Yes. Everything about this is unsettling, but if we are to have any hope of thwarting Trump & Co.’s lurch towards autocracy, we need to be eyes wide open and ready to defend our democracy.
Elizabeth Willing Powel asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
"Ready to defend"? Now is the moment, isn't it? I'm ready to march, I write and call the Dems - who issue ineffective statements about how bad things are before retreating back into their offices - but how do we jam sticks into the Project 2025 bicycle spokes?
We only need a few brave Republicans and we should support them and mobilize their own voters to reward their courage. It would be a bit of an effort..Senator I may or may not hate the same people you do but we must love democracy more than we hate immigrants and queers.
In general, we don’t, not for certain. But in at least one case, a 25-year-old staffer with Elon Musk’s DOGE was given permission to edit a sensitive Treasury payments system. When it got out and a furor was raised, that access was revoked. But I won’t rule out other instances.
Given that many of these systems were written in COBOL, an ancient programming language, the potential for unanticipated damage would be high.
Boycott Amazon, Tesla, Starlink. I just read in this morning's Guardian that about a quarter of people surveyed were changing their buying habits because of politics. That's a lot of people! We can make a difference. Tesla sales are tanking in Europe. If you're going to buy an EV, don't make it a Tesla.
I had it with Xitter after Muskrat’s budget meddling. No one elected Muskrat and he and his incel and groyper hackers have no clue how government is supposed to work. Musk posted a picture of himself on Xitter as a gladiator claiming he was going after the “woke hive mind.” How does firing ordinary Federal probationary workers accomplish that goal?
We got a Subaru this summer, which came with the option of Starlink. We never subscribed and when I got a final notice that they needed my credit card or else, we simply dropped the deal. I want nothing to do with these folks. Joe Biden said it right, "Pay your fair share of taxes."
Susan - Good point. I don’t understand why they need to get into our systems (such as the IRS and SS) when they are the very ones who commit fraud, abuse and waste.
They commit fraud by any means necessary to not pay taxes. They absolutely abuse any/every loophole available. They are wasting taxpayer money on dismantling agencies and probably charging us more to rebuild our systems. If the republicans really cared about money then they shouldn’t have paid money to T’s golf course to hold their meetings about our economy and the deficit. We have a possible government shutdown coming up soon and they have not done anything about it.
Exactly right. They squander billions supporting authoritarian regimes worldwide. They could care less about people, only profit. That is wrong, and that has to end. The only thing these folks understand is getting their own way and making money. Not buying things might begin to get their attention. People who value things other than riches are less likely to be bought. I'm heartened by the protests and boycotts that are starting across the country. I read a post by an 80-year-old man who attended his first ever protest somewhere in Arizona against a Tesla dealership.
Some Democrats in Congress are thinking about refusing to raise the budget ceiling as a way of fighting back, so it could get interesting next month. In other words there could be a shutdown but maybe for a good reason.
Wayne - It was my understanding that we hit the debt ceiling last month and have to use extraordinary measures but you won’t hear about that from this administration. I just read that once musk finds all of the abuse, waste and fraud (they will never show the “evidence” just like T never showed the tape at Arlington Cemetery where they did physically assault the worker) they are thinking about giving people checks (possibly $5,000) but not All the people will qualify. Why find the money and then give it away?
Klare - Probably stealing our money now and stealing our information to sell later. They shouldn’t even have “read only” access either. We didn’t elect them nor is their department legitimate. I read yesterday that the republicans are finally getting upset because the freezing and firing are starting to affect their states. A little too late.
I saw a movie during covid 2020 made for streaming with Meryl Streep on MAX. She was a famous author who was getting an award in the UK and was ill and couldn't fly, so she took a couple of her best friends with her on the Queen Mary It had.the most poignant scene I've never forgotten They. were in the dining room during dinner (I don't know what year the movie was supposed to take place in) and one character says:
"Elon Musk sent many, many telecom satellites into the sky that look exactly like stars, exactly like stars. So now when humans gaze at the night sky, they won't know if they're gazing at a star or at a machine. And we at this table, at this little table, we are among the last, the very last, ever, ever, to have seen the actual, real, the honest, truthful night sky from the ocean. We saw stars... Just stars."
Whatever he touches he destroys. He and the 🍊 are two human wrecking balls.
Do you remember seeing it? I was a couple of years old with Sputnik, but that must have been something to see. I was 13 the summer when they landed on the moon and I remember it like it was yesterday. We lived to see science fiction become science fact. We'll never see something new and wondrous like that again...unless it's like one of those disaster movies and an asteroid the size of Chicago slams into us.
So I just googled starlink and got an interactive map of how many of those things are orbiting. When you see the picture it looks a virus. Thousands of them all around the entire planet.
I've canceled Amazon Prime, PayPal, WaPo and NYT subscriptions, and Facebook; have gone to DuckDuckGo as a search engine, though I'm reluctant to give up gmail (but am thinking about it); and never, ever would have considered Tesla or Starlink. I doubt it's hurting any of them the teeniest-tiniest bit, but it makes me feel a little better.
Whenever someone tells you that the vote doesn't matter, just remember that were it irrelevant the bad guys wouldn't be trying so hard to eliminate it.
Good journalists are moving over to Substack. One is The Contrarian where Jennifer Rubin went. Many journalists are abandoning ship, thank goodness. There is hope for our Democracy yet.
I had my WaPo subscription for less than a month, canceled it, yet they STILL send it to me! They've lost 250,000 subscriptions, I think I read or heard. I haven't been in Whole Foods in over nine months.
I too have voted in every election since 1964! I remember as a 14 year old watching politics with my mom in 1956! I am now 82 and still a Democrat. I am mostly Irish, so I guess politics is in my DNA.
I am 88 and never missed an election even little local ones. I want to be here to vote straight Blue again in 2026!!! Will these losers leave even if defeated.
There is group of us. We are all in our 80’s (a couple of kids among us are late 70’s). We vote by “mail” be cause we use to travel and were afraid that we might get delayed somewhere. Now we take our ballots to the Dropbox and go to lunch to celebrate our franchise (while we still have it).
Agree, Laurie, and also to emphasize that some added and timely posts from Robert are called for to supply footholds on the 'slippery slope' into tyranny. Create a furor over the sinister Kash Patel's push to lead the FBI. His 'children's books' are designed to brainwash children about the beneficence of the great emperor t. Actually, Patel's new job as head of the secret state police would be to stamp out dissent to the skump totalitarian state at whatever human cost.
WOW! That's impressive. I never did do twitter or Facebook but I did turn off the TV months ago. I use Xfinity to connect to internet and for my iPhone. I have to keep Amazon because of mobility issues but use it only if absolutely necessary. I think this can make a difference for sure.
VermontGirl57, what is Natural Grocers? I have to order my groceries online for now, and I am seriously tired of dealing with Kroger's screw-ups! Thanks!
Natural Grocers is a small (165 stores/21 states) family held, grocery network. Organic and local grocery items. Started by the Isely’s in 1955. May not be available to you - check their website. If not them maybe Costco is available to you?
If people start shunning his swastikars here the other Tesla stock owners could conceivably oust him… One obscenely wealthy man is buying his own big Country. He is megalomaniacal enough to see himself as the dictator here. How will he take over?
I keep it is because changing it would be more work than this lazy person wants to do. I've used it for what seems like everything for too long, but I'm pondering doing it in stages. It's also probably hard to find an alternatve without nasty backers.
I agree! We have much power. Let’s use it. Stop buying from any of these businesses. It’s not hard. Support local businesses and order directly from various manufacturers on line. I’ve been doing it for years; yes you might not get the delivery in a day - but really, other than medication or some deadline, who needs anything the next day? It wasn’t that long ago that we all planned our shopping because stores weren’t open everyday; and walking to local stores provided jobs, exercise and a real, live social network! It was fun.
Oh, and I forgot. Here in Canada there is so much backlash against Tesla that people who are driving a Tesla now put a sign on their car which reads: "I bought this before Elon went crazy". Have you seen this in the States as well? If not, it would be a good idea.
I haven't seen them but a friend told me he has one. We bought Tesla solar panels and batteries in 2019 when we didn't know anything about Musk either. It's pretty difficult to get rid of those so I guess we're stuck with them.
Let's all remember that Friday, February 28 is BLACKOUT Buying day!! NO Purchases of any kind, except from small local businesses. That means, no gas, no grocery shopping from big chains, no Amazon.....please share this info so that this event can have an impact.
I just learned today that there will be a 24-hour boycott on spending on Feb 28. I forget off the top of my head who is sponsoring this, but I bet it would be easy to find out. We have to fight back. Musk owns Trump & Co., and he will dismantle democracy. Let's not let him.
I never intended to buy a Tesla as I have disliked Musk for years, and I was never even on Twitter. Now, I will also totally boycott Amazon. I cannot believe - or sadly I do believe - how Bezos, who - with the Washington Post - was some much against Trump in the first term. But, obviously money talks and oligarch's are flocking to each other. I read that Tesla sales in Europe have gone down by 60%. Well done!
A couple of days ago I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. One of the first items to view is a video detailing Hitler’s rise.
It is apparent that Trump is utilizing Hitler’s playbook and is currently in the consolidation of power phase. Once this phase is complete, all Hell will break loose.
Time moves at an accelerated pace. Yesterday it was 1933 all over again, today after The Trump and Putin regime met in Saudi Arabia it is 1939 The Molotov Ribbentrop pact) instead of Hitler and Stalin carving up Poland it is Trump and Putin carving up Ukraine.
I've been there, too, and if anyone living today were to imagine that the modern version of fascism would never commit such grievous crimes, let me gently remind you of the women in the US who have nearly died because there was a problem with their pregancy resulting in a miscarriage or a desire on their part to postpone having a baby until they were in a position to raise one in an adequate environment. (I should also mention the people who are now beginning to die as a result of the USAID cancellation.) I honestly think that some of our tech 'genius' billionaires, not to mention outright corrupt crooks like our PINO are lacking something fundamentally human: the ability care about someone or something other than themselves. Wish someone smarter than me would start running out the facts of the matter from a psychological perspective and include some ideas about how to counter this deficit in order to stop them from imposing their cruelties upon us.
The ability to care is not functionally human. It is spiritual. In its basic form, the physical human is driven by the same factors as every other living thing: individual survival and propagation of the species. All the niceties of civilization have been offshoots of these primal drives. What elevates above this level is the degree of spiritual intervention we allow into our lives. This is the basis of the higher attributes such as empathy, generosity, kindness, self-sacrifice for the good of others, and all other selfless acts. Without this spiritual intervention, which comes from many lifetimes of learning, we would simply be sophisticated beasts grappling for dominance, territory, and clan survival with our technologies to aid us. What we are witnessing in the current coup are humans at work that are devoid of the spiritual impetus that helps us rise above and progress.
It’s hard to look at this without seeing genocidal intent. Every action leads that way. Defunding public health and putting Brainworm in charge will lead to widespread diases and, unsafe food. Other changes: pollution, and outright theft of our money from the Treasury…not to mention Trump’s brownshirts.
How the actual hell do we survive this? Is it possible?
Dr. Mary Trump’s book outlined how Trump became a Malignant Narcissist! It’s clearly learned behavior, however they have found genetic traits that puts some people at higher risk. He is a very dangerous person per Mary and the malignant part requires destruction of others to feel fulfilled! He can’t and won’t stop until his sick brain is satisfied!
Trump and Muskrat meet the DSM IV and V criteria for narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders, which are not characteristics conducive to effective leadership. They want to loot and wreck everything.
To put it succinctly: I'm. Effing. Terrified. We're going to hell in a handbasket and yet all we can do is watch it happen. I'm worried about my husband's OPM pension, our Social Security, and the Medicare he's due to start this year. I'm not confident that any of that will remain.
I am terrified too, wondering if my SS check will even be deposited this month. What horrifies me is imagining how much data the DOGE people are transferring to their own servers without supervision much less permission to take all that private information without our consent! Where is this data going? How in the hell can it be protected when you have these DOGE coders expressing racist and White Nationalistic views? Are they going to sell it to the highest bidder? Is Musk going to use the data for his own AI company??
I got a check today from the Consumer Protection Bureau for $800 ! I had forgotten it was coming and didn’t open it for awhile. It was a pleasant surprise and need the money. My problem is I don’t know if the check is still good, since Doge has shut it down. I will try to cash it tomorrow, wish me luck! It was such an awesome agency, I hope we’ll see it open again!
I hope you can find actions to take that will change your focus and give you some feeling of control. Immediately you can do 4 7 8 breathing, listen to music, move, search for beauty. Then all of us on Social Security and Medicare can plan actions we will take if our checks aren’t deposited like calling every Republican member of Congress to blame them and demand they fix it. You are not alone. Show up at the local office of your representatives. Connect to your community to brainstorm and find options. Is the White House comment line still functioning? Problem solving keeps our brains young.
Unfortunately, the pace of the court is vastly different than the world outside it. Having a country with the rule of law at its center doesn’t work when the members of government, is compliant in the rule-breaking. It’s a tough day.
That is my fear too - the fact that the courts cannot respond quickly enough to avoid disaster when the whole Republican party is in charge and doing nothing but capitulating to every criminal act by Musk, Trump,, Stephen Miller, Vance and Vought. This flooding of executive orders prevents an orderly response - it is helter skelter and this is premeditated.
I believe that they (Republicans) have been wanting to get rid of the new deal for decades, by hook or by CROOK. The orange crook has promised to do that and as soon as that's done, then they may want the party back. It's a tough time to be alive in America. We've had it pretty good since the 50's really. I'm getting calls from my cousin who's in the trump cult and I just can't answer those calls.
Doesn't Trump have a copy of Mein Kampf next to his bed - the only book he ever read? Frankly, it is so surprising that his most influential lawyer growing up and conducting his business is Roy Cohn, a Jew and a closeted homosexual. But Trump always sizes up his attorneys against Roy Cohn - "Where is my Roy Cohn" when he needs a bulldog.
Unfortunately, the pace of the court is vastly different than the world outside it. Having a country with the rule of law at its center doesn’t work when the members of government, are compliant in the rule-breaking. It’s a tough day.
Unfortunately, the pace of the court is vastly different than the world outside it. Having a country with the rule of law at its center doesn’t work when the members of government, are compliant in the rule-breaking. It’s a tough day.
Let's start boycotts of everthing with Dump's name on it. Then let's expand to cover every business named X. After that let's sell every share in companies owned by cabinet members. This could be extended to companies owned or run by senators and members of the house. The time is start is NOW.
Does anyone have an updated verified list of companies to boycott? I see short lists but I think it would be powerful to see how many companies and services are in trump’s back pocket.
The Feb 28 day is to try not buying anything except necessities you need such as medicine or food. They even recommend to not buy gas for the car if not necessary and also to not use credit/debit cards, and even to skip entertainment from big companies like Prime(Amazon) and Netflix. The object is to show all big retailers, corporations, what we the public can do if they ignore us.
If you need to buy anything try to buy from small local stores.
Still I need to know how anyone can just access files in the Treasury since no one would have signed approval to Musk. I sure did not. So he just is able to access my private info?! Why didn’t workers say NO? I’m baffled!
I'm leading a protest at the Tesla dealership in S. Arlington, Virginia in just a few hours. Trying to stay strong and full of fury rather than curled up in a fetal position.
Fight back with whatever means at your disposal. Resist, ignore, disobey, do not obey in advance, sabotage. Scare the shit out of them. Musk has a base for his power, which is money, so attack the base of his power. In fact that is already being done throughout the world, as sales of Tesla are down as high as 59%, then need to go down to zero. Form groups and engage in mass letter writing campaigns, starting with letters to the editor, the papers will ignore one, but not hundreds and thousands.. Best of all organize or perpetuate through the media, bluesky and other mediums, a nation wide boycott, not just a day, but until they change.
AP has proven to be a hero, taking a stand against Trump and his edicts, Reuters and other news organizations and papers should stand in solidarity and boycott White House pressers.
Mar 28th is national boycott, or don't go shopping day. I encourage a don't go shopping week or month until they grow a spine. I exclude your local Mom and Pop brick and mortar store, but includce franchies like McDonalds, KC, BK, etc.
Musk is going to destroy the very fabric of the country that has made him a multibillionaire. He is such a narcissist, and his autism blinds him to the pain and the reality.
The problem is two fold. 1. Those that voted for Trump will not or cannot acknowledge their errors. 2. The pain will take some time to set in and be felt, and that will given time to scapeogat, those that have already scapegoated, liberals, immigrants, trans.
The people who need to read your analysis won't. You are preaching to the choir. Those of us who can think for ourselves and know our history, know that trump is testing the Constitution and will soon find out whether or not money was well spent on the Supreme Court. It's a frightening time and hitting my home in a very personal way.
The power of immediate, visceral self-interest overrides the power of anything else. Musk and Trump are thriving, if that can be said, because there are a seemingly limitless pool of people either tuned out or not paying attention. When we are ALL paying 47% more for our groceries, when the yield on T-bills goes above anything that can be earned from stocks, like 20%, because the U.S. can’t print more money without stagflation, and when unemployment shoots up to 19%, THEN we will see a different story.
The longer I watch this escapade on shit unfold, the more I think it will require the laws of personal economics to kick in en masse for the population, requiring significant pain as consequences.
Only pain in their wallets will make those who voted for Trump or a third party candidate, or who didn’t vote, change their minds. I just hope it isn’t then too late.
This is a time even for the rich to get scared.Surely they do not want a cabal of arrogant and corrupt individuals to know everything there is to know about their personal affairs.
Yes, but in the meantime there is much that we can do. We must demand transparency and accountability, and we must stay focused on Trump's corruption and arbitrariness.
If everyone on Musk's "naughty list" would join Democrats in impeaching Trump for his unconstitutional actions, there might be enough votes to pass it.
Every good dictator knows that he who controls the guns controls the country and you only control the guns if you pay them...even the romans learned this when they ran out of money to pay the troops... Getting out f this mess will take the decades it took to get into it.
There appears to be no independent, charismatic leader that can overshadow this disgusting, vile crowd with decency and compassion for their fellow citizens.
I noticed the NYT reported on the Washington Post's rejection of the Musk ad but doesn't include any offer to run it in their paper. Now I feel I have to cancel that subscription too.
i find the Guardian annoying at times. They go out of their way to rile up readers. Play on emotions. I know many will view my remark as annoying and that I am denying realities. But that's my view. Doesn't mean I think Guardian is not a good paper. I think it is.
Just before the election, I ordered some DVDs from Criterion. The package was shipped straight to Columbia, SC, a city about 2 hours from me, then went DIRECTLY to a distribution center on the California coast...and sat there for a week.
May I remind any readers that this was JUST BEFORE an election where Trump WANTED his supporters to mail their ballots, but NO ONE else.
Clearly, DeJoy took his job as "Disruptor" VERY seriously...
My father was a really loved mailman in a town in Idaho. When he passed in '75' his funeral was huge and after people came and filled our backyard. He was a republican and is spinning in his grave now.
It seems that no Republican in office will stand up to the real threat of a crumbling Democracy. Business as usual now means complete appeasement to their king, their country be damned.
Actually, I’m happy to hear from you twice in a day. I rely on your insight and advice.
The updates are often unsettling, but being informed is my goal.
Yes. Everything about this is unsettling, but if we are to have any hope of thwarting Trump & Co.’s lurch towards autocracy, we need to be eyes wide open and ready to defend our democracy.
Elizabeth Willing Powel asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Let’s keep it.
"Ready to defend"? Now is the moment, isn't it? I'm ready to march, I write and call the Dems - who issue ineffective statements about how bad things are before retreating back into their offices - but how do we jam sticks into the Project 2025 bicycle spokes?
We only need a few brave Republicans and we should support them and mobilize their own voters to reward their courage. It would be a bit of an effort..Senator I may or may not hate the same people you do but we must love democracy more than we hate immigrants and queers.
Agree wholeheartedly!
Me, too!
Me, too.
Professor, is there proof (articles, etc.) that Musk's minions have both "Read AND Write" access to government agencies?
We need ammunition out here!
In general, we don’t, not for certain. But in at least one case, a 25-year-old staffer with Elon Musk’s DOGE was given permission to edit a sensitive Treasury payments system. When it got out and a furor was raised, that access was revoked. But I won’t rule out other instances.
Given that many of these systems were written in COBOL, an ancient programming language, the potential for unanticipated damage would be high.
I keep hoping that the "good" hackers - and they do exist - are on the case quietly and with gusto.
Would these hotshots know COBOL? I doubt it. Maybe C++ and later, not COBOL or FORTRAN.
Boycott Amazon, Tesla, Starlink. I just read in this morning's Guardian that about a quarter of people surveyed were changing their buying habits because of politics. That's a lot of people! We can make a difference. Tesla sales are tanking in Europe. If you're going to buy an EV, don't make it a Tesla.
And don’t use his rightwing platform called Twitter. I refuse to call it “X”.
I walked away from Twitter as soon as Musk bought it. He isn’t just a neo- he is a nazi.
I did too
I had it with Xitter after Muskrat’s budget meddling. No one elected Muskrat and he and his incel and groyper hackers have no clue how government is supposed to work. Musk posted a picture of himself on Xitter as a gladiator claiming he was going after the “woke hive mind.” How does firing ordinary Federal probationary workers accomplish that goal?
What the hell is a woke hive mind? That is ridiculous.
The parallels between this regime and the Nazi reich are undeniable.
I never subscribed to twitter.
I think X has always been a swastika in drag.
Right! I forgot that because I don't use it. (Not that I use all those other things but X, or Twitter, has never registered with me.)
We got a Subaru this summer, which came with the option of Starlink. We never subscribed and when I got a final notice that they needed my credit card or else, we simply dropped the deal. I want nothing to do with these folks. Joe Biden said it right, "Pay your fair share of taxes."
I saw an ad online with t-mobile offering Starlink. I would rather send smoke signals and morse code than ever give him a dime of my money.
Susan - Good point. I don’t understand why they need to get into our systems (such as the IRS and SS) when they are the very ones who commit fraud, abuse and waste.
They commit fraud by any means necessary to not pay taxes. They absolutely abuse any/every loophole available. They are wasting taxpayer money on dismantling agencies and probably charging us more to rebuild our systems. If the republicans really cared about money then they shouldn’t have paid money to T’s golf course to hold their meetings about our economy and the deficit. We have a possible government shutdown coming up soon and they have not done anything about it.
Exactly right. They squander billions supporting authoritarian regimes worldwide. They could care less about people, only profit. That is wrong, and that has to end. The only thing these folks understand is getting their own way and making money. Not buying things might begin to get their attention. People who value things other than riches are less likely to be bought. I'm heartened by the protests and boycotts that are starting across the country. I read a post by an 80-year-old man who attended his first ever protest somewhere in Arizona against a Tesla dealership.
Susan - Agree. Also, the protests in other countries to our benefit are also uplifting. Never too young to attend a protest. ;)
Some Democrats in Congress are thinking about refusing to raise the budget ceiling as a way of fighting back, so it could get interesting next month. In other words there could be a shutdown but maybe for a good reason.
Wayne - It was my understanding that we hit the debt ceiling last month and have to use extraordinary measures but you won’t hear about that from this administration. I just read that once musk finds all of the abuse, waste and fraud (they will never show the “evidence” just like T never showed the tape at Arlington Cemetery where they did physically assault the worker) they are thinking about giving people checks (possibly $5,000) but not All the people will qualify. Why find the money and then give it away?
They DON'T need to get into those systems -- they are probably STEALING MONEY FROM THEM!
Klare - Probably stealing our money now and stealing our information to sell later. They shouldn’t even have “read only” access either. We didn’t elect them nor is their department legitimate. I read yesterday that the republicans are finally getting upset because the freezing and firing are starting to affect their states. A little too late.
Good for you!!
Me either, but I DO use Facebook a lit
Except it's an extremely appropriate name. Now, if we only can X him out ...
Also Starlink.
I saw a movie during covid 2020 made for streaming with Meryl Streep on MAX. She was a famous author who was getting an award in the UK and was ill and couldn't fly, so she took a couple of her best friends with her on the Queen Mary It had.the most poignant scene I've never forgotten They. were in the dining room during dinner (I don't know what year the movie was supposed to take place in) and one character says:
"Elon Musk sent many, many telecom satellites into the sky that look exactly like stars, exactly like stars. So now when humans gaze at the night sky, they won't know if they're gazing at a star or at a machine. And we at this table, at this little table, we are among the last, the very last, ever, ever, to have seen the actual, real, the honest, truthful night sky from the ocean. We saw stars... Just stars."
Whatever he touches he destroys. He and the 🍊 are two human wrecking balls.
You may be too young to remember Sputnik? Dad took us out to an empty storage lot to look when Sputnik was supposed to travel over our state.
Do you remember seeing it? I was a couple of years old with Sputnik, but that must have been something to see. I was 13 the summer when they landed on the moon and I remember it like it was yesterday. We lived to see science fiction become science fact. We'll never see something new and wondrous like that again...unless it's like one of those disaster movies and an asteroid the size of Chicago slams into us.
So I just googled starlink and got an interactive map of how many of those things are orbiting. When you see the picture it looks a virus. Thousands of them all around the entire planet.
StarlinkMapdotorg.
Exactly what I say,sounds sinister!
It's like something out of a Marvel comic.
Actually, this whole outfit seems like something out of a Marvel comic.
Or a Mike Myers comedy, except that these clowns are steering the Ship of State.
I've canceled Amazon Prime, PayPal, WaPo and NYT subscriptions, and Facebook; have gone to DuckDuckGo as a search engine, though I'm reluctant to give up gmail (but am thinking about it); and never, ever would have considered Tesla or Starlink. I doubt it's hurting any of them the teeniest-tiniest bit, but it makes me feel a little better.
Your doing that as one person is the same as voting as one person. By itself it doesn't do anything, but when lots of people do it, kaboom!
Whenever someone tells you that the vote doesn't matter, just remember that were it irrelevant the bad guys wouldn't be trying so hard to eliminate it.
This person is canceling his WaPo subscription. A once great newspaper has gone the same route as a once great political party: Death by sepuku!
I am too-next month. I do feel bad for the good journalists though.
Good journalists are moving over to Substack. One is The Contrarian where Jennifer Rubin went. Many journalists are abandoning ship, thank goodness. There is hope for our Democracy yet.
Good to know. Thanks.
I had my WaPo subscription for less than a month, canceled it, yet they STILL send it to me! They've lost 250,000 subscriptions, I think I read or heard. I haven't been in Whole Foods in over nine months.
You will get it until your original subscriptions term ends.
Paula,
Not here in South Carolina....
But that has NOT kept me from voting in every presidential election (but one) since 1976.
I too have voted in every election since 1964! I remember as a 14 year old watching politics with my mom in 1956! I am now 82 and still a Democrat. I am mostly Irish, so I guess politics is in my DNA.
I am 88 and never missed an election even little local ones. I want to be here to vote straight Blue again in 2026!!! Will these losers leave even if defeated.
There is group of us. We are all in our 80’s (a couple of kids among us are late 70’s). We vote by “mail” be cause we use to travel and were afraid that we might get delayed somewhere. Now we take our ballots to the Dropbox and go to lunch to celebrate our franchise (while we still have it).
"Will these losers leave even if defeated." Good question.
Altho first I'd ask, Will there even be an election? As I see it, everything that they've done so far suggests the answer will be NO.
And during the campaign, Trump promised at a gathering of
Christian conservatives supporters; "You got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again."
Penny, that is so AMAZING!
Thank you, Penny.
The same is true here in California, foofaraw. And I have been voting since 1972 (and mostly losing, but I keep at it.)
Every little bit hurts them We are the majority, no matter how much money and "power" they have. Boycott resist. and reject.
Agree, Laurie, and also to emphasize that some added and timely posts from Robert are called for to supply footholds on the 'slippery slope' into tyranny. Create a furor over the sinister Kash Patel's push to lead the FBI. His 'children's books' are designed to brainwash children about the beneficence of the great emperor t. Actually, Patel's new job as head of the secret state police would be to stamp out dissent to the skump totalitarian state at whatever human cost.
and demand transparency, time and time again!
Skepticat,
I like to think that each of us doing the moral thing makes us ALL feel a bit better.
Thank you for sharing.
WOW! That's impressive. I never did do twitter or Facebook but I did turn off the TV months ago. I use Xfinity to connect to internet and for my iPhone. I have to keep Amazon because of mobility issues but use it only if absolutely necessary. I think this can make a difference for sure.
I haven't owned a TV for 40 years, and I've never used Twitter. I don't understand why anyone but muskrats are on X.
I gave up everything Meta, WaPo, downloaded DuckDuckGo, you are giving me courage to cancel The Times. You’re right, it is worthless.
Go for it. You are not alone. I loved the NYT and have cancelled. And the Washington Post as well. Feels liberating to dig into Substack.
I get more spam from DuckDuck than any other!!
You might want to consider the economic boycott on February 28th. Buy nothing, no gas, on online, nothing.
Believe me, that's in boldface red letters on my calendar, and I too am trying to spread the word.
Brilliant!
Yep, me too! Felt great hitting that cancel button.
Now I’m boycotting Kroger and Albertsons. Picked up Natural Grocers and Costco.
Oh…..and dumped sugar, BHT, Saturated and Trans fats while I was at it.
But I’m still fun at non-maga parties😄
VermontGirl57, what is Natural Grocers? I have to order my groceries online for now, and I am seriously tired of dealing with Kroger's screw-ups! Thanks!
Natural Grocers is a small (165 stores/21 states) family held, grocery network. Organic and local grocery items. Started by the Isely’s in 1955. May not be available to you - check their website. If not them maybe Costco is available to you?
You are setting an example, with specifics! Thanks.
If we do it en masse though, it will make a difference. WE have the power of the purchasing purse.
If people start shunning his swastikars here the other Tesla stock owners could conceivably oust him… One obscenely wealthy man is buying his own big Country. He is megalomaniacal enough to see himself as the dictator here. How will he take over?
We are seeing in real time how he's taking over... with trump's blessing. :(
I am not so sure it is with The DonOld’s blessing. I think Uncle Vlad told him to let Melon do it or else…
https://www.motor1.com/news/749660/tesla-sales-results-january-2025/
Tesla is failing in Europe!
That is good news. Maybe Europeans have a greater dislike for dictators than we do. They've been through the mill.
Paula,
That news makes me SO sad...
That I can't keep the SMILE from my face!
So what's with the Gmail? That's what I have.....
I keep it is because changing it would be more work than this lazy person wants to do. I've used it for what seems like everything for too long, but I'm pondering doing it in stages. It's also probably hard to find an alternatve without nasty backers.
I like to think it's sort of a "loss leader", and they don't make much profit from it.
I may be wrong, but I'm not sure if a switch is worthwhile, or what it might be to.
I'll check out DuckDuckGo, and I'd welcome an alternative to Gmail. I've had it with these billionaires and their uber-wealthy arrogance.
I will follow
Twitter, Amazon, PayPal, NetFlix, Tesla, Facebook, VISA...
"A quarter of US shoppers have dumped favorite stores over political stances
A new poll also found that four in 10 Americans have shifted spending to align with moral views in recent months"
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/18/shoppers-political-boycotts-spending-patterns-poll
That's the article!!
And it's a GOOD ONE!!!
Thank you, Paula.
I agree! We have much power. Let’s use it. Stop buying from any of these businesses. It’s not hard. Support local businesses and order directly from various manufacturers on line. I’ve been doing it for years; yes you might not get the delivery in a day - but really, other than medication or some deadline, who needs anything the next day? It wasn’t that long ago that we all planned our shopping because stores weren’t open everyday; and walking to local stores provided jobs, exercise and a real, live social network! It was fun.
Feb 28 National DO Not Buy Anything Day.
Let’s do it! Spread the word if you are on social media and send emails to everyone you know. We can do this. It’s our only chance to start pushback!
Oh, and I forgot. Here in Canada there is so much backlash against Tesla that people who are driving a Tesla now put a sign on their car which reads: "I bought this before Elon went crazy". Have you seen this in the States as well? If not, it would be a good idea.
I haven't seen them but a friend told me he has one. We bought Tesla solar panels and batteries in 2019 when we didn't know anything about Musk either. It's pretty difficult to get rid of those so I guess we're stuck with them.
T Mobile is claiming that they own Starlink to customers and urging us to sign up. Who owns Starlink?
Space X owns Starlink; thus, Musk but not T-Mobile.
I am dumping T-Mobile tomorrow because of their new Starlink connection.
Musk.
Let's all remember that Friday, February 28 is BLACKOUT Buying day!! NO Purchases of any kind, except from small local businesses. That means, no gas, no grocery shopping from big chains, no Amazon.....please share this info so that this event can have an impact.
I just learned today that there will be a 24-hour boycott on spending on Feb 28. I forget off the top of my head who is sponsoring this, but I bet it would be easy to find out. We have to fight back. Musk owns Trump & Co., and he will dismantle democracy. Let's not let him.
I don't remember either but I'm all in.
I never intended to buy a Tesla as I have disliked Musk for years, and I was never even on Twitter. Now, I will also totally boycott Amazon. I cannot believe - or sadly I do believe - how Bezos, who - with the Washington Post - was some much against Trump in the first term. But, obviously money talks and oligarch's are flocking to each other. I read that Tesla sales in Europe have gone down by 60%. Well done!
They're ugly anyway there's lots of other choices now.
What makes you say that?
I'm glad the sales are tanking. I bought my Tesla three years ago when I knew almost nothing about musk. I will never buy another one!
A couple of days ago I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. One of the first items to view is a video detailing Hitler’s rise.
It is apparent that Trump is utilizing Hitler’s playbook and is currently in the consolidation of power phase. Once this phase is complete, all Hell will break loose.
God help us!
Time moves at an accelerated pace. Yesterday it was 1933 all over again, today after The Trump and Putin regime met in Saudi Arabia it is 1939 The Molotov Ribbentrop pact) instead of Hitler and Stalin carving up Poland it is Trump and Putin carving up Ukraine.
Good analogy!
I've been there, too, and if anyone living today were to imagine that the modern version of fascism would never commit such grievous crimes, let me gently remind you of the women in the US who have nearly died because there was a problem with their pregancy resulting in a miscarriage or a desire on their part to postpone having a baby until they were in a position to raise one in an adequate environment. (I should also mention the people who are now beginning to die as a result of the USAID cancellation.) I honestly think that some of our tech 'genius' billionaires, not to mention outright corrupt crooks like our PINO are lacking something fundamentally human: the ability care about someone or something other than themselves. Wish someone smarter than me would start running out the facts of the matter from a psychological perspective and include some ideas about how to counter this deficit in order to stop them from imposing their cruelties upon us.
The ability to care is not functionally human. It is spiritual. In its basic form, the physical human is driven by the same factors as every other living thing: individual survival and propagation of the species. All the niceties of civilization have been offshoots of these primal drives. What elevates above this level is the degree of spiritual intervention we allow into our lives. This is the basis of the higher attributes such as empathy, generosity, kindness, self-sacrifice for the good of others, and all other selfless acts. Without this spiritual intervention, which comes from many lifetimes of learning, we would simply be sophisticated beasts grappling for dominance, territory, and clan survival with our technologies to aid us. What we are witnessing in the current coup are humans at work that are devoid of the spiritual impetus that helps us rise above and progress.
It’s hard to look at this without seeing genocidal intent. Every action leads that way. Defunding public health and putting Brainworm in charge will lead to widespread diases and, unsafe food. Other changes: pollution, and outright theft of our money from the Treasury…not to mention Trump’s brownshirts.
How the actual hell do we survive this? Is it possible?
Just read Mary Trump and listen to Bishop Budde. They know about selflessness.
I completely agree. He appeals to base human behavior. No moral compass.
Steve, would you explain the basis for this or the source? Thanks.
Sad to say, but malignant narcissism is often the consequence of really malignant parenting. What’s the solution to THAT problem? Very complex…
Dr. Mary Trump’s book outlined how Trump became a Malignant Narcissist! It’s clearly learned behavior, however they have found genetic traits that puts some people at higher risk. He is a very dangerous person per Mary and the malignant part requires destruction of others to feel fulfilled! He can’t and won’t stop until his sick brain is satisfied!
Trump and Muskrat meet the DSM IV and V criteria for narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders, which are not characteristics conducive to effective leadership. They want to loot and wreck everything.
Know this is picky but I am uncomfortable comparing a rotten person like Musk to a poor innocent animal who is far more useful than he is.
Absolutely true and tragic! He is the devil himself!
To put it succinctly: I'm. Effing. Terrified. We're going to hell in a handbasket and yet all we can do is watch it happen. I'm worried about my husband's OPM pension, our Social Security, and the Medicare he's due to start this year. I'm not confident that any of that will remain.
I am terrified too, wondering if my SS check will even be deposited this month. What horrifies me is imagining how much data the DOGE people are transferring to their own servers without supervision much less permission to take all that private information without our consent! Where is this data going? How in the hell can it be protected when you have these DOGE coders expressing racist and White Nationalistic views? Are they going to sell it to the highest bidder? Is Musk going to use the data for his own AI company??
I got a check today from the Consumer Protection Bureau for $800 ! I had forgotten it was coming and didn’t open it for awhile. It was a pleasant surprise and need the money. My problem is I don’t know if the check is still good, since Doge has shut it down. I will try to cash it tomorrow, wish me luck! It was such an awesome agency, I hope we’ll see it open again!
I’m in a similar position. The uncertainty and doubt makes me very anxious.
I hope you can find actions to take that will change your focus and give you some feeling of control. Immediately you can do 4 7 8 breathing, listen to music, move, search for beauty. Then all of us on Social Security and Medicare can plan actions we will take if our checks aren’t deposited like calling every Republican member of Congress to blame them and demand they fix it. You are not alone. Show up at the local office of your representatives. Connect to your community to brainstorm and find options. Is the White House comment line still functioning? Problem solving keeps our brains young.
Unfortunately, the pace of the court is vastly different than the world outside it. Having a country with the rule of law at its center doesn’t work when the members of government, is compliant in the rule-breaking. It’s a tough day.
That is my fear too - the fact that the courts cannot respond quickly enough to avoid disaster when the whole Republican party is in charge and doing nothing but capitulating to every criminal act by Musk, Trump,, Stephen Miller, Vance and Vought. This flooding of executive orders prevents an orderly response - it is helter skelter and this is premeditated.
I believe that they (Republicans) have been wanting to get rid of the new deal for decades, by hook or by CROOK. The orange crook has promised to do that and as soon as that's done, then they may want the party back. It's a tough time to be alive in America. We've had it pretty good since the 50's really. I'm getting calls from my cousin who's in the trump cult and I just can't answer those calls.
Let us not forget Orban’s visits to Mar Al Lago. Trump seems to have been tutored by Orban’s updating of Hitler. So he’s now a mini-Orban. Alas!
It ain't Hitler's playbook -- it's history's playbook. Our memories are short and our understanding is shallow.
Doesn't Trump have a copy of Mein Kampf next to his bed - the only book he ever read? Frankly, it is so surprising that his most influential lawyer growing up and conducting his business is Roy Cohn, a Jew and a closeted homosexual. But Trump always sizes up his attorneys against Roy Cohn - "Where is my Roy Cohn" when he needs a bulldog.
Trump dropped Cohn like a hot potato once he’d used him. Cohn once said about Donald Trump that “he pisses ice water,” which sounds like Trump.
We have to help ourselves.. God is the fallback position.
I'd just leave it at "ourselves", period.
It's just a matter of time before the "wasteful" Holocaust Museum is shut down. We are reliving history, too bad we didn't learn from it.
Unfortunately, the pace of the court is vastly different than the world outside it. Having a country with the rule of law at its center doesn’t work when the members of government, are compliant in the rule-breaking. It’s a tough day.
Took Hitler 53 days to destroy the constitution, Trump is set to do it in less.
Trump grew up with a dad who was a Nazi Sympathizer. We all have to rise up to this threat. We have to change this.
Specifically How?
Unfortunately, the pace of the court is vastly different than the world outside it. Having a country with the rule of law at its center doesn’t work when the members of government, are compliant in the rule-breaking. It’s a tough day.
Start Promoting National Economic Boycott on February 28th. We the People Have to Take our Country Back!
Perhaps needs to be a week of widespread boycotting economic activity.
It will grow. Start small and build it like Gandhi and MLK!
Let's start boycotts of everthing with Dump's name on it. Then let's expand to cover every business named X. After that let's sell every share in companies owned by cabinet members. This could be extended to companies owned or run by senators and members of the house. The time is start is NOW.
The People's Union is organizing both Feb. 28 and then a week of Amazon boycott from March 7-14, with more boycotts to follow.
Yes! Again and again. Make the corporations that submitted to Trump and those that actually welcomed him pay a price!
Does anyone have an updated verified list of companies to boycott? I see short lists but I think it would be powerful to see how many companies and services are in trump’s back pocket.
The Feb 28 day is to try not buying anything except necessities you need such as medicine or food. They even recommend to not buy gas for the car if not necessary and also to not use credit/debit cards, and even to skip entertainment from big companies like Prime(Amazon) and Netflix. The object is to show all big retailers, corporations, what we the public can do if they ignore us.
If you need to buy anything try to buy from small local stores.
Also start watching for information on the General Strike, now in the planning stage.
Still I need to know how anyone can just access files in the Treasury since no one would have signed approval to Musk. I sure did not. So he just is able to access my private info?! Why didn’t workers say NO? I’m baffled!
Also, does anyone know of proof (articles, etc.) that Musk's minions have both "Read AND Write" access to government agencies?
We need ammunition out here!
ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE!!!!!
ORGANIZE OVER THE COMMON GOOD DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM. JUST READ THE PLATFORM BULLET POINTS. ORGANIZE!!!!
I'm leading a protest at the Tesla dealership in S. Arlington, Virginia in just a few hours. Trying to stay strong and full of fury rather than curled up in a fetal position.
You go girl!!!
We got lots of positives and WTOP News coverage! Biggest news station in the metro DC area! Tesla Tuesdays, for the foreseeable future.
Professor- we need to call our congresspeople asap to stop the attack on social security. On all of it. We must do something.
The only thing we can do Sally, is to rise up, as one across the nation
Exactly how, though? “Rise up” sounds good, but what exactly does it mean in the real world?
Fight back with whatever means at your disposal. Resist, ignore, disobey, do not obey in advance, sabotage. Scare the shit out of them. Musk has a base for his power, which is money, so attack the base of his power. In fact that is already being done throughout the world, as sales of Tesla are down as high as 59%, then need to go down to zero. Form groups and engage in mass letter writing campaigns, starting with letters to the editor, the papers will ignore one, but not hundreds and thousands.. Best of all organize or perpetuate through the media, bluesky and other mediums, a nation wide boycott, not just a day, but until they change.
AP has proven to be a hero, taking a stand against Trump and his edicts, Reuters and other news organizations and papers should stand in solidarity and boycott White House pressers.
Mar 28th is national boycott, or don't go shopping day. I encourage a don't go shopping week or month until they grow a spine. I exclude your local Mom and Pop brick and mortar store, but includce franchies like McDonalds, KC, BK, etc.
Thank you, William. I’m very worried about all these suddenly unemployed people in our country. It makes me sick!
Musk is going to destroy the very fabric of the country that has made him a multibillionaire. He is such a narcissist, and his autism blinds him to the pain and the reality.
The problem is two fold. 1. Those that voted for Trump will not or cannot acknowledge their errors. 2. The pain will take some time to set in and be felt, and that will given time to scapeogat, those that have already scapegoated, liberals, immigrants, trans.
William, wait is it 2-28 OR 3-28?
WHEN:
Thursday February 27th from Midnight till Friday The 28th Midnight
(A full 24 hours of the 28th)
12:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Karla, thank you!
M Tree - I know i's Feb. 28th. Maybe March will be next?
Lark, thanks.
Feb 28
Same day as the wellness appointment for my cat, 3-28, according to my spouse.
I just did a search. It’s February 28.
Yeah, that’s the real Question?
Done that. No response yet.
But sadly, they won't/can't do enough. I've tried hard, but I have Susan Collins and three who are excellent but overmatched.
A simple question—why can't the courts order the Capitol Police into these government buildings and evict Musk and his hackers?
That's what I say! Yank him the hell out of there!!!
I read somewhere that data brokering is big business now,who knows how much he's making w/ our stuff.
The people who need to read your analysis won't. You are preaching to the choir. Those of us who can think for ourselves and know our history, know that trump is testing the Constitution and will soon find out whether or not money was well spent on the Supreme Court. It's a frightening time and hitting my home in a very personal way.
The power of immediate, visceral self-interest overrides the power of anything else. Musk and Trump are thriving, if that can be said, because there are a seemingly limitless pool of people either tuned out or not paying attention. When we are ALL paying 47% more for our groceries, when the yield on T-bills goes above anything that can be earned from stocks, like 20%, because the U.S. can’t print more money without stagflation, and when unemployment shoots up to 19%, THEN we will see a different story.
The longer I watch this escapade on shit unfold, the more I think it will require the laws of personal economics to kick in en masse for the population, requiring significant pain as consequences.
Only pain in their wallets will make those who voted for Trump or a third party candidate, or who didn’t vote, change their minds. I just hope it isn’t then too late.
This is a time even for the rich to get scared.Surely they do not want a cabal of arrogant and corrupt individuals to know everything there is to know about their personal affairs.
Yes, but in the meantime there is much that we can do. We must demand transparency and accountability, and we must stay focused on Trump's corruption and arbitrariness.
Yes, don't apologize for 2 times a day. Keep it up. 3 Times? Why not? We need you.
If everyone on Musk's "naughty list" would join Democrats in impeaching Trump for his unconstitutional actions, there might be enough votes to pass it.
they don't have the balls
we're all ready to kick his ass out of there,one thing,what do we do about J.D.?
Impeach him next.
We only need 20 Republican senators to add to the 47 Dems, 67 Senate votes convicts trump
Every good dictator knows that he who controls the guns controls the country and you only control the guns if you pay them...even the romans learned this when they ran out of money to pay the troops... Getting out f this mess will take the decades it took to get into it.
There appears to be no independent, charismatic leader that can overshadow this disgusting, vile crowd with decency and compassion for their fellow citizens.
Decent, charismatic leaders don't get any press. They aren't click worthy.
I firmly BELIEVE they will show up!
I noticed the NYT reported on the Washington Post's rejection of the Musk ad but doesn't include any offer to run it in their paper. Now I feel I have to cancel that subscription too.
there is always The Guardian...
https://open.substack.com/pub/broligarchy/p/us-coup-gains-speed?r=127017&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Article from a Guardian journalist about the firing of 100 journalists there next month. Guardian signed a deal with Altman’s OpenAI……
i find the Guardian annoying at times. They go out of their way to rile up readers. Play on emotions. I know many will view my remark as annoying and that I am denying realities. But that's my view. Doesn't mean I think Guardian is not a good paper. I think it is.
What?!? Republican members of congress can be bought? What a shock!
They are all corrupt pigs eating from Musk's trough. With such flagrant bribery, there is nothing to be done but watch the system collapse!
Here's some news that would have been considered GREAT just a few months ago.
"US postmaster to step down months after reporting billions in losses
Louis DeJoy, who has headed US Postal Service since 2020, warned in November of potential ‘end of this organization"
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/feb/18/usps-postmaster-louis-dejoy-steps-down
Just before the election, I ordered some DVDs from Criterion. The package was shipped straight to Columbia, SC, a city about 2 hours from me, then went DIRECTLY to a distribution center on the California coast...and sat there for a week.
May I remind any readers that this was JUST BEFORE an election where Trump WANTED his supporters to mail their ballots, but NO ONE else.
Clearly, DeJoy took his job as "Disruptor" VERY seriously...
My father was a really loved mailman in a town in Idaho. When he passed in '75' his funeral was huge and after people came and filled our backyard. He was a republican and is spinning in his grave now.
No doubt.
When I was young, I would sometimes walk with our mailman for part of his route through our neighborhood.
I never imagined it would become political. I'm still having trouble accepting it.
foofaraw - When I saw that a little earlier it was the one bit of news today that put a smile on my face.
It seems that no Republican in office will stand up to the real threat of a crumbling Democracy. Business as usual now means complete appeasement to their king, their country be damned.
Why would they?
Their lives (and their jobs) have NEVER been so simple!
True. How foolish of me to think something like integrity even matters.
It actually matters MORE when there's less of it.
Thank you, W.J.