Trump is a mob boss, but he is bounded and not top dog. To find the top dogs you have to follow the money and find the winners based on the policies Trump and Co would put in place. We are not dealing with high intelligence here, just someone who wants to brag about being in the billionaires club with Peter Thiel, the Koch family and more. It is the corporate heads who are the real bosses, and they want taxes to stay low and all retirement funds, education funds, and medical funds to get channeled through them before the public can touch them. Essentially the "millionaires and billionaires" (think Bernie Sanders accent on that) are trying to design the US economy for their own benefit, and we need to name names and shame them continuously. Who are they? Jamie Dimond and his cohort of bankers. The chairs of Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell and Total. The CEO and boards of giant food companies like Walmart, Albertsons, Kroger, Nestle, Mondelez, Cargill, ADM, General Mills etc. The leaders of military contractors like Boeing, Lockheed, and others who have never been decently audited because we constantly withdraw funding from the IRS. (Trump is not alone in this at all, just look at Mike Johnson throwing a nonsense bone to Israel by cutting the IRS budget.) The giants of the transport and internet companies are also in cahoots, including Elon Musk, the big three auto makers, Facebook, Google and Microsoft. All told these predominantly white male corporate titans support Trump because he is easy to pay off and gives them cover to claw all wealth to themselves, with no thought to the fact that this action will kill the economy. Trump is a useful puppet, a dangerous and self-serving puppet for sure, but the strings are pulled by the quieter, more powerful corporate interests hiding in the rhetorical fog of Trump's increasingly deranged quest for attention.
"Essentially the "millionaires and billionaires" (think Bernie Sanders accent on that) are trying to design the US economy for their own benefit." They already have, and they want to keep it that way by keeping the House from functioning and buying the Supreme Court.
I like Bernie, but he is not a lawyer and does not think like a prosecutor. Need to target only cases that are winnable and not confuse politics with criminal activity. As of today, lobbying is not a crime although morally it may be legalized bribery.
IMHO current Senate investigations re Thomas and Alito look like mob type crimes involving bribery, perjury and obstruction of justice. These should have been treated like crimes, investigated by the FBI and DOJ.
I absolutely agree! As much as I hate lobbying by these rich corporations, I hate the criminal acts committed by the justices in the Supreme Court more!! I cannot trust the Supreme Court right now because of the actions of Mr. Alito and Mr. Thomas.
Agree. It is galling that Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo, with the acquiescence of Mitch McConnell, place themselves above providing documents to Congress regarding what appears to bribery of Supreme Court justices. If they fail to comply with subpoenas, I hope the senators will refer them to the DOJ for contempt of Congress.
I encourage you to implore the DOJ & FBI to pursue Thomas & Alito. With your experience you would be a great influence and asset to help them with the investigation. (I have contacted the DOJ & encouraged them myself). Those two need to be removed from that position.
Don’t go through your representatives. Contact the DOJ & FBI directly.
I just emailed your “list” to all those I named. Thank you! We should never tire of remembering & reminding people of Presidents Biden’s accomplishments
Our right to approach our government - elected and structured to represent us and work for our benefit—needs to be vigorously protected, for us as individuals and as we band together to petition or protest. But the ability to buy access and influence needs to be curtailed. “Lobbying” itself is not the problem. Buying influence is …
So true. Justice Clarence Thomas is a bought and paid for justice who has remained free of any consequences for his obvious acceptance of many gifts. His wife Ginni remains unscathed for her role on 1/6. Between the billionaires buying the rule of law and a felonious ex POTUS calling the shots from behind the scenes, its going to take a mass turnout at polls voting blue to start the demise of this frightening mob boss rule.
We should have an “agree” button. I don’t “like” what you said, but I sure do agree it’s the way things are. I do think “banding together” to show solidarity and the prospect of a bloc of votes can be powerful, with or without money changing hands, but for CERTAIN money changing hands carries inordinate weight … !
Around 2005, the company I worked for held an all-hands meeting called by the Marketing VP. He explained to the assembled employees that when he tried to speak with our US congressional rep, he was informed that a telephone conversation would cost $5K. The VP then proceeded to ask employees to donate $$ from each paycheck to create a corporate marketing-lobbying fund.
My congressman has stopped sending me his periodic questionnaires, which are cleverly constructed so that the responding voter might answer the way he wants us to answer. He knows I’m a Democrat, and so he’s definitely not interested in my recommendations on public policy. When at home in his district during a congressional recess, he has several security guys surrounding him — as if wild Dems were about to drive him from the podium. Such an oddball dedicated to maximum profitability for the Florida real-estate industry: that’s Bill Posey.
Lobbying shouldn't be a crime. However, Citizens United made cold hard cash a form of free speech. The whore of Babylon is greed. What about corporate personhood? It's completely sick.
Thank you, Daniel. Do you think if we (Democrats) win a trifecta in 2024, it will instill enough courage to go after Alito, Thomas, Koch, and other criminal, but obscenely wealthy oligarchs?
The millionaires and billionaires are simply following the real "golden rule" -- He who has the gold makes the rules. They know that wealth equals power. The more wealth they have, the more control they have over their lives and the lives of others. They will fight hard to keep their wealth and power. We have to fight harder!
For me, it is writing letters, signing petitions, and talking to people who don't agree with my stance on the threat to Democracy. I may not make any headway, but I will continue to try.
I have sent the articles from Substack of Robert Reich, HCR, Georgia Fisanick, Thom Hartmann & Kinzinger to ABC, CBS, NBC & The View! (And to my family, friends & my nail “beautition” who is Filipino). Kinzinger was on “The View” yesterday as well as PBS. However the screen froze for most of PBS...intentional??
The Democratic Party though did not think him electable, with the corporate billionaires and their impoverished employees voting against their own interests.
...even though polls showed Bernie beating potential Republican opponents, including Trump, by much larger margins than Hillary, as well as consistently positive favorability ratings while Hillary & Trump had extremely negative favorability ratings.
I’m no longer traumatized by the daily news of criminal and unethical behavior in the government that went on during the trump admin. I realize that democracy is still under assault but I don’t feel like the crazies are pulling down the White House walls.
Great list, but you left out what I consider Biden's greatest accomplishment -- beating Trump in 2020! As bad as things appear today, imagine what they would be like if Trump had won!
I was a Bernie supporter, too. However, I knew he wouldn't get the nomination because of his reputation as an extreme liberal even though his message echoed the progressive agenda of FDR who is reviled to this very day by the GQP. While Bernie didn't get the nomination, Biden got the message loud & clear that he needed to push a progressive agenda. So Bernie's efforts were not in vain.
I totally underestimated Biden. He has gotten more done with slim majorities in the House & Senate than any President in my lifetime. I'm sorry that you think you haven't benefited from Biden's efforts. But millions of people HAVE. And frankly, his climate change policies ALONE will benefit future generations. I might not be around then, but I benefit from the knowledge that FINALLY something is being done despite the horrendous hold the fossil fuel industry has on our politicans. I could go on about his other achievements, but I get it that you still resent the fact that Bernie lost the nomination. I felt that way in 2008 when Hillary lost to Obama. My mother & I were livid. However, after researching Obama, I came to the conclusion that he was preferable over McCain who I liked & respected. But I disagreed with GQP conservative policies, especially appointing more RW Justices to the Supreme Court, and voted accordingly.
Fast forward to 2020, the choice was Biden or Trump which was a NO BRAINER for me.
You are exactly right, Beth. I am also a former Bernie supporter, and also Liz Warren. Joe Biden has listened to them and done the best he could for their followers. I love his steady hand and cool head. As Robert Reich has said, Joe is the Grown-up in charge.
My assessment of how good a President is is based much less on how I personally benefit than his performance on the environment, economy, democratic rights, justice, health, foreign policy, etc.
Janet: and so the snake asked Eve, "what benefit you get from not eating from that tree? Take a bite out of that succulent fruit!" We really appreciate what we have only after we lose it. The Quran calls on the faithful to prey five times a day, each time to express gratitude for all that has been given to you. Alas! even preying five times a day dos'n help. Taking things for granted is in our nature, and it is leading us into extremely perilous territory. Open your eyes!
I plan to continue teaching Modern Monetary Theory to my friends at home and on Facebook. When more Americans understand that our federal government CAN create as much money as they want, (#Learn MMT) we will see the strong middle class that we had during the middle of the 1900's. I'm relieved to see laborers striking; I'm happy to read about universities researching a way to breakdown and repair and repurpose plastics; glad to read about research done on Peer Learning, that will help enormously to avoid having boys (in particular) feeling 'invisible in the classroom'; I was elated to hear David Brooks personal research showing that all male mass shooters never feltl a part of their classrooms. Like Bernie Sanders has pointed out many times, 'If we stick together there is nothing we cannot do.' We can change this too, we can get tRump put away, clean up our courts and Statehouses, and support our young ppl in offering free college for anyone willing and able to do the work. Yes, the Dems should have supported Bernie, but they didn't. However we still have his thought and his words and his hopes for this nation. Let's keep him with us and never give up!
Let’s not ever forget that he’s Putin’s lackey and must finished what he was asked to do; blow up our democracy so that he can finish off Ukraine and continue his dream of a Russian Empire. Trump is terrified of Putin, besides he’ll be highly rewarded.
Thanks for sharing this. I suppose sharing classified intelligence with a foreign power is not remedied by registering as a foreign agent but is governed by statutes pertaining to treason?!
But, the putrid orange fuehrer's devout, adoring worshipers would love their 'savior' even more yet if those were released.
Yes, even the lily-white supremacist, Christofascist, evangelo-fundie dominionists (given how willing they all were to overlook everything else about this evil, sadistic, scummy slimeball POS. ;)
Donald "Alphonse" Trump-- It seems, due to an apparent time warp, Alphonse Capone is alive and well, he altered his appearance, and the sociopath now supports a thinning patch of orange hair. Trump lives his life and runs his businesses in the same manner that Capone terrorized Chicago in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Fear and muscle gave Capone the leverage he needed to entrench his will upon an unsuspecting public and a fractured law enforcement agency. He operated his syndicate without interference because of the fear he instilled in the minds of all those who opposed him. Trump has morphed his image into a grotesque combination of the mid-1930s mentality found in Germany and the lawlessness found in Chicago during the late 1920s. The destructive intentions housed in the minds of the men in power during those times give Trump a cerebral erection, something he most likely is totally unfamiliar with on many levels. Fear of the unknown, yielded by Trump's inept understanding of this country and the obvious love of George Santos, will sour in the bellies of Americans across this country. Trump and Capone are mirror images of one another, the only difference being Big Al has found the peace Mr. Trump needs to find.
Garland and Jack Smith have not taken advantage of statutes that could indict the entire conspiracy to deny Biden the presidency, using fake electors and obstructing justice. Despite it is the usual practice, the FBI failed to interview all the eye witnesses on and soon after Jan 6. Some of them, it turns out, were, to a reasonable degree of probability, part of the conspiracy.
The easiest statute to prosecute has been 18 USC §2383. Rebellion or insurrection:
Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
So far, more than 1100 defendants have been indicted, more than 110 people have been found guilty at trial and more than 366 have been sentenced to prison under that statute.
IMHO "low hanging fruit" like those who requested pardons from Trump, should have been called to grand juries as soon as Garland took office.
We remember that when Garland was sworn in, he declared that his chief aim would be to “protect the Department of Justice”— instead of protecting “the American people.”
Ha! Bunkerboy is a FAILED "mob boss!" Pretty much the DAY he became president, and Americans actually CARED about the orange blob for once, feds ALREADY had a laundry list of his OVERT crimes ready to go.
He is SIGNIFICANTLY too stupid, and now dementia-addled, to cover his tracks.
Daniel--Trump has owned no less then 3 casinos which everyone knows has mob ties. He couldn't have done the things he has without rubbing elbows with some real underworld figures. I think he uses those connections to intimidate anyone he goes up against. He may very well be dumb but he isn't stupid to the point where he can't destroy a country if given the chance.
I don’t know…a mob boss running a few casinos in jersey and real estate holdings in ny, is a lot different than running a country by mob boss rule. I don’t think that translates without a LOT of outside help (Harlan, mob bosses of other countries who arent fond of democracy etc). Wouldn’t it be amazing if trump flipped and we all got a good look at what’s under the rock…I remain unconvinced that trump is the mastermind
Melissa--Mastermind is a stretch of the imagination but an active player in a game that's over his head, I can see that without too much difficulty. Trump didn't earn his place in the White House it was given to him by an ignorant group of badly misinformed voters that fell for Trump's pack of lies. His casinos failed miserably and so did his attempt at being President.
For those of us that are not judges and lawyers, RICO means "Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act” signed into law by Nixon (of all people) in 1970.
There seems to be a section on the employment applications for prospective pilots where they must affirm their mental health, this particular area in the app. should be of particular interest to Mr. Jordan. Jim seems to be overly enthralled with honesty. In recent days a number of pilots with obvious mental inconsistencies have found their way into the public eye. At first glance, their applications seem completely normal but upon closer inspection, a few fly guys have lied about the steadiness of their thinking. This stretching of the truth was done to procure a desired outcome, their hiring. If we take a short view back at Jimmy's past efforts we find Mr. Jordan deeply involved in the persecution of one "Hunter Biden" for stretching the truth on an application to purchase a handgun. This inconsistency offered by Hunter was done in order to obtain a means of personal protection, not to pursue avenues that reflected a nefarious intent. It's odd Jimmy would spend years of governmental time and money to chase a false statement on a federal purchase form, but the pilots that did basically the same thing on their employment application go unchallenged by Mr. Jordan's discerning eyes. The piolets have hundreds of lives under their wings every time they take to the skies and yet their lies go noticed by "Lord Jim." Trump is pulling his string as well. Johnson, Jordan, it would seem Donnie Boy loves to juggle his "J's."
Wayne, the truth is that those puppeteers you named need Trump even more than he needs them at this point. They want to pretend they are the good guys doing the right things to keep the economy humming when it is not them at all but the actual workers who have accepted working for crappy wages for years while their top bosses made trillions, even during the pandemic. Trump is their voice and has a following they can never have. The media does not want to call out the ones who are actually doing the damage because they might find somehow magically, their funding is decreased and advertising is gone. Fancy that! None of those at the top have ever had to pay for their crimes, and there have been crimes particularly related to the crash of 2008. They essentially lost nothing while everyone else lost a lot, most especially trust in banks, insurance corporations, and in the government those guys malign regularly as they skip paying taxes and work to undermine the IRS so they won't get caught. How do we stop the insanity? Too many Americans have getting rich as their primary goal and nearly worship those who claim to have money, particularly if they have a big mouth and the ability to toss insults and threats with agility, even if their intellect is not high, like the teflon don himself. Help!!
Our unions are becoming stronger thanks to the UAW. We need more and more unions to begin to stand up to these greedy corporations. That will begin to stop the insanity!!
Interesting that it's probable that the Democrats are getting the same threats but aren't as cowardly in their failure to uphold their oaths to the Constitution and the country. Republicans put on a good face about being patriots but they're just posers.
That's true but look what the Democrats did to Menendez. They said out loud that his behavior was unacceptable and he should resign. When one of our own does something wrong, the Democrats admit it, deal with it, and move forward. What do the republicans do? Absolutely nothing. They wouldn't even expel Santos and he did many, many things wrong!!
They need their lying, cheating, stealing, deceiving, multiple 'persona' Georgie in order to make sure that their plots to install their SHITler back into power succeed.
As has been pointed out on many MSNBC shows, the at risk because they are in Biden won districts Repugnaf**k reps were 'allowed to' vote against lying criminal Georgie in the expulsion hearings as a very weak 'cover' of "See, I voted against him" BS for their voting IN UNISON to install the evil ChristoFASCIST Gilead demander into the speakership position. ;)
Oh my goodness, David! I see from your post you are very angry and upset about all of this. I understand the anger. It is extremely frustrating to see what is happening and sometimes just feeling unable to do anything to stop this runaway trainwreck!
My grandfather fought the actual NAZI BUND movement here, in THIS land, well before the war (in 1930s Newark, N.J. and surrounds, when Hitler sent Fritz Kuhn over here to stir up NAZI sentiment, and join up forces with the whole 'America First', and KKKlan BULLSHIT!), or even the whole 3rd REICH covert 'putsch' later on just before and even during WW2, (led by actual members of the Senate at that time!), about which Rachel has just released a whole book.
So I will be good 'goltdamned' (as SCUMp's peckerwood MAGAt brown shirts would say) if I am going to let NAZI style fascism become the evil, sadistic, genocidal control over this land now (at least not without a fight, to the death, if needs be). ;)
This video powerfully makes your point, Monopoly, Who Owns the World. It's an hour long and worth every minute. Trump is a puppet for more powerful masters, the ones who are driving the complete destruction of the planet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfkdhTrrH1M
I have only watched half of it so far, but it is fascinating. I had known much of what is said here, but only in pieces and had not fit the puzzle together as nicely as done here. The video is rather crude, but somehow that makes it more genuine and effective, if rather monotone in delivery. Vanguard, Blackrock, Berkshire Hathaway and co. definitely deserve a bit more exposure.
It's a brilliant piece of work. I'm surprised it still exists on the internet. I've collected alternate links and downloaded it in case it disappears. I would love for Dr. Reich to watch and weigh in.
You have just explained Supreme Cowardice. These Congressfolk will take all the Goodies but little of the Heat. Only able to vote from their own puny experiences, then stay in power and comfort for 60 years, mostly white men. Even becoming demented in office and staying, so no one new brings their experiences.. Sending soldiers, young folk, usually with no money, to their WARS, for which they always have excuses, but unable to band together and sacrifice anything themselves. Electing Monsters, Mobsters, and running home with their tails between their legs. Willing to allow women to become chattel AGAIN and look the other way with child labor of economic kid migrants.
You have explained why the Country, of USCommon good, that I worked for, was educated to support in every way, is GONE. Cowards, almost traitors. Stinking Pitiful and ROTTEN.
I strongly agree with you. We cannot allow him to win. Our DEMOCRACY will end. Our rule of law will end. Trump is nuts and so are most of the Republicans running for office. I would be interested in knowing how much money the Republicans are funneling into George Santos 's campaign.
I endorse "follow the money" completely. The capitalist "right" to accumulate monetary wealth and use it as an instrument of power lies behind present and past corruption. We need a means of obtaining goods and services that cannot be amassed in individual hands and used as a sword over the heads of anyone for the purposes of bribery and coercion.
But , I've heard many of them have withdrawn their financial support ( albiet quietly) Yes they all have very complicated financial dealing, often too complicated to audit on purpose, instead the IRS goes after the easy to audit, almost every artist and writer I know who make next to nothing. Demanding to see receipts for oil paint etc. I think the truly big guys have lost their taste for the distasteful , increasinly out of control, and apparently becoming deranged, DT.
Bunkerboy PRETENDS and likely THINKS he is top dog, but he is owned by DOZENS! EVERY billionaire as you said, but also EVERY world dictator that he grovels and kowtows to.
The increasingly strident tone of Cox’s rhetoric disturbs me though. Her loathing of Trump (which I share) reminds me of the old advice “Never wrestle with a pig.”
Leftists can be invited to violence too. A Trump assassination would undoubtedly make him a martyr.
Well at least RR is not afraid to come right out and say it !! Politics worldwide is now getting very ugly. Look at the revelations currently coming out of the UK and other countries in Central Europe. And that's before we get to the Mickey Mouse Third World countries. The line in the sand has to be drawn and Trump must be stopped for all of us !!! The very thought of him being POTUS again is grotesque in the extreme !!!
Trump never has acted like a president, and if he somehow should assume power again, he will be a tyrant. This has nothing to do with presidency, and we should try to be as clear as possible about that.
I agree with your feelings about 45 and the danger he represents, but calling other countries Mickey Mouse is objectionable and in fact , echoes 45 calling other countries "shithole".
There is danger in “bad” people with guns but just as in the ‘20s thru the ‘30s & ‘40s, yesterday, today & tomorrow, most of the danger lies in the silence & acquiescence of “good” people.
Great point. The time to not be silent is now! I understand members of the gop taking pause when their families are threatened but you were elected to represent your constituents not kneel fealty to tfg. If you don’t have the backbone to do what is right you don’t belong in government. High time these people are rooted out, voted out or resign. Turbulent times require a tough spirit.
Yes, just how many 'good Germans' are out there in this land, who will pull that lever for anyone with a 'R' next to their name, even if they are wearing a swastika armband, merely because they are compelled to by the old "I ONLY EVER vote for Republicans" credo?!?
Recently heard that from relatives claiming to be Christian. They said they were brought up to only vote Republican. Amazingly, facts changed their minds.
I was raised to be Republican, my father admired Ike & thought that was Rep way. Found out differently. He liked Reagan but didn’t live long enough to see how badly he screwed the middle class. And now, even Reagan republicans in Congress don’t have any moral fiber & can’t stand up for how he saw AK47s & Russian oligarchy. If Legislators & Exec branches get or hold majorities, we are so screwed because Judiciary will fall & our government will just be a richer third world autocracy. Glad I’m in my 70’s but fear for my grands & all their age. The generation of my kids have very few that are willing to do what the Baby Boomers had to do; we pushed ourselves to give them more & better of everything - & for what!?!?!
The younger generations tend to BLAME us 'boomers' for all of the evil in, and ills of, the world today, and to some extent, they are correct (especially insofar as taking care of the environment, as such, despite the e-flag faux environmentalism practiced in the early '70s).
But somehow, I do not believe that most of the boomers on here EVER voted for PriXXon, or ol' pruneface Saint Ronnie RAY GUN ZAP! (LOVE quoting Joannie Baez on that one! ;) ).
I know that I did NOT, so do NOT blame that start of fascist Trumpism on ME, or the (granted very few) others who voted AGAINST the 'start up' autocrats. ;)
Don the mob boss, the strident leader of lizard-brain lemmings in and out of office. Isn’t it funny how “Christians“ suddenly lose all integrity and compassion when power and a chance of retribution for absolutely nothing arises.
We have the capacity to force religious leaders to be moral. When they express political views, challenge their tax status. Start with the Catholic bishops and the Southern Baptists.
Remember that the IRS tried to look at not for profit entities who were politically involved? The Republicans made it all about conservative organizations and started attacking the IRS. You can draw a line from that to their present stance; protect their religious and corporate friends first and foremost. Shame is not in their lexicon.
Gulp! Attack religion? If only some had the courage to do that, what a wonderful changed world it would be. I'm an atheist, so that would be a great way to begin, Daniel. But, I don't see any politician having that much courage.
It was very hard to read your essay this morning first thing on waking. It is not so much that the clarity on “Trump the Mob Boss” is so distressing but tied in with Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, the House of Representatives dysfunction, the election of a Trump puppet who is a “chisto-fascist” as speaker of the House and the blatant efforts of the Republicans to defund the IRS so billionaires can continue to cheat on their taxes unhindered, it is hard to believe that this is all occurring at once…but it is!
Last night I watched an excellent conversation between Katie Couric and Heather Cox Richardson. As a brilliant historian Heather has a wholistic view of the crossroads where we sit as Americans.
In her great clarity she stated that the next election is a choice between democracy and authoritarianism. Her description of what the world situation would be like now without the incredible leadership Biden has shown in foreign statesmanship verses what would have occurred if Trump was now the President is stark.
Her cure is that all if us must “fill the room with our oxygen,” meaning we should get out and talk with everyone, our friends, family, neighbors and yes, even the Republicans we know about the precipice we now stand on and our own personal moral stance on this situation. We cannot watch mute while the ultra-right Republicans take all of the oxygen out of the room.
She is correct.
If we stand by mute, it leads to depression and virtual paralysis on our part. We must overcome our own fears of bringing up an uncomfortable topic within our own circles and we must be brave in speaking with those who are being swept up by the ultra-right pandemonium. We will have to model the proper behavior that the cowed politicians are afraid to express for fear of physical harm to their own lives or harm to their families and careers.
One of the principles I try to integrate into my own life was elucidated by a great Indian philosopher, Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar. He said “One should set an example by their own conduct before asking others to do the same.” Robert, you, Heather Cox Richardson, Heather Lofthouse, Judd Legum, Joe Biden and others are demonstrating to us what true courage and leadership is. I am teaching a course on “Apocalypse and the Change of Eras” in a community center my own town and I was stuck as to what my next class would cover. Now i know what the curriculum will be for the remainder of the course.
The term “apocalypse” originates from the ancient Greek word “Apokalypsis” meaning “lifting of the veil” or “uncovering that which would not have been seen if it were not for an apocalypse often leading to revelation.” With all the darkness that is being uncovered all at once on our planet (including potential climate collapse) are we now in an apocalypse? If darkness is not uncovered then how could we properly address it? To me it offers the opportunity for humanity to take a great leap forward…if we "carpe diem,” latin for "seize the day.” (Thank you Robin Williams in “The Dead Poets Society.")
Thank you, Marc, for so clearly telling us how to proceed. Keeping our heads up and questioning everything in a calm and focused manner is surely the preferable course. So glad Heather Cox Richardson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and many other amazing thinkers are here on Substack to help lead us forward.
Anybody else would have been incarcerated. Why the exception? What is Democracy waiting for? Is he above the law? Is Mob rule written in the constitution?
Endee, The answer to your question is "yes." Trump is above the law and our legal system is terrified of him and what his gang will do if they "lock him up," which is what should have happened when he kept from returning stolen secret documents and they found that many folders that had contained documents were empty. There is supposedly someone in jail for having one document taken from a facility, and I heard her sentence is 5 years. I am not certain of that, but I do know people have been imprisoned even without trial for years for "stolen" documents and Trump is waltzing around as though he did nothing wrong while he shared secrets with foreign entities and kept boxes of secret documents where anyone could have gotten hold of them. That should be treason, but alas, the teflon don just slides through and keeps flapping his lips with threats and lies. So it's "equality under the law" except for Trump.
So true. Why can’t our leaders and even judges see that letting Trump get away with all he gets away with is making him an anti hero in the eyes of his supporters? If those in power treated him like any other criminal, (and his enablers too,) we wouldn’t be in this mess!
Ruth, not just trump. I imagine there were many in his admin that got away with serious crimes. We can only imagine the things Kushner has gotten away with.
So if our legal system is afraid of him...that explains why the gag orders have not been enforced. We have to come to terms with being foot soldiers for democracy. What it means, how we proceed. How to be on the offensive, rather than continuously waging a defensive battle. Can our most vocal, brilliant, and strident representatives get together and mount an offensive strategy? I've watch hearings, and Raskin, AOC, Porter, Frost, and many, many others are brilliant in their defensive moves. It would be beautiful to watch them go on the offensive....a strategic offensive. We are in war and they will need to armor up.....but the human race....which may not deserve saving....is at stake.
Susan, I would also like to see Democrats on the offense. For some reason, we have permitted Republicans to define the issues and take their positions so we have to defend even the status quo, as with Social Security and Medicare which should be off the table altogether. That does not allow us to progress into the modern world where global warming and scared men in power present hazards we must confront as a nation not as individuals. I like the people you name and would add that there are many more. President Biden is an excellent executive but he is not the one to lead the charge. He needs to be running and steering the ship of democracy while others plan and with his help carry out the moves needed to get people to pay attention, to want to help, and to feel needed as efforts are made to improve life for all here and possibly throughout the world. We need to be able to distract the American people from petty whining, turning on neighbors they neither know or understand, and give folks a positive mission which should include but not be limited to getting huge corporations under control: paying their fair share of taxes, breaking up monopolies and trusts to make a more fair playing field, looking at copywrite laws to see what is actually fair and what is cheating to keep more money in the corporations even after the American people have already paid much of the cost of product development (as with drugs and vaccines), and more. We could also push for innovation and have more awards with money to encourage it particularly related to global warming. Then, we need to work on health care for all, a bit at a time perhaps, making sure there are proper staffing to patient ratios, ending insurance cheating, keeping rural hospitals and hospitals in mid-sized urban areas open and well-staffed. This could include paying for medical and nursing school for people willing to work in areas of medicine that are particularly challenging like geriatrics, general medicine, and vaccine research. Getting universities and colleges on board, providing a certain number of full scholarships for medical and nursing students from low income families, say 12 of every 100 students to start with until a full program can be in place to cover the costs. Then there's immigration. We need to hear and read more stories about the ways immigrants have made a positive difference in communities. The border needs to be staffed with people who actually care about the immigrants, the challenges they have faced trying to get here, and ways they will need to complete the paperwork to enter. They need sufficient resources to accomplish this as well. Then paths to citizenship should be provided for those who want to become full citizens: DACA young people, immigrants who have lived in this country at least 5 years for whatever reason, and asylum-seekers and refugees who simply can't return to their homelands due to fear for their lives. There should be a small fee involved. This would stop some of the fear and blackmail that has been involved with immigration. Right now we have a thriving economy, yet somehow people don't realize it, mostly because the media mentions it in passing or with surprise each month when they don't get to tell everyone how bad things are. The economy's success could be the first move to start the offense if Democratic leaders will just step up and start doing it. They need a strong message, a 3 or 4 word phrase as the cue that everyone is on the offense. It would be interesting to see Republicans trying to defend their appalling positions on all kinds of things none of which help anyone but themselves and their rich white donors. Republicans have not had to defend anything for years, may be decades. It's time people get to see what their representatives really stand for, not what they have been spewing in their campaigns. OK Dems, let's do it!
Wow, Ruth...you have read my mind and identified excellent places to start. And reading the comment below....waiting to change Congress from Republican to Democrat has always been an ineffective strategy that only benefits Republicans as it involves Democrats waiting and doing little besides being defensive. There are a thousand ways to change the national story Republicans telling, to the real issues the human race can no longer ignore. There are a thousand ways to change the focus away from distractions. I am sure each one of us can make a meaningful contribution, if we only knew what to do. It has to be all of the above...going to the polls to vote ...talking to people you know....demonstrations (pretty sure these don't change complicit politicians minds) But, I believe/hope there are small daily activities that comprise the marathon of activities we must enact. We are, as of yet, a nation of laws. I am surprised we haven't seen even more lawsuits. Though I am pleased to see the ones happening now. I myself think I will see what that road may produce....wishing I had a law degree. But those thoughts only stop us, not enable us to move the needle. Thank you for this thoughtful comment, Ruth.
So far the gag orders have had too little teeth. The judges in this case need to remind themselves that a $5k to $10k fine is a joke financially. Only moving up the trial and or imprisonment would have an affect.
WAY WAY WAY too much deference to, abject, totally UNDESERVED respect, and even deification of a former POTUS on their part actually DOES make the SCUMp 'above the law' by their actions. :( :( :(
TOO EFFING BAD he is 'running for the highest office in the land', HE IS A CRIMINAL, PERIOD!!
I have a great fear that normal, rational, hard working people, just trying to get on with their lives people, will think that the deep fear Trump opposers and pro-impeachment members describe is exaggerated; that Trump could not possibly get away with obliterating legal and civil rights. They are wrong. They are woefully misguided if they think the already eroded justice system will save them and their families and loved ones from the pathological maliciousness of Mr Trump.
Robynne, you are right about ordinary people not believing Trump could be as evil as he is. They want him to be their populist hero, one of them when he has never been "one of them." He was raised rich with a crook of a father who didn't care much for Donnie, but taught him everything he knew and that was how to cheat, hurt people, promote hate and distrust, distract, and lie at every opportunity because people can't believe anyone can lie that often. Baby Donnie has proven them wrong as he lies so often it is impossible to fact check him in real time. Other Republicans have picked up on the technique too. One of them just got elected Speaker of our House of Representatives. We are in trouble and if too many of us stay silent, that jerk will be elected president next November and everyone will pay, literally and figuratively. I know he can be defeated, but I saw what happened in the last election in California and New York when Democrats just sat back and allowed a bunch of fools to be elected to Congress giving Republicans the majority and causing chaos. Trump's election would bring more than chaos.
Ruth, you are absolutely correct when you say "We are in trouble and if too many of us stay silent, that jerk will be elected president next November and everyone will pay, literally and figuratively.” On this forum we have a safe place to talk with each other and further educate ourselves, but now it is up to us as informed and motivated citizens to go outside our circle and talk to others. Some of us may be “elders,” but in indigenous societies elders are held in high esteem as sources of wisdom for the upcoming leaders of their society. It is time for you and I to do what Robert Reich, Heather Cox Richardson and others are doing, SPREAD THE TRUTH! And do not be afraid of negative reaction. Generally, the more powerful the truth the stronger the reaction.
One of my mentors, Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfeld (of blessed memory) printed on the bottom of his business card “A Rabbi ain’t a rabbi until he’s been run out of town.” He was not afraid to be outspoken even when it was unpopular.
Marc, thanks for the reminder that we all have to do our part. I bring up some of the issues as often as I can. People know exactly where I stand on issues and how I feel about the current Republican Party. I hope that I can give them enough information they can make a positive decision about their voting this year for starters, then the federal votes next year. The truth is that not one single American if they really care about this nation, should vote for Trump next year. He has broken the law, not to help anyone, not to protest a wrong, not to improve life for the people of this nation, not to defend our Constitution, not to support any of our allies, but for his own purposes and he has recruited a bunch of folks to help him as on January 6. That was not in any way like a "Black Lives Matter" protest as it has been compared to. It was a mob boss sending out his minions to do his dirty work to try to keep him in power in a job he never deserved but that he has been officially voted out of. Any successful actions will have to be collective because one person protesting except in very rare instances gets no attention unless one is a young woman taking off school and accusing the government of crimes against the planet or something equally courageous and attention-getting. We need those heroes and we also need the folks who march in groups of thousands all over the country to say "no more!" Then, mayhbe most of all, we need some courage among our representatives at all levels from local to the president to stand up and also say "no more," and mean no more dismissing people's rights, voter suppression, cheating, corruption, trashing women and our right to have bodily autonomy, and last minute budget threats. Then say a definite "yes" to support for our allies, everyone paying their fair share of taxes, even the very rich who need to even pay a little more because they have the funds to do it, make social security untouchable as to whether or not it exists and how it is paid for, medicare too only changing them to improve them for everyone, adding and supporting programs to address the needs of our most vulnerable citizens, putting into place a fair and human immigration policy including citizenship paths for DACA recipients and those who were turned down for it, people who have lived in this country for more than 5 years, and asylum-seekers and refugees who can't return to their homes due to threats on their lives. Those would be a good start and would help so many people. Then we can expand to seriously ooking at universal health care, sensible gun laws, a fair court system, and so many other issues large and small.
Trump is a malignant narcissistic psychopath and will stop at nothing to blow up Biden’s presidency. How did Hamas et al know how and when to attack Israel? Wasn’t Jared Kushner the one “mediating” peace in the Middle East? Top secret docs had to be sold to the aggressors. Why hasn’t the media here reported what BBC found out from one of the survivors that she heard Russian being spoken when raping and murdering women and children? All roads lead to Putin.
Interesting perspective. I never connected the boxes stored in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago bathroom with Hamas until now. Since Oct 7 I have wondered time and again where the Israeli military was that day. It’s like they were all home for the holiday. I had also read (can’t remember where) the terrorists had old but still helpful maps and documents to guide them. Now I wonder, did they purchase some of those documents from the Trump mob? I long ago stopped being surprised at their malevolence. Also I have no doubt they are not as rich as they claim to be. They are all smoke and mirrors. Could it be the smoke of Russian cigarettes? Might they be paying for their lifestyles with $ paid by Russians for those stolen documents who turn around and sell them again? Is it that far-fetched an idea? I feel like one of those true crime podcast listeners suggesting a motive to an unsolved murder. Feels kind of silly but then again people are more creative when thinking together. And greed being at the core of any bad thing is not a stretch.
I should not have speculated on this. Silly. Just being an amateur sleuth. Like a podcast as I said. I think it stems from being frustrated with the pace of holding DJT accountable for stuff for which the average Joe would be quickly thrown in prison. And I also think of the many people in prison with unfair sentences--buried alive for lesser things. My frustration is showing. It’s been a long decade of non stop DJT crazy.
Just my perspective, but I don’t see any link between Hamas and Trump and the timing of their attack on Israel. That’s a bit of a stretch. It’s more likely a failure of leadership in Israel itself in being on guard. After all, it’s always easier to blame outsiders than those back at home.
Yes. As I said it was a silly thought. I know it was a stretch of imagination. Even so, I think my wondering if Trump sold some docs is not crazy. Also wondering how the Israeli military was MIA for hours is still a real question. How was Hamas able to do so much—leave with so many hostages?
First, it’s impossible to protect everyone, everywhere. Second, its failure of imagination on the part of the IDF to have Intel. Good Intel takes sources on the ground. It’s my understanding that Israel relied too much on electronic means of gathering Intel. Opponents know this and use old school resources of communication, that are slower but less able to be penetrated if you don’t have informants on the ground.
They had better wake up 'right quick' if they all THINK it is bad now worrying ONLY about the price of gas and food under Biden.
They will be living as if in one of their SHITler's 5th world, 'shithole countries' once he and his effing oligarchs, and sadistic, EVIL minions are fully and irrevocably in power.
Trump is living proof that we learned absolutely nothing at all from Adolf Hitler. It is long since time that Americans unite to overthrow this criminal rapist liar tyrant. What are we all waiting for? Once he makes himself Dictator (not POTUS) in 2024, we can not do anything, Democracy will be dead. Is it already too late? WAKE UP, Americans!!!
No one listens now not until it’s too late and realise that what we had was precious. Look at the UK after Brexit engineered by Boris Johnson and other Tories acting on behalf of Putin to destabilise Europe. Over 68% of those who voted for it regretted dearly as their lives are worse than ever. London is practically owned by Russian Oligarchs. I live between here and there and see it with my own eyes.
Excellent example, Brexit. Britain's people were tricked into supporting something totally detrimental to their prosperity......and beneficial to their enemies. America: BEWARE!
Willis ; I wonder how 'we' can "overthrow this criminal rapist tyrant"? A general strike would be a possibility. But with the holiday season coming, how could there be unity to have such a thing? It would be more effective than trying to march on Washington or something like that, because it is getting cold out, and we would all be broke and unable to travel, or even keep the lights on, or the roofs over our heads. Maybe a letter writing campaign to our Commander in chief ; President Biden to use an executive order to stop this guy from taking over. He IS public enemy number one!
Yes, as much as we laud Biden on here, his old school 'bi-partisan' stance demands are absolutely delusional in the face of outright, forceful, despotic fascism, and the collusion and/or cowardly complacency (and power lust, of course) of a non-functional Repugnant Congress.
It's A OK Joe, to use your powers to SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY!
Bi-partisanship, and even voting are going to be NON-EXISTENT once SCUMp takes over and installs his blood oath loyal minions, and NAZI REGIME permanently. :(
Maybe so, but I will STILL take him over the megalomaniacal, even MORE diminished 'cognitive powers' yet, fascist orange asswipe, SCUMp SHITler any day of the week, and a thousand times on Sunday! ;)
Yes, it seems that fighting to save our 250 year old American Democracy from a would-be Dictator would be a bit inconvenient, especially around the Holidays.. All that awful caring for one's fellow man and all, eeeewww! Never mind.
Where is the justice department? He should have been jailed long ago.Biden is in control of the armed forces he can back that up. Where is the FBI and CIA?
Gini,I have been wondering the same thing. What TUMP and his Fascist Domestic terrorists are doing by making these threats, should NEVER be acceptable. Making death threats to fellow politicians and their families really is the Mob mentality is flaunting federal laws to the extreme. Round all of these despicable thugs up and put them UNDER a jail, including TUMP himself. To me, all of this reminds me of a horrific nightmare that never ends. I was a fool for thinking this kind of thing could never happen here in the United States. And here we are. This is what happens when laws aren't enforced to extremely corrupt, privileged wealthy a-holes.
You are so right, Laurie. And what is maddening is, they aren't satisfied with just billions, they would prefer to be trillionaires while the average citizens struggle to pay their bill and buy food and medicine.
Gini, they are all terrified of Trump or they dismiss him as just a pain. I'd be OK if they just forced him to be stuck at Mar a Lago with no visitors beyond family, no golf clubbers and another thorough search of all his properties for additional documents, the ones that are missing. As in a prison, everyone going onto the property would have to be searched. And, he could not tweet or use his social media without it all being totally censored for political content, threats, insults, etc. That would mean he would be putting out about 3 words a day.
Ruth Sheets, three words a day sounds great! Maybe four, "I hate it here!" Repeated over and over. Or "This place is hell!" Gee, Ruth I might actually look forward to those tweets!
M Tree, I too would find those tweets invigorating. I have been thinking a lot about this and I suspect Trump's cult would eventually forget about a sequestered Trump if the media ignored him and his antics. I do not see that happening though because for more than a decade, Trump has been the bread and butter for a lot of our media and people's opinions and support has been shaped by that media craving for insanity and the money it brings in. I still think it should happen. Not being able to play golf and to tweet his nonsense would be a tremendous hardship for the don.
I would like to know if they are still playing Fox News at all the military mess halls and the military industrial complex. I worked at a government contractor. The break room tv was set on Fox all the time.
Ruth Sheets, I agree. The media incessantly spreads the virus of insanity around the nation and the world. Those who live by, profit by any means necessary, are Democracy killers, nation killers.
The Department of Justice is under the authority of Merrick Garland, under the Biden administration. They both decided from the beginning not to prosecute Trump and the rest of the traitors in Congress for their part in the Insurrection. So that Biden could be “bipartisan”. And this only changed when the outcry became too intense.
Gini Brooks ; I have been asking that since Jan 6th. Looks like Bibi Netanyahu may have been following a similar playbook. He must have known something, or was behind the Oct 7 attack? It would be interesting to know what he and tfg were discussing when he visited Israel.
“Rep. Liz Cheney warned a few weeks ago that if Trump is reelected, “all of the things he attempted to do but was stopped from doing by responsible people around him … he will do. There will be no guardrails … . He will unravel the institutions of our democracy.”
And there in lies the rub! Apparently, there were few profiles in courage lurking within the halls of the chaos caucus on J6th. And even fewer left standing afterwards.
If fearing for one’s life, and that of their families, were their collective excuse for not voting for Trump’s impeachment and removal from office, then why did these same people have the audacity to then blame the FBI, ANTIFA, and BLM for a false flag operation?
It’s not just their cowardice per se on J6th, they all spread and bought into hook, line and sinker, a false and debunked conspiracy theory. A narrative, by the way, they all knew to be false.
So sorry, we all know what a lying, destabilizing and destructive force Trump is, but what’s his enablers excuses for peddling lies and misinformation?
What is their excuse for removing Swalwell and Schiff from their positions on the intelligence committee, as retribution for telling the truth about Trump on J6th? Or supporting a farcical impeachment investigation into Biden?
What is their excuse for shutting down the government to try to thwart a legitimate special counsel investigation into his misappropriation of top secret documents, as well as Trump’s participation and planning of J6th, and trying to usurp a democratic election?
Bottom line: I don’t want to hear how scared these people were on J6th. It just reminds me how they all turn a blind eye, and have deaf ears whenever a mad man opens fire in a school, killing multiple children, and all they collectively offer are “thoughts and prayers.
That said, all the sympathy I have left for these profiles in cowardice, are “thoughts and prayers,” and hopefully a jail cell next to their anointed one!
Robert, the hard part of all this cowardice is that those who elected those Republican cowards approve of their lies, pretense, and pump up their fear by threatening their families if they don't keep bowing scraping to the Trump, a toddler-man whom those constituents just love. Well, they don't actually love him since they no longer even listen to him and can't quote one thing he has said. They just love his racism, misogyny, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and all the other hates Trump can state or imply while they want to pretend they are none of those things, while, of course they are all of them. Those constituents who voted for the cowards and liars are themselves scared every day as they have been primed to be by Fox, their churches, and history. They have been told as white Americans, they are better than everyone else, but they know they aren't and are scared THOSE people will come to take their crappy jobs, keep them from being rich as they would have been if it hadn't been for THOSE people, or invade their home and do unspeakable things to them. It is hard to move those folks from the positions they now hold because they are stuck so far in the past while having to face the challenges of modern life. Their cowardly representatives at all levels are just like them but richer. They have been led to believe Trump cares about them and is one of them even though there is absolutely no evidence of that anywhere in Trump's life. They want to believe so much they can't even think clearly anymore. They resort to threatening anyone who might mess things up for them more than they already are. They email, tweet, and otherwise send threats to Democrats, the officials involved with Trump's trials, and others they fear because that is the only control they think they have. Truth with some counseling might help a bit, but they just can't do that because it is not they who are not in reality, it's all those other people.
If he were Muslim they would’ve put him in Gitmo by now for being a threat without a tenth of the evidence that’s publicly known to do with his crimes. Now that’s privilege.
That’s cowardice from our judicial system which Trump broke during his term in office. He’s following Putin’s playbook to the T. That’s precisely what he did to remain in power forever. He did away with the 2 opponents he ever had. One is still languishing in a penal colony after trying to poison him more than once. He began with horrific character assassination and uninformed people believed him or feared retaliation. Besides very early on he packed the justice system with lackeys.
Heather Cox Richardson reminded us in todays letter than Madison saw protection of conscience as the key value separation of Church & State provides citizens . We should remember that conscience has a reciprocal quality. Conscience requires individuals to be courageous, to stand up for Justice . Conscience implies a civic responsibility. And especially for an elected official . When was the last time America’s Congress acted with Conscience??? Especially the purported Christians .
The constituents of Representatives and Senators have a right to know how those they elected to represent them are voting. It helps in making a choice of whether to vote for the person again. However, IMHO, certain politically charged votes where a Congress person or family may be subjected to lots of physical threats, such as voting to convict an impeached President in the Senate, should be done anonymously.
His danger lies not only in the fact that he is the mob boss, but that he has refined his message to reflect exactly what they are thinking (well, he hasn't -- he's not smart enough, but his handlers, er, advisors have), and has truly become their spokesperson, something he reminds them of constantly when he says, "when they come after ME, they are really coming after YOU," etc. If you aren't scared, you oughta be, because it truly is his supporters who own all the guns. I live in Oregon, just southeast of Portland, and I watched in horror in the summer of 2020 as a caravan of big-wheeled pickup trucks several hundred vehicles long paraded single-file into Portland to counter-protest against Black Lives Matter protesters. The Trump Trucks had, attached either at the back of the cab or the end of the bed, the requisite Stars and Stripes ironically flapping in the wind opposite the Confederate flag, and each truck had several likely-gun-toting rednecks, alcohol-infused-and-frothing-at-the-mouth, eagerly anticipating the chance to gleefully stomp someone, or, if circumstances demanded (with a very low bar set for those circumstances), shoot someone, and shoot 'em up good, because after all, whoever they shot deserved it. Trump said so. THAT scared me. And if you aren't scared, you aren't paying attention.
I am scared. Very scared, Rick. I live among the very same kind of redneck hicks right here in my neighborhood. One of them tried to keep me from going down a county owned road here back about the same time that happened in Oregon where you live.. I went down the road anyway, and all that dumb hick did was stare at me and i gave him the best go to hell look i could. I live in northwest Georgia, the same NW Ga. that Maggot Traitor Goon came from. That explains it all.
I wonder how we can get our secretaries of state to enforce the 14th amendment , section 3, disqualification clause? It is understandable that even brave and determined secretaries of state are saying that "The courts will decide", and that seems to be a consensus. But time is a wasting! We can't do much if that criminal gets back into the Oval!
Look to Lawfareblog.com to see how the section 3 of the 14th amendment applies. There are lots of unanswered questions. If you read the 14th amendment, section 3 verbatim, it sounds self enforcing, but some entity needs to find him guilty of sedition or aiding in sedition. That would be the courts.
Trump is a mob boss, but he is bounded and not top dog. To find the top dogs you have to follow the money and find the winners based on the policies Trump and Co would put in place. We are not dealing with high intelligence here, just someone who wants to brag about being in the billionaires club with Peter Thiel, the Koch family and more. It is the corporate heads who are the real bosses, and they want taxes to stay low and all retirement funds, education funds, and medical funds to get channeled through them before the public can touch them. Essentially the "millionaires and billionaires" (think Bernie Sanders accent on that) are trying to design the US economy for their own benefit, and we need to name names and shame them continuously. Who are they? Jamie Dimond and his cohort of bankers. The chairs of Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell and Total. The CEO and boards of giant food companies like Walmart, Albertsons, Kroger, Nestle, Mondelez, Cargill, ADM, General Mills etc. The leaders of military contractors like Boeing, Lockheed, and others who have never been decently audited because we constantly withdraw funding from the IRS. (Trump is not alone in this at all, just look at Mike Johnson throwing a nonsense bone to Israel by cutting the IRS budget.) The giants of the transport and internet companies are also in cahoots, including Elon Musk, the big three auto makers, Facebook, Google and Microsoft. All told these predominantly white male corporate titans support Trump because he is easy to pay off and gives them cover to claw all wealth to themselves, with no thought to the fact that this action will kill the economy. Trump is a useful puppet, a dangerous and self-serving puppet for sure, but the strings are pulled by the quieter, more powerful corporate interests hiding in the rhetorical fog of Trump's increasingly deranged quest for attention.
"Essentially the "millionaires and billionaires" (think Bernie Sanders accent on that) are trying to design the US economy for their own benefit." They already have, and they want to keep it that way by keeping the House from functioning and buying the Supreme Court.
I like Bernie, but he is not a lawyer and does not think like a prosecutor. Need to target only cases that are winnable and not confuse politics with criminal activity. As of today, lobbying is not a crime although morally it may be legalized bribery.
IMHO current Senate investigations re Thomas and Alito look like mob type crimes involving bribery, perjury and obstruction of justice. These should have been treated like crimes, investigated by the FBI and DOJ.
I absolutely agree! As much as I hate lobbying by these rich corporations, I hate the criminal acts committed by the justices in the Supreme Court more!! I cannot trust the Supreme Court right now because of the actions of Mr. Alito and Mr. Thomas.
I love that flag!
Sure, Jan.
Agree. It is galling that Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo, with the acquiescence of Mitch McConnell, place themselves above providing documents to Congress regarding what appears to bribery of Supreme Court justices. If they fail to comply with subpoenas, I hope the senators will refer them to the DOJ for contempt of Congress.
I encourage you to implore the DOJ & FBI to pursue Thomas & Alito. With your experience you would be a great influence and asset to help them with the investigation. (I have contacted the DOJ & encouraged them myself). Those two need to be removed from that position.
I live in Florida, where most of our public officials are either perps or are complicit.
Don’t go through your representatives. Contact the DOJ & FBI directly.
I just emailed your “list” to all those I named. Thank you! We should never tire of remembering & reminding people of Presidents Biden’s accomplishments
Our right to approach our government - elected and structured to represent us and work for our benefit—needs to be vigorously protected, for us as individuals and as we band together to petition or protest. But the ability to buy access and influence needs to be curtailed. “Lobbying” itself is not the problem. Buying influence is …
So true. Justice Clarence Thomas is a bought and paid for justice who has remained free of any consequences for his obvious acceptance of many gifts. His wife Ginni remains unscathed for her role on 1/6. Between the billionaires buying the rule of law and a felonious ex POTUS calling the shots from behind the scenes, its going to take a mass turnout at polls voting blue to start the demise of this frightening mob boss rule.
We can do this,we have to! When a great many people start to realize the beauty of our freedoms and more ,we'll all be better off.(and so will they)
Agreed. When I write a letter-email to my US congressman, I’m lobbying. But because I don’t give him money, he ignores me.
We should have an “agree” button. I don’t “like” what you said, but I sure do agree it’s the way things are. I do think “banding together” to show solidarity and the prospect of a bloc of votes can be powerful, with or without money changing hands, but for CERTAIN money changing hands carries inordinate weight … !
Around 2005, the company I worked for held an all-hands meeting called by the Marketing VP. He explained to the assembled employees that when he tried to speak with our US congressional rep, he was informed that a telephone conversation would cost $5K. The VP then proceeded to ask employees to donate $$ from each paycheck to create a corporate marketing-lobbying fund.
And because I don't agree with they do/have done, they ignore me or send me some innocuous email reply. :(
My congressman has stopped sending me his periodic questionnaires, which are cleverly constructed so that the responding voter might answer the way he wants us to answer. He knows I’m a Democrat, and so he’s definitely not interested in my recommendations on public policy. When at home in his district during a congressional recess, he has several security guys surrounding him — as if wild Dems were about to drive him from the podium. Such an oddball dedicated to maximum profitability for the Florida real-estate industry: that’s Bill Posey.
Lobbying shouldn't be a crime. However, Citizens United made cold hard cash a form of free speech. The whore of Babylon is greed. What about corporate personhood? It's completely sick.
Thank you, Daniel. Do you think if we (Democrats) win a trifecta in 2024, it will instill enough courage to go after Alito, Thomas, Koch, and other criminal, but obscenely wealthy oligarchs?
Alito and Thomas, I should hope! But Koch? You're only going to get him if he goes after a person with morals.
Sad, but true
What is your lawyer view on threatening the lives of government officials?
The law REQUIRES that potential threats should be prosecuted. https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-1628-protection-member-federal-officials-family-18-usc-115#:~:text=Section%20115(a)(1)(B)%20of%20Title%2018,retaliate%20against%22%20such%20Federal%20official.
Besides federal law, every state has laws that forbid threats.
Ah, but that pesky “intent” burden of proof.....
What can be done from the law perspective to reduce threats ?
laws never mandate or require prosecution.
Laws should be enforced. Those breaking the law held accountable.
That’s the problem with Trump. He wasn’t held accountable because people were afraid of him and his goonies.
As a result he has had an unbridled run.
Read the law.
Excellent points Daniel
The millionaires and billionaires are simply following the real "golden rule" -- He who has the gold makes the rules. They know that wealth equals power. The more wealth they have, the more control they have over their lives and the lives of others. They will fight hard to keep their wealth and power. We have to fight harder!
Could not agree more.
For me, it is writing letters, signing petitions, and talking to people who don't agree with my stance on the threat to Democracy. I may not make any headway, but I will continue to try.
I have sent the articles from Substack of Robert Reich, HCR, Georgia Fisanick, Thom Hartmann & Kinzinger to ABC, CBS, NBC & The View! (And to my family, friends & my nail “beautition” who is Filipino). Kinzinger was on “The View” yesterday as well as PBS. However the screen froze for most of PBS...intentional??
I certainly hope not!
And we appreciate what you do and God bless your efforts!
We did.
The Democratic Party though did not think him electable, with the corporate billionaires and their impoverished employees voting against their own interests.
...even though polls showed Bernie beating potential Republican opponents, including Trump, by much larger margins than Hillary, as well as consistently positive favorability ratings while Hillary & Trump had extremely negative favorability ratings.
Putin speaking? Biden has the most success for the most people than any administration since the Great Society.
TOP ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Lowering Costs of Families’ Everyday Expenses
More People Are Working Than At Any Point in American History
Making More in America
Rescued the Economy and Changed the Course of the Pandemic
Rebuilding our Infrastructure
Historic Expansion of Benefits and Services for Toxic Exposed Veterans
The First Meaningful Gun Violence Reduction Legislation in 30 Years
Protected Marriage for LGBTQI+ and Interracial Couples
Historic Confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Federal Judges of Diverse Backgrounds
Rallied the World to Support Ukraine in Response to Putin’s Aggression
Strengthened Alliances and Partnerships to Deliver for the American People
Successful Counterterrorism Missions Against the Leaders of Al Qaeda and ISIS
Executive Orders Protecting Reproductive Rights
Historic Student Debt Relief for Middle- and Working-Class Families
Ending our Failed Approach to Marijuana
Advancing Equity and Racial Justice, Including Historic Criminal Justice Reform
Delivering on the Most Aggressive Climate and Environmental Justice Agenda in American History
More People with Health Insurance Than Ever Before
What Biden has done that most effects me;
I’m no longer traumatized by the daily news of criminal and unethical behavior in the government that went on during the trump admin. I realize that democracy is still under assault but I don’t feel like the crazies are pulling down the White House walls.
Great list, but you left out what I consider Biden's greatest accomplishment -- beating Trump in 2020! As bad as things appear today, imagine what they would be like if Trump had won!
thank you Daniel.
would that the dems would use this list as a campaign ad.
Daniel, thank you for your comprehensive list. To bring it down to a more personal level - I am seeing;
- improved/ resurfaced highways and roads I travel daily that used to have car eating pot holes
-improved internet to underserved areas that makes it easier for me to keep in touch with friends and family
- improved international relations that make traveling outside the US to visit friends and family a more pleasant experience,
- a stabilized supply chain so I can get the materials to make improvements on my house,
- and protections for Medicare and Social Security that are both part of my retirement plan.
Thanks, Joe
Keep spreading the news? We need to get the word out!
Thank you Daniel!
I was a Bernie supporter, too. However, I knew he wouldn't get the nomination because of his reputation as an extreme liberal even though his message echoed the progressive agenda of FDR who is reviled to this very day by the GQP. While Bernie didn't get the nomination, Biden got the message loud & clear that he needed to push a progressive agenda. So Bernie's efforts were not in vain.
I totally underestimated Biden. He has gotten more done with slim majorities in the House & Senate than any President in my lifetime. I'm sorry that you think you haven't benefited from Biden's efforts. But millions of people HAVE. And frankly, his climate change policies ALONE will benefit future generations. I might not be around then, but I benefit from the knowledge that FINALLY something is being done despite the horrendous hold the fossil fuel industry has on our politicans. I could go on about his other achievements, but I get it that you still resent the fact that Bernie lost the nomination. I felt that way in 2008 when Hillary lost to Obama. My mother & I were livid. However, after researching Obama, I came to the conclusion that he was preferable over McCain who I liked & respected. But I disagreed with GQP conservative policies, especially appointing more RW Justices to the Supreme Court, and voted accordingly.
Fast forward to 2020, the choice was Biden or Trump which was a NO BRAINER for me.
You are exactly right, Beth. I am also a former Bernie supporter, and also Liz Warren. Joe Biden has listened to them and done the best he could for their followers. I love his steady hand and cool head. As Robert Reich has said, Joe is the Grown-up in charge.
I think preserving Democracy benefits all of us (even you?) as opposed to a potential Trump dictatorship.
My assessment of how good a President is is based much less on how I personally benefit than his performance on the environment, economy, democratic rights, justice, health, foreign policy, etc.
Janet: and so the snake asked Eve, "what benefit you get from not eating from that tree? Take a bite out of that succulent fruit!" We really appreciate what we have only after we lose it. The Quran calls on the faithful to prey five times a day, each time to express gratitude for all that has been given to you. Alas! even preying five times a day dos'n help. Taking things for granted is in our nature, and it is leading us into extremely perilous territory. Open your eyes!
I'm pretty sure the Quran calls on Muslims to pray, not prey, 5 times a day, although some like ISIS, Al Qaeda & Hamas may have confused the meaning.
OTOH, predators like the snake you mentioned do need to prey, although not necessarily 5 times a day.
Yes you have
register students
I will be voting in my local elections next Tuesday! Change starts here!
Vote blue to get America back on the road to greatness again!
I plan to continue teaching Modern Monetary Theory to my friends at home and on Facebook. When more Americans understand that our federal government CAN create as much money as they want, (#Learn MMT) we will see the strong middle class that we had during the middle of the 1900's. I'm relieved to see laborers striking; I'm happy to read about universities researching a way to breakdown and repair and repurpose plastics; glad to read about research done on Peer Learning, that will help enormously to avoid having boys (in particular) feeling 'invisible in the classroom'; I was elated to hear David Brooks personal research showing that all male mass shooters never feltl a part of their classrooms. Like Bernie Sanders has pointed out many times, 'If we stick together there is nothing we cannot do.' We can change this too, we can get tRump put away, clean up our courts and Statehouses, and support our young ppl in offering free college for anyone willing and able to do the work. Yes, the Dems should have supported Bernie, but they didn't. However we still have his thought and his words and his hopes for this nation. Let's keep him with us and never give up!
Let’s not ever forget that he’s Putin’s lackey and must finished what he was asked to do; blow up our democracy so that he can finish off Ukraine and continue his dream of a Russian Empire. Trump is terrified of Putin, besides he’ll be highly rewarded.
IMHO Trump can be prosecuted as a foreign agent -- not for just Putin but also for Saudi Arabia . https://plus.pli.edu/Details/Details?fq=id%3A(240673-ATL7)&tCode=AMJ1_GRANT&gclid=CjwKCAjwkY2qBhBDEiwAoQXK5YNSCotWakrG6Z8zZ-L52l0uvKXUEFG5GMWF-MRVvibWNUVNiiP_OxoCkI8QAvD_BwE
Thanks
He certainly should be!
Thanks for sharing this. I suppose sharing classified intelligence with a foreign power is not remedied by registering as a foreign agent but is governed by statutes pertaining to treason?!
Wow. I am impressed. It's very good to know that this exists and is actively being used.
Also Putin has the pee pee tapes. Just saying....
But, the putrid orange fuehrer's devout, adoring worshipers would love their 'savior' even more yet if those were released.
Yes, even the lily-white supremacist, Christofascist, evangelo-fundie dominionists (given how willing they all were to overlook everything else about this evil, sadistic, scummy slimeball POS. ;)
True! 130,000% of Trumplicans, even the little girls, are TERRIFIED of "women!" (It's not "hate." It's "fear.")
Wayne Teel -- in terms of criminal law, it may be possible to indict those oligarchs who aided and abetted Trump. But it takes evidence.
Have to concentrate on the cases at hand -- and only the Georgia Fanni Willis case is a RICO case, that depicts Trump as a mob boss.
Fanni Willis. Another brave soul!
Donald "Alphonse" Trump-- It seems, due to an apparent time warp, Alphonse Capone is alive and well, he altered his appearance, and the sociopath now supports a thinning patch of orange hair. Trump lives his life and runs his businesses in the same manner that Capone terrorized Chicago in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Fear and muscle gave Capone the leverage he needed to entrench his will upon an unsuspecting public and a fractured law enforcement agency. He operated his syndicate without interference because of the fear he instilled in the minds of all those who opposed him. Trump has morphed his image into a grotesque combination of the mid-1930s mentality found in Germany and the lawlessness found in Chicago during the late 1920s. The destructive intentions housed in the minds of the men in power during those times give Trump a cerebral erection, something he most likely is totally unfamiliar with on many levels. Fear of the unknown, yielded by Trump's inept understanding of this country and the obvious love of George Santos, will sour in the bellies of Americans across this country. Trump and Capone are mirror images of one another, the only difference being Big Al has found the peace Mr. Trump needs to find.
Garland and Jack Smith have not taken advantage of statutes that could indict the entire conspiracy to deny Biden the presidency, using fake electors and obstructing justice. Despite it is the usual practice, the FBI failed to interview all the eye witnesses on and soon after Jan 6. Some of them, it turns out, were, to a reasonable degree of probability, part of the conspiracy.
The easiest statute to prosecute has been 18 USC §2383. Rebellion or insurrection:
Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
So far, more than 1100 defendants have been indicted, more than 110 people have been found guilty at trial and more than 366 have been sentenced to prison under that statute.
IMHO "low hanging fruit" like those who requested pardons from Trump, should have been called to grand juries as soon as Garland took office.
We remember that when Garland was sworn in, he declared that his chief aim would be to “protect the Department of Justice”— instead of protecting “the American people.”
Wow, I missed that.
Daniel--Agreed!
Nope, Capone was intelligent, Trump is an idiot. A "useful idiot" to Billionaires and Big Businesses, but still an idiot.
Mark--I'll give you the mental capacity of both individuals, but its the power potential that both men possess that gets to me.
Ha! Bunkerboy is a FAILED "mob boss!" Pretty much the DAY he became president, and Americans actually CARED about the orange blob for once, feds ALREADY had a laundry list of his OVERT crimes ready to go.
He is SIGNIFICANTLY too stupid, and now dementia-addled, to cover his tracks.
Daniel--Trump has owned no less then 3 casinos which everyone knows has mob ties. He couldn't have done the things he has without rubbing elbows with some real underworld figures. I think he uses those connections to intimidate anyone he goes up against. He may very well be dumb but he isn't stupid to the point where he can't destroy a country if given the chance.
Good lord. Russian mob connections in Florida real estate. Expect the worse from Trump and he will rarely disappoint.
steve--The Russian mob is further north, up around New England. However your assessment of Trump is spot on.
I don’t know…a mob boss running a few casinos in jersey and real estate holdings in ny, is a lot different than running a country by mob boss rule. I don’t think that translates without a LOT of outside help (Harlan, mob bosses of other countries who arent fond of democracy etc). Wouldn’t it be amazing if trump flipped and we all got a good look at what’s under the rock…I remain unconvinced that trump is the mastermind
Melissa--Mastermind is a stretch of the imagination but an active player in a game that's over his head, I can see that without too much difficulty. Trump didn't earn his place in the White House it was given to him by an ignorant group of badly misinformed voters that fell for Trump's pack of lies. His casinos failed miserably and so did his attempt at being President.
A lot of help from Putin too.
Trump is a LOSER.
We have a cure for the syphilis that did in Big
Al - who’s got the cure for the unmitigated greed that is killing so many of us now ?
Paul--I do, Trump's wake.
When Trump finally passes the country will be like the Inner Coastal Waterway, a "No" wake zone.!!!
For those of us that are not judges and lawyers, RICO means "Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act” signed into law by Nixon (of all people) in 1970.
Thanks for the info. Nixon, LMAO
There seems to be a section on the employment applications for prospective pilots where they must affirm their mental health, this particular area in the app. should be of particular interest to Mr. Jordan. Jim seems to be overly enthralled with honesty. In recent days a number of pilots with obvious mental inconsistencies have found their way into the public eye. At first glance, their applications seem completely normal but upon closer inspection, a few fly guys have lied about the steadiness of their thinking. This stretching of the truth was done to procure a desired outcome, their hiring. If we take a short view back at Jimmy's past efforts we find Mr. Jordan deeply involved in the persecution of one "Hunter Biden" for stretching the truth on an application to purchase a handgun. This inconsistency offered by Hunter was done in order to obtain a means of personal protection, not to pursue avenues that reflected a nefarious intent. It's odd Jimmy would spend years of governmental time and money to chase a false statement on a federal purchase form, but the pilots that did basically the same thing on their employment application go unchallenged by Mr. Jordan's discerning eyes. The piolets have hundreds of lives under their wings every time they take to the skies and yet their lies go noticed by "Lord Jim." Trump is pulling his string as well. Johnson, Jordan, it would seem Donnie Boy loves to juggle his "J's."
Wayne, the truth is that those puppeteers you named need Trump even more than he needs them at this point. They want to pretend they are the good guys doing the right things to keep the economy humming when it is not them at all but the actual workers who have accepted working for crappy wages for years while their top bosses made trillions, even during the pandemic. Trump is their voice and has a following they can never have. The media does not want to call out the ones who are actually doing the damage because they might find somehow magically, their funding is decreased and advertising is gone. Fancy that! None of those at the top have ever had to pay for their crimes, and there have been crimes particularly related to the crash of 2008. They essentially lost nothing while everyone else lost a lot, most especially trust in banks, insurance corporations, and in the government those guys malign regularly as they skip paying taxes and work to undermine the IRS so they won't get caught. How do we stop the insanity? Too many Americans have getting rich as their primary goal and nearly worship those who claim to have money, particularly if they have a big mouth and the ability to toss insults and threats with agility, even if their intellect is not high, like the teflon don himself. Help!!
Our unions are becoming stronger thanks to the UAW. We need more and more unions to begin to stand up to these greedy corporations. That will begin to stop the insanity!!
Interesting that it's probable that the Democrats are getting the same threats but aren't as cowardly in their failure to uphold their oaths to the Constitution and the country. Republicans put on a good face about being patriots but they're just posers.
That's true but look what the Democrats did to Menendez. They said out loud that his behavior was unacceptable and he should resign. When one of our own does something wrong, the Democrats admit it, deal with it, and move forward. What do the republicans do? Absolutely nothing. They wouldn't even expel Santos and he did many, many things wrong!!
Yes. I still miss Al Franken’s presence in the Senate.
They need their lying, cheating, stealing, deceiving, multiple 'persona' Georgie in order to make sure that their plots to install their SHITler back into power succeed.
As has been pointed out on many MSNBC shows, the at risk because they are in Biden won districts Repugnaf**k reps were 'allowed to' vote against lying criminal Georgie in the expulsion hearings as a very weak 'cover' of "See, I voted against him" BS for their voting IN UNISON to install the evil ChristoFASCIST Gilead demander into the speakership position. ;)
Oh my goodness, David! I see from your post you are very angry and upset about all of this. I understand the anger. It is extremely frustrating to see what is happening and sometimes just feeling unable to do anything to stop this runaway trainwreck!
YES, I AM!!
My grandfather fought the actual NAZI BUND movement here, in THIS land, well before the war (in 1930s Newark, N.J. and surrounds, when Hitler sent Fritz Kuhn over here to stir up NAZI sentiment, and join up forces with the whole 'America First', and KKKlan BULLSHIT!), or even the whole 3rd REICH covert 'putsch' later on just before and even during WW2, (led by actual members of the Senate at that time!), about which Rachel has just released a whole book.
So I will be good 'goltdamned' (as SCUMp's peckerwood MAGAt brown shirts would say) if I am going to let NAZI style fascism become the evil, sadistic, genocidal control over this land now (at least not without a fight, to the death, if needs be). ;)
This video powerfully makes your point, Monopoly, Who Owns the World. It's an hour long and worth every minute. Trump is a puppet for more powerful masters, the ones who are driving the complete destruction of the planet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfkdhTrrH1M
I have only watched half of it so far, but it is fascinating. I had known much of what is said here, but only in pieces and had not fit the puzzle together as nicely as done here. The video is rather crude, but somehow that makes it more genuine and effective, if rather monotone in delivery. Vanguard, Blackrock, Berkshire Hathaway and co. definitely deserve a bit more exposure.
It's a brilliant piece of work. I'm surprised it still exists on the internet. I've collected alternate links and downloaded it in case it disappears. I would love for Dr. Reich to watch and weigh in.
my Thanks
to Both of you!!!
& to Dr. Reich as well.
saved for later
You have just explained Supreme Cowardice. These Congressfolk will take all the Goodies but little of the Heat. Only able to vote from their own puny experiences, then stay in power and comfort for 60 years, mostly white men. Even becoming demented in office and staying, so no one new brings their experiences.. Sending soldiers, young folk, usually with no money, to their WARS, for which they always have excuses, but unable to band together and sacrifice anything themselves. Electing Monsters, Mobsters, and running home with their tails between their legs. Willing to allow women to become chattel AGAIN and look the other way with child labor of economic kid migrants.
You have explained why the Country, of USCommon good, that I worked for, was educated to support in every way, is GONE. Cowards, almost traitors. Stinking Pitiful and ROTTEN.
There is NOTHING 'almost' about their traitor-ship! ;) :(
I strongly agree with you. We cannot allow him to win. Our DEMOCRACY will end. Our rule of law will end. Trump is nuts and so are most of the Republicans running for office. I would be interested in knowing how much money the Republicans are funneling into George Santos 's campaign.
I endorse "follow the money" completely. The capitalist "right" to accumulate monetary wealth and use it as an instrument of power lies behind present and past corruption. We need a means of obtaining goods and services that cannot be amassed in individual hands and used as a sword over the heads of anyone for the purposes of bribery and coercion.
Absolutely!
Wayne Teel, puppet yes, and a useful idiot, highly delusional, violent and unpatriotic.
Exactly.
But , I've heard many of them have withdrawn their financial support ( albiet quietly) Yes they all have very complicated financial dealing, often too complicated to audit on purpose, instead the IRS goes after the easy to audit, almost every artist and writer I know who make next to nothing. Demanding to see receipts for oil paint etc. I think the truly big guys have lost their taste for the distasteful , increasinly out of control, and apparently becoming deranged, DT.
I've also heard some are drifting back. IDK.
You overlooked one influential "top dog," his idol Putin.
Bunkerboy PRETENDS and likely THINKS he is top dog, but he is owned by DOZENS! EVERY billionaire as you said, but also EVERY world dictator that he grovels and kowtows to.
SAD!
Well stated . Does the young generation, the children of children of Vietnam vets. Do they understand and care?
Excellent analysis.
The increasingly strident tone of Cox’s rhetoric disturbs me though. Her loathing of Trump (which I share) reminds me of the old advice “Never wrestle with a pig.”
Leftists can be invited to violence too. A Trump assassination would undoubtedly make him a martyr.
Well at least RR is not afraid to come right out and say it !! Politics worldwide is now getting very ugly. Look at the revelations currently coming out of the UK and other countries in Central Europe. And that's before we get to the Mickey Mouse Third World countries. The line in the sand has to be drawn and Trump must be stopped for all of us !!! The very thought of him being POTUS again is grotesque in the extreme !!!
Trump never has acted like a president, and if he somehow should assume power again, he will be a tyrant. This has nothing to do with presidency, and we should try to be as clear as possible about that.
We’ll have a worst Putin.
What are "Mickey Mouse" 3rd world countrys?
I agree with your feelings about 45 and the danger he represents, but calling other countries Mickey Mouse is objectionable and in fact , echoes 45 calling other countries "shithole".
There is danger in “bad” people with guns but just as in the ‘20s thru the ‘30s & ‘40s, yesterday, today & tomorrow, most of the danger lies in the silence & acquiescence of “good” people.
Great point. The time to not be silent is now! I understand members of the gop taking pause when their families are threatened but you were elected to represent your constituents not kneel fealty to tfg. If you don’t have the backbone to do what is right you don’t belong in government. High time these people are rooted out, voted out or resign. Turbulent times require a tough spirit.
Yes, just how many 'good Germans' are out there in this land, who will pull that lever for anyone with a 'R' next to their name, even if they are wearing a swastika armband, merely because they are compelled to by the old "I ONLY EVER vote for Republicans" credo?!?
Recently heard that from relatives claiming to be Christian. They said they were brought up to only vote Republican. Amazingly, facts changed their minds.
Christians supposedly are “WWJD,” not anyone in “GOP” House. They literally make me sick & cringe.
I was raised to be Republican, my father admired Ike & thought that was Rep way. Found out differently. He liked Reagan but didn’t live long enough to see how badly he screwed the middle class. And now, even Reagan republicans in Congress don’t have any moral fiber & can’t stand up for how he saw AK47s & Russian oligarchy. If Legislators & Exec branches get or hold majorities, we are so screwed because Judiciary will fall & our government will just be a richer third world autocracy. Glad I’m in my 70’s but fear for my grands & all their age. The generation of my kids have very few that are willing to do what the Baby Boomers had to do; we pushed ourselves to give them more & better of everything - & for what!?!?!
The younger generations tend to BLAME us 'boomers' for all of the evil in, and ills of, the world today, and to some extent, they are correct (especially insofar as taking care of the environment, as such, despite the e-flag faux environmentalism practiced in the early '70s).
But somehow, I do not believe that most of the boomers on here EVER voted for PriXXon, or ol' pruneface Saint Ronnie RAY GUN ZAP! (LOVE quoting Joannie Baez on that one! ;) ).
I know that I did NOT, so do NOT blame that start of fascist Trumpism on ME, or the (granted very few) others who voted AGAINST the 'start up' autocrats. ;)
Bingo!
Don the mob boss, the strident leader of lizard-brain lemmings in and out of office. Isn’t it funny how “Christians“ suddenly lose all integrity and compassion when power and a chance of retribution for absolutely nothing arises.
We have the capacity to force religious leaders to be moral. When they express political views, challenge their tax status. Start with the Catholic bishops and the Southern Baptists.
That would take having sufficient IRS funding to have sufficient agent to revoke their tax status.
Remember that the IRS tried to look at not for profit entities who were politically involved? The Republicans made it all about conservative organizations and started attacking the IRS. You can draw a line from that to their present stance; protect their religious and corporate friends first and foremost. Shame is not in their lexicon.
...as well as the extreme rightwingnutter, evangelo-fundie, VERY wealthy, 'mega-churches' ;)
Gulp! Attack religion? If only some had the courage to do that, what a wonderful changed world it would be. I'm an atheist, so that would be a great way to begin, Daniel. But, I don't see any politician having that much courage.
It was very hard to read your essay this morning first thing on waking. It is not so much that the clarity on “Trump the Mob Boss” is so distressing but tied in with Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, the House of Representatives dysfunction, the election of a Trump puppet who is a “chisto-fascist” as speaker of the House and the blatant efforts of the Republicans to defund the IRS so billionaires can continue to cheat on their taxes unhindered, it is hard to believe that this is all occurring at once…but it is!
Last night I watched an excellent conversation between Katie Couric and Heather Cox Richardson. As a brilliant historian Heather has a wholistic view of the crossroads where we sit as Americans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSCnhREe9-c
In her great clarity she stated that the next election is a choice between democracy and authoritarianism. Her description of what the world situation would be like now without the incredible leadership Biden has shown in foreign statesmanship verses what would have occurred if Trump was now the President is stark.
Her cure is that all if us must “fill the room with our oxygen,” meaning we should get out and talk with everyone, our friends, family, neighbors and yes, even the Republicans we know about the precipice we now stand on and our own personal moral stance on this situation. We cannot watch mute while the ultra-right Republicans take all of the oxygen out of the room.
She is correct.
If we stand by mute, it leads to depression and virtual paralysis on our part. We must overcome our own fears of bringing up an uncomfortable topic within our own circles and we must be brave in speaking with those who are being swept up by the ultra-right pandemonium. We will have to model the proper behavior that the cowed politicians are afraid to express for fear of physical harm to their own lives or harm to their families and careers.
One of the principles I try to integrate into my own life was elucidated by a great Indian philosopher, Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar. He said “One should set an example by their own conduct before asking others to do the same.” Robert, you, Heather Cox Richardson, Heather Lofthouse, Judd Legum, Joe Biden and others are demonstrating to us what true courage and leadership is. I am teaching a course on “Apocalypse and the Change of Eras” in a community center my own town and I was stuck as to what my next class would cover. Now i know what the curriculum will be for the remainder of the course.
The term “apocalypse” originates from the ancient Greek word “Apokalypsis” meaning “lifting of the veil” or “uncovering that which would not have been seen if it were not for an apocalypse often leading to revelation.” With all the darkness that is being uncovered all at once on our planet (including potential climate collapse) are we now in an apocalypse? If darkness is not uncovered then how could we properly address it? To me it offers the opportunity for humanity to take a great leap forward…if we "carpe diem,” latin for "seize the day.” (Thank you Robin Williams in “The Dead Poets Society.")
I agree; and I hope that you can change some minds with your course.
Oooh, that sounds interesting. I’d take that class.
Thank you, Marc, for so clearly telling us how to proceed. Keeping our heads up and questioning everything in a calm and focused manner is surely the preferable course. So glad Heather Cox Richardson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and many other amazing thinkers are here on Substack to help lead us forward.
Thanks for pointing this video out, Marc. I just watched it. Energizing, important, and well worth the hour investment!
Spot on! Most people don’t connect the dots. God save us!
I have a feeling that I can’t entirely explain that Mike Johnson’s days as speaker are numbered. He’s just too extreme and a caricature.
Anybody else would have been incarcerated. Why the exception? What is Democracy waiting for? Is he above the law? Is Mob rule written in the constitution?
Lock him up!
Endee, The answer to your question is "yes." Trump is above the law and our legal system is terrified of him and what his gang will do if they "lock him up," which is what should have happened when he kept from returning stolen secret documents and they found that many folders that had contained documents were empty. There is supposedly someone in jail for having one document taken from a facility, and I heard her sentence is 5 years. I am not certain of that, but I do know people have been imprisoned even without trial for years for "stolen" documents and Trump is waltzing around as though he did nothing wrong while he shared secrets with foreign entities and kept boxes of secret documents where anyone could have gotten hold of them. That should be treason, but alas, the teflon don just slides through and keeps flapping his lips with threats and lies. So it's "equality under the law" except for Trump.
So true. Why can’t our leaders and even judges see that letting Trump get away with all he gets away with is making him an anti hero in the eyes of his supporters? If those in power treated him like any other criminal, (and his enablers too,) we wouldn’t be in this mess!
Ruth, not just trump. I imagine there were many in his admin that got away with serious crimes. We can only imagine the things Kushner has gotten away with.
Or that barbaric, sadistically cruel POS, KAPO supreme Stephen 'Goebbels' Miller. ;)
So if our legal system is afraid of him...that explains why the gag orders have not been enforced. We have to come to terms with being foot soldiers for democracy. What it means, how we proceed. How to be on the offensive, rather than continuously waging a defensive battle. Can our most vocal, brilliant, and strident representatives get together and mount an offensive strategy? I've watch hearings, and Raskin, AOC, Porter, Frost, and many, many others are brilliant in their defensive moves. It would be beautiful to watch them go on the offensive....a strategic offensive. We are in war and they will need to armor up.....but the human race....which may not deserve saving....is at stake.
Susan, I would also like to see Democrats on the offense. For some reason, we have permitted Republicans to define the issues and take their positions so we have to defend even the status quo, as with Social Security and Medicare which should be off the table altogether. That does not allow us to progress into the modern world where global warming and scared men in power present hazards we must confront as a nation not as individuals. I like the people you name and would add that there are many more. President Biden is an excellent executive but he is not the one to lead the charge. He needs to be running and steering the ship of democracy while others plan and with his help carry out the moves needed to get people to pay attention, to want to help, and to feel needed as efforts are made to improve life for all here and possibly throughout the world. We need to be able to distract the American people from petty whining, turning on neighbors they neither know or understand, and give folks a positive mission which should include but not be limited to getting huge corporations under control: paying their fair share of taxes, breaking up monopolies and trusts to make a more fair playing field, looking at copywrite laws to see what is actually fair and what is cheating to keep more money in the corporations even after the American people have already paid much of the cost of product development (as with drugs and vaccines), and more. We could also push for innovation and have more awards with money to encourage it particularly related to global warming. Then, we need to work on health care for all, a bit at a time perhaps, making sure there are proper staffing to patient ratios, ending insurance cheating, keeping rural hospitals and hospitals in mid-sized urban areas open and well-staffed. This could include paying for medical and nursing school for people willing to work in areas of medicine that are particularly challenging like geriatrics, general medicine, and vaccine research. Getting universities and colleges on board, providing a certain number of full scholarships for medical and nursing students from low income families, say 12 of every 100 students to start with until a full program can be in place to cover the costs. Then there's immigration. We need to hear and read more stories about the ways immigrants have made a positive difference in communities. The border needs to be staffed with people who actually care about the immigrants, the challenges they have faced trying to get here, and ways they will need to complete the paperwork to enter. They need sufficient resources to accomplish this as well. Then paths to citizenship should be provided for those who want to become full citizens: DACA young people, immigrants who have lived in this country at least 5 years for whatever reason, and asylum-seekers and refugees who simply can't return to their homelands due to fear for their lives. There should be a small fee involved. This would stop some of the fear and blackmail that has been involved with immigration. Right now we have a thriving economy, yet somehow people don't realize it, mostly because the media mentions it in passing or with surprise each month when they don't get to tell everyone how bad things are. The economy's success could be the first move to start the offense if Democratic leaders will just step up and start doing it. They need a strong message, a 3 or 4 word phrase as the cue that everyone is on the offense. It would be interesting to see Republicans trying to defend their appalling positions on all kinds of things none of which help anyone but themselves and their rich white donors. Republicans have not had to defend anything for years, may be decades. It's time people get to see what their representatives really stand for, not what they have been spewing in their campaigns. OK Dems, let's do it!
Wow, Ruth...you have read my mind and identified excellent places to start. And reading the comment below....waiting to change Congress from Republican to Democrat has always been an ineffective strategy that only benefits Republicans as it involves Democrats waiting and doing little besides being defensive. There are a thousand ways to change the national story Republicans telling, to the real issues the human race can no longer ignore. There are a thousand ways to change the focus away from distractions. I am sure each one of us can make a meaningful contribution, if we only knew what to do. It has to be all of the above...going to the polls to vote ...talking to people you know....demonstrations (pretty sure these don't change complicit politicians minds) But, I believe/hope there are small daily activities that comprise the marathon of activities we must enact. We are, as of yet, a nation of laws. I am surprised we haven't seen even more lawsuits. Though I am pleased to see the ones happening now. I myself think I will see what that road may produce....wishing I had a law degree. But those thoughts only stop us, not enable us to move the needle. Thank you for this thoughtful comment, Ruth.
Susan, thanks and I hope we can all do our part and maybe it will spread.
But slow down. None of the listed acts can have a chance of happening without first voting out all Republicans and stacking the Supreme Court.
So far the gag orders have had too little teeth. The judges in this case need to remind themselves that a $5k to $10k fine is a joke financially. Only moving up the trial and or imprisonment would have an affect.
Garland waited too long to prosecute. Will be seen as biggest single mistake when the history is written.
He could even be blamed for the end of all democracy on this globe. because of that.
Was all of the 'appears too political' hand-wringing caution, and pearl-clutching, WORTH IT, nebbish Garland?!?!
Have Jack Smith and the other 2 main prosecutors being neutered and totally intimidated into not doing their job? They give us zero confidence.
WAY WAY WAY too much deference to, abject, totally UNDESERVED respect, and even deification of a former POTUS on their part actually DOES make the SCUMp 'above the law' by their actions. :( :( :(
TOO EFFING BAD he is 'running for the highest office in the land', HE IS A CRIMINAL, PERIOD!!
And throw away the key
good idea👍
I have a great fear that normal, rational, hard working people, just trying to get on with their lives people, will think that the deep fear Trump opposers and pro-impeachment members describe is exaggerated; that Trump could not possibly get away with obliterating legal and civil rights. They are wrong. They are woefully misguided if they think the already eroded justice system will save them and their families and loved ones from the pathological maliciousness of Mr Trump.
Robynne, you are right about ordinary people not believing Trump could be as evil as he is. They want him to be their populist hero, one of them when he has never been "one of them." He was raised rich with a crook of a father who didn't care much for Donnie, but taught him everything he knew and that was how to cheat, hurt people, promote hate and distrust, distract, and lie at every opportunity because people can't believe anyone can lie that often. Baby Donnie has proven them wrong as he lies so often it is impossible to fact check him in real time. Other Republicans have picked up on the technique too. One of them just got elected Speaker of our House of Representatives. We are in trouble and if too many of us stay silent, that jerk will be elected president next November and everyone will pay, literally and figuratively. I know he can be defeated, but I saw what happened in the last election in California and New York when Democrats just sat back and allowed a bunch of fools to be elected to Congress giving Republicans the majority and causing chaos. Trump's election would bring more than chaos.
Ruth, you are absolutely correct when you say "We are in trouble and if too many of us stay silent, that jerk will be elected president next November and everyone will pay, literally and figuratively.” On this forum we have a safe place to talk with each other and further educate ourselves, but now it is up to us as informed and motivated citizens to go outside our circle and talk to others. Some of us may be “elders,” but in indigenous societies elders are held in high esteem as sources of wisdom for the upcoming leaders of their society. It is time for you and I to do what Robert Reich, Heather Cox Richardson and others are doing, SPREAD THE TRUTH! And do not be afraid of negative reaction. Generally, the more powerful the truth the stronger the reaction.
One of my mentors, Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfeld (of blessed memory) printed on the bottom of his business card “A Rabbi ain’t a rabbi until he’s been run out of town.” He was not afraid to be outspoken even when it was unpopular.
Marc, thanks for the reminder that we all have to do our part. I bring up some of the issues as often as I can. People know exactly where I stand on issues and how I feel about the current Republican Party. I hope that I can give them enough information they can make a positive decision about their voting this year for starters, then the federal votes next year. The truth is that not one single American if they really care about this nation, should vote for Trump next year. He has broken the law, not to help anyone, not to protest a wrong, not to improve life for the people of this nation, not to defend our Constitution, not to support any of our allies, but for his own purposes and he has recruited a bunch of folks to help him as on January 6. That was not in any way like a "Black Lives Matter" protest as it has been compared to. It was a mob boss sending out his minions to do his dirty work to try to keep him in power in a job he never deserved but that he has been officially voted out of. Any successful actions will have to be collective because one person protesting except in very rare instances gets no attention unless one is a young woman taking off school and accusing the government of crimes against the planet or something equally courageous and attention-getting. We need those heroes and we also need the folks who march in groups of thousands all over the country to say "no more!" Then, mayhbe most of all, we need some courage among our representatives at all levels from local to the president to stand up and also say "no more," and mean no more dismissing people's rights, voter suppression, cheating, corruption, trashing women and our right to have bodily autonomy, and last minute budget threats. Then say a definite "yes" to support for our allies, everyone paying their fair share of taxes, even the very rich who need to even pay a little more because they have the funds to do it, make social security untouchable as to whether or not it exists and how it is paid for, medicare too only changing them to improve them for everyone, adding and supporting programs to address the needs of our most vulnerable citizens, putting into place a fair and human immigration policy including citizenship paths for DACA recipients and those who were turned down for it, people who have lived in this country for more than 5 years, and asylum-seekers and refugees who can't return to their homes due to threats on their lives. Those would be a good start and would help so many people. Then we can expand to seriously ooking at universal health care, sensible gun laws, a fair court system, and so many other issues large and small.
There's good trouble, and there's the other kinds.
Trump is a malignant narcissistic psychopath and will stop at nothing to blow up Biden’s presidency. How did Hamas et al know how and when to attack Israel? Wasn’t Jared Kushner the one “mediating” peace in the Middle East? Top secret docs had to be sold to the aggressors. Why hasn’t the media here reported what BBC found out from one of the survivors that she heard Russian being spoken when raping and murdering women and children? All roads lead to Putin.
Interesting perspective. I never connected the boxes stored in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago bathroom with Hamas until now. Since Oct 7 I have wondered time and again where the Israeli military was that day. It’s like they were all home for the holiday. I had also read (can’t remember where) the terrorists had old but still helpful maps and documents to guide them. Now I wonder, did they purchase some of those documents from the Trump mob? I long ago stopped being surprised at their malevolence. Also I have no doubt they are not as rich as they claim to be. They are all smoke and mirrors. Could it be the smoke of Russian cigarettes? Might they be paying for their lifestyles with $ paid by Russians for those stolen documents who turn around and sell them again? Is it that far-fetched an idea? I feel like one of those true crime podcast listeners suggesting a motive to an unsolved murder. Feels kind of silly but then again people are more creative when thinking together. And greed being at the core of any bad thing is not a stretch.
I should not have speculated on this. Silly. Just being an amateur sleuth. Like a podcast as I said. I think it stems from being frustrated with the pace of holding DJT accountable for stuff for which the average Joe would be quickly thrown in prison. And I also think of the many people in prison with unfair sentences--buried alive for lesser things. My frustration is showing. It’s been a long decade of non stop DJT crazy.
Just my perspective, but I don’t see any link between Hamas and Trump and the timing of their attack on Israel. That’s a bit of a stretch. It’s more likely a failure of leadership in Israel itself in being on guard. After all, it’s always easier to blame outsiders than those back at home.
Yes. As I said it was a silly thought. I know it was a stretch of imagination. Even so, I think my wondering if Trump sold some docs is not crazy. Also wondering how the Israeli military was MIA for hours is still a real question. How was Hamas able to do so much—leave with so many hostages?
First, it’s impossible to protect everyone, everywhere. Second, its failure of imagination on the part of the IDF to have Intel. Good Intel takes sources on the ground. It’s my understanding that Israel relied too much on electronic means of gathering Intel. Opponents know this and use old school resources of communication, that are slower but less able to be penetrated if you don’t have informants on the ground.
They had better wake up 'right quick' if they all THINK it is bad now worrying ONLY about the price of gas and food under Biden.
They will be living as if in one of their SHITler's 5th world, 'shithole countries' once he and his effing oligarchs, and sadistic, EVIL minions are fully and irrevocably in power.
Trump is living proof that we learned absolutely nothing at all from Adolf Hitler. It is long since time that Americans unite to overthrow this criminal rapist liar tyrant. What are we all waiting for? Once he makes himself Dictator (not POTUS) in 2024, we can not do anything, Democracy will be dead. Is it already too late? WAKE UP, Americans!!!
No one listens now not until it’s too late and realise that what we had was precious. Look at the UK after Brexit engineered by Boris Johnson and other Tories acting on behalf of Putin to destabilise Europe. Over 68% of those who voted for it regretted dearly as their lives are worse than ever. London is practically owned by Russian Oligarchs. I live between here and there and see it with my own eyes.
Excellent example, Brexit. Britain's people were tricked into supporting something totally detrimental to their prosperity......and beneficial to their enemies. America: BEWARE!
Willis ; I wonder how 'we' can "overthrow this criminal rapist tyrant"? A general strike would be a possibility. But with the holiday season coming, how could there be unity to have such a thing? It would be more effective than trying to march on Washington or something like that, because it is getting cold out, and we would all be broke and unable to travel, or even keep the lights on, or the roofs over our heads. Maybe a letter writing campaign to our Commander in chief ; President Biden to use an executive order to stop this guy from taking over. He IS public enemy number one!
Yes, as much as we laud Biden on here, his old school 'bi-partisan' stance demands are absolutely delusional in the face of outright, forceful, despotic fascism, and the collusion and/or cowardly complacency (and power lust, of course) of a non-functional Repugnant Congress.
It's A OK Joe, to use your powers to SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY!
Bi-partisanship, and even voting are going to be NON-EXISTENT once SCUMp takes over and installs his blood oath loyal minions, and NAZI REGIME permanently. :(
Maybe so, but I will STILL take him over the megalomaniacal, even MORE diminished 'cognitive powers' yet, fascist orange asswipe, SCUMp SHITler any day of the week, and a thousand times on Sunday! ;)
Yes, it seems that fighting to save our 250 year old American Democracy from a would-be Dictator would be a bit inconvenient, especially around the Holidays.. All that awful caring for one's fellow man and all, eeeewww! Never mind.
Ms Liz Cheney is correct about Trump being a threat to our Constitution and Democracy.
Steven Reynolds ; She and millions of us can be correct on that one!
Where is the justice department? He should have been jailed long ago.Biden is in control of the armed forces he can back that up. Where is the FBI and CIA?
Gini,I have been wondering the same thing. What TUMP and his Fascist Domestic terrorists are doing by making these threats, should NEVER be acceptable. Making death threats to fellow politicians and their families really is the Mob mentality is flaunting federal laws to the extreme. Round all of these despicable thugs up and put them UNDER a jail, including TUMP himself. To me, all of this reminds me of a horrific nightmare that never ends. I was a fool for thinking this kind of thing could never happen here in the United States. And here we are. This is what happens when laws aren't enforced to extremely corrupt, privileged wealthy a-holes.
John T Phillips : This is what happens with extreme wealth Inequality. Even Supreme Court judges can be bought!
You are so right, Laurie. And what is maddening is, they aren't satisfied with just billions, they would prefer to be trillionaires while the average citizens struggle to pay their bill and buy food and medicine.
Gini, they are all terrified of Trump or they dismiss him as just a pain. I'd be OK if they just forced him to be stuck at Mar a Lago with no visitors beyond family, no golf clubbers and another thorough search of all his properties for additional documents, the ones that are missing. As in a prison, everyone going onto the property would have to be searched. And, he could not tweet or use his social media without it all being totally censored for political content, threats, insults, etc. That would mean he would be putting out about 3 words a day.
Ruth Sheets, three words a day sounds great! Maybe four, "I hate it here!" Repeated over and over. Or "This place is hell!" Gee, Ruth I might actually look forward to those tweets!
M Tree, I too would find those tweets invigorating. I have been thinking a lot about this and I suspect Trump's cult would eventually forget about a sequestered Trump if the media ignored him and his antics. I do not see that happening though because for more than a decade, Trump has been the bread and butter for a lot of our media and people's opinions and support has been shaped by that media craving for insanity and the money it brings in. I still think it should happen. Not being able to play golf and to tweet his nonsense would be a tremendous hardship for the don.
I would like to know if they are still playing Fox News at all the military mess halls and the military industrial complex. I worked at a government contractor. The break room tv was set on Fox all the time.
Yes- that is disgusting - in Red States when you travel thru at small hotels the breakfast room tuned to Fox News - I always ask to chg the station
Susan Beall : I stopped going to Burger King when They had Fox on all the time.
Midwest : Ugh! What brainwashing! Sickening actual fake ' news'!
Ruth Sheets, I agree. The media incessantly spreads the virus of insanity around the nation and the world. Those who live by, profit by any means necessary, are Democracy killers, nation killers.
Ruth Sheets : It would improve the life of our Democracy and help US heal.
The Department of Justice is under the authority of Merrick Garland, under the Biden administration. They both decided from the beginning not to prosecute Trump and the rest of the traitors in Congress for their part in the Insurrection. So that Biden could be “bipartisan”. And this only changed when the outcry became too intense.
Gini Brooks ; I have been asking that since Jan 6th. Looks like Bibi Netanyahu may have been following a similar playbook. He must have known something, or was behind the Oct 7 attack? It would be interesting to know what he and tfg were discussing when he visited Israel.
But how many of them remain loyal to Trump knowing he will get away as usual?
“Rep. Liz Cheney warned a few weeks ago that if Trump is reelected, “all of the things he attempted to do but was stopped from doing by responsible people around him … he will do. There will be no guardrails … . He will unravel the institutions of our democracy.”
And there in lies the rub! Apparently, there were few profiles in courage lurking within the halls of the chaos caucus on J6th. And even fewer left standing afterwards.
If fearing for one’s life, and that of their families, were their collective excuse for not voting for Trump’s impeachment and removal from office, then why did these same people have the audacity to then blame the FBI, ANTIFA, and BLM for a false flag operation?
It’s not just their cowardice per se on J6th, they all spread and bought into hook, line and sinker, a false and debunked conspiracy theory. A narrative, by the way, they all knew to be false.
So sorry, we all know what a lying, destabilizing and destructive force Trump is, but what’s his enablers excuses for peddling lies and misinformation?
What is their excuse for removing Swalwell and Schiff from their positions on the intelligence committee, as retribution for telling the truth about Trump on J6th? Or supporting a farcical impeachment investigation into Biden?
What is their excuse for shutting down the government to try to thwart a legitimate special counsel investigation into his misappropriation of top secret documents, as well as Trump’s participation and planning of J6th, and trying to usurp a democratic election?
Bottom line: I don’t want to hear how scared these people were on J6th. It just reminds me how they all turn a blind eye, and have deaf ears whenever a mad man opens fire in a school, killing multiple children, and all they collectively offer are “thoughts and prayers.
That said, all the sympathy I have left for these profiles in cowardice, are “thoughts and prayers,” and hopefully a jail cell next to their anointed one!
Good riddance!
“Profiles in Cowardice,” I like that phrase. Now it is up to us citizens to be the opposite: “Profiles of Courage” and speak out.
Like Cassidy Hutchinson.
Robert, the hard part of all this cowardice is that those who elected those Republican cowards approve of their lies, pretense, and pump up their fear by threatening their families if they don't keep bowing scraping to the Trump, a toddler-man whom those constituents just love. Well, they don't actually love him since they no longer even listen to him and can't quote one thing he has said. They just love his racism, misogyny, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and all the other hates Trump can state or imply while they want to pretend they are none of those things, while, of course they are all of them. Those constituents who voted for the cowards and liars are themselves scared every day as they have been primed to be by Fox, their churches, and history. They have been told as white Americans, they are better than everyone else, but they know they aren't and are scared THOSE people will come to take their crappy jobs, keep them from being rich as they would have been if it hadn't been for THOSE people, or invade their home and do unspeakable things to them. It is hard to move those folks from the positions they now hold because they are stuck so far in the past while having to face the challenges of modern life. Their cowardly representatives at all levels are just like them but richer. They have been led to believe Trump cares about them and is one of them even though there is absolutely no evidence of that anywhere in Trump's life. They want to believe so much they can't even think clearly anymore. They resort to threatening anyone who might mess things up for them more than they already are. They email, tweet, and otherwise send threats to Democrats, the officials involved with Trump's trials, and others they fear because that is the only control they think they have. Truth with some counseling might help a bit, but they just can't do that because it is not they who are not in reality, it's all those other people.
Agreed...:)
If he were Muslim they would’ve put him in Gitmo by now for being a threat without a tenth of the evidence that’s publicly known to do with his crimes. Now that’s privilege.
That’s cowardice from our judicial system which Trump broke during his term in office. He’s following Putin’s playbook to the T. That’s precisely what he did to remain in power forever. He did away with the 2 opponents he ever had. One is still languishing in a penal colony after trying to poison him more than once. He began with horrific character assassination and uninformed people believed him or feared retaliation. Besides very early on he packed the justice system with lackeys.
Heather Cox Richardson reminded us in todays letter than Madison saw protection of conscience as the key value separation of Church & State provides citizens . We should remember that conscience has a reciprocal quality. Conscience requires individuals to be courageous, to stand up for Justice . Conscience implies a civic responsibility. And especially for an elected official . When was the last time America’s Congress acted with Conscience??? Especially the purported Christians .
Why the heck can't there be an anonymous vote of lawmakers then? Would solve this.
The constituents of Representatives and Senators have a right to know how those they elected to represent them are voting. It helps in making a choice of whether to vote for the person again. However, IMHO, certain politically charged votes where a Congress person or family may be subjected to lots of physical threats, such as voting to convict an impeached President in the Senate, should be done anonymously.
Yeah, there could be a special procedure for this with clear criteria.
His danger lies not only in the fact that he is the mob boss, but that he has refined his message to reflect exactly what they are thinking (well, he hasn't -- he's not smart enough, but his handlers, er, advisors have), and has truly become their spokesperson, something he reminds them of constantly when he says, "when they come after ME, they are really coming after YOU," etc. If you aren't scared, you oughta be, because it truly is his supporters who own all the guns. I live in Oregon, just southeast of Portland, and I watched in horror in the summer of 2020 as a caravan of big-wheeled pickup trucks several hundred vehicles long paraded single-file into Portland to counter-protest against Black Lives Matter protesters. The Trump Trucks had, attached either at the back of the cab or the end of the bed, the requisite Stars and Stripes ironically flapping in the wind opposite the Confederate flag, and each truck had several likely-gun-toting rednecks, alcohol-infused-and-frothing-at-the-mouth, eagerly anticipating the chance to gleefully stomp someone, or, if circumstances demanded (with a very low bar set for those circumstances), shoot someone, and shoot 'em up good, because after all, whoever they shot deserved it. Trump said so. THAT scared me. And if you aren't scared, you aren't paying attention.
I am scared. Very scared, Rick. I live among the very same kind of redneck hicks right here in my neighborhood. One of them tried to keep me from going down a county owned road here back about the same time that happened in Oregon where you live.. I went down the road anyway, and all that dumb hick did was stare at me and i gave him the best go to hell look i could. I live in northwest Georgia, the same NW Ga. that Maggot Traitor Goon came from. That explains it all.
We must decide if we are a nation of laws or of mob rule.
I wonder how we can get our secretaries of state to enforce the 14th amendment , section 3, disqualification clause? It is understandable that even brave and determined secretaries of state are saying that "The courts will decide", and that seems to be a consensus. But time is a wasting! We can't do much if that criminal gets back into the Oval!
Look to Lawfareblog.com to see how the section 3 of the 14th amendment applies. There are lots of unanswered questions. If you read the 14th amendment, section 3 verbatim, it sounds self enforcing, but some entity needs to find him guilty of sedition or aiding in sedition. That would be the courts.