The thing that makes 47 so dangerous is not his base--they won't be his base much longer with what he's doing to the social safety net--47 is dangerous because he refuses to recognize any norms, traditions or laws. His contempt for the rule of law, for judges is obvious and getting worse.
Even more disastrous is his newly solidified grip on federal funding--which is SUPPOSED to be controlled by Congress, along with tariffs, but they are too lily-livered to stand up to him--that is how he is exacting the groveling, the capitulations and the obedience in advance. Pry his tiny hands off the governmental purse-strings and somehow galvanize Congress into standing up to him and taking their powers back and 47 would be nothing.
T L, you are right about who Trump really is, but how can we ween Congressional Republicans and state Republicans off their beliefs in the nonsense Trump and his buddies stand for? They love the idea of controlling everything in sight, forgetting that they are only useful as long as they can be used. Trump is only of value as long as the billionaires can use him too. Those congressional Republicans could do a lot for all of us if they could muster the courage that is part of the job, but somehow, they use all kinds of excuses for letting their cowardice show up instead of actual Representatives and Senators.
Mark, I have lived with and among these people for the last 40 years. I don't think you understand how these people think. We are talking about generational indoctrination. These people are racist to their core. I can tell you stories that would blow your mind. You can eat all the BBQ you want with them and there will be a lot of beer and Jack. You'll probably have a great time, but you won't change what has been bred into them since they were a baby. One other thing, you should know, they hate government -any government. Reagan knew exactly what he was doing when he said "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.""
Trump is their savior because he is a racist just like them. DOGE destroying government is what they have always wanted. You can say they are brainwashed, but hell, they have been this way all their lives. tRump and Musk are giving them what they have always wanted.
Everyone should read To Kill a Mockingbird. Nothing has really changed. Maybe a few laws and some affirmative action leveled the playing field slightly. These people hate affirmative action. That is one subject you don't want to get into with them. The level of resentment is enormous.
IMO, there is only one chance we have to save the country, and that is to make every member of Congress fear us more than they fear Trump and their wealthy donors. And, I'm not talking about primaries or elections.
DEFINITELY agree with your characterization of many on the right end of the spectrum! (On this topic I frequently recommend both J Cowie’s ‘Freedom’s Dominion’ and HCR’s ‘Democracy Awakening’.)
But I’m a numbers guy, and by your own argument you also acknowledge the generational racists on the end of that spectrum have been there and essentially the same through generations of Democrat administrations -, therefore this history proves that that fringe doesn’t prevent the flexible middle from being swayed by intelligent self interest and moral judgment to sometimes vote Democrat, right?
We don’t need the heart and soul of the fringe to win.
We don’t necessarily even need the heart and soul of the moderate right.
We ONLY need the votes of a couple percent, or the abstinence /lower turnout of ~5%.
We must stop allowing ourselves to be polarized into all or nothing hopelessness!! That is their objective for our thinking and feeling.
Stop listening!!
& Stop being polarized from the success that comes from reaching outside our bubble a bit!
The America that elected Barack Hussein Obama, twice, is also still there, side by side with the minority generational racists you cite! (This is the flip side of your point.)
The democratic leadership got arthritic and slow - and FAILED to protect the constitution from an insurrectionist - arguably the most important responsibility of President.
But that can change in a heartbeat!
& I think it already has. Put on your walking shoes and feed the courage of the like-minded & true Americans; they CAN be found on both sides of the aisle!
Mark, thanks for the reply. You make some good points, and I agree that we should give people the benefit of the doubt. We should never stop listening and pay more attention to what is being said.
You are correct to note that these people have been part of society all of our lives. I grew up in the 50s and 60s, and the overt racism and prejudices of today were seldom spoken of, but understood. It was uncommon to see white people and black people living in the same neighborhood. Black neighborhoods were decidedly poorer. Destitution, desperation, starvation, and homelessness were common, and this often led to illegal drug use and gang violence. White people looked down on "minorities" and blamed them for their circumstances even though they were still 80 years later trying to overcome slavery and dehumanizing discrimination and oppression. Racism is indeed rampant in the Deep South, but it is present almost everywhere in the US, both in urban and rural areas. Some say America is a melting pot, but in my experience, it's more like oil and vinegar that will never mix.
A subject I have been very interested in for a long time is tribalism. Tribalism has been essential to the perpetuation of our species. It may not be part of our DNA, but there is a scientific link between tribalism and how our brain functions. Here is a short article you may enjoy reading: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-reboot/202307/the-neuroscience-of-tribalism
People are persuadable, but they must at least be open to persuasion, and that is problematic. It doesn't help when you and I are trying to persuade people there is a better way than what Republicans are offering when over the last 50 years, Democrats and Republicans have done the bidding of their wealthy donors and either ignored or evaded addressing the needs of the middle class and less fortunate. Democrats and Republicans have crafted legislation that favors the wealthy and placed the biggest burden on the middle class. Jobs have gone overseas. Wages have remained stagnant relative to the cost of living. Millions do not make a living wage. The tax code is a billion pages of exceptions and exemptions, all for the wealthiest people. I suspect all of us who subscribe to Robert Reich understand how extraordinary is income and wealth inequality and why society is in chaos. It is the root cause of why so many people are unhappy with life in the US.
This moment in time is the direct result of both political parties favoring the rich to the exclusion of at least 95% of Americans. I think there are many stupid and/or ignorant people from both sides of the political spectrum. Not only because of what they believe, but who they believe. A case in point is what you mentioned, Mark. Democrats rallied and supported Biden, who is a good and decent man. But, as you say "The democratic leadership got arthritic and slow - and FAILED to protect the Constitution from an insurrectionist - arguably the most important responsibility of President." And, I would add, every member of Congress. And every Supreme Court Justice. This is a massive breakdown in governance and it could only have happened because of the people who disobeyed their oath of office. This has been coming for decades because the wealthy oligarchs systematically infiltrated our elections and the halls of Congress. They have bought the reins of power and I would suggest for pennies on the dollar.
When my dad, born 1916, heard someone say "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink", he'd reply, "you can feed it salt and then it will drink".
Long before Musk was a gleam in his father's eye, dad had a (50%) self-driving cart AND it was safe enough you could sleep in the back while it found it's way home from town with the groceries. ;)
Agree with all your observations of points of failure in government, but I'd add, "We the People" have also failed - and perhaps we failed first. (Yes, I'm thinking of the logs in our own eyes.)
We failed to teach civics, ethics, and consideration for one another, to the next generation, and to demonstrate it in our daily lives. This is revealed everywhere you read by how readily we are now polarized by disinformation and tribalism. THIS is the core failure.
THIS deep and widespread social capital deficit and dysfunction is our daily job to improve; without addressing this substrate, we'll continue to grow NEW transactional politicians who think 'greed is good', 'dishonesty is clever', and 'might is right'. Just read a donation solicitation from David Hogg, urging Dems to learn how to fight dirty like Mitch.
As long as a critical mass of Americans believe and act on those short-sighted (and historically (& morally) bankrupt) ethical theories, we will have mini-trumps throughout government as well as in our schools, churches, gas stations, and police. And a clean sweep of government WON'T protect us from the Vances and others who will take their place.
There's a LOT of work ahead. From history I expect it will need to get worse before it gets better. But it gets better faster if we facilitate the realization of the full and correct diagnosis of where US social fabric went wrong; these realizations must be achieved and acted upon in a bipartisan way.
Historically this reunification of purpose and moral mutuality requires a shared catastrophe of some type: bubonic plague, existential war, economic collapse.... (Walter Scheidel's The Great Levelers). I hope we can minimize the severity of this necessity by some wise and courageous people THINKING their way out of this emotional box, and then, feeding the salt to others.
In the online age, power follows control of attention, just as surely as attention follows conflict.
If we are able to direct our attention elsewhere his power declines.
(This is the theme of numerous stories because it has deep truth.)
If we devote our attention to a strong smart verbal democratic voice, there is immediately a new media direction & focus, & T drifts slowly but surely into his twilit nightmare.
Pete’s presidential time is in the future if ever, but his voice, or one of his caliber, is needed now.
His voice is so strong because he listens/hears well, he’s very quick witted and verbal, he’s widely read, he’s honest, he holds deeply the central values of this nation.
Mark, good idea, and the warmer weather is coming along, so cookouts, parties, fire pit conversations, birthday parties, block parties, farmers' markets, and other activities could be times to invite them in and get the word out that they might want to consider a different, more positive leader who actually cares about their needs, not one who has no clue what they are experiencing because he has never experienced work or grocery shopping, or even needing anything. He does want everything, though, like a toddler with bad parents.
You are not going to change any Maga minds if you haven't by now. They don't feel our pain. The only way to stop them is in their pockets and bank accounts. I just don't understand why democrats are still adhering to the "they go low, we go high ". Too late for that. To win this, you have to start making THEM uncomfortable.
1) simply NOT true, since I know a counter example. On a 20 hour train ride from DC rally to Chicago on Sunday, I changed the mind of one man by the approach I advocated and by reference to his faith, which I knew inside out. I also had two excellent meat loaf sandwiches to share 😉
2) T is helping us change minds right now, & in a VERY big way. We have already seen a mean 17% swing in 2 deep red districts in Florida. MANY formerly MAGA American families depend/depended on agencies he is destroying. And now he’s intentionally (temporarily he thinks, & possibly so) tanking the market. But a second, different part of his support is getting badly burned by his arrogance to ignore economic expertise.
People on the right are starting to see who he is; so let’s help them see the light, and NOT drive them back into their dark corners!
3) His team has shown blatant disregard for National Security - my favorite poster is: “I’ve seen MORE intelligent Cabinets @Ikea”.
HUMOR can sometimes be effective in pointing out the obvious mistakes the administration insists on making.
Did you know the White House was renamed “Area-51”, Saturday 4/5? - I saw a sign to this effect on the Mall. Must be true. For now the courts still support our freedom to name things as we wish. Let’s use our freedoms to preserve them.
4) People on the right often care just as strongly about national pride and honorable military service as we do, AND most CAN recall that poisonous Putin is the enemy, and that Canada, Mexico, EU, Japan, Australia, South Korea, ARE OUR FRIENDS! And that the US stands for the defense of young weaker democratic nations like UKRAINE against genocidal military invasion by Russia. Let’s stand firm with bipartisanship on this indivisible AMERICAN position.
5) T knows he’ll lose an honest midterm. We know we can’t wait 18 months without taking inordinate damage to our country. His arrogance mistakes his support as blind worship. Only a minority of it is as solid as he hopes. Let’s NOT listen to or believe him!! Nascent dictators can be undone by public uprising of > 3% of the people. Our uprising must prevail sooner than the midterms. This 3% includes the people reading this, and our dependents, and our friends.
Once the will of the people is clear, even spineless leaders learn to stand up.
Fear is a great motivator. MAGA and so many other thingsare based on fear, which Trump manipulates at will. But Merle Haggard said it best, “What have we got to be afraid of, we’re American.”
DEFINITELY agree with your characterization of many on the right end of the spectrum! (On this topic I frequently recommend both J Cowie’s ‘Freedom’s Dominion’ and HCR’s ‘Democracy Awakening’.)
But I’m a numbers guy, and by your own argument you also acknowledge the generational racists on the end of that spectrum have been there and essentially the same through generations of Democrat administrations -, therefore this history proves that that fringe doesn’t prevent the flexible middle from being swayed by intelligent self interest and moral judgment to sometimes vote Democrat, right?
We don’t need the heart and soul of the fringe to win.
We don’t necessarily even need the heart and soul of the moderate right.
We ONLY need the votes of a couple percent, or the abstinence /lower turnout of ~5%.
We must stop allowing ourselves to be polarized into all or nothing hopelessness!! That is their objective for our thinking and feeling.
Stop listening!!
& Stop being polarized from success!
The America that elected Barack Hussein Obama, twice, is also still there, side by side with the minority generational racists you cite! (This is the flip side of your point.)
The democratic leadership got arthritic and slow - and FAILED to protect the constitution from an insurrectionist - arguably the most important responsibility of President.
But that can change in a heartbeat!
& I think it already has. Put on your walking shoes and feed the courage of other like-minded Americans.
Thanks Carlprn... It was a very Scary Warning... What ever happened to 'America The Free, And The Home Of The Brave'?.... Was that a Chimera like DJT's Hair?
It angers me that no one stands up to this mentally unstable tyrant. If enough people pushed him against the wall and didn't give in to his extortion and blackmail instead of groveling at his feet it would restore some of my faith in this country. I know he loves being powerful and bullying everyone so they live in fear but he is weak also and needs to be put in his place once and for all. It is pitiful, pathetic and tragic how he gets away with what he does. Trump is an old man with lots of issues, he can fall.
From what I’m seeing, it seems like the women will be the ones to push Trumpty Dumpty off the wall! We’ll see what all the King’s horses and all the King’s men will do then.
All the countries need to cut the bowing and scraping. In my wildest dreams I want everyone to just soak in what's happening and let the falling numbers take him down.
This is exactly how I see this. Nobody will stand up to him. I'm really surprised by the way China is standing up to him. I'm wondering how his Made in China, embroidered with thread from Germany and embroidered by(oftentimes) Latinos MAGA hats are going to be priced?
Again I slap my forehead in disbelief. How is it possible in any universe that this is where we’d find ourselves? I’m appalled at the grovelers, whomever they be, at whatever level. I cannot wrap my head around how little pushback trump has gotten (thanks to all who have pushed back, though), and how iffy the courts are, for the most part. Many of us have been saying, it will only get worse, it will only get worse if. . .and we’ve allowed him to get away with almost everything he’s dictated. I love that we’re starting to fight back in bigger numbers, and pray it’s enough, and timely enough, to stop him. Stop them all, the whole trump-ian crew. 🤦♀️
I cannot believe it either. How, how, how? We didn't realize how hard they were patiently working for so many years, step by step, to enable a coup. I hadn't realized the danger from what I thought were just conservative alternatives, such as the Federalist Society. We should have known what was coming as we watched the Supreme Court being taken over, all the way back to Thomas. I give him credit for patience as he sat in silence all those years. He knew.
A lot of people knew. But the public has been divided along issue lines to keep people's attention off the goal, which is obviously control. It's the "shiny object" strategy. Unfortunately, we are free to be uninformed and misinformed and many of us don't have the bandwidth to consider the issues carefully.
Trump wants to divide and devour. If he can isolate us, he can manipulate us. We need to stand with those who are being attacked and assure them that they will not be alone when they resist...
"Trump Plans $92 Million Military Parade—Honoring Himself.
Donald Trump is pulling straight from the dictator’s playbook."
"Tell Trump: Do not hold $92 million military parade for yourself!"
"Trump reportedly planning massive military parade honoring himself on his birthday.
The Washington City Paper, citing an unnamed DC source, reports that the MAGA cult leader has chosen June 14, 2025 — the 250th anniversary of the US Army, Flag Day, and definitely not coincidentally also his own 79th birthday — as the day he will finally (FINALLY!) take the training wheels of his dictator-tot-mobile and get his very own, big-boy military parade.
Trump famously tried to organize a military parade during his first term, after witnessing one in Paris in 2017, but the $92 million price tag understandably raised more than few eyebrows among military leaders and Pentagon officials, who were less inclined to placate the autocratic narcissist's every whim and want, at the time.
With more MAGA sycophants installed and fewer voices of reason at the table, we doubt there will be nearly as much pushback this time around."
And it won't be like a Second Line behind his hearse. It will be a national celebration with fireworks. Maybe instead of his face on a mountain, the country can raze Trump Tower and leave a hole in the ground with a big complete wall around it. Name it "Got His Burger" and maybe spread his ashes there.
trump revels in displaying his air of superiority by sneering with his eyes at his underlings and serfs, the most gut-wrenching look that I've ever seen from another (human). He really expects all of us to roll over and be his little slaves. Forget you, drump!
I think his eyes look sort of dead. I feel a gut-wrench when I see his face--not fear but rather anger with no where to go. He doesn't listen to anyone who hasn't has a show on Fox.
To solve this, we need to pull his base out from under him. We need to reaffirm our national INDIVISABILITY, not our party polarity.
Talk to your red neighbors and feed them BBQ, so much they run out of time for fox.
Forget the clever put-downs and do some strategically brilliant bridge-building.
T is nothing without their fear & anger.
The thing that makes 47 so dangerous is not his base--they won't be his base much longer with what he's doing to the social safety net--47 is dangerous because he refuses to recognize any norms, traditions or laws. His contempt for the rule of law, for judges is obvious and getting worse.
Even more disastrous is his newly solidified grip on federal funding--which is SUPPOSED to be controlled by Congress, along with tariffs, but they are too lily-livered to stand up to him--that is how he is exacting the groveling, the capitulations and the obedience in advance. Pry his tiny hands off the governmental purse-strings and somehow galvanize Congress into standing up to him and taking their powers back and 47 would be nothing.
T L, you are right about who Trump really is, but how can we ween Congressional Republicans and state Republicans off their beliefs in the nonsense Trump and his buddies stand for? They love the idea of controlling everything in sight, forgetting that they are only useful as long as they can be used. Trump is only of value as long as the billionaires can use him too. Those congressional Republicans could do a lot for all of us if they could muster the courage that is part of the job, but somehow, they use all kinds of excuses for letting their cowardice show up instead of actual Representatives and Senators.
Yes, where is any courage in the Republican Party? Some has made sounds, but then they vote in support of whatever Trump tells them to do.
Mark, I have lived with and among these people for the last 40 years. I don't think you understand how these people think. We are talking about generational indoctrination. These people are racist to their core. I can tell you stories that would blow your mind. You can eat all the BBQ you want with them and there will be a lot of beer and Jack. You'll probably have a great time, but you won't change what has been bred into them since they were a baby. One other thing, you should know, they hate government -any government. Reagan knew exactly what he was doing when he said "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.""
Trump is their savior because he is a racist just like them. DOGE destroying government is what they have always wanted. You can say they are brainwashed, but hell, they have been this way all their lives. tRump and Musk are giving them what they have always wanted.
Everyone should read To Kill a Mockingbird. Nothing has really changed. Maybe a few laws and some affirmative action leveled the playing field slightly. These people hate affirmative action. That is one subject you don't want to get into with them. The level of resentment is enormous.
IMO, there is only one chance we have to save the country, and that is to make every member of Congress fear us more than they fear Trump and their wealthy donors. And, I'm not talking about primaries or elections.
DEFINITELY agree with your characterization of many on the right end of the spectrum! (On this topic I frequently recommend both J Cowie’s ‘Freedom’s Dominion’ and HCR’s ‘Democracy Awakening’.)
But I’m a numbers guy, and by your own argument you also acknowledge the generational racists on the end of that spectrum have been there and essentially the same through generations of Democrat administrations -, therefore this history proves that that fringe doesn’t prevent the flexible middle from being swayed by intelligent self interest and moral judgment to sometimes vote Democrat, right?
We don’t need the heart and soul of the fringe to win.
We don’t necessarily even need the heart and soul of the moderate right.
We ONLY need the votes of a couple percent, or the abstinence /lower turnout of ~5%.
We must stop allowing ourselves to be polarized into all or nothing hopelessness!! That is their objective for our thinking and feeling.
Stop listening!!
& Stop being polarized from the success that comes from reaching outside our bubble a bit!
The America that elected Barack Hussein Obama, twice, is also still there, side by side with the minority generational racists you cite! (This is the flip side of your point.)
The democratic leadership got arthritic and slow - and FAILED to protect the constitution from an insurrectionist - arguably the most important responsibility of President.
But that can change in a heartbeat!
& I think it already has. Put on your walking shoes and feed the courage of the like-minded & true Americans; they CAN be found on both sides of the aisle!
Mark, thanks for the reply. You make some good points, and I agree that we should give people the benefit of the doubt. We should never stop listening and pay more attention to what is being said.
You are correct to note that these people have been part of society all of our lives. I grew up in the 50s and 60s, and the overt racism and prejudices of today were seldom spoken of, but understood. It was uncommon to see white people and black people living in the same neighborhood. Black neighborhoods were decidedly poorer. Destitution, desperation, starvation, and homelessness were common, and this often led to illegal drug use and gang violence. White people looked down on "minorities" and blamed them for their circumstances even though they were still 80 years later trying to overcome slavery and dehumanizing discrimination and oppression. Racism is indeed rampant in the Deep South, but it is present almost everywhere in the US, both in urban and rural areas. Some say America is a melting pot, but in my experience, it's more like oil and vinegar that will never mix.
A subject I have been very interested in for a long time is tribalism. Tribalism has been essential to the perpetuation of our species. It may not be part of our DNA, but there is a scientific link between tribalism and how our brain functions. Here is a short article you may enjoy reading: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-reboot/202307/the-neuroscience-of-tribalism
People are persuadable, but they must at least be open to persuasion, and that is problematic. It doesn't help when you and I are trying to persuade people there is a better way than what Republicans are offering when over the last 50 years, Democrats and Republicans have done the bidding of their wealthy donors and either ignored or evaded addressing the needs of the middle class and less fortunate. Democrats and Republicans have crafted legislation that favors the wealthy and placed the biggest burden on the middle class. Jobs have gone overseas. Wages have remained stagnant relative to the cost of living. Millions do not make a living wage. The tax code is a billion pages of exceptions and exemptions, all for the wealthiest people. I suspect all of us who subscribe to Robert Reich understand how extraordinary is income and wealth inequality and why society is in chaos. It is the root cause of why so many people are unhappy with life in the US.
This moment in time is the direct result of both political parties favoring the rich to the exclusion of at least 95% of Americans. I think there are many stupid and/or ignorant people from both sides of the political spectrum. Not only because of what they believe, but who they believe. A case in point is what you mentioned, Mark. Democrats rallied and supported Biden, who is a good and decent man. But, as you say "The democratic leadership got arthritic and slow - and FAILED to protect the Constitution from an insurrectionist - arguably the most important responsibility of President." And, I would add, every member of Congress. And every Supreme Court Justice. This is a massive breakdown in governance and it could only have happened because of the people who disobeyed their oath of office. This has been coming for decades because the wealthy oligarchs systematically infiltrated our elections and the halls of Congress. They have bought the reins of power and I would suggest for pennies on the dollar.
When my dad, born 1916, heard someone say "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink", he'd reply, "you can feed it salt and then it will drink".
Long before Musk was a gleam in his father's eye, dad had a (50%) self-driving cart AND it was safe enough you could sleep in the back while it found it's way home from town with the groceries. ;)
Agree with all your observations of points of failure in government, but I'd add, "We the People" have also failed - and perhaps we failed first. (Yes, I'm thinking of the logs in our own eyes.)
We failed to teach civics, ethics, and consideration for one another, to the next generation, and to demonstrate it in our daily lives. This is revealed everywhere you read by how readily we are now polarized by disinformation and tribalism. THIS is the core failure.
THIS deep and widespread social capital deficit and dysfunction is our daily job to improve; without addressing this substrate, we'll continue to grow NEW transactional politicians who think 'greed is good', 'dishonesty is clever', and 'might is right'. Just read a donation solicitation from David Hogg, urging Dems to learn how to fight dirty like Mitch.
As long as a critical mass of Americans believe and act on those short-sighted (and historically (& morally) bankrupt) ethical theories, we will have mini-trumps throughout government as well as in our schools, churches, gas stations, and police. And a clean sweep of government WON'T protect us from the Vances and others who will take their place.
There's a LOT of work ahead. From history I expect it will need to get worse before it gets better. But it gets better faster if we facilitate the realization of the full and correct diagnosis of where US social fabric went wrong; these realizations must be achieved and acted upon in a bipartisan way.
Historically this reunification of purpose and moral mutuality requires a shared catastrophe of some type: bubonic plague, existential war, economic collapse.... (Walter Scheidel's The Great Levelers). I hope we can minimize the severity of this necessity by some wise and courageous people THINKING their way out of this emotional box, and then, feeding the salt to others.
Trump became president thanks to Fox News. If enough of the Right media turn against him, he may lose support.
True.
In the online age, power follows control of attention, just as surely as attention follows conflict.
If we are able to direct our attention elsewhere his power declines.
(This is the theme of numerous stories because it has deep truth.)
If we devote our attention to a strong smart verbal democratic voice, there is immediately a new media direction & focus, & T drifts slowly but surely into his twilit nightmare.
Pete’s presidential time is in the future if ever, but his voice, or one of his caliber, is needed now.
His voice is so strong because he listens/hears well, he’s very quick witted and verbal, he’s widely read, he’s honest, he holds deeply the central values of this nation.
Anyone fills those shoes would do.
😉
Mark, good idea, and the warmer weather is coming along, so cookouts, parties, fire pit conversations, birthday parties, block parties, farmers' markets, and other activities could be times to invite them in and get the word out that they might want to consider a different, more positive leader who actually cares about their needs, not one who has no clue what they are experiencing because he has never experienced work or grocery shopping, or even needing anything. He does want everything, though, like a toddler with bad parents.
You are not going to change any Maga minds if you haven't by now. They don't feel our pain. The only way to stop them is in their pockets and bank accounts. I just don't understand why democrats are still adhering to the "they go low, we go high ". Too late for that. To win this, you have to start making THEM uncomfortable.
1) simply NOT true, since I know a counter example. On a 20 hour train ride from DC rally to Chicago on Sunday, I changed the mind of one man by the approach I advocated and by reference to his faith, which I knew inside out. I also had two excellent meat loaf sandwiches to share 😉
2) T is helping us change minds right now, & in a VERY big way. We have already seen a mean 17% swing in 2 deep red districts in Florida. MANY formerly MAGA American families depend/depended on agencies he is destroying. And now he’s intentionally (temporarily he thinks, & possibly so) tanking the market. But a second, different part of his support is getting badly burned by his arrogance to ignore economic expertise.
People on the right are starting to see who he is; so let’s help them see the light, and NOT drive them back into their dark corners!
3) His team has shown blatant disregard for National Security - my favorite poster is: “I’ve seen MORE intelligent Cabinets @Ikea”.
HUMOR can sometimes be effective in pointing out the obvious mistakes the administration insists on making.
Did you know the White House was renamed “Area-51”, Saturday 4/5? - I saw a sign to this effect on the Mall. Must be true. For now the courts still support our freedom to name things as we wish. Let’s use our freedoms to preserve them.
4) People on the right often care just as strongly about national pride and honorable military service as we do, AND most CAN recall that poisonous Putin is the enemy, and that Canada, Mexico, EU, Japan, Australia, South Korea, ARE OUR FRIENDS! And that the US stands for the defense of young weaker democratic nations like UKRAINE against genocidal military invasion by Russia. Let’s stand firm with bipartisanship on this indivisible AMERICAN position.
5) T knows he’ll lose an honest midterm. We know we can’t wait 18 months without taking inordinate damage to our country. His arrogance mistakes his support as blind worship. Only a minority of it is as solid as he hopes. Let’s NOT listen to or believe him!! Nascent dictators can be undone by public uprising of > 3% of the people. Our uprising must prevail sooner than the midterms. This 3% includes the people reading this, and our dependents, and our friends.
Once the will of the people is clear, even spineless leaders learn to stand up.
Mark, I applaud your positive outlook. We must ensure a fair election next year.
That sounds good in theory. But MAGAs don't really want to talk about alternatives. Asking questions has some results.
Fear is a great motivator. MAGA and so many other thingsare based on fear, which Trump manipulates at will. But Merle Haggard said it best, “What have we got to be afraid of, we’re American.”
DEFINITELY agree with your characterization of many on the right end of the spectrum! (On this topic I frequently recommend both J Cowie’s ‘Freedom’s Dominion’ and HCR’s ‘Democracy Awakening’.)
But I’m a numbers guy, and by your own argument you also acknowledge the generational racists on the end of that spectrum have been there and essentially the same through generations of Democrat administrations -, therefore this history proves that that fringe doesn’t prevent the flexible middle from being swayed by intelligent self interest and moral judgment to sometimes vote Democrat, right?
We don’t need the heart and soul of the fringe to win.
We don’t necessarily even need the heart and soul of the moderate right.
We ONLY need the votes of a couple percent, or the abstinence /lower turnout of ~5%.
We must stop allowing ourselves to be polarized into all or nothing hopelessness!! That is their objective for our thinking and feeling.
Stop listening!!
& Stop being polarized from success!
The America that elected Barack Hussein Obama, twice, is also still there, side by side with the minority generational racists you cite! (This is the flip side of your point.)
The democratic leadership got arthritic and slow - and FAILED to protect the constitution from an insurrectionist - arguably the most important responsibility of President.
But that can change in a heartbeat!
& I think it already has. Put on your walking shoes and feed the courage of other like-minded Americans.
Well said, Mark!
Remember, " The Dangerous Case of Donald J Trump", a warning by 37 psychiatrists about what a narcissist sociopath can do....
Thanks Carlprn... It was a very Scary Warning... What ever happened to 'America The Free, And The Home Of The Brave'?.... Was that a Chimera like DJT's Hair?
Sad things is you nailed the son of a bitch. This is pretty much how he’s behaving. Will we survive this tyrant? The world is wondering.
So are we.
It angers me that no one stands up to this mentally unstable tyrant. If enough people pushed him against the wall and didn't give in to his extortion and blackmail instead of groveling at his feet it would restore some of my faith in this country. I know he loves being powerful and bullying everyone so they live in fear but he is weak also and needs to be put in his place once and for all. It is pitiful, pathetic and tragic how he gets away with what he does. Trump is an old man with lots of issues, he can fall.
That’s exactly how I feel!
"Trump is an old man with lots of issues, he can fall." Maybe somebody will give him a push.
From what I’m seeing, it seems like the women will be the ones to push Trumpty Dumpty off the wall! We’ll see what all the King’s horses and all the King’s men will do then.
That would be a fitting end. I would love to see tRump be taken down by a woman or every woman. He is a sleazy predator and sexual abuser.
The grovelers have personally at many levels too much to lose!
All the countries need to cut the bowing and scraping. In my wildest dreams I want everyone to just soak in what's happening and let the falling numbers take him down.
This is exactly how I see this. Nobody will stand up to him. I'm really surprised by the way China is standing up to him. I'm wondering how his Made in China, embroidered with thread from Germany and embroidered by(oftentimes) Latinos MAGA hats are going to be priced?
The EU is, too.
We fought a Revolutionary War almost 250 years ago to avoid just this.
We fought a Revolutionary War almost 250 years ago to avoid just this.
We fought a Revolutionary War almost 250 years ago to avoid just this.
Let that sink in then take this fascist down now.
Refuse Fascism
Oppose Oppression
My question is how many Americans are willing to fight another Revolutionary War? It's a serious question.
Fair elections in 2026!
I bow down to God Almighty. I will NEVER bow down to Trump, even if it means death.
Read on Wikipedia about what happened to president of Czechoslovakia, Edward Benes in March 1939
Hint. It was described in “Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”.
The result led to the immediate end of appeasement…And 6 months later, WW2
Sorry! I made a mistake
The Czechoslovakian president then was EMIL HACHA, the successor to Benes.
Benes was the president during the Munich appeasement , which happened 6 months earlier.
Emoluments! Prosecute. Tell me why this is any different than Bogdanovich who was prosecuted and convicted. Why are we tolerating this Mafia Don?
He’s stacked the courts.
With respect, Barbara...mc connell stacked the courts.
His " great dream" made reality..
Yes, McConnell only brought candidates to the Senate chosen by the Federalist Society.
Again I slap my forehead in disbelief. How is it possible in any universe that this is where we’d find ourselves? I’m appalled at the grovelers, whomever they be, at whatever level. I cannot wrap my head around how little pushback trump has gotten (thanks to all who have pushed back, though), and how iffy the courts are, for the most part. Many of us have been saying, it will only get worse, it will only get worse if. . .and we’ve allowed him to get away with almost everything he’s dictated. I love that we’re starting to fight back in bigger numbers, and pray it’s enough, and timely enough, to stop him. Stop them all, the whole trump-ian crew. 🤦♀️
I cannot believe it either. How, how, how? We didn't realize how hard they were patiently working for so many years, step by step, to enable a coup. I hadn't realized the danger from what I thought were just conservative alternatives, such as the Federalist Society. We should have known what was coming as we watched the Supreme Court being taken over, all the way back to Thomas. I give him credit for patience as he sat in silence all those years. He knew.
A lot of people knew. But the public has been divided along issue lines to keep people's attention off the goal, which is obviously control. It's the "shiny object" strategy. Unfortunately, we are free to be uninformed and misinformed and many of us don't have the bandwidth to consider the issues carefully.
Trump wants to divide and devour. If he can isolate us, he can manipulate us. We need to stand with those who are being attacked and assure them that they will not be alone when they resist...
"Trump Plans $92 Million Military Parade—Honoring Himself.
Donald Trump is pulling straight from the dictator’s playbook."
"Tell Trump: Do not hold $92 million military parade for yourself!"
"Trump reportedly planning massive military parade honoring himself on his birthday.
The Washington City Paper, citing an unnamed DC source, reports that the MAGA cult leader has chosen June 14, 2025 — the 250th anniversary of the US Army, Flag Day, and definitely not coincidentally also his own 79th birthday — as the day he will finally (FINALLY!) take the training wheels of his dictator-tot-mobile and get his very own, big-boy military parade.
Trump famously tried to organize a military parade during his first term, after witnessing one in Paris in 2017, but the $92 million price tag understandably raised more than few eyebrows among military leaders and Pentagon officials, who were less inclined to placate the autocratic narcissist's every whim and want, at the time.
With more MAGA sycophants installed and fewer voices of reason at the table, we doubt there will be nearly as much pushback this time around."
https://newrepublic.com/post/193674/trump-military-parade-birthday?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Twitter&utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=SF_TNR&link_id=2&can_id=56bdad496d5a1d659d2f23c00c81d0e3&email_referrer=email_2688847&email_subject=trumps-outrageous-birthday-plans-revealed&
We must rattle his cage big time to nip this idea in the bud. No parade for him until he's dead!
And it won't be like a Second Line behind his hearse. It will be a national celebration with fireworks. Maybe instead of his face on a mountain, the country can raze Trump Tower and leave a hole in the ground with a big complete wall around it. Name it "Got His Burger" and maybe spread his ashes there.
When I read this re-run of the oppressor's dream, I had a vision of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
"CANCEL TRUMP'S PARADE!" (Please sign petition.)
https://go.democraticturnoutproject.com/a/trump-parade?refcode=DTP_20250408_EMPET_E2_T0_AC&emci=d61fb60a-9e14-f011-8b3d-0022482a9fb7&emdi=9d0b6beb-ab14-f011-8b3d-0022482a9fb7&ceid=17057862
Capitulation is going to kill our nation as we know it.
It already has
trump revels in displaying his air of superiority by sneering with his eyes at his underlings and serfs, the most gut-wrenching look that I've ever seen from another (human). He really expects all of us to roll over and be his little slaves. Forget you, drump!
I think his eyes look sort of dead. I feel a gut-wrench when I see his face--not fear but rather anger with no where to go. He doesn't listen to anyone who hasn't has a show on Fox.
Blatant, in your face bribery and extortion!!!!! (Oh HI Elon....you're watching this....)
We wonder how those boxcars got loaded. Who would do such a thing? Well, we seem to be on the way, one step at a time.
Much too profetic, John.