced that it was about to happen, then reported on everything else but, including “the left’s lame conspiracy theory” that trump was dead after he made no appearances in six days. This is the “information” spewed to the MAGAs without compunction….
What spheres? rumpites control them all.
Our fucking lame stream media didn't give the press conference a fraction of the air and print time they should have.
One of the Epstein/Maxwell/Trump victims said that several of the victims are compiling a list of the pedophiles that were involved in the trafficking and sexual predations.
Anyone involved in recruiting and raping these women and ruining their lives should be OUTED. It shouldn't matter how powerful or wealthy the individual is or what their party affiliation is or even if they are dead. EXPOSE THEM ALL!!
Clinton and tRvmp were both outted.
just a tiny editorial nag: "penultimate" means second-to-last. I absolutely agree with what you say here though.
Thanks vey much... I definitely mean ultimate!
There's something about that word "penultimate" that just makes it sound so important! Easy to mistake it.
Maybe it’s only ultimate if you write it with a pen….penultimate & only then is it the tops! Never mind…..
I hope those brave ladies have ample security against threats from the rich perps.
They don't. There was more to that quote from Anouska. She has been followed in an unmarked car when she drives her child to school.. Also, there was talk that the women might publish a list, if nothing was done. That would put their lives in extreme danger... It is truly heartbreaking... And Trump is complicit. Remember that Hollywood Access tape- his bragging.- he has no respect for women! We have to keep hammering at that crack, because, if nothing else, it causes dissension in the Maga ranks, and those brave survivors deserve our continued fight for them...
Regarding the survivors of abuse: I was angered by the fly-over as they were speaking. It seemed intentional, and you confirmed that. I am only recently feeling the chains of abuse released when my abuser died. Listening to these women is helping me with the 60 years of silence and pain I endured. Boy do I feel angry when a male interviewer asks..."Why wait so long to speak up?" Translation: This guy does not believe you. He has no stinking clue what women have been dragged through, and speaking up brings new rounds of abuse.
Of course it was intentional.
Lol
🧌
That’s why so many women would choose the bear, Laurie….many men have no clue, tho I see some men nowadays are starting to “get it” and being vocal about calling out misogyny in all forms when they see it.
I noticed the same thing Barbara specially if they are being pushed by their wives. That makes a big difference.
To many men, this is a "no big deal" thing--though they realize they don't dare say that out loud. Women exist mainly to please men, and underage girls have even less value, outside their capacity to give men pleasure.
The vile truth of this whole Epstein sh[tshow is that most men (emotionally they are just boys) lustfully crave a female child as their own sex slave. When you get right down to the nitty-gritty of all of this perversion - that's what it is. Emotionally retarded men who want to degrade a female child. Now, that's JUST SICK!
There’s actually quite a few women who have no clue, as well. I think some are survivors with repressed memories, but some are simply as complicit as the men you speak of.
A bunch of very rich and/or very powerful men RAPED CHILDREN and got away with it. Time to bring all those child molesters to justice.
Sexual abuse of children is horrific under any circumstances, but one step creepier, it seems to me, when the perpetrators are rich, powerful, and organized in their criminality. Even worse when the government we empower in order to protect us, chooses to protect the perps instead, as long as they are able.
I’ll go even one step further J L and say that when a father abuses their child-its far more horrific than you imagine-I speak from experience.
Yes, I have no doubt that's true.
... With the entitled expectation to get away scot free, like OiD.
It's called SEX trafficking of children! It's abominable!
Ask Biden why
Well, Biden was in charge when July Maxwell was tried and convicted, and he had all the documents and didn’t release a thing. And by the way, I hope you heard the attorney representing a number of the clients and he admitted on TV. He has never seen a list produced by epstein of the men involve in his disgusting adventure
But I do like the fact that the women are gathering together, and hopefully will disclose these names, but you have to understand there’s so much more depth to what is going on in that case first of all the women are scared to death that if they expose the names of these Extremely powerful men that their lives are at risk there’s also the risk of the women that don’t want it known that they were involved in victims because of the names come out of the men, and these women were involved their lives could be ruined. Their families could be ruined. Their children could now know their mother was trafficked which they didn’t know before, and of course, they will live forever in fear of looking over their shoulder. Should any of these people find out about their admissions.
Do you have any idea why Biden did not release any information ?
I think it’s gonna be very interesting to see the chaos and mayhem I’d the names are who we imagine they are.
Oh, and by the way, the attorney who is interviewed 200 of the women says there is nothing he knows about any involvement, but Donald Trump whatsoever that that’s their attorney speaking just tonight
Bravo to Jess Michaels for declaring her truth and the truth of all of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse. Bravo to all of those throughout our government who are speaking the truth about the incompetence, venality, and lawlessness of this regime. The more the lies are shown to be lies, the more truth is able to replace those lies. Bravo to everyone who does not cringe or cower in the face of threats of retribution but who loudly proclaims the truths that they know.
We need to be lauder than Fox Betsy, and the more brave people on any position speaking the truth the better.
Hey Betsy This has nothing to do with this regime. Uh oh.
Someone explain to me why Americans would care about what the Epstein survivors say any more than they cared about the 27 women and girls who accused Trump of rape and/or sexual assault and/or sexual impropriety. I don't understand why Democrats are grabbing on to this (sorry, my bad). We, as a country, don't care what women say and we don't care if women and girls are raped. Asked and answered! One girl already accused Trump of raping her with Epstein when she was 13. We shrugged, ignored her and voted him in to 'lower the costs of eggs' anyway.
I keep wondering this, too. Some part of it makes no sense at all. What else do people expect from the man who boasted about tic-tacs, “moving on her like a bitch” and boasting “when you’re famous they let you do it.” Why are the “Epstein Files” (whatever that even is) considered some magic elixir that will totally undo MAGA world in a flash? That isn’t logical.
The administration is awash in illegalities, anti-constitutional violations of the Emoluments Clause and the separation of powers on a daily basis. Judges get up at 3am to stop ICE from deporting a plane load of children to Guatemala, and now we commit murder on the high seas.
Shouldn’t what’s happening right under our noses be the one, overwhelming focus of our attentions right now?
You’re right of course ICTT, but we are literally drowning in a sea of disinformation keeping too many of us from focusing on what’s important.
‘Eyes on the prize’ is especially important at the moment you realize you’re drowning in disinformation.
It begs the question, what is important? How do we decide what that is? What is “the prize”?
What stands the greatest chance of dislodging what few sane, honorable Republicans still exist from the MAGA cesspool of death.
Hint: it’s not Marjorie Traylor-Trash performing for the cameras. It’s the few GOP moderates watching him piss all over the Constitution and saying nothing.
Add to that, Laura Loomer's complaint to the Pentagon about Virginia Senator Mark Warner visiting a military spy agency with the Pentagon ending up canceling the visit. Senator Warner, because of his leadership role on a committee, has every right to interview members of the spy agency to gain information and provide oversight on activities. Laura Loomer brands Senator Warner a traitor who should be removed from the Senate because he speaks his mind about Trump's illegalites.
Persistent social injustices are often (pointedly) ignored until the aren't, and even then, reform is often only partial. Yet organizers and leaders sometimes move the needle a significant notch closer to liberty and justice for all. Sometimes a highlighted outrage, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, the human and legal atrocities associated with the murder of Emmett Till, help shock society out of a stupor of denial.
This would not be a new 'shock to the system'. The evidence to logically conclude that Trump is a serial rapist and sexual abuser is already readily available. The evidence to logically conclude that Trump was good friends with Epstein and used him for access to children to rape is already out there. On a larger scale, we already had the 'Me Too' movement but decided that it went too far when it hurt a few men so we decided to go back to ignoring women and leaving the problem unsolved in favor of the ruling class (straight white men). Honestly, I think for the 77 million Americans who voted for a felon and rapist and the 90 million who couldn't even be bothered to vote, it is going to come down to the increasing price of groceries that *might* cause them to vote against Trump and for democracy next time. None of them will actually be voting to save democracy (even if that is the result hopefully) but to maybe (there is never any real plan, they are just rolling the dice) save a few dollars.
Most of the same people who don't care about sexual assault on women and girls are the same ones who voted the orange psychopath sexual predator into office, 23% of the US population. It could be that there is momentum now for Democrats (at least the ones who care) because part of the MAGA base is demanding the Epstein files?
I am doubtful to say the least. MAGA only cared about Epstein and his files because they thought it was going to lead to the downfall of their evil enemy, the other team, the Democrats. If it turned out that their guy is all over the files and raped dozens/hundreds/thousands of young girls just like his good friend Epstein, they would just say that it was fake. They do not and never have cared about the survivors just like they did not care about the other Trump victims that came forward. Just like they did not care about the little kids slaughtered at Sandy Hook. But thanks for trying to explain it. I fear it is just more political theater and nonsense. The fact that Marjorie Taylor Green was there is pretty convincing evidence that it is. Political theter and performance art are her bread and butter!
Yet the MAGAs still care knowing their cherished pedophile is in the files. Dems can use that to their advantage against the orange psychopath. As I said those MAGAs who voted for the psychopath don't care about the victims of sexual assault, gun violence. I reserve judgement about the MAGAs who have crossed over to sign the petition in spite of their leaders threats and fury.
If it is real threats and fury. Hard to believe it's any thing more than another edition of the reality show we have all been forced to watch. I'm not even sure if the whole Trump/Musk feud was anything but an act as their actual actions still support each other completely. And hard to believe MTG cares about anything but herself. Maybe we find out, maybe we never do.
I wish your comment was at the top of this commentary, not buried under the usual blather about how evil evil is, and Rick Sender’s farting up the elevator.
The “Epstein Files” are not a strategy for getting rid of MAGA, if they’re even a real thing. (What do people expect to find, photos of Trump with Epstein? They already exist by the jillion). They will not cause these people to defect en masse and suddenly start voting for law and order, or vote Blue. It isn’t going to happen.
We need to start thinking very carefully about attracting sane Republicans, not pieces of trash whose words are as worthless as their brains.
There are no sane Republicans left that haven't already defected as the Republican Party is no longer a legitimate political party. Unfortunately, what's left to try to pick up are the so-called 'independents' (who are just contrarian and tend to just vote on whim, back and forth with no rationality behind it) and the non-voters who make MAGA seem like thoughtful, dutiful citizens. If MAGA is misinformed, the non-voters are completely uninformed and might not even be able to tell you who the President is.
There are Democrats who argue that in that latter group, there is a large group of people who would vote if only they felt that their vote mattered but feel it doesn't because neither party 'fights for them'. The problem with this theory is that it is stunningly true to anyone who pays attention at all, that the two parties are not the same and one party consistently works to help the bottom 90% and one party helps only the top 10% by consistently moving to hurt the bottom 90%. With this reality already being so crystal clear, I'm not sure what the Democrats could say to convince them of it.
PS If there are Epstein Files that existed that proved Trump used Epstein to get access to young girls to rape, those files are long since destroyed and will never see the light of day. I think we already have enough evidence to conclude that it happened but again, people want to ignore that evidence so what good will new evidence, that they can also ignore, do??
I listened to the press conference from the beginning and when MTG started speaking and I'm thinking, what, then she mentions Bobert, I just about turned the PBS live conference off. I did turn the volume off until she finished and the real speaking started. Why was she even there??
I'm guessing it is because she's from the QAnnon branch of MAGAt Land.
I can't disagree with you Dana, but to a lot of people it's a deeply personal issue. Unfortunately, I know several women who were sexually abused as teenagers and most of them are scarred for life. And in many cases their abuser had their sentences reduced if they were brought to trial at all.
And now that most of the red states are FORCING victims of rape and/or incest to carry these babies to term hopefully more and more people are becoming aware of the problems.
I hope that this is just another tipping point issue that makes SOME people realize that Trump and his regime feel they are above the law. Trump's approval rating is in the pits and if this drives it down a few more points how long before the MAGAs realize that being associated with Trump is not a good thing?
Google "Patriarchy". It is hardwired into most men that women exist mainly to please them, and many women internalize this belief as well. That's why the tepid response to crimes against girls and women.
I cannot explain that dichotomy.
Reach out to as many House reps as you can about the Epstein files. This is bigger than a “I only represent my constituents” issue.
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Goodtrouble) as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, and those in a committee that fits your topic. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. We deserve better ❤️🩹🤍💙
We are no longer talking politics, this is basic morality.
Basic morality, by which I mean civilized and harmless behaviors toward one another, is always a bedrock human issue. Perhaps it's less evident at moments of comparative ease (though at all times it's a problem for someone, somewhere) and during other times of distraction, often laced with efforts to deliberately distract; yet most humanity's problems, and most of our opportunities, boil down to how we choose to interact with one another. That said, we are in very troubled times, and I recall some online discussion of "This is not as much a matter of left or right, but of good and evil".
" To stir the masses, to appeal to their higher, better selves, to set them thinking for themselves, and to hold ever before them the ideal of mutual kindness and goodwill, based upon mutual interests, is to render real service to the cause of humanity." Eugene V. Debs
That is very true….
So Biden had all the files why didn’t he release them? Nobody seems to be able to answer that question.
A good question, but one that is no longer relevant since he's no longer in government. At this point, it's raised mainly to distract people from the real, current issues surrounding Epstein. That wouldn't be you by any chance, would it?
Do you not realize why LEX that every administration runs into the next administration like if one ADMINISTRATION allows a war the next administration is left to deal with that war or if some president decides to open the borders and let 15 million illegals in that the next president has to deal with that so enough with your BS about it’s no longer relevant. OK it’s always relevant no matter which side is wrong or right.
Unless you live in some fantasy land, they think that the day the new president takes office. He’s not responsible for anything left him by the previous administration.
LET ME GIVE YOU THE MOST EGREGIOUS FAULT IN YOUR POST UP ABOVE… THE REASON THAT UKRAINE AND RUSSIA ARE FIGHTING RIGHT NOW IS ESSENTIALLY ON THE SHOULDERS OF WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON. WHY DON’T YOU HISTORIANS GO LOOK UP WHY AND STOP TALKING NONSENSE LIKE THE POST ABOVE?
And I’m going to provide you with one more post addressing this issue
And the only reason that you lefties all of a sudden are excited about the epstein files when you didn’t hear a peep when Biden had the files except wanting to blame Trump on some involvement with Epstein on Lolita Island and that’s the MAIN reason you want to file now it has nothing to do with All the accusers need to go because you were silent since 2021 when Biden took office …
Like I say many times the liberal seem to live on the intersection right on the corner of double standard and hypocrisy
First of all, Rick, I'm not a lefty. I was a Republican for 40 years before the party lost its damn mind and nominated a thieving grifter for the presidency. And I was NOT been silent about Epstein under Biden; you just assumed that because it makes you feel better.
Second, I'm going to ask you a simple question: Granted, Biden should have released the files -- I've never claimed otherwise -- but what can he do about it NOW, today? That is a relevant question and it is neither rhetorical nor hypocritical.
For the record, and not for the first time: I want all the child rapists locked up, whether they're Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, or unaffiliated. I notice you're not questioning why 208 Republicans voted yesterday against releasing the files. I think Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor Greene are both idiots, but on THIS issue, at least, they're on the side of the angels. The question is, why aren't you?
Thanks for the spreadsheet. 5calls is also a great tool because it provides guidance on what to say-which is especially good for someone like me, who can get tongue tied when i am angry.
Yup, 5calls is amazing. I used it for a while (and still do for scripts). It’s listed at the top of my sheet along with other resources - Card Campaign, Action Network, ResistBot, Indivisible, and other how to take action sites. But I wanted to be able call beyond my state quicker than changing the state each time, as well as email after my kids went to bed. All of the information on my sheet is on government sites, but not all in one place so I put it in one place to make it easier.
Thank you!!
How sad is it that the writings of a respected Professor of History and reporter of politics must preface her message with the note that the post talks about sexual assault in the last four paragraphs?
How much did it cost--in dollars and in loss of dignity of the American people--to send fighter planes to attempt to drown out the voices of women?
And yet, their voices swell the trumpet that shall never call retreat. The dim and flaring lamps glow more brightly to read the righteous sentence that is coming to his evil and all who have enabled him with word, deed, and silence. Truth is marching on.
Male and female points of view are more evident than ever in our connected world.
Female voices will not be drowned out by male flyovers.
Good Women and Good Men will prevail.
We need to see pictures of female and male world leaders standing strong together for the future of our children.
Women, this is our time.
VOTE!
Why didn’t Joe Biden release the documents when he had them in his possession long before Trump was president ? He had them in December 1923 or January 1924 for the whole entire year and did nothing with them. Why do you think that is?
because the files talk about more than the sexual attacks... They must also spell out the financial transactions that Epstein carried on with other governments which will expose many very rich and powerful men.....they must be trying to keep this out of public view.
"Must'? Not necessarily.
1. Biden was focused on re-election. He rarely, if ever, slung dirt during a campaign, so it's unlikely he would have used it--have you forgotten how folks criticized him for that?
2. Many of the files were sealed to protect the victims, and given what we have seen about the rigamarole needed to unseal them, and the likelihood of multiple appeals by, shall we say, interested parties, and the Supreme Court's obvious bias, getting the courts to unseal them would be a hassle and unlikely.
3. Given the snail's pace with which the Jan 6 investigations proceeded, and the emphasis on those, it is likely that it was not going to happen with Garland as AG.
4. Remember that Maxwell's case is being appealed, and any release of information could be considered prejudicial and cause her conviction to be overturned.
5. While it is possible, even likely, that the earlier friendship between Bill Clinton and Epstein, was the reason, I'm not sure it would have been any more damning than the "pedophile pizza parlor" rumors that flew during Hillary's campaign.
6. It is highly unusual for the FBI to release information unrelated to charging a person with a crime. Epstein was dead; Maxwell was convicted.
7. While it is possible that the files would damage relationships with other countries and Biden's emphasis on diplomacy would have wanted to avoid that, there are these and many other factors.
In short, it's possible, but given the number of Congressional attempts to make the files public, led by Democrats, dating back to 2019, it's also likely that the inaction was just a matter of priorities and political positioning. It is Trump's re-election that has reawakened interest in their contents.
Kudos to Jess Michaels for her excellent summation.
I hope and pray that the backing of millions of people in the US as well as all over the world will give these women protection and strength.
"ALERT: TRUMP HANDS ICE A DANGEROUS SURVEILLANCE TOOL
Please Share Widely: Everyone Needs to Know ICE Will Soon Have Graphite Spyware"
OLGA LAUTMAN, "RUSSIA UNMASKED" Substack, 9/3/25
[I apologize for taking this Comment section to post this, but it is critical information, and NOT being reported by the media in this nation. All CAPS are mine.]
GRAPHITE SPYWARE Was Used to Infect iPhones of European Journalists, Researchers Confirm
The University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab has produced forensic proof that Paragon Solutions’ “Graphite” iOS spyware was used to hack European journalists’ phones, deepening concern over the booming mercenary-spyware industry.
As I document my daily Trump Tyranny Tracker, I came across something extremely disturbing that is receiving virtually NO COVERAGE OUTSIDE OF "THE GUARDIAN" and deserves our full attention. Yesterday, they reported that Trump lifted the freeze on a $2 million contract granting ICE access to Graphite, a commercial spyware tool developed by the Israeli company Paragon Solutions. This move reverses a Biden-era pause imposed after mounting evidence showed that spyware was being misused against journalists and human rights defenders in Europe. And out of all agencies, Trump has chosen to hand this technology to ICE—an agency he is shaping into his own private police force.
Graphite’s track record abroad ALREADY DEEPLY ALARMING. Citizen Lab has confirmed that Italian journalists’ iPhones were compromised, Amnesty International has documented its use against activists conducting sea rescue work, and Meta reported its exploitation of WhatsApp to target users in more than twenty countries, including a campaign disrupted in December 2024 that used Paragon’s spyware against about 90 journalists and civil society members. From Europe to Africa, these campaigns show that the spyware is nothing more than mercenary surveillance technology turned against civil society. GRAPHITE IS A WEAPON FOR AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENTS AND A DIRECT THREAT TO ALL OF US.
Once installed, the software gives near-total access to a device: encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp, location data, photos and contacts, and EVEN THE ABILITY TO REMOTELY ACTIVATE MICROPHONES OR CAMERAS. Giving this power to ICE—already notorious for lawlessness—does not make any of us safer, hands Trump’s private police force a weapon of control, and pushes the U.S. closer to a surveillance state.
The spread of commercial spyware always follows the same playbook: sold as tools to “fight” crime or terrorism, they end up turned inward to crush dissent, monitor activists, silence journalists, and intimidate political opponents. Graphite is a dictator’s weapon, and putting it in the hands of ICE makes clear that TRUMP IS ACCELERATING A SURVEILLANCE STATE.
What We Can Do
I’m asking everyone to please spread the word and share this widely, so more people understand what Graphite is and the danger it poses. Contact your representatives in Congress and state officials, demand answers, and push for strict limits or an outright ban on government spyware. Report abuses to Citizen Lab or trusted media, and protect yourself by keeping devices updated and using tools like Lockdown Mode. We cannot let ICE have this dictator’s weapon, and we can try to stop it by bringing attention to it.
This was reported in The Independent.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-ice-contract-paragon-graphite-spyware-israel-biden-b2818884.html
And why is it ONLY U.K. papers reporting this critically important information??
That I cannot answer.
Thanks for sharing this!!!! Damn scary😱!
As i have come to Not believe everything I read-I am doing some research on this. From what little I have looked at so far-Thank you for bringing this up- It is horrifying to say the least. Thank you!
Our privacy is absolutely a protection we no longer have. Here's a link I listened to. It's a Congressional hearing with Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former high level executive with Meta, held in April about Meta and Zuckerberg's part in being a sellout of our Nation's data to the Chinese. It is in-depth testimony about the inner workings of Meta.
https://open.substack.com/pub/rickysutton/p/a-two-hour-truth-bomb-just-hit-meta?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=105j13
The voices of the women have all of my focus today. Their bravery, their solidarity, and their power. They lift us all and they have shifted the momentum going forward.
Which is why Greene and Bobert are trying to grab hold of their coattails. Sorry, it's too late.
Will be interesting, progwoman, to see if/how they vote if the Discharge Petition is brought to the floor. Sometimes, when something has affected you in a personal way (self, loved ones), you might join with folks you generally oppose. Dunno ‘bout them & what might have prompted this affiliation, but if they are two votes in favor of passing the DP, then for all that I dislike so very much about them, I would applaud their actions.
Me too
Working man tax cut bill ??? That is really a stretch. The “cuts” don’t even last that long.
I so admire the women who have taken their power and spoken up. It has taken so much courage, but there is strength in numbers
So very petty to have the flyover when they were speaking but I wouldn’t expect less from trump.
I’m only surprised they didn’t try to rename it the Happy Days Are Here Again Bill. “Once people start tapping their toes out to that tune, they’ll realize how great a bill it is,” the Maybelline Asswipe could claim.
Wow, you just full of colorful acronyms not real big in facts just rhetoric from an ole windbag
And if he hadn’t passed the bill, everybody’s tax would’ve gone up almost $1800 this year and that’s starting from the bottom up and how do you give a tax break Mister when people don’t pay tax in the first place because the bottom 50% of income murderers pay 3% of the total tax so Trump managed to meander around the income tax issue and found an alternative way to give people a break, the poorest people in the world and the middle income people. I’m guessing that Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are not gonna have to work overtime.. and I doubt they make a lot of money on tips lmao
This Letter portrays an excellent reflection of this Administration. Well past time for people to say “Enough is enough” until it echoes loudly through all branches of government. Plus release all the Epstein documents.
"The word 'democracy. comes from the Ancient Greek words 'demos,' meaning 'people,' and 'kratos,' meaning 'rule' or 'power.' Thus, it translates to 'rule by the people.' - Search Assist
How many times do you people need to learn that Joe Biden had these files on his desk a year before Trump was elected and before the voting actually began so why didn’t he destroy Trump when he had the chance if these documents say what you think they do which according to their attorney he has never seen any document that suggest that Trump did anything wrong or was involved in anyway that’s from the ladies attorney, whose representing 200 of the victims
Dear Rick Sender, I force myself to read your comments, suppressing my gag reflex. Then I routinely ignore them, deleting your black-hearted idiocy, at least from my view. Go back under your rock where you live in the dark. All by yourself.
Wow. Jess Michaels and the other Epstein survivors who spoke today are now my heroes. I just hope that people listen. It's way past time for the perpetrators to be identified and face the consequences of their behavior. I find myself becoming angrier and angrier at how women are so often violated and treated as second class citizens.
Was Hegseth drunk??? Did the orange blight personally order the strike against a boat, floating in the ocean? Does anyone really think that was a show of strength??? He's making our country a laughing stock. I am so ashamed of my country 😞
Of our regime anyway, and that we let it happen.
I voted for Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton
Carol and the problem with you and why you’re losing every fight other than the judges protecting you were trying to and failing anyway because you’re on the side of the 10% of Americans that want to protect criminals versus protect protecting citizens. Kilmore a Rakow for example was a illegal immigrant a member of a gang a wife beater whose wife asked three times for protective custody begged for somebody to come and take him away to keep him from beating her was caught trafficking illegals and even the people who knew him knew that he was gathering naked photos of minors and even they told him to knock it off. And these are the people you’re protecting who’s drunk you or hr]egseth