In earlier polls I have responded that the Trump regime is every bit as evil as I had feared. Now, I have to say that the Trump regime is worse than I had feared.
He is the tool. Stephen Miller and Russell Vought are not sycophants but the planners and drivers and he just enjoys the performance, as he always has.
That is what concerns me. Even if Trump were impeached and removed, or if Nature took its course, they would still be here and calling the shots. Frightening.
The irony is Donald Trump was caught with hundreds of the highest classified documents at his Mar a Lago estate. He broke multiple security laws and faced felony indictments only to have a so-called judge dismiss the charges.
My late husband would not be surprised. He grew up in 1930's-40's Europe. He said he'd seen it before. I'm glad in a way that he doesn't have to watch it again.
Or is it a “conditioned response?” I’ve felt for a long time that shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos trained us to laugh at others’ pain. Add in gratuitous violence in TV and film, and then how we’ve been siloed into different musical genres, news sources, and social media input, throw in constant “breaking news” and a “Whats in it for me?” mindset, and we’ve been trained to become inured, overwhelmed, tuned out or indifferent to the chaos.
I have seen enough for two lifetimes, so it sickens me to say that there will be blood. More blood. Until the would-be king is overthrown. May whichever deity or spirit you pray to or commune with have mercy on our souls.
I sure wish I could share the optimism of the people commenting here that we just need to get out the vote in the midterms. After reading Gene’s Substack post from earlier this week, I have no doubt that Trump will have troops seize voting machines so his people can do their own “count” rather than face a loss of Congress in the midterms.
Either that or he and his supporters will concoct something so awful that he’ll declare a state of emergency and manage to cancel the elections completely.
Whenever I hear people saying we're almost there but not yet I think about all of the other countries in the world where they would agree there is a dictatorship in place, and I wonder which aspect of any one of those other countries we are missing which would be the last critical defining aspect. Some protest is allowed in even the most repressive, just not enough to force change, some elections are allowed, they just aren't allowed to change anything, media is controlled, etc. Our laws are not enforced with respect to actions by members of the administration or their enforcement personnel. All these markers and more are in place. Admitting we have arrived at dictatorship where our system of checks and balances has been disabled is not the same as conceding defeat or denying we are at least inflicting some scratches and bite marks on them on the way down. It's not saying we stand no chance of pulling ourselves back up out of this dictatorship and maybe even eventually holding at least some of them to account. Holding tight to false perceptions of ourselves as a nation where we can trust to our systems to protect us individually and as a democracy is just a way to hold onto the comfort of denial. More disruptive less comfortable and sustained but hopefully still nonviolent protest needs to be coming, and our candidates will have to demand transparent recounts without blanching at the embarrassment. I picked "yes".
"Admitting we have arrived at dictatorship where our system of checks and balances has been disabled is not the same as conceding defeat." YES to this. Yes, this is a dictatorship, but this is a uniquely American dictatorship. The legislative and judicial checks on power have been neutered, but the federalism check on power has not been to the same degree. Has there ever been a dictatorship in such a large, diverse country with 50 states and a 200-year history of federalism? No, there has not been, and we can create a new story, not the same old submission story. That's my hope.
It's like the endless announcements that Gaza or Sudan are "on the brink of famine" when hundreds per day are dying. Is there really a bright line? Does it matter much which side of it you're hugging?
I can’t imagine that any Federal judge — other than Aileen Cannon — would have signed a warrant for that search. Apparently I am suffering from a lack of imagination.
Unfortunately, the catch-all "national security" can generate warrants better than any other rationale. Still, you'd think the trust in DOJ affidavits would be worm-belly low by now.
Yiiiikes. These investigations are being used to send a message to people who may think about doing something (protest, not lower interest rates, speak to the press) in the future. Under other presidents, DOJ only proceeded when it was very confident it can get a conviction in court. For the targets, having this action hanging over their heads is plenty of intimidation, of course, but it is not the main reason for them. It makes me so angry. This is persecution, not prosecution.
Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
The picture of the frog in a pot is apropos, even if factually incorrect. Everyone knows that analogy. I'm not going to sit here and write that I predicted all of this, but I will say that every Republican president since Nixon nominated Right Wing Supreme Court ideologues right out in the open. Starting with Robert Bork, the nominations for the SC were either members of the Federalist Society, or members of a religious minority whose members have been violently anti-abortion, or both. Even if we despised the Democrat on the ticket, to save our country every one of us had a duty to vote Democrat for the past 50 years. And many of us did not. And the Democrats forgot they had a duty to labor and workers in ALL sectors of society (manufacturing, labor, professionals), and started to chase the almighty donor for the almighty dollar. This was hastened along by the Citizens United ruling, but by then we had already really lost; we just didn't know it yet. Correcting this disaster is going to be a 30 - 50 year process, and our country will emerge from the other side virtually unrecognizable, if it survives at all. This isn't going away when Trump's administration is gone.
I would say very, *very* close. My only reason for hedging: we -- at least, we who don't live in areas like deep-red Texas, Florida, etc. -- we have not (yet) seen LOCAL authorities toeing the line, and we have not (yet) seen the utter collapse of the judicial system. But I don't really believe those remaining barriers will stand indefinitely.
In earlier polls I have responded that the Trump regime is every bit as evil as I had feared. Now, I have to say that the Trump regime is worse than I had feared.
Trumphuk and his CABAL are as bad as I always thought they would be.
Like? DON’T LIKE.
We are living in very dangerous times with a madman at the top and sycophants all around him.
He is the tool. Stephen Miller and Russell Vought are not sycophants but the planners and drivers and he just enjoys the performance, as he always has.
That is what concerns me. Even if Trump were impeached and removed, or if Nature took its course, they would still be here and calling the shots. Frightening.
Word
The sycophants and enablers are even more dangerous at this point.
Yup
The irony is Donald Trump was caught with hundreds of the highest classified documents at his Mar a Lago estate. He broke multiple security laws and faced felony indictments only to have a so-called judge dismiss the charges.
My late husband would not be surprised. He grew up in 1930's-40's Europe. He said he'd seen it before. I'm glad in a way that he doesn't have to watch it again.
Same for my die-hard liberal wife.
Public ignorance is an essential implement in a dictator's toolbox.
"Ignorance is Strength"
--- George Orwell, "1984"
Unfortunately a lot of it is "willful ignorance."
or "learned helplessness."
Or is it a “conditioned response?” I’ve felt for a long time that shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos trained us to laugh at others’ pain. Add in gratuitous violence in TV and film, and then how we’ve been siloed into different musical genres, news sources, and social media input, throw in constant “breaking news” and a “Whats in it for me?” mindset, and we’ve been trained to become inured, overwhelmed, tuned out or indifferent to the chaos.
I said yes. It may not be a solidified dictatorship yet, but it's getting there. Trump is a dictator.
aka, a dic
I have seen enough for two lifetimes, so it sickens me to say that there will be blood. More blood. Until the would-be king is overthrown. May whichever deity or spirit you pray to or commune with have mercy on our souls.
I sure wish I could share the optimism of the people commenting here that we just need to get out the vote in the midterms. After reading Gene’s Substack post from earlier this week, I have no doubt that Trump will have troops seize voting machines so his people can do their own “count” rather than face a loss of Congress in the midterms.
Either that or he and his supporters will concoct something so awful that he’ll declare a state of emergency and manage to cancel the elections completely.
Whenever I hear people saying we're almost there but not yet I think about all of the other countries in the world where they would agree there is a dictatorship in place, and I wonder which aspect of any one of those other countries we are missing which would be the last critical defining aspect. Some protest is allowed in even the most repressive, just not enough to force change, some elections are allowed, they just aren't allowed to change anything, media is controlled, etc. Our laws are not enforced with respect to actions by members of the administration or their enforcement personnel. All these markers and more are in place. Admitting we have arrived at dictatorship where our system of checks and balances has been disabled is not the same as conceding defeat or denying we are at least inflicting some scratches and bite marks on them on the way down. It's not saying we stand no chance of pulling ourselves back up out of this dictatorship and maybe even eventually holding at least some of them to account. Holding tight to false perceptions of ourselves as a nation where we can trust to our systems to protect us individually and as a democracy is just a way to hold onto the comfort of denial. More disruptive less comfortable and sustained but hopefully still nonviolent protest needs to be coming, and our candidates will have to demand transparent recounts without blanching at the embarrassment. I picked "yes".
"Admitting we have arrived at dictatorship where our system of checks and balances has been disabled is not the same as conceding defeat." YES to this. Yes, this is a dictatorship, but this is a uniquely American dictatorship. The legislative and judicial checks on power have been neutered, but the federalism check on power has not been to the same degree. Has there ever been a dictatorship in such a large, diverse country with 50 states and a 200-year history of federalism? No, there has not been, and we can create a new story, not the same old submission story. That's my hope.
And please remember that hope requires effort.
It's like the endless announcements that Gaza or Sudan are "on the brink of famine" when hundreds per day are dying. Is there really a bright line? Does it matter much which side of it you're hugging?
The Post is in Trump's pocket. I'd lay very good odds they gave her up.
I can’t imagine that any Federal judge — other than Aileen Cannon — would have signed a warrant for that search. Apparently I am suffering from a lack of imagination.
Unfortunately, the catch-all "national security" can generate warrants better than any other rationale. Still, you'd think the trust in DOJ affidavits would be worm-belly low by now.
Both things are true.
Yiiiikes. These investigations are being used to send a message to people who may think about doing something (protest, not lower interest rates, speak to the press) in the future. Under other presidents, DOJ only proceeded when it was very confident it can get a conviction in court. For the targets, having this action hanging over their heads is plenty of intimidation, of course, but it is not the main reason for them. It makes me so angry. This is persecution, not prosecution.
"It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little."
--- English cleric and writer, Sydney Smith
Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
Dear NO, Are you living at the White House or Mar A Lago?
The picture of the frog in a pot is apropos, even if factually incorrect. Everyone knows that analogy. I'm not going to sit here and write that I predicted all of this, but I will say that every Republican president since Nixon nominated Right Wing Supreme Court ideologues right out in the open. Starting with Robert Bork, the nominations for the SC were either members of the Federalist Society, or members of a religious minority whose members have been violently anti-abortion, or both. Even if we despised the Democrat on the ticket, to save our country every one of us had a duty to vote Democrat for the past 50 years. And many of us did not. And the Democrats forgot they had a duty to labor and workers in ALL sectors of society (manufacturing, labor, professionals), and started to chase the almighty donor for the almighty dollar. This was hastened along by the Citizens United ruling, but by then we had already really lost; we just didn't know it yet. Correcting this disaster is going to be a 30 - 50 year process, and our country will emerge from the other side virtually unrecognizable, if it survives at all. This isn't going away when Trump's administration is gone.
I would say very, *very* close. My only reason for hedging: we -- at least, we who don't live in areas like deep-red Texas, Florida, etc. -- we have not (yet) seen LOCAL authorities toeing the line, and we have not (yet) seen the utter collapse of the judicial system. But I don't really believe those remaining barriers will stand indefinitely.