The Senate will soon hold hearings on Trump’s Cabinet picks. At least four are dangerously unqualified. Will Senate Republicans have enough integrity to vote against them?
Keith Olson, Yes; Trump is a killer of women, presently, and Democracy: he is the enemy of the humans who would have self rule and true freedom, and wants to destroy the Constitution as we know it, not by making beneficial changes to bring it up to date, but to customize it to allow him to do "whatever the hell he wants", changing it to suit himself and his evil needs and desires, which includes an alliance with Vladimir Putin, and other authoritarians/fascists, and Nazis. He will sell our entire country ; stealing from our treasury until the country is a shell of what it was; and making it a dismal oligarchy with aristocrats sitting on the slaves underneath them, with brutal oppression, for most.
We can just take heart in knowing that, like his FIRST failed administration only WORSE this time, he has hired nothing but incompetent goofballs, weirdos and sex offenders like himself!
I like our odds of not a SINGLE bill passing in the next two years before we Americans retake the house and senate . . . ✊️🪵
Daniel, I am hoping you are right. But, how can Democrats come across even a few Republicans who will try to stand up for this nation when Trump is threatening all of them and there is no courage there? Then there are Sanders and Fetterman who "might" want RFK, Jr. because he says he stands for some food and drug regulations (or whatever it is they think he stands for). Really! How can anyone believe anything he says since he changes his position so often, maybe each time the brain worm shifts? Disgusting!
Daniel - I like your optimism in your last sentence but I worry that the integrity (or morals and spine) that the Professor is hoping for in the Senate is nonexistent to stop the confirmation of some really horrible and unqualified people. The last term in the House was also one of the least productive so I don’t see this one being any better and that might be a good thing. They will probably continue to waste everyone’s time and money on bs investigations which will continue to distract them from actually governing.
Full disclosure: I’m usually a pessimist but I do try to have some hope every once in a while. ;)
Anon, I have heard that Trump wants an all-encompassing MAGA bill of all the stupid stuff he wants passed during his entire time in office. I am guessing that is so he will have a little time to gloat over what he has done to the Republican Party and the American people, a jerk with no particular skill beyond being a remarkable con artist, grifter, before his dementia causes him to forget everything. I do believe he must know he is losing it, but is so enamored with his own hunger for power and money, he will dismiss it while trying to become king Donnie. His attendants know exactly what he is and his mental condition, but they are totally on board because they expect to gain from just being in his shadow both physically and mentally. Clearly they are not the brightest bulbs in any string or they would be working in their own home towns to grift those people instead of kissing butt in DC for a child-man on his way to oblivion. We are in trouble and need to try petitioning members of Congress to remind them first of all, of the sacrifices of the people of this nation to bring us to where we are now, and to remind them of their oath of office and that it is not a joke, something they can blow off if Toddler-Trump demands it. They are stronger than Trump is and need to start stepping up to let him know that. Alas, they won't, but it would be great if they did.
Ruth, I wrote my Cong'critters and told them not even to think about playing "hands across the aisle" (they're all Dems). If I get so much of a whiff of cooperation instead of hard lines in the sand, I'll never vote for any of them again. My Rep has already lost my vote (he's one of the Dems who voted to give the Treas. Dept. power to investigate charities if "supporting terrorism" is suspected).
Ruth - I agree with what you wrote. I have also read where they are trying to either push two bills or ram through one big one. I’m pretty sure that they will try to change the rules in order to get them through. If they wouldn’t have killed the bipartisan immigration bill just because trump wanted to run on it then half of what they are going to try for now (and waste more taxpayer money on) would have been settled already. I don’t hold out much hope for their poison pills to be blocked but I do hope that it will anger enough people so that we get back the majority.
I am happy that Sherrod Brown was able to see his long fought for bill of the Social Security Fairness Act to be passed before he left so it can hopefully benefit a lot of people. Unfortunately, I don’t see much bipartisanship to help others happening in the next couple of years.
An entirely degenerate definition of freedom: freedom to do as they please, that’s what maga people believe freedom is. Freedom to hate and destroy and kill and flip their finger at anyone who suggests they are not entitled to rape and pillage. They are all victims and freedom for them is getting even. They think they elected the white knight who will rescue them from themselves. They just don’t know what they are really gonna be getting.
Beth Whitrogen : I had a foster father who was a teacher and involved in the pta. and chaired the School committee. Active in town, and a good man. He said that we do things that are good to feel good , because they are the right thing to do. Not "if it feels good , do it". Which is hedonistic and often not the best things only to satisfy selfish wants.
thanks Laurie -- my father was similar and lived to serve the public interest. Unfortunately morality today is considered a sin among the "true believers" and it's all self-interest rather than the public good. Jan. 6 is another day that will live in infamy.
Beth, it seems the whole Trump Klan, like the Trump cult are spoiled toddlers who care only about themselves and want what they want when they want it, their definition of freedom. So many of them claim to be christian, but there is nothing of Jesus' message in anything they do and say when they are speaking of their deity Trump whom they think is from god just for them, the holy ones, the ones who hate everyone except maybe Trump and treat others with contempt because they themselves don't have everything they want and are sure THOSE people are keeping them from it. No wonder only their brand of christianity is growing, gathering all the hateful anti-Christians in their churches where they can be told over and over just how wonderful they are and that everyone else is a sinner and that standing against them is their mission in life, for their toddler-Trump. The cult whines that they can't afford their lives and wants so much more and "won't be denied what they deserve, and Baby Donnie will give it to them. He won't, but they will believe until the end. It really is disgusting, a kind of blasphemy!
What we will be getting is immensely better than government by Biden/Harris and unelected elites in the Bureaucracy. Can't guarantee Trump's crew will lift your boat.
Bill, actually Biden's governing was quite good. Did you read Professor Cox Richardson's letter? If you're getting your information about him from Fox or right wing hate radio then you don't know all the good things Biden accomplished They portrayed him as a failure, but it's not true. He was a commendable president. Actually, one of the best with regard to his legislative successes and bringing the economy to a soft landing. Other countries envy the way he did this. Yes, we had inflation, but not nearly as bad as other countries. People like to give Trump a break because of Covid, but they seem to forget that Biden had to deal with it too BTW, Biden brought inflation down to an acceptable level. It took him a while because of Covid, but he got it done.
I would add that many of them are undereducated "elites". Trump's pick for the IRS is an auctioneer Billy Long who pushes fraudulent tax "benefits," and has no background in finance, tax law, or anything even closely resembling what is needed to run the IRS, unless Trump means to run it into the ground - highly likely.
Got any examples, Bill? Maybe the tax giveaway? Letting 400K people die because he didn't want to look bad in an election year? Insulting Gold Member military families? Sneering at dead soldiers? Grifting a few millions off taxpayers to line his own pockets?
Or maybe you just like fascism.
He inherited a strong economy and did nothing to improve it.
Not to put too fine a point on it, Laurie, but mango man is an enemy of the entire planet and all its inhabitants, both human and non-human. And with puppet-master Muck already trying to interfere in other governments (e.g., UK and Germany), the threat of the orange return is greatly magnified.
Denise Donaldson ; I have mentioned before that musk and tRUMP ultimately want to dominate the world. also space, They would love to be the operators of The "Death star" of Star WARS infamy, only they don't know what a drag they are. also, they would be too old to really get anywhere to do what that fake weaponized spaceship did in the movies. I think they are going to burn themselves out, lithium batteries and all.
Laurie, imo space would be a great place for them. As long as it's not being paid for by our tax dollars. Muck can foot the bill and jump around in a weightless space suit. Fun times!
Yes, Denise , I think everyone should point out that he wants to be Putin on steroids'. conquest and grifting the universe, if only he could. Maybe some advanced civilization will put him in a bottle, like the insect he is ; a specimen of fantasy and greed, with the tiniest heart in the universe.
Thanks Darlene! I was lucky to know a man like him, and thought it would be a good thing to share. We do need better headlines, in addition to some real news that is helpful, not hateful.
Agreed, though he seems to really like sex offenders and wife beaters, so not sure if its a requirement but definitely a preferred eperience set for the various roles he is filling.
If The Requirement to hold federal office of any level is a pure heart and actuality ability or skills to do the job there will be no government of any kind.. .
Most federal appointments are based on political transactions this person b helped get elected and is loyal to me…
In this respect he’ll be just like any other administration…
Trump is civics ignorant he want to do things that violate the law be cause he is use to an organization that bends to his every whim many of his close associates have been convicted and sent to jail.
Trump will have more presidential pardons than any two presidents combined…
The good news is he can only pardon people for federal crime.
The Felony convictions are state of New York and I’m not sure the NY governor likes Donald Trump that much that’s 37 felonies. He can’t pardon himself from.
On a less dark but utterly serious note, I have seen an entire country's governmental services paralyzed for months when the spoils system extends too far. This is still the case in some Central Asian countries where a change in the administration means mass firings.
Mongolia was the case study of a few years ago. Kazakhstan actually has some movement behind a more open and representative government. It has challenges decoupling from its neighbor, however.
The four in question are little more than Larry, Moe, Curley, with a confused sack of estrogen thrown in for good measure. It's a scary thought that a man who is about to be our next President feels vacuous choices like these four will help this country. Asses of a feather screw up together, Trump will be in good company.
That's right, Steve, "Never mind." He won, and the people who voted for him neither know nor care whether he's fit for the job (in any way, on any level). It makes me sick.
Trump is pure mind poison, as he has shown clearly over the last nine years. Professional psychologists and analysts by his actions have diagnosed him to have a malignant narcissistic personality whose behavior can be transmitted readily to susceptible people by his maniacal sadistic rants. Many observers have likened this contagion to a 'mind virus'. Of course I am not a psychoanalyst, but I can see what has happened to much of the citizenry as clearly as the light of day. Relentless truth telling, to include the haranguing of our state and federal legislators, would be a good next step to remove this disease. What about increased civics lessons at the secondary level? A new crop of voters will be turning out in two to four years. Has everyone forgotten the brutal world history of 100 years?
Keith, you are right about control which is hard to understand since Trump is in the throes of dementia and can't keep any of it straight. That makes me wonder who is actually pulling the Trump strings so the toddler-man puppet can spew the insanity he is now tossing in every direction. I do wish there were more in government willing to stand against Trumplandia, but there simply are no longer Republicans who care for more than money, power, and a relationship with a toddler who is 78 years old. Ugh!!
Sheila, every time I say that the orange man should never have been allowed to skate free, run for office or any of the crap he has done, my uncle tells me "shoulda, woulda, coulda ain't gettin you anywhere. Make a difference!" I use to get so mad at him for not understanding my anger; however, now I realize he was telling me to get active and keep fighting for what I believe in! I'm with you and agree 100% that he never should have gotten close to the White House. Let's keep fighting to get him out in four years and keep him out!!
Thanks Peggy!! Also, if you need to watch the certification, go to YouTube and watch it on something like Brian Tyler Cohen. He will probably be showing this. We don’t want to support the regular stations!!
The techbroligarchs and coup d'etat planners had four years, essentially unlimited money, and inside help from red and swing state elections apparatuses to subvert the election. they did this by stealing the coding for the voting machines in states where they're used and rewriting the code to perform whatever functions (many ways to do it) they wanted it to. they did this by bribing, extorting, and enlisting willing elections workers in red and swing states, they did this by essentially, and incrementally over time, replacing the election infrastructure in the states with their own. this is why dumpster said "you (we) won't need to vote anymore" or in another case, in extremely bored tone, "i don't need your votes". there were other similar statements. Remember how demented and bored and idiotic he was on the campaign trail this past summer? that was all deflection, distracting everyone from the astonishing sleight of hand going on. note his demeanor and presence now. it's completely different, isn't it. Remember also that the states conduct elections, not the federal gov't. this makes every election theoretically subject to systemic manipulation and fraud. Which is why we used to have the voting rights act before the corrupt6 court emasculated it. because, y'know states' rights to conduct fraudulent elections and voter suppression. Finally, any expectation that this can be righted at the next "election" is seriously delusional. the techbroligarchs won. AI will only solidify it all.
I hate to agree with you but I do suspect that there was fraud (in addition to voter suppression) in key counties in swing states. I realize that I believe that because I can’t stomach (literally and figuratively) the thought that he actually won.
Impeachment is out of the question with the MAGAs in majority. Those supporters will not allow Trump to be touched even if he torches! All actions and vile behavior will be welcome and worshiped! Trump water will seek its level? Stay tuned!
That's a great idea, Bret! If Dems do get control of the House and Senate in 2026, would they have the spine to actually do what we all know needs to be done? I do agree that they should negotiate in good conscience with republicans and totally leave the orange man out of it!
You’re assuming his escalating dementia will not preventing him from serving his full term? I suspect his cockroaches will keep him mostly under wraps, continue to write “his” posts on Truth Social and hand him Executive Actions to sign.
Bret - If the Dems are continually denouncing mango man, why would the Repugs negotiate on anything? That doesn’t make political sense. No way the Rs are going to do anything to cross his orangeness.
I hadn't thought about that, Bret. You're right! Trump will undoubtedly do something so outrageous that he'll be impeachable again. You've given me something to look forward to. Thanks.
Your uncle was correct. We cannot change what has already happened but future is still ours to change. As Kamala Harris tells of her mother- “Do something about it.”
Please run for school boards on a save democracy platform. School boards hold all the power over our schools; people don’t know this because administrators have controlled our schools by grooming their boards so they’ll rubber stamp their bad act. We can change that.
On the top of that list of bad acts administrators inflict on us is purging the called-to-teach teachers because administrators can’t control them. These teachers do what’s right. They won’t go along to get along with dangerous power mongers. Until we repopulate our schools with these teachers, education, the foundation of our democracy will remain hollow, which is what paved the way for Trump. Under educating and not producing citizens is why many people voted for a criminal.
Once we turn our schools into democracies rather than the autocracies they’ve been for at least four decades, we’ll have a fortress that the would be king can’t topple. Two sites: WhiteChalkCrime.com and EndTeacherAbuse.org will educate you about what’s going on in our schools so you can outsmart the criminals who think they can end our democracy. He can’t make us powerless. Only we can do that to ourselves by thinking he can.
By the way, you don’t have to have children in the school. You can be young or old as long as you’re a citizen in that school district. You can run on ending school shootings. Who doesn’t want that? You’ll find my book explaining why school shootings are happening at WhiteChalkCrime.com. It’s a winning issue!
No, they will not. Republicans have proven they have zero integrity or morals so often in recent years its frankly comical. I'd be laughing if we weren't a few weeks away from the permanent death of our democracy. I don't think theres anything that could make me feel better about the oligarchs winning while the rest of us lose everything that makes this country worth defending. Fuck everyone who did this to us all, most of the low info voters still have no idea how badly they fucked up but they will soon enough.
Some of the post-election interviews have been so discouraging, in terms of "low-information." I'm seeing some observation of MAGA social media being upset over the H-1 visa flip-flop, and East Indians being shocked- SHOCKED! that MAGA has noticed they aren't white. Like some are saying, it's now "finding out" time.
The Indians who deluded themselves into thinking they would be accepted by Republicans baffle me. Like they genuinely believe the lies about meritocracy. Being the top of your caste system in India means jack shit here. Being rich doesn't help either, Magas hate them because their skin is brown and thier food smells funny, and theres absolutely nothing any of them can do about that.
Nimarata Nikki Randhawa Haley (née Randhawa;, Bobby Jindahl, Kash Patel, Rivek et al are not American Descendants of Slaves. Only the most diehard racists object to color of skin. it is American Descendants of Slaves that suffer the most discrimination, Africans and children of Africans find it easier to claw their way up the social ladder (Joy Reid for example), However if an ADOS plays their cards right, and assume the position of a loyal House Slave, like Kanye, Clarence, Mark Robinson, Herschel, Candace Owens, they will be allowed to sit in the periphery of the outer circle., given a position and job, maybe even inivted to cocktail parties. I call the Quislings,Stephens (the brandy drinking house slave in Django Unchained)
I wonder what the Russians know of Stalin or Lenin? Their is an enclave, a would be nation, that is basically a part of Russia. It's name is Transnistra, which means across the Dneiper, it is a sliver of land on the east side of Moldova and it borders Ukraine to west. It's flag is the old Soviet Flag, it is communist and is a stockpile of Soviet Arms and Munitions. I do not think that their history speaks ill of Stalin or Beria or Lenin.
As regards History, it all depends on who is writing history, how history portrays people and events.
The victor writes the history. Last year or was it 2022, a reporter asked some Republican senators about their legacy. Their reply was I don't care about my legacy, i will be dead. That's true, the dead are beyond caring.
I humbly admit I may have indulged in a little lazy shorthand with the "not white." The interplay of "retard" and "immigrant" probably more telling. I think Elon said even more derogatory things about American workers in other posts, was "lazy" in there somewhere? The whiplash that fascinates me is the long propaganda drumbeat against government policies to help to educate Americans, and now MAGA is shocked:SHOCKED that the merits of American workers might be questioned.
Mmerose, add Muslims in MI who say they "gave" him the state and then he supported Netanyahu. Awwww... If my teeny violin weren't still broken from being played so much between 2017-21, I'd strum a little ditty for them. Maybe "You Can't Always Get What You Want?"
And what bugs me is Trump will let the debt grow, while Biden is smart enough to have reduced spending in a few areas. Overall Biden did a great job, but all presidents are shackled by previous spenders. both good guys with limited control over longer term rate change.
There has been A LOT of noise about DOGE "saving" $2 trillion from the Budget. But I fully expect that the "saved" money will then be given to the Wealthy as more and bigger tax cuts -- meaning that there will be no savings at all.
My worry, CaptainPatch, is that $2 trillion cut from the budget will be Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid! If they take those away, we will have a very huge crisis on our hands! I'm afraid when the millions of Americans that depend on those programs are suddenly homeless and without, those wealthy people are suddenly going to have huge targets on their backs!
Here is a thought. Since these wealthy creeps want to take everything and to hell with the rest of us. What about we let them have their corporations and money? All of us could begin to open co-ops, if someone has a patch of land, grow vegetables and crops to sell at a reasonable price to people in their community. Farmers and ranchers can cancel their contracts with the mega corporations and sell locally in their community. Revert back to mom and pop stores providing goods to their own communities. Stop going to Walmart and all these other box stores. Workers at box stores could begin working for small businesses. We could turn it back on them and remove their source of income. Shareholders - sell your shares back to the richy rich. All of us could become self-sufficient and not in need of these greedy rich people anymore! We could help one another and those that become homeless because the greedy power-hungry republicans took their source of income. Boy, howdy! That would be a slap in the face to all of those greedy want-it-all people!
Your sentiments have warmed the heart of this old hippie. You won't get eveyone , but I tell you, it is a better way to live. I've never used amazon, paypal, try hard to avoid other such sins, and I'm still alive! Find alternatives. You won't get everyone, but you feel better.
Thank you, David! I'm an old hippie as well and I can squeeze that nickel till the buffalo poops! I refuse to shop any place that is owned by those wealthy corporations. If I can't find what I am looking for in locally owned businesses, flea markets, co-ops or thrift stores, then I figure I didn't need it anyway! Something else that's been on my mind - a friend, who worked as a trucker his entire life, said to me the quickest way to bring this country to a complete stand still is for truckers to just stop hauling. There is something about that playing around in my mind, I just haven't worked it out yet! Feel better, David, knowing we all have your back!
It would take a massive amount of will power and sacrifice to pull this off, especially without breaking out into Civil War from the folks that are comfortable with the way that it is. But I like the idea. Make it so, #1, make it so!!
Boy howdy, Bill, wouldn't that be a coup de grace to all of those power-hungry, greedy people? I would absolutely love to see that happen! Right now, I intend to live long enough to see the orange man finally have to face the consequences for everything he has done! President Carter wanted to live long enough to cast his vote for Kamala Harris and I want to live long enough to finally see justice being served to that orange smear!
I appreciate your ideas, Peggy, but an overhaul as you describe on an any large scale, even if people would go along, would take probably at least a decade. After all, it took a century for ways of life and commerce to evolve (devolve?) to where they are now.
I know, Denise. I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part! You know, there are so many more working middle and lower classes than there are rich people. Why is it they are controlling all of the rest of us? Why can't we stop all of this? Are we really just serfs working for the aristocracy?
Maybe so but THEY will get their TAX CUT! Because Trump and all his family will get and want theirs!! They are in this tax cut BIGLY!
Trump has no consideration for the people living carefully on Social Security and Medicare! They never have depended on it! Do not forget that MANY were Trump voters, too!
Amen to that!! I wish I could feel as positive about the 71,000,000 that voted for the Orange One (including some in my own family I’m afraid) coming around to see that they’re being taken advantage of just as are the rest of us!! I don’t want a huge national divide to continue but I would sure like it if a few Dems would stand up to the Repubs and say “We’re not going to take it any more.” Especially if it would happen today during the Certification of the Count!!
If the Magas in the House do obey Trump and take the money from social services and Medicare to fund tax breaks for the rich, it's going to cause real pain to the Americans who depend on those services. The Dems need to have a big fat public information campaign ready to immediately hit every communication space to tell those people why the money was taken from them and that it was Trump who wants it that way. Because you know Trump et al will tell Fox & Co. that it's completely the doing of the Dems (somehow).
I switched my phone ring tone to “We’re not gonna take it, by Quiet Riot.” The first time someone called me it scared the crud out of me with that drum solo opening.🤣 Also I’m part of the buy nothing movement. If I don’t need to buy it I’m not going to or if I do, it’s going to be secondhand. I get a lot of my produce from a produce rescue program and I also saw a woman interviewed on PBS when they had a segment on the anti-influencer movement saying that we have enough clothing already produced throughout the world right now to clothe the next 6 generations!!!
Social Security and Medicare come out of their own trust fund, not part of the Federal Budget. Question is why is the corporate media and our own democratic leadership telling us that.
Foolish me, I could have answered the question before I asked it.
William, I had to look that up and from what I have read, Social Security and Medicare are included in the mandatory expenditures and make up nearly half of the entire federal budget.
True but they don't come out of the General fund, They have their own trust fund. The Billionaires who want to use Social Security funds and contributions to gamble on the stock market are purposefully conflating the two to confuse us.
Here is what I mean. Congress votes on the budget, Yes? but Social security and medicare are not included in the budget. Medicaid is however.
I hope it happens. Anericans won't wake the fuck up to the fact the rich are the enemy until they have nothing left to lose. Hope the rich take it all for themselves.
[This post addresses most everyone downthread from Peggy's post.] There are several significant problems with alternate sourcing that essentially boycotts Big Biz and the Wealthy that seem bent on defunding what they call "entitlement programs." ("Hitting them in the wallet.") First, while community gardens and co-ops look appealing, the Supply they offer is astronomically short of the Demand that is theoretically available. Because, second, the overhead Transportation, Warehousing, Distribution, etc., costs are more than what such small businesses can afford. At least, afford _without_ having to raise prices to cover those costs to higher than what Big Biz offers. Just like many people -- myself included -- do NOT buy Organic products though they are the healthier choice. Most Americans either buy Quality (if they can afford it) or else product price is their primary decision criteria. Third, most Americans, by far, are too lazy to forego the convenience of shopping from Big Biz. The few that ARE looking for People-powered alternatives are doing so as a demonstration of political outrage -- and political outrage has a tendency to fade with time. Meaning that after a matter of weeks (or months at most), most consumers will succumb to the convenience of shopping with Big Biz.
Undoubtedly, there WILL be some co-oping and community gardening that occurs. But mapped out across the USA, it would look like a mild case of measles... or mild acne. Collectively, that much in lost Sales will be hardly noticed by Big Biz. (What's the Profit margin difference between "exorbitant" and "outrageous"?)
I understand what you are saying CaptainPatch. I just want there to be something that average Americans can do to stop the corporation freight train barreling down on us. For example, I live in a 55+ community. Every year the lot rent increases by $30+ dollars a month. I started at a little over $700 a month and now it is almost $900 a month. This is retribution because the HOA sued the corporation that owns the community. Even though I was not living here when they did that, I am still being punished because they did. My car insurance continues to rise even though I have never had to use it because I have never been in an accident. My water/sewage bill doubled because we have to pay for a new sewage treatment plant. My Social Security COLA only went up around $30 but Medicare increased co-pays that ate that up! It goes on and on like that. These corporations are pricing people out of homes, unable to own/drive a car, unable to afford groceries. When does it stop? How can we make it stop? I know what I suggested was a pipe dream, but I would surely love for someone to come up with a solution to all of this mess!
Literally, "I feel your pain." We are victims of The System that rules over Us. Our incomes are forever running behind Inflation (whatever it may be that is making prices go up). When ANYONE raises their prices, it seems that EVERYONE raises theirs as well. This is the direct opposite of the Economic theory that manufacturer competition is good for the consumer. (That manufacturers are forever trying to undercut competitor prices in order to attract more customers.) "If _they_ can charge more, so can we!" This is a direct result from having a LARGE population: Manufacturers know that even at higher prices, they will most likely sell nearly 100% of what they produce -- so why ever lower prices?
Back in the 1970s, the government instituted price freezes in order to arrest/slow Inflation -- and it was working. So well, that manufacturers started to get into Politics BIG TIME, making very substantial "campaign contributions" to candidates that promised to end Price Controls. In order to sell the idea that price controls were a Bad Idea, they created a narrative that indicated that it was Price Controls that caused the Great Gas Shortage. (Because the lack of opportunity to generate ever greater Profits stifled production.) [In actuality, Big Oil cut back on production specifically to create the "crisis".] Ever since Price & Wage Controls were discontinued, Big Biz has been raising prices simply because Management needed to show shareholders that Profits kept growing under their oversight. (And to justify ever greater "performance bonuses.")
These days, most of "Our" elected representatives have been bought and paid for by the Wealthy and Big Biz (which is mostly owned and operated by the Wealthy). Which means that We The People can NEVER expect substantial relief via government regulation. As far as I can tell, the ONLY chance of creating Change We Can Believe In is if We The People do it Ourselves. Which means violent revolution. [Because those controlling "Our" government are NOT willing to step down peacefully (like Harris just did).] And THAT is unlikely to ever happen because the VAST majority of Americans are unwilling to risk it all to take on the US Military and all of Law Enforcement on the assurance of, "_Maybe_ We'll win."
Well said, you know your history. Capitulation to the fascists or Revolution are the only options left. The sooner people realize this the better, because right now its looking like the nation is going to simply roll over and let the billionaires fuck us all without a fight.
I propose that Elon just simply give one of his many billions to shore up SS Medicare and Medicaid. He has too much money anyway. He can just develop a philanthropic heart to solve these kinds of problems. After all he himself benefits from our government. 🤔
Call it what it is. Wealth redistribution, they are pulling a reverse robin hood. Robbing the poor to give it all to the rich who don't even need it. How anyone can support this and not feel like a tremendous asshole is beyond me, but here we are all the same.
The overarching, overbearing Wealthy superiority complex. OBVIOUSLY, God, Mother Nature, Lady Luck, and Evolution has made the Wealthy to be superior beings. Which, by correlation, means NOT-Wealthy people are inferior subhumans. Closer to being animals than REAL human beings. When someone starts thinking along those lines, it's _real_ easy to not care what happens to the subhumans. After all, how sympathetic are most people about the cows that went into their hamburgers? Chickens that became McNuggets? Pigs turned into bacon and ham steaks? (Or since SOMEBODY will make mention of vegetarians and vegans) How much does anyone care about the plant lives cut short to make a salad?
trump will need Dems in the House to raise the debt limit so that will be a drama crisis. That's why he pathetically tried to trick Biden & Senate Dems into doing it for him & taking the blame. They rightly said, "hell no."
It’s quite a process but things get fixed on both sides. We don’t come together as a nation and fight. We’ll just spend more money on things we don’t need. Let’s be a smarter population and and slow down the amount of money that these lawyers could have slow down the lobby is that create laws don’t need speed up improving the way that we live housing speed up education farming, good stuff we can do it. We’re a great nation with top nation, whether it’s Trump or Biden or any president budget is a budget and it’s not four years since budgets a national budget that’s been going on for decades and decades so no one‘s gonna fix anything overnight things will be fine.
Yes, I think so, too, elizabeth. There's too much nonsensical phrasing for the comment to have been made by a person, even a non-native English speaker.
I will not for a minute entertain this ‘both sides’ nonsense. I’ve had to ‘thin the herd’…just cut people out of my life who attempt (for whatever reason) to sanewash the GOP. I am done.
Mr. Lew - That and that trump will try to take credit for the good things that Biden did but took too long to come to fruition for people to realize that it was Biden who made it happen.
Professor Reich: of all these scummy boot-licking appointees, the most disturbing to me as a scientist is RFK Jr. he is an anti-science fact-free anti-vax lunatic, and the fact that bernie sanders and john fetterman (who has a history of barely controlled violence and intellectually dubious behaviours, as exemplified by "the shotgun incident" amongst others) think they may support him in the upcoming vote is deeply worrying. although i do freely admit that they ALL worry me greatly, because of the imminent threat they pose to national security (gabbard, in particular) and to the safety and well-being of citizens of this nation (patel & hegseth) ...
In my eyes and in at least the eyes of the state of Colorado, he's not eligible. However, no one seems to have the balls to stand up to him and say NO or put him behind bars, where he belongs.
Tina... 'However, no one seems to have the balls to stand up to him and say NO or put him behind bars, where he belongs.'
Yet.
Seriously, there is a reckoning coming for Trump. His best bet would be to die in office, frankly. It is justice delayed, is all. (Which is not right, but he will always be a convicted felon and this will limit his access to certain countries around the world).
I surely have not seen any real attempt to bring justice against the orange blob. Well, except for the conviction in NY that Judge Merchan has delayed sentencing for. I'm sorry but I do not understand all these people who refuse to hold him accountable. It's beyond frustrating. And the idea of a convict having access to our top secrets...supposedly without a top secret clearance, since a convict can not obtain one...as far as I know, just ridiculous!
Grrl Scientist, unfortunately section 3 does not specifically name the President or Vice President as subject to this provision. Is the President an “officer of the United States?” The Trump appointed Supreme Court might therefore take the position that this provision does not apply to the President of the United States. They have already made him exempt from any prosecution while he is in office.
oh gawd. "Land of the free and home of the brave" my ass. i am sickened to death by all this bullshit where, even historically, NO ONE, not even our so-called "founding fathers," is capable of clearly and unequivocally stating ANYTHING of importance.
i give up. after my vote was not counted, i alternated between despair and outrage, and felt absolutely disenfranchised and alienated from the land of my birth, but this ... this convinces me beyond any shadow of a doubt that ameriKKKa really and truly DOES deserve trump and his lackeys and all the harms they are determined to bring to the nation and its citizens.
Times have changed since the Constitution was adopted. The framers of the Constitution probably could not conceive of the remotest possibility that a President or a Vice President might lead an insurrection against their own government. Until it happened even we could not conceive of it. Trump and his team of evil lawyers and purchased judges are bent on shredding our Constitution. That is why we need to create a whole new ballgame with new rules in line with Economic Democracy. Our Constitution when conceived was a very progressive document. Now 248 years and 27 amendments later it is just not able to take us into the future, I’ll use a spacious analogy: After you repair an old car 27 times maybe it is time to replace it with something more useful and safe. It served us well, but now it is just too leaky.
"The framers of the Constitution probably could not conceive of the remotest possibility that a President or a Vice President might lead an insurrection against their own government."
Whoa.... You sell them FAR too short. They were WELL aware of the possibilities. Especially since what they were "framing" had never been attempted in history before -- and human nature's reaction to power was well-known for millennia.
Trump was an insurrectionist and should'nt have been on the ballot. He and many friends had close ties to Putin and despicable dictators like Assad.
So much for scrutiny of candidates for public office.
Sex offenders, yes, to reaffirm a state of masculinity, but you can be a good administrator, being a piece of shit. When you wield power, you must do it with competence.
So, where is the emergency exit? I wrote about my astonishment about the childish stupidity level of American politics. Also insufficient are the convictions, the insurrection, the treason.
So, Marc, now the holy Constitution? I agree completely, but the chaos is faster then a new Constitution.
We have one last chance. Harris could deny the certification process because Trump does not have immunity from civil suits, in which he was adjudicated a rapist, a business fraud, a tax cheat, and real estate fraud. This disqualifies him from office. The SCOTUS can't save him from this because they ruled unanimously in Clinton v Jones that a President is not protected from civil suits. And...this most recent SCOTUS only ruled immunity from criminal suits. Let's hope Harris and AOC can pull this off. It really is our last best hope of stopping Trump.
well, true. but i just feel so bloody HELPLESS living overseas and being discounted EVERY time i follow the rules as i try to do anything positive and useful -- except to give my (mostly nonexistent) money to thieves, liars and grifters, of course.
Good point Marc. That's how they dumped Roe vs Wade. The Constitution doesn't say "you are entitled to have an abortion", in their view, so they ended it.
However, the Constitution doesn't say "you can't have one" either. It is neutral on the subject. Just depends if our Supreme Court has members who believe the Constitution lets us have our personal freedoms or has members who think their personal religious ideas should rule us. Thanks to the GOP we have the latter.
If it is true that Bernie might vote for RFK Jr., and he does, it's time for Bernie to retire. I have always liked most of his ideas but this would end my support. Can anyone actually verify this? GH
I think they all are equally dangerous to our wellbeing. They are MAGA and incompetent, selected based purely on loyalty to the ‘King’. Democracy is dead. I expect the USA to become like Putin’s Russia.
It looks like the madness will just have to play out for a while until the American people have had enough. Either that or they will all decide to drink bleach.
Trump is NOT talking about replacing or building anything new. He is talking about cutting, ending, and destroying the federal government. When that happens, state and local governments will be forced to cope with everything the federal government currently handles.
For state and local governments, the end of all these federal programs will unleash a tsunami. Unfortunately, American communities are not prepared. Be it a state legislature or agency, a city council, board of supervisors, school district, water district, or other local agency, very few, if any, local officials truly know what they are doing, understands how things work, and how to get things done. Worse yet, very few citizens know anything at all, about local government.
We are heading into chaos, and we must prepare ourselves for self-governance now.
Take water for example. Federal environmental policies, like the Environmental Protection Act, have required proven access to water for the construction of new development If not for the EPA, city and county elected officials would have approved massive developments that would have drained local water supplies, leaving millions living on rationed water, or without water altogether.
Take schools for example. Federal education policies have required schools teach basics, like math, reading, writing, and science in order to qualify for funding. If not for federal education policies, many school districts would be teaching religion instead of history, creative design instead of biology, and bible theory instead of archeology and anthropology.
Take economic development for example. Federal policies have subsidized old industries by paying to clean up toxic waste. If not for federal clean up dollars and policies, millions of people would be drowning in toxic waste, nuclear waste, and chemical contamination.
Take employment for example. Federal labour policies have forced corporations and businesses to pay minimum wage and basic safety measures. Take federal labour policies away, and corporations will pay far less than minimum wage, and ignore safety. Trust me, you do NOT want state or local government officials in control of your food supply.
Everything we count on in our daily lives, depends on the interactions of our local, state and federal governments. Remove the federal government, and our governing system collapses.
I am spitting in the wind, but spit I will. If you truly care about this country, it is time to start attending at least one local government meeting a month. Learn how that governing body works, pay attention, and report out to everyone you know. If you don't, you are handing this country to people who have no interest in anything, BUT the freedom to do whatever they please, when and where they please, and to whomever they please.
Raffey, that was an excellent read! I will definitely attend my local government meetings! That is another first step as to what we, as individuals, can do to help with this fight. Thank you for enlightening and sharing.
WE are going to see Trump scrambling to HOLD on while making a grand profit for himself and cronies! If Trump can manage to push thru another immense promised TAX CUT, he will be safe. Cronies/oligarchs will leave Trump alone! They will feel like one of his! Membership with power!
That is exactly what all these oligarchs have sign up for and voted to receive. Trump will not disappoint his warriors!
Attending School board meetings is a good place to start. Here is Mentor, Ohio, Moms for Liberty (radical, right wing organization) has moved to ban books from the school library, regularly complain about transgender students being allowed to use the restrooms they identify with and generally come to the meetings to disrupt and create chaos.
Victor, I read Project 2025, all 900 plus pages, and local government is the only place that I can see, where citizens have the opportunity to stop the destruction of emocracy. If we surrender our local governments, we surrender democracty. We can always re-build the state and federal government, but once local government is gone, we will never get it back.
Raffey, In your original comment you mentioned the interaction between the federal government and local governments, and now you seem to be arguing that it possible to preserve local government without the federal government. Possible maybe, likely? not. Federal law is the supreme law of the land, the Constitution states. The alternative is chaos, and chaos destroys local government. A strong central government can smother local government, as it has happened in many countries. Maintaining a balance between the two is crucial yet difficult. Today, a third player has come into the picture: the mega corporation. Voracious and amoral, these entities rule over local communities and exercise undue influence over the federal government. Project 2025 envisions turning local governments into executive agencies of giant corporations. Judges will be bribed, dined, and whored. There is a book in the Bible call Judges; it is followed by Kings.
Victor, I suspect your perspective is informed by urban and suburban life. But I live the country and things out here are very different. For example, last year, our city clerk was the most heated election (not the president).
Exactly correct Raffey. Without the Fed Gov help in the last 80-90 years setting standards and transferring tax dollars from the Blue States to the Red States almost all of the Red States would be just another collection of "third world" cesspools. They love to scream about the Libs, DEMs, FDR, regulations, etc, but we are the ones with the ideas and tax funding that saves them time and time again.
A good example is FEMA. A federal program for disaster aid to help ALL citizens in need. Tornadoes in the Mid-West, earthquakes in the West and forest fires anywhere. But the largest amount of money yearly goes to hurricane relief. Where? In the eight
Gary, the federal government does re-distribute tax dollars. However, I'm not sure that treating the country as one nation, rather than 50 separate states, is such a bad idea - so I can't argue that case one way or another.
That said, at the federal level, Presidents, Congressmen and Senators work on behalf of corporations hunting cheap labour to extract natural resources and do the dirty work in poor states and intellectual property and sophisticated innovations in wealthier states.
For example, people in poor states who work in resource extraction and food production provide cheap energy and food for workers in both, poor and rich states. However, people in rich states, who can afford to pay much higher food prices, pay the same food prices as people in poor states who produce that food.
California is a good example. If you look at county data, California counties that produce food, extract natural resources and host dirty industries, people are dirt poor. But counties where tech and clean industries dominate are filthy rich. Same state, different outcomes for the 58 counties, all depending on what corporations want from the land. To a large extent, local government is responsible for these disparities - not the state or federal government.
Again this is a time for clarity as to just how low the Republican party has fallen. When you have one party that is overwhelmingly corrupt and a Democratic party that is unable to demonstrate strong leadership and truly be the “Peoples Party” how can we have a two party system?
In the short term we feel the drumbeat of the oncoming inauguration of possibly the most corrupt administration in United States history. However, in the longer term we do not know how this will play out. Trump is unpredictable, he says certain things simply to get elected and once he was elected he will change his position repeatedly according to how the wind blows. Our task is to hold steady in the upcoming storm and hold dearly to truth and honesty in every aspect of our personal and political lives. Everyone of a progressive nature and belief system should come together and support each other during this time. If we cannot rely on elected representatives to “do the right thing,” then we the people must engage in doing the right things ourselves. We cannot allow ourselves to become fractionalized in the face of adversity.
Excellent! Well said, Marc! We need Professor Reich, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, AOC, Pete Buttigieg, Ben Wikler, Jamie Raskin, Gavin Newsome and others to hold us together and keep us engaged and active pursuing what is right for our country! If we fractionalize, we will lose.
An opposition cabinet — as suggested by Timothy Snyder. To be there to speak and post and publish about the faults and foibles of the actual cabinet … to educate so next time democrats win
No, we need a whole new system. It could not be put into effect until the MAGA Republicans have finished destroying the one we have. First we focus on an economy that works for everyone, then we build a governmental system that supports the new economy where everyone has full opportunity to earn sufficient purchasing power. Tinkering with what we now have still creates an ongoing tug of war with the Ultra Wealthy.
We really don’t need a vaccine denying, raw milk drinking, brain wormed RFK Jr. in the cabinet right now. Influenza A, Covid, and now HMPV in China are surging, and the avian flu (H5N1) is rampant in chicken and cow populations. At the very least we need the FDA and CDC more than ever because the virus can be transmitted through raw milk and meat, and if it jumps to humans we have to prepare for another pandemic like virus in the near future.
Nancy Pelosi says Trump's willingness to pardon Jan.6 prisoners makes him "a strange person." Is that the worst thing she can say about that? How many other representatives are softening their rhetoric concerning Trump? How many have gone soft in the head?
Unfortunately, there's a significant anti-vax segment in the progressive world as well, as if all vaxxes are formulated the same way across disease types. If a fast spreading pandemic hits, we're all toast.
A low-life cabinet is being formed. You cannot blame Trump he looks for loyalist and people like him. The dark days ahead seem to be unvisible for half of the politicians. Mr Putin has waged war and the US has lost it.
Only four? I suppose it all depends on how one defines "dangerously", because as far as I can see, they're ALL unqualified. I'm thinking that "dangerously" refers to those unqualified nominees that are being given really, REALLY important posts like Defense, State, or Health & Human Services.
But I have to wonder: for ANY nominee not passed by the Senate, just who Trump's (similarly unqualified) SECOND choices will be?
That is the scary part! Trump’s “bench” is missing? Maybe he could switch Hershel Walker to Secretary of State or Kristi Noem to Secretary of Dog Catchers?
Robert, Jessica Denson seems to be the only one who is pushing back on Trumps certification!!! Please go to “Lights On”. This is Jessica’s podcast on YouTube. Unfortunately, people who are supporting her had a pitiful march the other day in Washington. Please look up her cite. It’s been updated.
Trump’s only requirement is total loyalty! He wants total control of each and every department and institution.
Keith Olson, Yes; Trump is a killer of women, presently, and Democracy: he is the enemy of the humans who would have self rule and true freedom, and wants to destroy the Constitution as we know it, not by making beneficial changes to bring it up to date, but to customize it to allow him to do "whatever the hell he wants", changing it to suit himself and his evil needs and desires, which includes an alliance with Vladimir Putin, and other authoritarians/fascists, and Nazis. He will sell our entire country ; stealing from our treasury until the country is a shell of what it was; and making it a dismal oligarchy with aristocrats sitting on the slaves underneath them, with brutal oppression, for most.
We can just take heart in knowing that, like his FIRST failed administration only WORSE this time, he has hired nothing but incompetent goofballs, weirdos and sex offenders like himself!
I like our odds of not a SINGLE bill passing in the next two years before we Americans retake the house and senate . . . ✊️🪵
That would be wonderful.
I used to think I would suffer from brain fog for the rest of my life..."𝐛𝐮𝐭" this changed everything.... https://t.co/6pjlMHglTG
Daniel H : I hope it works that way. Crap and crud that they offer is not appealing.
Daniel, I am hoping you are right. But, how can Democrats come across even a few Republicans who will try to stand up for this nation when Trump is threatening all of them and there is no courage there? Then there are Sanders and Fetterman who "might" want RFK, Jr. because he says he stands for some food and drug regulations (or whatever it is they think he stands for). Really! How can anyone believe anything he says since he changes his position so often, maybe each time the brain worm shifts? Disgusting!
Road Kill Kennedy is a stuffed-and-mounted head on Trump's trophy wall.
Cyrano, just picture it! I would however prefer to see Trump's visage up there with the crew.
Daniel - I like your optimism in your last sentence but I worry that the integrity (or morals and spine) that the Professor is hoping for in the Senate is nonexistent to stop the confirmation of some really horrible and unqualified people. The last term in the House was also one of the least productive so I don’t see this one being any better and that might be a good thing. They will probably continue to waste everyone’s time and money on bs investigations which will continue to distract them from actually governing.
Full disclosure: I’m usually a pessimist but I do try to have some hope every once in a while. ;)
Anon, I have heard that Trump wants an all-encompassing MAGA bill of all the stupid stuff he wants passed during his entire time in office. I am guessing that is so he will have a little time to gloat over what he has done to the Republican Party and the American people, a jerk with no particular skill beyond being a remarkable con artist, grifter, before his dementia causes him to forget everything. I do believe he must know he is losing it, but is so enamored with his own hunger for power and money, he will dismiss it while trying to become king Donnie. His attendants know exactly what he is and his mental condition, but they are totally on board because they expect to gain from just being in his shadow both physically and mentally. Clearly they are not the brightest bulbs in any string or they would be working in their own home towns to grift those people instead of kissing butt in DC for a child-man on his way to oblivion. We are in trouble and need to try petitioning members of Congress to remind them first of all, of the sacrifices of the people of this nation to bring us to where we are now, and to remind them of their oath of office and that it is not a joke, something they can blow off if Toddler-Trump demands it. They are stronger than Trump is and need to start stepping up to let him know that. Alas, they won't, but it would be great if they did.
Ruth, I wrote my Cong'critters and told them not even to think about playing "hands across the aisle" (they're all Dems). If I get so much of a whiff of cooperation instead of hard lines in the sand, I'll never vote for any of them again. My Rep has already lost my vote (he's one of the Dems who voted to give the Treas. Dept. power to investigate charities if "supporting terrorism" is suspected).
Ruth - I agree with what you wrote. I have also read where they are trying to either push two bills or ram through one big one. I’m pretty sure that they will try to change the rules in order to get them through. If they wouldn’t have killed the bipartisan immigration bill just because trump wanted to run on it then half of what they are going to try for now (and waste more taxpayer money on) would have been settled already. I don’t hold out much hope for their poison pills to be blocked but I do hope that it will anger enough people so that we get back the majority.
I am happy that Sherrod Brown was able to see his long fought for bill of the Social Security Fairness Act to be passed before he left so it can hopefully benefit a lot of people. Unfortunately, I don’t see much bipartisanship to help others happening in the next couple of years.
This madministration will feature the “Tool” Cabinet, a collection of the most unqualified and inappropriate advisors ever assembled.
An entirely degenerate definition of freedom: freedom to do as they please, that’s what maga people believe freedom is. Freedom to hate and destroy and kill and flip their finger at anyone who suggests they are not entitled to rape and pillage. They are all victims and freedom for them is getting even. They think they elected the white knight who will rescue them from themselves. They just don’t know what they are really gonna be getting.
Jimmy Carter was a builder
Trumpet 🎺 is a destroyer his bankruptcy say it all and his moral bankruptcy and Civic bankruptcy are his Hallmarks…
They certainly only want freedom for themselves, but not for others.
David - Bingo!
Beth Whitrogen : I had a foster father who was a teacher and involved in the pta. and chaired the School committee. Active in town, and a good man. He said that we do things that are good to feel good , because they are the right thing to do. Not "if it feels good , do it". Which is hedonistic and often not the best things only to satisfy selfish wants.
thanks Laurie -- my father was similar and lived to serve the public interest. Unfortunately morality today is considered a sin among the "true believers" and it's all self-interest rather than the public good. Jan. 6 is another day that will live in infamy.
Beth, I have 2 definitions of 'their' sense of Freedom (the Freedom Party ? my A**
1) Freedom FROM: accountability,
obligation,
responsibility,
& I'm sure many more ~ (add to the list as you think of them
2) Freedom TO: rape, pillage, plunder (the environment to say the least),
garner as much wealth unto themselves as each is able,
deny any wrong doing,
get away with anything/everything,
deny the rule of established LAW (going back to ancient
times).
In actual fact they are not free at all.
Beth, it seems the whole Trump Klan, like the Trump cult are spoiled toddlers who care only about themselves and want what they want when they want it, their definition of freedom. So many of them claim to be christian, but there is nothing of Jesus' message in anything they do and say when they are speaking of their deity Trump whom they think is from god just for them, the holy ones, the ones who hate everyone except maybe Trump and treat others with contempt because they themselves don't have everything they want and are sure THOSE people are keeping them from it. No wonder only their brand of christianity is growing, gathering all the hateful anti-Christians in their churches where they can be told over and over just how wonderful they are and that everyone else is a sinner and that standing against them is their mission in life, for their toddler-Trump. The cult whines that they can't afford their lives and wants so much more and "won't be denied what they deserve, and Baby Donnie will give it to them. He won't, but they will believe until the end. It really is disgusting, a kind of blasphemy!
Wholly agree! This is so much a crusade & inquisition!! Believe what our savior says cuz he’s always right. Hate was never a part of Jesus message!!
What we will be getting is immensely better than government by Biden/Harris and unelected elites in the Bureaucracy. Can't guarantee Trump's crew will lift your boat.
You don't think Musk is an "unelected elite"?
Bill, actually Biden's governing was quite good. Did you read Professor Cox Richardson's letter? If you're getting your information about him from Fox or right wing hate radio then you don't know all the good things Biden accomplished They portrayed him as a failure, but it's not true. He was a commendable president. Actually, one of the best with regard to his legislative successes and bringing the economy to a soft landing. Other countries envy the way he did this. Yes, we had inflation, but not nearly as bad as other countries. People like to give Trump a break because of Covid, but they seem to forget that Biden had to deal with it too BTW, Biden brought inflation down to an acceptable level. It took him a while because of Covid, but he got it done.
Well said!
Thanks, Carol.
Elites????? Most of Trump cabinet picks are billionaires.
I would add that many of them are undereducated "elites". Trump's pick for the IRS is an auctioneer Billy Long who pushes fraudulent tax "benefits," and has no background in finance, tax law, or anything even closely resembling what is needed to run the IRS, unless Trump means to run it into the ground - highly likely.
Got any examples, Bill? Maybe the tax giveaway? Letting 400K people die because he didn't want to look bad in an election year? Insulting Gold Member military families? Sneering at dead soldiers? Grifting a few millions off taxpayers to line his own pockets?
Or maybe you just like fascism.
He inherited a strong economy and did nothing to improve it.
Not to put too fine a point on it, Laurie, but mango man is an enemy of the entire planet and all its inhabitants, both human and non-human. And with puppet-master Muck already trying to interfere in other governments (e.g., UK and Germany), the threat of the orange return is greatly magnified.
Denise Donaldson ; I have mentioned before that musk and tRUMP ultimately want to dominate the world. also space, They would love to be the operators of The "Death star" of Star WARS infamy, only they don't know what a drag they are. also, they would be too old to really get anywhere to do what that fake weaponized spaceship did in the movies. I think they are going to burn themselves out, lithium batteries and all.
Laurie, imo space would be a great place for them. As long as it's not being paid for by our tax dollars. Muck can foot the bill and jump around in a weightless space suit. Fun times!
Jan C : he would weigh much less and might boing himself up in to a launch with the weightlessness..and drift away.........
Hahaha, if only!
Yes, Denise , I think everyone should point out that he wants to be Putin on steroids'. conquest and grifting the universe, if only he could. Maybe some advanced civilization will put him in a bottle, like the insect he is ; a specimen of fantasy and greed, with the tiniest heart in the universe.
Laurie, your comment should be the headline across the country!
Thanks Darlene! I was lucky to know a man like him, and thought it would be a good thing to share. We do need better headlines, in addition to some real news that is helpful, not hateful.
👍👍👍
Nicely said Laurie!!
Thanks , that is acceptable. (I had to look up Cromulent) oh cromulent1.
Agreed, though he seems to really like sex offenders and wife beaters, so not sure if its a requirement but definitely a preferred eperience set for the various roles he is filling.
Make him a judge ???
His friends would all get off, while everyone else would be fined and guilty, unless they assaulted a woman
Laurie, I’m afraid all his buddies, and their buddies, will get off regardless.🤬
If The Requirement to hold federal office of any level is a pure heart and actuality ability or skills to do the job there will be no government of any kind.. .
Most federal appointments are based on political transactions this person b helped get elected and is loyal to me…
In this respect he’ll be just like any other administration…
Trump is civics ignorant he want to do things that violate the law be cause he is use to an organization that bends to his every whim many of his close associates have been convicted and sent to jail.
Trump will have more presidential pardons than any two presidents combined…
What about Felons ???
Like Bunkerboy himself you mean?
Just pardoning himself 34 times will give him a good start on that lead, Citizen J.
The good news is he can only pardon people for federal crime.
The Felony convictions are state of New York and I’m not sure the NY governor likes Donald Trump that much that’s 37 felonies. He can’t pardon himself from.
Overly political appointments can lead to some pretty dark places. The reason there is a civil service goes back to the assassination of President Garfield in 1881 by Charles Guiteau, who was part of a contentious political appointment scheme. Interesting article at https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-federal-civil-service-and-the-death-of-president-james-a-garfield.htm.
On a less dark but utterly serious note, I have seen an entire country's governmental services paralyzed for months when the spoils system extends too far. This is still the case in some Central Asian countries where a change in the administration means mass firings.
Which ones were you thinking of? I was watching Kazakhstan...
Mongolia was the case study of a few years ago. Kazakhstan actually has some movement behind a more open and representative government. It has challenges decoupling from its neighbor, however.
Donald Hodgins
Donald’s Substack
just now
The four in question are little more than Larry, Moe, Curley, with a confused sack of estrogen thrown in for good measure. It's a scary thought that a man who is about to be our next President feels vacuous choices like these four will help this country. Asses of a feather screw up together, Trump will be in good company.
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Imo he doesn't feel they'll help the country, Donald.. He feels they'll help HIM.
["confused sack of estrogen" is funny, but it's pretty ugly too. How come the guys get to be classic comedians, even if dumb ones?]
Never mind the fact that Trump himself is grossly incompetent and unqualified to fill his elected position.
The billionaires backing him got just what they paid for ; someone to raid our Treasury for them.
That's right, Steve, "Never mind." He won, and the people who voted for him neither know nor care whether he's fit for the job (in any way, on any level). It makes me sick.
Trump is pure mind poison, as he has shown clearly over the last nine years. Professional psychologists and analysts by his actions have diagnosed him to have a malignant narcissistic personality whose behavior can be transmitted readily to susceptible people by his maniacal sadistic rants. Many observers have likened this contagion to a 'mind virus'. Of course I am not a psychoanalyst, but I can see what has happened to much of the citizenry as clearly as the light of day. Relentless truth telling, to include the haranguing of our state and federal legislators, would be a good next step to remove this disease. What about increased civics lessons at the secondary level? A new crop of voters will be turning out in two to four years. Has everyone forgotten the brutal world history of 100 years?
Cripes, Dennis, Trump voters couldn't even remember 4, 6, 8 years ago. Imo 100 years ago is ancient history to them.
Do you think he's forgotten that yet due to his ADVANCED Alzheimer's yet, Mr. Olson? 🤣
Even if Trump forgot he’s got enough lunkheads around to remind him!
There is also the drugs they can use, and distractions galore.
Keith, you are right about control which is hard to understand since Trump is in the throes of dementia and can't keep any of it straight. That makes me wonder who is actually pulling the Trump strings so the toddler-man puppet can spew the insanity he is now tossing in every direction. I do wish there were more in government willing to stand against Trumplandia, but there simply are no longer Republicans who care for more than money, power, and a relationship with a toddler who is 78 years old. Ugh!!
Trump is an Insurrectionist and never should have been allowed to run for office!!!
Sheila, every time I say that the orange man should never have been allowed to skate free, run for office or any of the crap he has done, my uncle tells me "shoulda, woulda, coulda ain't gettin you anywhere. Make a difference!" I use to get so mad at him for not understanding my anger; however, now I realize he was telling me to get active and keep fighting for what I believe in! I'm with you and agree 100% that he never should have gotten close to the White House. Let's keep fighting to get him out in four years and keep him out!!
Thanks Peggy!! Also, if you need to watch the certification, go to YouTube and watch it on something like Brian Tyler Cohen. He will probably be showing this. We don’t want to support the regular stations!!
Many of us will not be watching at all.
I just remembered I have to take the trash out that day and clean up dog poop in my yard.
No time to watch, oh well.
I have to re-plant my saguaro cactus with my bare hands
Bret, and I have to scoop the litter box. Would that we could dump them in the trash!
I have to change the laundry load. No time for something frivolous like watching the orange excrudescence gloat.
C Span? Taxpayer funded?
He'll, get him out in less then four years. Impeachment is still an option. In 2026 that option could be more real if dems take the house.
Dems in congress must continually remind all that he is an insurrectionist and a convicted criminal, at every chance they get.
Dems should try in good conscience to negotiate with Republicans at the same time ignoring trump directky.
The techbroligarchs and coup d'etat planners had four years, essentially unlimited money, and inside help from red and swing state elections apparatuses to subvert the election. they did this by stealing the coding for the voting machines in states where they're used and rewriting the code to perform whatever functions (many ways to do it) they wanted it to. they did this by bribing, extorting, and enlisting willing elections workers in red and swing states, they did this by essentially, and incrementally over time, replacing the election infrastructure in the states with their own. this is why dumpster said "you (we) won't need to vote anymore" or in another case, in extremely bored tone, "i don't need your votes". there were other similar statements. Remember how demented and bored and idiotic he was on the campaign trail this past summer? that was all deflection, distracting everyone from the astonishing sleight of hand going on. note his demeanor and presence now. it's completely different, isn't it. Remember also that the states conduct elections, not the federal gov't. this makes every election theoretically subject to systemic manipulation and fraud. Which is why we used to have the voting rights act before the corrupt6 court emasculated it. because, y'know states' rights to conduct fraudulent elections and voter suppression. Finally, any expectation that this can be righted at the next "election" is seriously delusional. the techbroligarchs won. AI will only solidify it all.
I hate to agree with you but I do suspect that there was fraud (in addition to voter suppression) in key counties in swing states. I realize that I believe that because I can’t stomach (literally and figuratively) the thought that he actually won.
I absolutely believe you're right, Paul. But the Dems were so eager to concede, they didn’t look at any of the factors you lay out.
Stop waiting for 2026. Fight and Resist now.
I do, my mission is to talk to maga supporters in a respectfull manner and discuss what is truth and mis or disinformation.
We can make great progress when maga and us are united.
Impeachment is out of the question with the MAGAs in majority. Those supporters will not allow Trump to be touched even if he torches! All actions and vile behavior will be welcome and worshiped! Trump water will seek its level? Stay tuned!
That's a great idea, Bret! If Dems do get control of the House and Senate in 2026, would they have the spine to actually do what we all know needs to be done? I do agree that they should negotiate in good conscience with republicans and totally leave the orange man out of it!
I doubt it, Peggy; that would put Vance in charge, which might be worse. But the House could impeach him again, which would be nice.
You’re assuming his escalating dementia will not preventing him from serving his full term? I suspect his cockroaches will keep him mostly under wraps, continue to write “his” posts on Truth Social and hand him Executive Actions to sign.
Bret - If the Dems are continually denouncing mango man, why would the Repugs negotiate on anything? That doesn’t make political sense. No way the Rs are going to do anything to cross his orangeness.
I hadn't thought about that, Bret. You're right! Trump will undoubtedly do something so outrageous that he'll be impeachable again. You've given me something to look forward to. Thanks.
Your uncle was correct. We cannot change what has already happened but future is still ours to change. As Kamala Harris tells of her mother- “Do something about it.”
👍
Here’s something you can do.
Please run for school boards on a save democracy platform. School boards hold all the power over our schools; people don’t know this because administrators have controlled our schools by grooming their boards so they’ll rubber stamp their bad act. We can change that.
On the top of that list of bad acts administrators inflict on us is purging the called-to-teach teachers because administrators can’t control them. These teachers do what’s right. They won’t go along to get along with dangerous power mongers. Until we repopulate our schools with these teachers, education, the foundation of our democracy will remain hollow, which is what paved the way for Trump. Under educating and not producing citizens is why many people voted for a criminal.
Once we turn our schools into democracies rather than the autocracies they’ve been for at least four decades, we’ll have a fortress that the would be king can’t topple. Two sites: WhiteChalkCrime.com and EndTeacherAbuse.org will educate you about what’s going on in our schools so you can outsmart the criminals who think they can end our democracy. He can’t make us powerless. Only we can do that to ourselves by thinking he can.
By the way, you don’t have to have children in the school. You can be young or old as long as you’re a citizen in that school district. You can run on ending school shootings. Who doesn’t want that? You’ll find my book explaining why school shootings are happening at WhiteChalkCrime.com. It’s a winning issue!
Yeah Peggy!! I don’t think he is going to want to leave!! However, I’m with you!!!!
Sheila : yes, he was and is a Russian plant. He was improperly vetted.
He was certified!!! What cowards!! What Hypocrites!!!! Unbelievable!!
No, they will not. Republicans have proven they have zero integrity or morals so often in recent years its frankly comical. I'd be laughing if we weren't a few weeks away from the permanent death of our democracy. I don't think theres anything that could make me feel better about the oligarchs winning while the rest of us lose everything that makes this country worth defending. Fuck everyone who did this to us all, most of the low info voters still have no idea how badly they fucked up but they will soon enough.
Some of the post-election interviews have been so discouraging, in terms of "low-information." I'm seeing some observation of MAGA social media being upset over the H-1 visa flip-flop, and East Indians being shocked- SHOCKED! that MAGA has noticed they aren't white. Like some are saying, it's now "finding out" time.
The Indians who deluded themselves into thinking they would be accepted by Republicans baffle me. Like they genuinely believe the lies about meritocracy. Being the top of your caste system in India means jack shit here. Being rich doesn't help either, Magas hate them because their skin is brown and thier food smells funny, and theres absolutely nothing any of them can do about that.
Explain Rivek Ramaswamy or JD Vance’s wife. It doesn’t matter what the MAGA voter wants. They don’t pull the strings. The rich do.
Nimarata Nikki Randhawa Haley (née Randhawa;, Bobby Jindahl, Kash Patel, Rivek et al are not American Descendants of Slaves. Only the most diehard racists object to color of skin. it is American Descendants of Slaves that suffer the most discrimination, Africans and children of Africans find it easier to claw their way up the social ladder (Joy Reid for example), However if an ADOS plays their cards right, and assume the position of a loyal House Slave, like Kanye, Clarence, Mark Robinson, Herschel, Candace Owens, they will be allowed to sit in the periphery of the outer circle., given a position and job, maybe even inivted to cocktail parties. I call the Quislings,Stephens (the brandy drinking house slave in Django Unchained)
Surely the Clarence Thomas Story will live (fester) forever in infamy.
I wonder what the Russians know of Stalin or Lenin? Their is an enclave, a would be nation, that is basically a part of Russia. It's name is Transnistra, which means across the Dneiper, it is a sliver of land on the east side of Moldova and it borders Ukraine to west. It's flag is the old Soviet Flag, it is communist and is a stockpile of Soviet Arms and Munitions. I do not think that their history speaks ill of Stalin or Beria or Lenin.
As regards History, it all depends on who is writing history, how history portrays people and events.
The victor writes the history. Last year or was it 2022, a reporter asked some Republican senators about their legacy. Their reply was I don't care about my legacy, i will be dead. That's true, the dead are beyond caring.
I humbly admit I may have indulged in a little lazy shorthand with the "not white." The interplay of "retard" and "immigrant" probably more telling. I think Elon said even more derogatory things about American workers in other posts, was "lazy" in there somewhere? The whiplash that fascinates me is the long propaganda drumbeat against government policies to help to educate Americans, and now MAGA is shocked:SHOCKED that the merits of American workers might be questioned.
I just wanted to put in a sympathetic word for the Sikhs who have suffered from ignorant prejudice since 9/11.
The Indians who discovered America ought to be weary of America's karma. There is no escape from it.
Like woops , they wanted to lock arms with the white MAggots and now the plan is back firing.
Mmerose, add Muslims in MI who say they "gave" him the state and then he supported Netanyahu. Awwww... If my teeny violin weren't still broken from being played so much between 2017-21, I'd strum a little ditty for them. Maybe "You Can't Always Get What You Want?"
So true, Andy!
This is MAGA control!
GOP/Republicans have left town!
Call it exactly what it is!
JA the MAGAts are Republicans. It is a straight line, logical evolution from Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan to Tea Party to MAGAt.
And what bugs me is Trump will let the debt grow, while Biden is smart enough to have reduced spending in a few areas. Overall Biden did a great job, but all presidents are shackled by previous spenders. both good guys with limited control over longer term rate change.
There has been A LOT of noise about DOGE "saving" $2 trillion from the Budget. But I fully expect that the "saved" money will then be given to the Wealthy as more and bigger tax cuts -- meaning that there will be no savings at all.
My worry, CaptainPatch, is that $2 trillion cut from the budget will be Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid! If they take those away, we will have a very huge crisis on our hands! I'm afraid when the millions of Americans that depend on those programs are suddenly homeless and without, those wealthy people are suddenly going to have huge targets on their backs!
I too worry about this.
Here is a thought. Since these wealthy creeps want to take everything and to hell with the rest of us. What about we let them have their corporations and money? All of us could begin to open co-ops, if someone has a patch of land, grow vegetables and crops to sell at a reasonable price to people in their community. Farmers and ranchers can cancel their contracts with the mega corporations and sell locally in their community. Revert back to mom and pop stores providing goods to their own communities. Stop going to Walmart and all these other box stores. Workers at box stores could begin working for small businesses. We could turn it back on them and remove their source of income. Shareholders - sell your shares back to the richy rich. All of us could become self-sufficient and not in need of these greedy rich people anymore! We could help one another and those that become homeless because the greedy power-hungry republicans took their source of income. Boy, howdy! That would be a slap in the face to all of those greedy want-it-all people!
Your sentiments have warmed the heart of this old hippie. You won't get eveyone , but I tell you, it is a better way to live. I've never used amazon, paypal, try hard to avoid other such sins, and I'm still alive! Find alternatives. You won't get everyone, but you feel better.
Thank you, David! I'm an old hippie as well and I can squeeze that nickel till the buffalo poops! I refuse to shop any place that is owned by those wealthy corporations. If I can't find what I am looking for in locally owned businesses, flea markets, co-ops or thrift stores, then I figure I didn't need it anyway! Something else that's been on my mind - a friend, who worked as a trucker his entire life, said to me the quickest way to bring this country to a complete stand still is for truckers to just stop hauling. There is something about that playing around in my mind, I just haven't worked it out yet! Feel better, David, knowing we all have your back!
Same here!!
It would take a massive amount of will power and sacrifice to pull this off, especially without breaking out into Civil War from the folks that are comfortable with the way that it is. But I like the idea. Make it so, #1, make it so!!
Boy howdy, Bill, wouldn't that be a coup de grace to all of those power-hungry, greedy people? I would absolutely love to see that happen! Right now, I intend to live long enough to see the orange man finally have to face the consequences for everything he has done! President Carter wanted to live long enough to cast his vote for Kamala Harris and I want to live long enough to finally see justice being served to that orange smear!
Ah, Peggy, not everyone can grow their own crops or open a store with zero products from oligarchical companies. I can’t even put my own socks on.
I appreciate your ideas, Peggy, but an overhaul as you describe on an any large scale, even if people would go along, would take probably at least a decade. After all, it took a century for ways of life and commerce to evolve (devolve?) to where they are now.
I know, Denise. I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part! You know, there are so many more working middle and lower classes than there are rich people. Why is it they are controlling all of the rest of us? Why can't we stop all of this? Are we really just serfs working for the aristocracy?
I like it, Peggy!! I like it!
WooHoo, Elizabeth! Now, all we've got to do is get the rest of the country on board!
Maybe so but THEY will get their TAX CUT! Because Trump and all his family will get and want theirs!! They are in this tax cut BIGLY!
Trump has no consideration for the people living carefully on Social Security and Medicare! They never have depended on it! Do not forget that MANY were Trump voters, too!
Amen to that!! I wish I could feel as positive about the 71,000,000 that voted for the Orange One (including some in my own family I’m afraid) coming around to see that they’re being taken advantage of just as are the rest of us!! I don’t want a huge national divide to continue but I would sure like it if a few Dems would stand up to the Repubs and say “We’re not going to take it any more.” Especially if it would happen today during the Certification of the Count!!
If the Magas in the House do obey Trump and take the money from social services and Medicare to fund tax breaks for the rich, it's going to cause real pain to the Americans who depend on those services. The Dems need to have a big fat public information campaign ready to immediately hit every communication space to tell those people why the money was taken from them and that it was Trump who wants it that way. Because you know Trump et al will tell Fox & Co. that it's completely the doing of the Dems (somehow).
they can start now like Robert Reich is doing.
100% agree, Bill!
I switched my phone ring tone to “We’re not gonna take it, by Quiet Riot.” The first time someone called me it scared the crud out of me with that drum solo opening.🤣 Also I’m part of the buy nothing movement. If I don’t need to buy it I’m not going to or if I do, it’s going to be secondhand. I get a lot of my produce from a produce rescue program and I also saw a woman interviewed on PBS when they had a segment on the anti-influencer movement saying that we have enough clothing already produced throughout the world right now to clothe the next 6 generations!!!
And they would deserve it.
Social Security and Medicare come out of their own trust fund, not part of the Federal Budget. Question is why is the corporate media and our own democratic leadership telling us that.
Foolish me, I could have answered the question before I asked it.
Complicity and cowardice are the only answers.
William, I had to look that up and from what I have read, Social Security and Medicare are included in the mandatory expenditures and make up nearly half of the entire federal budget.
True but they don't come out of the General fund, They have their own trust fund. The Billionaires who want to use Social Security funds and contributions to gamble on the stock market are purposefully conflating the two to confuse us.
Here is what I mean. Congress votes on the budget, Yes? but Social security and medicare are not included in the budget. Medicaid is however.
Now double check me on that fact,please.
Peggy, if a few oligarchs have to live in fear of their greedy lives, I won't lose any sleep over it.
Imo if disregard for the law is the phrase du jour, let them reap what they sow.
Absolutely, Jan!
I hope it happens. Anericans won't wake the fuck up to the fact the rich are the enemy until they have nothing left to lose. Hope the rich take it all for themselves.
True, Andy!
[This post addresses most everyone downthread from Peggy's post.] There are several significant problems with alternate sourcing that essentially boycotts Big Biz and the Wealthy that seem bent on defunding what they call "entitlement programs." ("Hitting them in the wallet.") First, while community gardens and co-ops look appealing, the Supply they offer is astronomically short of the Demand that is theoretically available. Because, second, the overhead Transportation, Warehousing, Distribution, etc., costs are more than what such small businesses can afford. At least, afford _without_ having to raise prices to cover those costs to higher than what Big Biz offers. Just like many people -- myself included -- do NOT buy Organic products though they are the healthier choice. Most Americans either buy Quality (if they can afford it) or else product price is their primary decision criteria. Third, most Americans, by far, are too lazy to forego the convenience of shopping from Big Biz. The few that ARE looking for People-powered alternatives are doing so as a demonstration of political outrage -- and political outrage has a tendency to fade with time. Meaning that after a matter of weeks (or months at most), most consumers will succumb to the convenience of shopping with Big Biz.
Undoubtedly, there WILL be some co-oping and community gardening that occurs. But mapped out across the USA, it would look like a mild case of measles... or mild acne. Collectively, that much in lost Sales will be hardly noticed by Big Biz. (What's the Profit margin difference between "exorbitant" and "outrageous"?)
I understand what you are saying CaptainPatch. I just want there to be something that average Americans can do to stop the corporation freight train barreling down on us. For example, I live in a 55+ community. Every year the lot rent increases by $30+ dollars a month. I started at a little over $700 a month and now it is almost $900 a month. This is retribution because the HOA sued the corporation that owns the community. Even though I was not living here when they did that, I am still being punished because they did. My car insurance continues to rise even though I have never had to use it because I have never been in an accident. My water/sewage bill doubled because we have to pay for a new sewage treatment plant. My Social Security COLA only went up around $30 but Medicare increased co-pays that ate that up! It goes on and on like that. These corporations are pricing people out of homes, unable to own/drive a car, unable to afford groceries. When does it stop? How can we make it stop? I know what I suggested was a pipe dream, but I would surely love for someone to come up with a solution to all of this mess!
Literally, "I feel your pain." We are victims of The System that rules over Us. Our incomes are forever running behind Inflation (whatever it may be that is making prices go up). When ANYONE raises their prices, it seems that EVERYONE raises theirs as well. This is the direct opposite of the Economic theory that manufacturer competition is good for the consumer. (That manufacturers are forever trying to undercut competitor prices in order to attract more customers.) "If _they_ can charge more, so can we!" This is a direct result from having a LARGE population: Manufacturers know that even at higher prices, they will most likely sell nearly 100% of what they produce -- so why ever lower prices?
Back in the 1970s, the government instituted price freezes in order to arrest/slow Inflation -- and it was working. So well, that manufacturers started to get into Politics BIG TIME, making very substantial "campaign contributions" to candidates that promised to end Price Controls. In order to sell the idea that price controls were a Bad Idea, they created a narrative that indicated that it was Price Controls that caused the Great Gas Shortage. (Because the lack of opportunity to generate ever greater Profits stifled production.) [In actuality, Big Oil cut back on production specifically to create the "crisis".] Ever since Price & Wage Controls were discontinued, Big Biz has been raising prices simply because Management needed to show shareholders that Profits kept growing under their oversight. (And to justify ever greater "performance bonuses.")
These days, most of "Our" elected representatives have been bought and paid for by the Wealthy and Big Biz (which is mostly owned and operated by the Wealthy). Which means that We The People can NEVER expect substantial relief via government regulation. As far as I can tell, the ONLY chance of creating Change We Can Believe In is if We The People do it Ourselves. Which means violent revolution. [Because those controlling "Our" government are NOT willing to step down peacefully (like Harris just did).] And THAT is unlikely to ever happen because the VAST majority of Americans are unwilling to risk it all to take on the US Military and all of Law Enforcement on the assurance of, "_Maybe_ We'll win."
Well said, you know your history. Capitulation to the fascists or Revolution are the only options left. The sooner people realize this the better, because right now its looking like the nation is going to simply roll over and let the billionaires fuck us all without a fight.
I propose that Elon just simply give one of his many billions to shore up SS Medicare and Medicaid. He has too much money anyway. He can just develop a philanthropic heart to solve these kinds of problems. After all he himself benefits from our government. 🤔
Unfortunately with global warming there aren't enough ice floes left to "offshore" all the greedy pensioners.
BINGO!
Call it what it is. Wealth redistribution, they are pulling a reverse robin hood. Robbing the poor to give it all to the rich who don't even need it. How anyone can support this and not feel like a tremendous asshole is beyond me, but here we are all the same.
The overarching, overbearing Wealthy superiority complex. OBVIOUSLY, God, Mother Nature, Lady Luck, and Evolution has made the Wealthy to be superior beings. Which, by correlation, means NOT-Wealthy people are inferior subhumans. Closer to being animals than REAL human beings. When someone starts thinking along those lines, it's _real_ easy to not care what happens to the subhumans. After all, how sympathetic are most people about the cows that went into their hamburgers? Chickens that became McNuggets? Pigs turned into bacon and ham steaks? (Or since SOMEBODY will make mention of vegetarians and vegans) How much does anyone care about the plant lives cut short to make a salad?
trump will need Dems in the House to raise the debt limit so that will be a drama crisis. That's why he pathetically tried to trick Biden & Senate Dems into doing it for him & taking the blame. They rightly said, "hell no."
It’s quite a process but things get fixed on both sides. We don’t come together as a nation and fight. We’ll just spend more money on things we don’t need. Let’s be a smarter population and and slow down the amount of money that these lawyers could have slow down the lobby is that create laws don’t need speed up improving the way that we live housing speed up education farming, good stuff we can do it. We’re a great nation with top nation, whether it’s Trump or Biden or any president budget is a budget and it’s not four years since budgets a national budget that’s been going on for decades and decades so no one‘s gonna fix anything overnight things will be fine.
🙄 Frankly that's delusional happy talk. Things are so much worse than that.
I think it’s AI.
There does seem to be some of that vibe.
Yes, I think so, too, elizabeth. There's too much nonsensical phrasing for the comment to have been made by a person, even a non-native English speaker.
Stick to chess.
They are NOT “both good guys”! Trump is an out of control Lunatic!!
I will not for a minute entertain this ‘both sides’ nonsense. I’ve had to ‘thin the herd’…just cut people out of my life who attempt (for whatever reason) to sanewash the GOP. I am done.
Thank you
"Both good guys"? WTF are you talking about? What overheated microchip did that bullshit leak out of?
Mr. Lew - That and that trump will try to take credit for the good things that Biden did but took too long to come to fruition for people to realize that it was Biden who made it happen.
Trump is a "good guy"? Please explain.
Professor Reich: of all these scummy boot-licking appointees, the most disturbing to me as a scientist is RFK Jr. he is an anti-science fact-free anti-vax lunatic, and the fact that bernie sanders and john fetterman (who has a history of barely controlled violence and intellectually dubious behaviours, as exemplified by "the shotgun incident" amongst others) think they may support him in the upcoming vote is deeply worrying. although i do freely admit that they ALL worry me greatly, because of the imminent threat they pose to national security (gabbard, in particular) and to the safety and well-being of citizens of this nation (patel & hegseth) ...
but is trump even eligible to be sworn in as president, as section 3 of the 14th amendment states? https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/
In my eyes and in at least the eyes of the state of Colorado, he's not eligible. However, no one seems to have the balls to stand up to him and say NO or put him behind bars, where he belongs.
Tina... 'However, no one seems to have the balls to stand up to him and say NO or put him behind bars, where he belongs.'
Yet.
Seriously, there is a reckoning coming for Trump. His best bet would be to die in office, frankly. It is justice delayed, is all. (Which is not right, but he will always be a convicted felon and this will limit his access to certain countries around the world).
Dying is the easy way out. But I digress...
I surely have not seen any real attempt to bring justice against the orange blob. Well, except for the conviction in NY that Judge Merchan has delayed sentencing for. I'm sorry but I do not understand all these people who refuse to hold him accountable. It's beyond frustrating. And the idea of a convict having access to our top secrets...supposedly without a top secret clearance, since a convict can not obtain one...as far as I know, just ridiculous!
Biden still has time to do just that.
Grrl Scientist, unfortunately section 3 does not specifically name the President or Vice President as subject to this provision. Is the President an “officer of the United States?” The Trump appointed Supreme Court might therefore take the position that this provision does not apply to the President of the United States. They have already made him exempt from any prosecution while he is in office.
The Constitution applies to everyone once you create an exception where does it end?
oh gawd. "Land of the free and home of the brave" my ass. i am sickened to death by all this bullshit where, even historically, NO ONE, not even our so-called "founding fathers," is capable of clearly and unequivocally stating ANYTHING of importance.
i give up. after my vote was not counted, i alternated between despair and outrage, and felt absolutely disenfranchised and alienated from the land of my birth, but this ... this convinces me beyond any shadow of a doubt that ameriKKKa really and truly DOES deserve trump and his lackeys and all the harms they are determined to bring to the nation and its citizens.
Times have changed since the Constitution was adopted. The framers of the Constitution probably could not conceive of the remotest possibility that a President or a Vice President might lead an insurrection against their own government. Until it happened even we could not conceive of it. Trump and his team of evil lawyers and purchased judges are bent on shredding our Constitution. That is why we need to create a whole new ballgame with new rules in line with Economic Democracy. Our Constitution when conceived was a very progressive document. Now 248 years and 27 amendments later it is just not able to take us into the future, I’ll use a spacious analogy: After you repair an old car 27 times maybe it is time to replace it with something more useful and safe. It served us well, but now it is just too leaky.
"The framers of the Constitution probably could not conceive of the remotest possibility that a President or a Vice President might lead an insurrection against their own government."
Whoa.... You sell them FAR too short. They were WELL aware of the possibilities. Especially since what they were "framing" had never been attempted in history before -- and human nature's reaction to power was well-known for millennia.
Point well taken, Thomas.
Problem is this echo-chamber.
Trump was an insurrectionist and should'nt have been on the ballot. He and many friends had close ties to Putin and despicable dictators like Assad.
So much for scrutiny of candidates for public office.
Sex offenders, yes, to reaffirm a state of masculinity, but you can be a good administrator, being a piece of shit. When you wield power, you must do it with competence.
So, where is the emergency exit? I wrote about my astonishment about the childish stupidity level of American politics. Also insufficient are the convictions, the insurrection, the treason.
So, Marc, now the holy Constitution? I agree completely, but the chaos is faster then a new Constitution.
We have one last chance. Harris could deny the certification process because Trump does not have immunity from civil suits, in which he was adjudicated a rapist, a business fraud, a tax cheat, and real estate fraud. This disqualifies him from office. The SCOTUS can't save him from this because they ruled unanimously in Clinton v Jones that a President is not protected from civil suits. And...this most recent SCOTUS only ruled immunity from criminal suits. Let's hope Harris and AOC can pull this off. It really is our last best hope of stopping Trump.
I would love to see this happen but I have very little doubt that it will. Everyone seems to just run in fear of this moronic orange idiot.
and chaos is precisely what the fascists want!
Try to keep the rest of us who are with you in mind. We, too, are Americans who >didn't< vote for any of this bullshit but must endure it with you.
well, true. but i just feel so bloody HELPLESS living overseas and being discounted EVERY time i follow the rules as i try to do anything positive and useful -- except to give my (mostly nonexistent) money to thieves, liars and grifters, of course.
When they go low, we go LOCAL!! *
My mantra
..for at least the next 2 years.
Good point Marc. That's how they dumped Roe vs Wade. The Constitution doesn't say "you are entitled to have an abortion", in their view, so they ended it.
However, the Constitution doesn't say "you can't have one" either. It is neutral on the subject. Just depends if our Supreme Court has members who believe the Constitution lets us have our personal freedoms or has members who think their personal religious ideas should rule us. Thanks to the GOP we have the latter.
Best of luck to all for the next 4 years... GH
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If it is true that Bernie might vote for RFK Jr., and he does, it's time for Bernie to retire. I have always liked most of his ideas but this would end my support. Can anyone actually verify this? GH
I think they all are equally dangerous to our wellbeing. They are MAGA and incompetent, selected based purely on loyalty to the ‘King’. Democracy is dead. I expect the USA to become like Putin’s Russia.
The Republican Party has been an easily purchased or blackmailed spine-free zone for a while.
It looks like the madness will just have to play out for a while until the American people have had enough. Either that or they will all decide to drink bleach.
Trump is NOT talking about replacing or building anything new. He is talking about cutting, ending, and destroying the federal government. When that happens, state and local governments will be forced to cope with everything the federal government currently handles.
For state and local governments, the end of all these federal programs will unleash a tsunami. Unfortunately, American communities are not prepared. Be it a state legislature or agency, a city council, board of supervisors, school district, water district, or other local agency, very few, if any, local officials truly know what they are doing, understands how things work, and how to get things done. Worse yet, very few citizens know anything at all, about local government.
We are heading into chaos, and we must prepare ourselves for self-governance now.
Take water for example. Federal environmental policies, like the Environmental Protection Act, have required proven access to water for the construction of new development If not for the EPA, city and county elected officials would have approved massive developments that would have drained local water supplies, leaving millions living on rationed water, or without water altogether.
Take schools for example. Federal education policies have required schools teach basics, like math, reading, writing, and science in order to qualify for funding. If not for federal education policies, many school districts would be teaching religion instead of history, creative design instead of biology, and bible theory instead of archeology and anthropology.
Take economic development for example. Federal policies have subsidized old industries by paying to clean up toxic waste. If not for federal clean up dollars and policies, millions of people would be drowning in toxic waste, nuclear waste, and chemical contamination.
Take employment for example. Federal labour policies have forced corporations and businesses to pay minimum wage and basic safety measures. Take federal labour policies away, and corporations will pay far less than minimum wage, and ignore safety. Trust me, you do NOT want state or local government officials in control of your food supply.
Everything we count on in our daily lives, depends on the interactions of our local, state and federal governments. Remove the federal government, and our governing system collapses.
I am spitting in the wind, but spit I will. If you truly care about this country, it is time to start attending at least one local government meeting a month. Learn how that governing body works, pay attention, and report out to everyone you know. If you don't, you are handing this country to people who have no interest in anything, BUT the freedom to do whatever they please, when and where they please, and to whomever they please.
Raffey, that was an excellent read! I will definitely attend my local government meetings! That is another first step as to what we, as individuals, can do to help with this fight. Thank you for enlightening and sharing.
Peggy, I hope you will find the experience as rewardingand empowering as I have.
WE are going to see Trump scrambling to HOLD on while making a grand profit for himself and cronies! If Trump can manage to push thru another immense promised TAX CUT, he will be safe. Cronies/oligarchs will leave Trump alone! They will feel like one of his! Membership with power!
That is exactly what all these oligarchs have sign up for and voted to receive. Trump will not disappoint his warriors!
Attending School board meetings is a good place to start. Here is Mentor, Ohio, Moms for Liberty (radical, right wing organization) has moved to ban books from the school library, regularly complain about transgender students being allowed to use the restrooms they identify with and generally come to the meetings to disrupt and create chaos.
Raffey, you are right to be concerned. Project 2025 is a project to plunder our country.
Victor, I read Project 2025, all 900 plus pages, and local government is the only place that I can see, where citizens have the opportunity to stop the destruction of emocracy. If we surrender our local governments, we surrender democracty. We can always re-build the state and federal government, but once local government is gone, we will never get it back.
Raffey, In your original comment you mentioned the interaction between the federal government and local governments, and now you seem to be arguing that it possible to preserve local government without the federal government. Possible maybe, likely? not. Federal law is the supreme law of the land, the Constitution states. The alternative is chaos, and chaos destroys local government. A strong central government can smother local government, as it has happened in many countries. Maintaining a balance between the two is crucial yet difficult. Today, a third player has come into the picture: the mega corporation. Voracious and amoral, these entities rule over local communities and exercise undue influence over the federal government. Project 2025 envisions turning local governments into executive agencies of giant corporations. Judges will be bribed, dined, and whored. There is a book in the Bible call Judges; it is followed by Kings.
Victor, I suspect your perspective is informed by urban and suburban life. But I live the country and things out here are very different. For example, last year, our city clerk was the most heated election (not the president).
Exactly correct Raffey. Without the Fed Gov help in the last 80-90 years setting standards and transferring tax dollars from the Blue States to the Red States almost all of the Red States would be just another collection of "third world" cesspools. They love to scream about the Libs, DEMs, FDR, regulations, etc, but we are the ones with the ideas and tax funding that saves them time and time again.
A good example is FEMA. A federal program for disaster aid to help ALL citizens in need. Tornadoes in the Mid-West, earthquakes in the West and forest fires anywhere. But the largest amount of money yearly goes to hurricane relief. Where? In the eight
Southern Red States.
They don't get it. GH
Gary, the federal government does re-distribute tax dollars. However, I'm not sure that treating the country as one nation, rather than 50 separate states, is such a bad idea - so I can't argue that case one way or another.
That said, at the federal level, Presidents, Congressmen and Senators work on behalf of corporations hunting cheap labour to extract natural resources and do the dirty work in poor states and intellectual property and sophisticated innovations in wealthier states.
For example, people in poor states who work in resource extraction and food production provide cheap energy and food for workers in both, poor and rich states. However, people in rich states, who can afford to pay much higher food prices, pay the same food prices as people in poor states who produce that food.
California is a good example. If you look at county data, California counties that produce food, extract natural resources and host dirty industries, people are dirt poor. But counties where tech and clean industries dominate are filthy rich. Same state, different outcomes for the 58 counties, all depending on what corporations want from the land. To a large extent, local government is responsible for these disparities - not the state or federal government.
Again this is a time for clarity as to just how low the Republican party has fallen. When you have one party that is overwhelmingly corrupt and a Democratic party that is unable to demonstrate strong leadership and truly be the “Peoples Party” how can we have a two party system?
In the short term we feel the drumbeat of the oncoming inauguration of possibly the most corrupt administration in United States history. However, in the longer term we do not know how this will play out. Trump is unpredictable, he says certain things simply to get elected and once he was elected he will change his position repeatedly according to how the wind blows. Our task is to hold steady in the upcoming storm and hold dearly to truth and honesty in every aspect of our personal and political lives. Everyone of a progressive nature and belief system should come together and support each other during this time. If we cannot rely on elected representatives to “do the right thing,” then we the people must engage in doing the right things ourselves. We cannot allow ourselves to become fractionalized in the face of adversity.
Excellent! Well said, Marc! We need Professor Reich, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, AOC, Pete Buttigieg, Ben Wikler, Jamie Raskin, Gavin Newsome and others to hold us together and keep us engaged and active pursuing what is right for our country! If we fractionalize, we will lose.
An opposition cabinet — as suggested by Timothy Snyder. To be there to speak and post and publish about the faults and foibles of the actual cabinet … to educate so next time democrats win
Excellent idea, RDW!
It seems to me that Marc hankers for a constitutional convention, something Republicans ardently desire.
No, we need a whole new system. It could not be put into effect until the MAGA Republicans have finished destroying the one we have. First we focus on an economy that works for everyone, then we build a governmental system that supports the new economy where everyone has full opportunity to earn sufficient purchasing power. Tinkering with what we now have still creates an ongoing tug of war with the Ultra Wealthy.
Trump is but a puppet
The Uber wealthy pulling his strings don't want to destroy this country but to quietly rule it with a massive slave labor work force.
Times have changed?
Oligarchy vs. Democracy
We need to go to a forced 4 party system. Extreme right, moderate right, extreme left and moderate left parties.
These new parties and their conidates must be on every ballot.
May result in a more fractured country than we are tolerating now?
Sensibility needs to reign! We do not need extremes.
We really don’t need a vaccine denying, raw milk drinking, brain wormed RFK Jr. in the cabinet right now. Influenza A, Covid, and now HMPV in China are surging, and the avian flu (H5N1) is rampant in chicken and cow populations. At the very least we need the FDA and CDC more than ever because the virus can be transmitted through raw milk and meat, and if it jumps to humans we have to prepare for another pandemic like virus in the near future.
At this point in time why would anyone with 20/20 eyesight think Senate Republicans would find some integrity and vote against even one of them?
The majority of senate Republicans are spineless jelly fish who hind behind their voters claiming thar they are doing their bidding.
Nancy Pelosi says Trump's willingness to pardon Jan.6 prisoners makes him "a strange person." Is that the worst thing she can say about that? How many other representatives are softening their rhetoric concerning Trump? How many have gone soft in the head?
Too many! In fact, almost all of them, it seems.
Unfortunately, there's a significant anti-vax segment in the progressive world as well, as if all vaxxes are formulated the same way across disease types. If a fast spreading pandemic hits, we're all toast.
A low-life cabinet is being formed. You cannot blame Trump he looks for loyalist and people like him. The dark days ahead seem to be unvisible for half of the politicians. Mr Putin has waged war and the US has lost it.
Only four? I suppose it all depends on how one defines "dangerously", because as far as I can see, they're ALL unqualified. I'm thinking that "dangerously" refers to those unqualified nominees that are being given really, REALLY important posts like Defense, State, or Health & Human Services.
But I have to wonder: for ANY nominee not passed by the Senate, just who Trump's (similarly unqualified) SECOND choices will be?
That is the scary part! Trump’s “bench” is missing? Maybe he could switch Hershel Walker to Secretary of State or Kristi Noem to Secretary of Dog Catchers?
Let's hope a lot of ketchup gets thrown in the next few weeks. However, the Republicans have shown us who they are, over and over and over....
Robert, Jessica Denson seems to be the only one who is pushing back on Trumps certification!!! Please go to “Lights On”. This is Jessica’s podcast on YouTube. Unfortunately, people who are supporting her had a pitiful march the other day in Washington. Please look up her cite. It’s been updated.