It’s getting really bad folks! Republican Anarchy is becoming increasingly common across America!
(Anarchy) a state of society without government or law. It needs to be stopped! Here are some examples of their handy work.
The Republican governor of Texas, Gregory Wayne Abbott, is defying both federal law and international treaties, constructing a barrier of inflatable buoys and razor wire in the Rio Grande between the U.S. and Mexico which violates the Rivers and Harbors Act. The DOJ told Abbott he has until 2:00 Tuesday afternoon to remove the barrier. Abbott responded to the DOJ’s letter: “I’ll see you in court, Mr. President.”
On July 11, 2023, Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to chair of the Committee on Appropriations Kay Granger (R-TX) asking her to defund Biden’s immigration policies as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which investigates crime.
Defying the SCOTUS, the Alabama legislature passed a new congressional map that openly violates the Supreme Court’s order. By a vote of 75–28 in the House and 24–6 in the Senate, the legislature approved a map that includes only one Black-majority district.
After rampant scandals, the Republican-dominated Supreme Court refuses to adopt an ethics system that might restore some confidence in their decisions. The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act would bring the Supreme Court Justices’ ethics requirement in line with every other federal judge and restore confidence in the Court. Senator Lindsey Olin Graham R-SC, disagreed that Congress could force the Supreme Court to adopt an ethics code.
And, aided by his loyalists, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is threatening mob violence if he is held legally accountable for his behavior. Trump said earlier this week: “I think it’s a very dangerous thing to even talk about, because we do have a tremendously passionate group of voters, much more passion than they had in 2020 and much more passion than they had in 2016. I think it would be very dangerous.”
Worse, apparently members of Congress, all potential witnesses to the Jan 6 insurrection, have been colluding or conspiring with Trump to undermine his prosecution.
More than witnesses, they were co-conspirators. After Trump gets indicted, they should too -- especially those who gave the insurrectionists a tour of the capitol on Jan 5.
According to Navarro in his book, approximately 110 members of Congress were involved in the Green Bay sweep, which culminated in 7 sets of fake electors to be presented to the Senate on Jan 6.
I mean, dozens ALREADY are in prison. Not NEARLY enough, but it's a good start! Keep in mind that, were this the 1700s, they would have been HANGED on January 7th for their insurrection!
Actually, if this was the 1700, those people would have been later called the Founding Fathers. They protested forcefully against a ruler who would not follow the law and kept on making changes to make their lives horrible.
Again, as I said before, the "rulers" of this era have ignored the mandates of the Constitution and now we have what we have. You want to talk about failures of the Supreme Court. Fine. Fix it. There is a simple solution in the mechanism that should have been done a century ago. But then again, those in power want to keep their power. I don't care how you want to label them. Remember the saying: One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.
Benedict Arnold is a better analogy. So is the Civil War.
We supposedly have a civil society. 18 U.S. Code § 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.
Under the law, force is forbidden. Besides incarceration, 144 police officers injured by your heroes have causes of action to sue them for everything they are worth.
If you are advocating for your herpes there may be consequences. 18 U.S. Code § 2385 - Advocating overthrow of Government
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, § 2, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 87–486, June 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 103; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)
Just out of curiosity, could these cited laws be used against ALEC, is founders, and perpetrators? From what I have read they used 'propaganda', outright lies and false promises, to secure the State legislatures of those smaller in population States they now control.
Hey, I'm with ya on that one. Now, let's apply that to the truth.
Both of those statutes apply to each and every member of Congress, today and past, for the last 100 years. They didn't need to use force to overthrow our form of Constitutional government. But they hide behind the very same.
Stop trying to defend the very people who keep you from knowing the truth and hiding the knowledge from you (the sheepople).
As I can't see what your replying to, if it is a Constitutional Convention, no I am not joking and it is a serious matter. When Congress purposely ignores the mandates of the Constitution, we no longer have a Constitutional form of government as envisioned by the Founding Fathers. We have a government of whatever Congress wants to do.
Occam. Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities.
The answer has always been there in the Congressional Record. It's just that the people in charge just ignore it to stay in power.
I believe that several of those in the lower ranks of the Insurrection have been charged and some will be doing some pretty serious “Time.” We may have something of a bittersweet gift when Trump is finally charged & convicted. His Bravado is as “Hollow” as his “Courage.”
But what probably will become necessary is that a substantial number of his followers who’ve been itching for a reason to be seen waving their guns and mounting an insurrection .... will take the some of the first irrevocable steps towards an armed attempt at a Coup.
And yes there are substantial numbers of “gun owners” in this country, but I”m not entirely certain how the politics among these will play out. How many are “Hard Core, Itching for a Fight,” and how many are what I would call “Rural” or “Ex Military & Happy to Be a Civilian Again,” Small Town Cops, and those who are still “Active Military.” And while there are clearly a substantial number of all of these who keep guns at home ... and some who see themselves - in theory - as eager join an Armed Insurrection .... what percentage of these will continue to believe that they really want that “Last Battle” .... WHEN THE SH*T GETS REAL? I really don’t know - and I’m not sure that any of us do.
I continue to believe that the “Real Men” who have taken up arms to actually defend this country over the years are more like Beau of 5th Column. They are Family men, they might hunt for some of their food, and they hold strong convictions. And among those Strong Convictions is a belief in Democracy ... in all of its challenges, messiness, requirements for working with those with whom you disagree, and ... Bottom Line ... they are Grown Ups and they know the difference between a “Show of Force” in service of “Puffed Out Chests & Guns Waving in the Air .... and a Bloody Battle.
Trumps’ Troops are “Hollow Men” who are Brave when the Camera is “On Them,” and Cowards when the Sh*t Hits the Fan.. The Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, etc. were itching for a fight back when they believed that “Attacking the Capitol” was something that “Brave & Noble Patriots” did, but I’m not all that certain that this “courage” would persist in the face of a National Mobilization of the National Guard, and potentially some of our Armed Forces - Posse Comitatus not withstanding.
And the Trump Gun Nut Troops are very loud when the camera is on, but how many of these would be willing to stand against their fellow Officers? I think their willingness to fight ... similar to those who attacked on the Capitol on January 6th ... might not survive the first few casualties among those visibly defending their towns, cities, monuments & FAMILIES.
But it is DEFINITELY time to begin to put more of these deluded “Patriots” in Prison, and give them a chance to spend some of the long hours in those long days ... Thinking Things Over.
Yes, but maybe with some education, not just incarceration. I've seen interviews with trump supporters at his rallies who have never read the constitution. I really hope the people jailed for their violence on J6 get rehabilitation that focuses on education. They are so very dis-informed and misinformed.
We all know how Hitler responded to 'insurrectionists'....tho the July 1944 saboteurs were the good guys. The Democrats need to get tougher..the MAGA fascists neither fear nor respect Dems because of their wimpy nature. I'd send them to what Russians call labor re-education camps
My Rep only follows orders, like a good dooby. Constantly bleats the party talking points. His latest email started out with deliberate ideas for cruelty toward immigrants. No surprise.
As to Trump, 18 U.S. Code § 1512 - Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant.
18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights
If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or
If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—
They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 696; Pub. L. 90–284, title I, § 103(a), Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 75; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7018(a), (b)(1), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60006(a), title XXXII, §§ 320103(a), 320201(a), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1970, 2109, 2113, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §§ 604(b)(14)(A), 607(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507, 3511.)
Climate change may be the great leveler, now that's something to really be afraid of. The r's are a minority, We must get out the vote and go from there, after we have big majorities.
I'd be mightily surprised if I learned that Mr. Smith was unaware of such conspiracies between Drumpf and the Freedumb Caucus' Congress critters to undermine Smith's prosecution. Those incompetent conspirators may just find themselves facing a gale force blowback. Jack Smith is not a bungling neophyte at the game.
I'm waiting for the Georgia shoe to drop, and for Trump and his drones having to answer in court for the fake elector scam. My guess is that a few other states, especially Michigan, will follow Georgia's lead.
It's possible that Trump and his lawyers can be sanctioned for his threats to judges, prosecutors and witnesses. In the Trump v HRC et al case in the SDFL Judge Middlebrooks fined his lawyers almost a $ mil.
“This case should never have been brought. Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start. No reasonable lawyer would have filed it. Intended for a political purpose, none of the counts of the amended complaint stated a cognizable legal claim,” U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks, an appointee of former President Clinton, wrote in the order. The case at hand had previously been dismissed.
“A continuing pattern of misuse of the courts by Mr. Trump and his lawyers undermines the rule of law, portrays judges as partisans, and diverts resources from those who have suffered actual legal harm
I also think Trump may have violated the terms of bail from NY and SDFL. Cannon signed a protective order but to my knowledge none of the Republican members of Congress are witnesses to the documents case.
If and when a case is filed in DC, bail should eliminate his capacity to meet with witnesses like McCarthy, Gym Jordan et al.
Please think what the other side would do with that. “ Oh, so you think freedom is dumb!” I don’t like to call people names like demoncrat or repugnican because it buys into the sleezy part of the argument. Let them act like squabbling kids, I agree with Michelle Obama that we need to take the high road. I also don’t want to censor their comments because letting Trump rum amok on Twitter opened a million more eyes to his evil than if he had been censored. Your passion and indignation are absolutely understandable but fascists use our own words to try and turn the tables. Just my opinion.
Thanks Daniel. I appreciate your expertise in the law and hearing the facts is important for stiffening resolve towards a solution to the crisis. The best venue for this is in the courts so anyone who defies the law to refute wanton disregard for our institutions and common decency, indeed, murder and mayhem, can be prosecuted and punished. Otherwise we have nothing to save us. We have to will our democracy into existence by performing our civic duties and respecting the law. Hopefully the courts will uphold our democracy.
Just look at Title 5 U.S.C. 7311. That should apply to every member of Congress - past and present. They are all "a member of an organization [Congress] that he knows advocates the overthrow of our constitutional form of government". They "may not accept or hold a position in the Government of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia". Who enforces this when the people in power won't?
It's time to read the Declaration of Independence again people.
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
It's time to take out the pruning sheers and get to work.
Daniel Solomon ; In a better world, they would have been out of their government seats when they refused to certify Biden's win. Also, the court stacking that started before tRump would have been nipped in the bud.
A rematch of the last election shouldn't have ever become a topic of discussion, much less a possibility. Justice is quick and cruel if you're poor and/or POC. It's often slow and easily stalled by minutiae if you're rich, connected and Euro-descended.
Kalief Browder, a 17 year-old Black man from the Bronx, was held in Rikers Island prison from 2010-2013, much of it in solitary confinement. He was accused and charged with theft of a backpack, taken into custody on a faulty eyewitness ID and made to stay in the jail's custody to face charges, because his family couldn't afford the roughly $2k to post for his bail. The plaintiff left the country shortly after the charges were filed and didn't appear in court to pursue them at the arraignment. Mr. Browder was held in jail as the DA aggressively tried to force him to take a plea deal for a case that should have been dismissed. He refused to plead to something he didn't do and suffered 3 years in one of the country's most notorious prisons until the case was finally dismissed. He suffered PTSD and depression and died by suicide a few years later.
Donald J. Trump tried to overturn a presidential election. There are voluminously documented attempts he tried to to use false electors; have the military seize voting machines to stop national counts; made numerous televised false claims that he election was stolen when he knew otherwise; announced a "Wild" rally on Twitter the day of election certification; is on film rousing and then directing the angry mob he gathered to the Capitol to overturn the vote; he watched in the White House as aides beheld the televised insurrection and attempts to murder the outgoing VP. A Congressional Committee compiled copious evidence and testimony of all of the above. Trump is running for election to be president.
Like everything young, and we're young compared to other nations with many hundreds more years as nations, this country has potential. It's not the greatest country yet but it has a chance to be. If a lot more of us stop believing someone can only reach their goals by demeaning, belittling and sabotaging everyone else, we could really be something great.
How misinformed are the people who were polled? Do they know much about anything? What are their sources of information?
I do not like polling (almost all of it) that says 20%, 30% 70% of Rs think X without mentioning that the smallest percentage of the electorate are registered Rs. We have low voter turnout in the US, I find that very depressing.
Many of them made public statements during or immediately after the riot condemning the event and Trump. The video of those statements will come home to haunt them, and they will be exposed for the hypocrites they are.
Generally speaking, evidence law gives more weight and credibility to statements that are made at or near an event. Then it does statements that are made months later period
They get away TOTALLY with their duplicity, since they know those clips of their condemning statements will NEVER EVER be shown on Goebbels Nooz, or any of the other 4th REICH fascist entertainment 'outlets', which is the ONLY thing the brownshirt MAGAts who put them into power, consume. :( :(
But too many in our country don't know much of anything. Did they watch the J6 hearings, did they read the Mueller report, did the read the 45 page (double spaced) Jack Smith indictment, do they know it's available to them and an easy read? Do they demand credible evidence?
I agree, millions of us watched, unfortunately too many in our country aren't interested in any sort of news and too many are getting lies instead of news. No one who just watches fox knows that the network has to pay nearly a billion dollars for their proven lies found in a process involving a unanimous jury verdict. I surely want regulations around cable an internet similar to what we have for broadcast. I want election day to be a federal holiday, with a requirement that even the most necessary of jobs be given hours off to vote. And I most definitely believe getting money out of politics would be great for our democracy.I want short substantive campaigns with no 30 second, one minute tv spots. Other countries do it.
Keith, you are right about Republican defiance of the Federal government. It is not OK. The barrier could be taken care of by some Navy seals demolishing it. That one's an easy one. The others you mentioned are not so easy. Alabama is doing what Alabama has always done, do its best to pretend it is its own entity and can do whatever it wants just because it is Alabama. The Feds might have to wait until Democrats are back in charge of the House and Senate before acting by cutting back on federal funding for the state until they clear up the map situation.
Despite the fact that Jim Jordan, a person of questionable character has no right to demand defunding of anything. He is a non-entity trying to pretend he is something special. Maybe that FBI he is trying to ditch should be investigating happenings at the university where he worked.
The Senate should adopt a code of ethics for the SC. However, it needs to include consequences for bad behavior, and that needs to be spelled out too. The consequences could be a term's suspention, inability to hear certain types of cases, a serious fine (maybe a million dollars (their donors will pay it for them), demotion to a lower court for a year or two, or something else creative minds can think of. As for Lindsay Graham, what say does he have about anything more than any other senator? He isn't exactly free of sin either. We the People and Democrats need to stop folding under the onslaught of hatred, innuendo, blaming, ignorance, fascism and more that Republicans are dishing out to see which go over best. Then we need to start holding the media accountable for their bad behavior, their bad coverage, their support for fascism and their part in the "Big Lie" and January 6th. So far, none of the big players in the Trump attempted Coup have been held accountable and cruise along as though nothing happened that could hurt them. That needs to change too.
The Jan 5 committee referred five House Republicans — including McCarthy — who ignored congressional subpoenas from the panel. The panel subpoenaed McCarthy, R-Calif., and Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama.
IMHO Garland and the FBI should, at a minimum, have taken statements from them. In Perry's case, he appealed the subpoena for his phone to prevent DOJ from reviewing his communications as part of the investigation into Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Perry and Biggs asked Trump for a pardon. If I wer Garland, he'd have to explain why he needed one to a grand jury.
Daniel, I just love the way McCarthy whines when Dems and others don't choose to appear before his committees when he did exactly the same when he was called. The problem, there were no consequences for those Reps not showing up for questioning and DOJ seems to have dropped the ball on getting them to answer questions there too. I do not understand what is going on. Those you mentioned may well have had something to do with the January 6th insurrection, particularly Perry, so should have been questioned. We the People are going to have to do better if we are to save our democracy.
Sir or Madam. If you knew anything about the provenance of that unfortunate machine and just what an FD - 1023 is, you would not say another word about Hunter Biden, who is a private citizen unlike the trmp clan offspring, had/has no role in government at all and has paid his debt to society.
Now how's about you find something interesting to do?
It looks like the original drive was taken out, a replacement drive that held images was placed into the machine and other files loaded onto it. This is why certain things failed to make sense, like those emails that were stored as pdf's. Etc, bla, bla, bla.
Someone in my own family whines about HB's laptop all the damn time. Look at real crooks. That's what I tell em. Crooks like the one (s) you apologize for.
It's all so tiresome. All this disinfo business making horses asses out of what used to be fairly smart people. But the narrative is what thrills them. They love that damn narrative and they line "facts" up to support it.
PS: Don't get me started on that repulsive, hideous and spork-footed throwback, MTG.
They don’t want to deify the rule of law they want to Write Pass and Enforce their laws . Politics in the USA closely resembles the range war in the west before fences and rules were enforced.
The cattle barons were the Self appointed Regulators and the resistance to the Regulators was the Moderators .
Literal Range wars (battles) took place before the Moderators Won The war many were sacrificed .
I think they should ascend to slavery...in Florida...a re education program under DeFascist where they could "learn some skills...for their personal benefit."
Oh NatureBear, I suspect they are jealous they couldn't get as much power as Trump has to get their own way. Nixon was a power broker who did enough good things (EPA, Title IX, Clean Air and Water Acts) to cover for the power he was grabbing and the racist actions he was taking and promoting. Reagan was out of his depth and would have loved to make more folks do his bidding. Neither Nixon nor Reagan were ever held accountable for their actions just as Trump has not been. My guess is the next Republican under the current Republican Party who gets into office will be worse than the three of them put together because that person will have learned how to get away with anything, even a murder in the middle of 5th Avenue.
Nixon LITERALLY got elected to the White House by a treasonous act — scuttling the Paris Peace Talks. He’s recorded talking to Lyndon Johnson about it just days before the ‘68 election. He agreed the behavior was treason, but Johnson didn’t ask him if he was part of it — there was never an investigation! It was alluded to and denied for decades until the information was unsealed a half-century later and Nixon had confirmed it happened.
They scuttled what had promised to be an end to the Vietnam conflict in 1968, and we got SIX MORE YEARS OF THAT HORRENDOUS WAR, with Nixon widening its scope and throwing ever-more sickening bombs and chemicals at the people there [including harming our own soldiers].
To my mind, Nixon deserves to be considered one of the monsters of history. I don’t care if he played ping pong with the Chinese or signed the EPA, I can’t let him off the hook for being a monster.
{I could easily be convinced to put the Cheney Administration and that Loon George Dubya into the same category for the utter chaos they fomented, going to war in the Middle East on a RUSE!}
Pat, I totally agree with you. I only mentioned the few positives because of his conniving to cover for the rest of the things he had done. A monster is a good word to describe Nixon. So much of what we are dealing with today is a direct result of Nixon's poisoning of the American political life and the Republican Party. I don't know what it will take for either to recover.
I see so much of the dirty tricks and outright venality and lack of respect for law {they act like law is for the rubes} stemming to the Nixon era, his getting away with literal murder, his “pardon,” and his crew carrying forward thinking they had gotten to nod to do anything they could get away with — “If the ref doesn’t see it, it didn’t happen.” I always hated that attitude toward living with honor and the rule of law, as though it’s stupid to value integrity.
Bravo, Pat! Couldn't agree more. TFG, Bush II, and Nixon: the triumvirate of evil, when it comes to U.S. Presidents. Add in Ford, Cheney, Giuliani, and others as accessories.
I mostly agree with your perspective. I guess that I was perceiving both Nixon and Reagan - neither of whom I have any respect nor admiration for - as being more moderate than Trump or DeSantis, as possible examples, to name a few.
I entirely concur with you that Trump has unleashed a "can of worms" that will likely take decades to vanquish.
No they will not be shuddering; they will be rejoicing. Plans for this were made decades ago. Step back. Look deep and far. There you will find the small, usually unnoticed steps that brought us to today and have given the enemies of democracy and law and order the path to manipulate and control ordinary, too over-worked to notice folks. It is not an accident that many workers have to work more than one job to survive. This is part of the take-over plan.
Barbara - you are exactly right. I hate to admit it, but I must admire the tenacity of the repugnants long game. FDR was to them a temporary setback. There have been folks along the way that have pointed out the actions, decisions, policies that built to what we have now, but the press has always marginalized and/or ridiculed them, if they were mentioned at all, usually as an outlying aberration. Chomsky is the classic example.
FDR even WARNED that they would be like this, way back when.
When he started up the Social Security program, he told us that they will do EVERYTHING in their power to take it away from U.S., despite it's popularity, an he was CORRECT to this day!
Now that the GOP has decided to up the ante on lawlessness, by outright ignoring a SCOTUS ruling, what enforcement mechanism is there in a case like this? Who steps up to make sure the law is followed? Does the court issue sanctions, or seeing how we're talking "fellow travelers," doing the bidding of keeping the party in power, democracy be damned, will they just ignore it?
This is the gap in the vision of the Founding Fathers when it came to governance. They assumed the people would elect decent leaders with a measure of integrity, such that in cases where there is no law they would do the right and moral thing. For example, the SCOTUS has no rules on ethics because who would have thought a SC justice would be so lacking in integrity as to openly take bribes and enrich themselves in exchange for favorable rulings?
This is a symptom of the legacy of Donald Trump. He ushered in a spirit of lawlessness, that ignoring or breaking the law is fair game politically, if it advances the party's political interests. They could give a rat's behind about the adverse impact this has on democracy and the damage the lies and divisiveness has on society as long as they get to stay in power.
Whether Trump stays or goes, the poison he's unleashed, affecting the government and institutions down to the true believers, is destroying the very concept of "America."
I agree. Starting with Nixon, accelerating with Reagan -- remember Iran/Contra? GWB and the lies that got the US into the Iraq war, and now Trump with his Russian collusion, insurrection and thoroughly corrupt presidency. Trump just "normalized" it. From day one he ignored the Emoluments clause and used the Presidency and the government to enrich himself and his "kids." The GOP ignored/defended it and the media reported it as if they were not as serious as they were. Imagine if Obama had done even one of the things Trump did. The media would be in high dudgeon and the GOP would have set the world on fire.
Agree completely, Clark. There was a lot about GHWB and his history with the CIA that was never really made public, Iran/Contra aside. Then GWB was blatant about his lies, but was excused by Obama, and now Bush II has become a rehabilitated "elder statesman." We've come close to the height of normalization with TFG. If the worst happens and he skates on all the charges against him, there's pretty much nothing this country won't collectively sanction.
And don't be surprised if Biden is reelected and Trump is convicted, which I am not counting on, given the history of how we let "leaders" like that get away with stuff "for the good of the country", that Biden pardons him, which actually won't be good because until we start holding people accountable for these very egregious things, even more dangerous people who find themselves in positions of power will feel there will be no consequences if they do subvert the government or Constitution. If democracy dies, it won't be because of the civil war those on the right fantasize about, apathy will pave the way for it.
Do you really think Biden would pardon him? I mean, at that point, Biden would have nothing to lose, personally, but he'd sure tank the Dems for a generation, I'd think.
I wish, Dorothy Knudson, it were not the case. I keep hoping things will change, that leaders of institutions like the SC will find their moral voices, and the courage to step up and speak out. I don't see how we can keep on like this.
Put a muzzle on that dog trump! And add democratic judges to the Supreme Court it seems it’s the only way to get a fair unbiased opinion. The current lying Supreme Court judges elected by by trump all lied and Thomas is a crook and a dispicable human being …what has happened to our country. Lock trump up!!!
I live in Texas, and I am very embarrassed and disgusted with Abbott. He is a man that has aligned with people like Trump and his sycophants like Ted Cruz
All of Texas is watching to see if we are a state of compassion and humanity or a state of hate, and fear that is sold to us daily by fox Rupert Murdoch‘s Vehicle of repugnancy.
We should certainly welcome this battle, however, we must also recognize all the many tactics/fronts that the battle is being waged on- 3rd party candidates to dilute votes and facilitate minority rule via the electoral college, division of the electorate via 'culture wars' to water down collective voting power; gerrymandering (selection of voters vs voter selection of representatives) and voter suppression to subvert the will of the people/majority; propaganda & misinformation (blurring the lines between truth and fiction); fearmongering/anarchy while flooding the streets with guns & providing immunity from their use by claiming fear/self-defense. Lying, cheating and stealing- to control the Supreme Court; to stymie congressional power, while transferring power to gerrymandered State legislatures and the ill-gotten Supreme Court Rep. majority; to attempt to retain and/or regain the Presidency. Unlimited money provided by the .01% who are the ultimate benefactors of all these efforts.... I could go on! Ultimately trying to keep us divided and distracted so we won't wake up (woke) and realize our true strength (strength-in-numbers via Democracy) until it is too late. Similar to the progress made by black Americans Black Wall Street); It seems some believe that the progress being demonstrated by a multi-racial, multi-class, multi-religious, multi-sexually oriented, multi-...,. society/electorate, might have to be met with violence and destruction (burned down) in order to prevent further progress.
Do not forget this heartening fact though: Trumplicans make up roughly 30% of America . . . and FALLING! That obsolete Deathcult won't last until 2026.
In 2015, when the Republican Presidential primaries were just beginning, Trump mocked a disabled reporter. I will never understand why that wasn't the end of Donald J Trump as a politician. Some people, it would appear, think cruelty is entertaining. The only thing littler than Trump's hands are the brains of his supporters.
David, Some Orwellian double speak : when there are interviews on television of a group of his supporters and they are asked what they "think"! It appears to me that none of them are thinking. They are in a trance state and repeating the mantras. The mantras are pre-digested regurgitations of formerly latent racist, elitist distortions and cruelties that they are pretending are their rights as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
t did many acts similar to this mocking of a differently abled reporter that should have been the end of him. I remember how he reacted to the young, female college student who had the courage to challenge him; I was shocked that Americans parents voted for a person who would treat a young person in this way. I remember Obama responding to a young, female college student who challenged him. The difference between the two was the difference between night and day. I still can't believe that after witnessing this kind of behavior Americans voted for t.
We need those two responses to young women questioners - with voiceovers asking parents - the pointed question of the contrasting behaviors and how that relates to many other things. Can MoveOn or another do this?!
There is NO other choice but to elect Dems. They "cower" in your words has often been because of either 1) they did not hold both the Senate AND the House, or 2) Their majority was marginal. This was Obama's situation w the Affordable Care Act.
Also, we a very center to center-right ideological society.
Lastly, America is NOT Social Democracy, like all of Europe. We are a "Capitalist Democracy," where capital rules, as you know.
We are no longer a Capitalist Democracy. We are a system of unfettered capitalism. Our elected officials no longer do what the majority wants them to do. The for-profit motive underlies everything that exists in this country. Any employee, or person, patient, or inmate that isn't a commodity will cease to exist.
I agree with you, Gloria. You're spot on regarding the for-profit motive dictating life. We've basically become commodities, as have all species and our Mother Earth
I've often stated that only only democracy will guarantee rights and responsibilities. So, progressives must control the government, and know what to do. Because, right now, not even progressives have an agreed upon course of action regarding the control of our economy and capitalism.
I believe Obama had the votes to pass single-payer, but he was stuck on bipartisanship. So he caved to Big Pharma and Big Insurance, and got the [significantly flawed] ACA.
Entirely appropriate . . . I've known a few people who grew up in Germany in the 1920's and they were saying in the Bush years that this is what it feels like. Alluding, I think, to the determination and complete lack of scruples of the Bush crowd and their arrogance and belief that only they were fit to rule and that the other side were fantasists and idiots.
Of course it was true of them, as is now obvious, but it's too late. Some descent into the abyss has already happened. We must accept that. America as we knew is over. But there's an opportunity here to finish and complete the vision of Roosevelt, which was the true path for us. What an unbelievable blast of fresh air it is Biden and his people are there.
But the nutcases will not allow it. We must simply keep trying and not get too demoralized but it's hard. An unbelievable opportunity has been lost for nothing. So the Kochist sickos could have more money and power. What an incredible waste.
If their putrid orange fuehrer gets back into power, FOR LIFE this time, they will be doing it not just without repudiation or legal consequence, but WITH government (4thREICH) sponsorship and PRAISE. :( :(
It is happening. Hopefully it will not go much farther. But at this point it looks like a 50% chance Trump will get back to the Whitehouse. My fear is that he does not leave. "12 more years!!"
Although I understand the legally legitimate concept of being "presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law," I think that given the magnitude of the issues involved pertaining to the security of extremely top secret information that is the property of the US Government; how long these documents were apparently easily accessible to who knows which personnel of which governments - including enemies of the United States; Trump's multiple attempts to defy the legal requirements to return these documents; his continuing threats of violence; and the various other actions as related to the "Big Lie" about a stolen election, as well as, the incitement of the January 6th, 2021 constitutional crisis, etcetera, etcetera, how is it even remotely feasible for this man to be permitted to run for the highest office in the American system of government yet again? It would be astonishing if it wasn't entirely mad!
It's not dissimilar to returning a person who attempted to build and detonate a bomb to a bomb making facility without any restrictions of any kind. "Have at it, Mr. President."
Surely, even without this current classified documents case as part of the equation, his recent public prognostications, and his continuing allusions to violence, has Donald Trump not done more than enough already to disqualify himself from being permitted to pursue re-election to the Office of the President of the United States of America?
Incidentally, I am Canadian, and I for one am totally incredulous! And I am additionally very disturbed by the increasingly irratic behaviour of American politics. I sense that many important factors comprising the stable maintainance of such a massive and important Country such as yours that is so very critical to the stability of the global situation as it currently is, that many of these constituent functions of your society, legal system, and system of government are beginning to spiral out of control?
Donald Trump and his nefarious compatriots within the Republican Party, and elsewhere, have committed grievous injury and harm to the American People. He simply should never be permitted to become President again. Period! The risks are far too grave and dangerous. He is a traitor to his Country!
He needs to be informed by the American People - without ambiguity of any kind - that "You're fired!"
Condolences. But like the US as a whole, Alberta is a "petroleum state"--maybe the political damage can be contained? or is it crucial to the Canadian economy?
Good point, but that happened over many decades, & therefore even more administrations. I understand Jackson was among the most egregious, but certainly not the only one.
Of course you're right, but Jackson was far, far bloodier than any other: "Indian Removal" was a mission for him, and he was overt in writing about considering the "extermination" of the "Indians" no great price to pay for bringing industrial agriculture and cities to the West.
I remember when Jackson was considered 1 of our greatest Presidents. That assessment has certainly changed! Much of it due to his policy against indigenous people, whom historians have fortunately started regarding as human.
I can hardly believe he's still on the $20 bill. Remember when Obama was going to change it to Harriet Tubman? I think Biden promised to revive that but I sure haven't seen her on a $20 bill yet.
Let's avoid being or even giving the impression of being an apologist. Tfg is a crook and going back a hundred years or so for a comparison is a hint that you may be reaching a bit, eh?
Huh? I don't get where you're coming from. Let's avoid thinking we have ESP and casting aspersions on strangers. Trump has few more energetic or implacable foes than I've been, having given up most of my time and a large proportion of my retirement income to defeating him and his troll and zombie armies for the last 8 years, at the polls, in writing, on phonebanks and canvassing, on social media and in print and in the streets, including the streets of DC. I mentioned that genocide--pure and simple under Jackson--is at least as bad as the venal, heartless mismanagement of a pandemic because I think our worst problem--as I've said over and over again on Bob Reich's substack blog--is the apathy of despair.
Oops, stopped my wordy comment too soon. It seems that as a nation we've overcome the kind of genocidal hatred of indigenous Americans that spurred Jackson's massacres, and at least officially rejected that ideology (though god knows "indian-hating" is alive in the Dakotas and NC, where suppression of voting on reservations is mind-bogglingly overt--please support Four Directions and Honor the Earth!) Because we no longer believe in "savages" or call people "redskins" or, at least in blue states, suppress indigenous history, I'm emboldened to believe we can overcome the current tide of hatred and lawlessness too. Biden's support for the Line 3 pipeline through traditional Ojibwe rice fields (treaty lands!) in MN does give me pause though...
I apologize. The tone of your initial comment was hard to read. Your elucidation has provided the illumination needed to fully appreciate your comment.
And I'm sorry I was snarky. I was partly responding to another comment, that asked what the genocide's body count was, assuming it couldn't compare to those lost to Covid. As the expression goes, "comparisons are odious," especially re: genocide! I had my back up.
This is a hard question to answer and as you can imagine the historical debates are fierce (and largely inter-generational). Demographic estimates for population of the Americas in 1492 range from 50-100+ million. By the end of the 19th century Indian Wars, mainly in the US, the indigenous population in North America was down to 238,000 from a population whose estimates run from 5 to 15 million. Jackson formulated the Indian Removal Act and was thus responsible for most of the killing and the deaths on forced marches. He's on record as calling the "extinction" of the native people a reasonable price to pay for a populated West of Big Ag and cities.
Yes, Jackson was a homicidal maniac with probably the most thorough case of white supremacy ever expressed in action by a U.S. president, while Trump is nothing but a lousy crook. (Or maybe a virus?) Makes Nixon look like Pericles.
As important as 2020 was (and make no mistake it was the most important election in my lifetime to that point) 2024 is even more important because we will literally be fighting to keep our country and our democracy intact.
Exactly . This reader in Aoteroa New Zealand 🇳🇿 wants to remind Americans that all democracies rely on a strong democratic US. We have too many MAGA-mini mes here already just aching to tear us apart and copying every fascistic move they see like petulant toddlers.
I completely agree with you. As a Canadian observer of global and American politics for several decades, I am experiencing increasing levels of anxiety as I watch and read about so many previously stable governments rapidly moving rightward toward authoritarianism and even outright fascism.
Although I think that Trump put a bow on it and made such political leanings more acceptable and palatable to the average person, I have begun to believe that perhaps a significant reason for this trend toward fascism and authoritarianism is actually a panic like reaction to the multitude of climate crisis impacts that are increasingly affecting them personally. As a result, many people are looking for both simplistic solutions to these problems and are additionally looking for egotistical and bombastic loudmouths to implement them even if it means destroying their societies in the process.
Rats in mazes act out strange and sometimes unpredictable behaviours when they are increasingly stressed over longer periods of time. After all, humans are merely sophisticated primates. Why should our reactions be that much different?
I agree. I think this is, beyond anything else it also is, the predictable and predicted result of 60 years of increasingly strenuous and difficult climate denial.
PS remember when De Santis forbade the use of the words 'climate change' in official documents, even those concerning environmental destruction from storms and heat waves and extinctions?
Not sure I want to take credit for the situation, as I've soent a whole lot of my time, since 1970, working against this denial, by every means possible to me. Time I think to name the enemies and focus on them rather than accept anonymous collective guilt. By the skin of our teeth, we still have democracy and the rule of law: we can act. If need be we can go to jail. But thanks for your concern!
To add to your reasoning, NatureBear, I recently read a very pointed argument made by a historian. He observed that most of the generations who saw the rise of, then fought Nazism and Italian fascism, are gone. By far, the majority of people alive today never lived through or witnessed that battle to preserve freedom in the world. They have no personal reference point, so the rise of right-wing power is still an abstract concept. Therefore, there's no sense of immediate alarm. Sobering thought, no?
Thank you for your reply and for your observations, Denise!
Indeed, this likely explains the Republican zeal to confuse and obscure - whitewash? - American history. By removing, and/or making invisible, various unfortunate and deplorable events from the education curriculums, it then makes it possible to simply ignore reality itself and instead create an alternate reality more suitable to their ultimate plans for America and its citizens. Like-minded drones are much easier to influence and control.
Very well said, NatureBear. Indeed, we already hear all the time about high schoolers who don't even know there were two world wars. Once the context for those wars is erased, comparisons with current events in the U.S. also disappear. Normalization becomes much easier. <shudder>
That is sad to hear in your land, which I always (maybe naively??) considered to be a very beneficent place, especially once the aboriginal peoples were given full rights there, and their history and persecution were recognized.
Is some of (most of) the fascist BS a 'backlash' to what I mentioned above?
I think shielded-by-governments corporate natural-resource extractors should both face accountability for the destruction of the forests and fisheries that have caused the environmental crisis we have today. Let's add the air and water polluters and the waste disposal industry, too.
Folks, please take a breath... Look out the window at something living. Democracy is a living thing like that, it depends on free and open exchange of knowledge, energy and matter. It's not a war or battle. If there is a boil on the body, and you love the body... It's a sign, listen to what the body is saying, why did this boil come up... Listen with the love of a mother, a brother, listen and look the way your dog would with ever present love. The sysyis broke for all of us if it's failing the most vulnerable. This isn't a war folks. It's time to be the old wise ones who listen with their hearts to the deep pain across all life forms in the United States of America. Think about how to bring real change, real hope and a real future for all and this pustule will take care itself easily.
It isn't enough to work against tRump. We must expect and demand that the Democrats get much more vocal and "fierce" in the fight. Democratic "electeds" must be all over all the media - social and all others - describing what the GOP is doing and what they intend to do. It is not enough to keep repeating the rather weak words, "overturning our democracy," when they are, in fact, in the active act of overthrowing our government! They have already destroyed democracy because they are totally ignoring "the will of the people" at every turn which is the very definition of being un-democratic!
The Democratic "electeds" really need to take off the gloves and get out the megaphones.
Remember Hillary tried to warn you. How different our country would be today if you had only listened. That is the message. You don’t have to like Biden, but you sure as hell better vote for him. He is the only choice for democracy and saving our country. He has done an amazing job with what he was handed.
As a former American who lives in Australia I have to say, moving on from Reich’s spot on points, there is also an international picture I foresee if Trump is elected: he will gain autocratic power with a title “president for life”, congress will be disabled, American financial Oligarchs will control Trump and his power, Trump will give Ukraine to Putin on a silver platter with GOP support, he will disjoin NATO for the USA, he will allow Xi to invade Taiwan without protest. Then he will make himself out as the business for America tycoon making a deal with China to get all of the earth”s microchips manufactured in Taiwan at a 5% discount, then China will take over Pacific trade routes (USA screws all Pacific nations including Australia and NZ) and democratic nations will be in survival mode against autocracies. NOT a pretty picture but clearly foreseeable. I personally am terrified and hope my grandchildren are not sacrificed in Trump’s grand scheme. It is possible!!!!!😵💫☹️
One exception, instead of '' President for life'' he will be ''Dictator'' for life. I am also very terrified for my 4 grandchildren. They are in their late teens and early twenties of age and they hate and despise that Orange baboon as much as i do..
YES!! That would be great, How about, '' Life in prison without the possibility of parole?'' No outside contact with the rest of the world and only contaminated water and stale, moldy bread to eat, No more Big Mac hamberders either. I can't express how sick and tired i am of this bloated orange baboon. I would also like to see that Kevin McCarthy in prison too. Him and TUMP could be cell mates. McCarthy couldn't be with his lover, Marjorie Traitor Goon anymore.
I think we all have our political shit lists. Kevin M is on mine too. Perhaps a better fate for them all would be a Gulag in Siberia where they could compete to put lipstick on Putin's butt.
That is a great suggestion. My list of political shit list is pretty long too. Two of them that aren't mentioned that much is Roger Stone and that slouchy skid row bum, Steve Bannon, those 2 are on my list. Donald TUMP and Death DeSatan are at or close to the top of my list. I made a comment on another site a while back that also referred to them going to Siberia so they could kiss Putin's ass every day and twice on Sunday..
Let's not even talk about what would happen to the environment in very short time. But that would, as it already is, create a very expensive result for businesses. (See: Florida insurance companies) I feel Republicans right now have gone so far that they are barely pro-business anymore. They're just pro-power, and that's not going to end well for anymore. Because actual billionaire's are more powerful than Trump and all the GOP.
Yes, those are the likely consequences of another Trump presidency (or any administration headed by a Republican). The 3 strongest military powers would all be headed by autocrats who would probably seek to divide the remaining world's resources amongst themselves. Hey, Russia, you take Europe & the Middle East, you, China, take India & Africa, while we get Latin America & Canada.
The SHITler, and Vlad The Impaler will then use that power base to strengthen all of the other fascist dictatorships around the globe (POS Orban, etc.) to the point where there will not even be a 'survival mode' possible for ANY democracy. :( :(
We have to keep in mind that Trump is just the symptom of a much larger problem that was bound to happen anyway as soon as the right charismatic demagogue came along to head the increasingly fascist, subversive Republican Party. We have a large portion of Americans open to authoritarianism gravitating to authoritarians like Trump, Putin & DeSantis, additional ideologues like Bannon, Flynn, & many others popping up in state after state like Kari Lake, Noem, Youngkin, etc. -- far too many to name, & all willing to take the mantle Trump wears. We have a huge problem with billionaires financing these demagogues & fascist "think tanks", & one of the most well-developed, comprehensive, sophisticated propaganda machine ever created of fascist media like Fox, Breitbart & right-wing radio, with influences from international instigators like Russia (itself one of the most sophisticated propaganda conglomerate ever developed), China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea & Iran.
Those of us who value democracy, liberty, equality & justice have a tremendous task ahead of us to overcome these forces that has only just begun. And then we can finally tackle the other enormous problems facing us like climate chaos, ecosystem collapse, economic injustice, etc.
Jaime, you are right about this overwhelming assault on our democracy. The problem, it is looking like it will be impossible to stop this steamroller of insanity. A lot of people lose hope when faced with such a huge task, especially when they don't feel like there is support for wanting to do something real to stop it. We so often see the media trying to be "balanced" when what they really have become is a mouthpiece for the crazies, repeating what Trump and Kump say as though it is worthy of repeating; it isn't. Trump should not be permitted to spew his threats of violence against this country. His handlers (those who are really running the Trump show) have schooled Trump to say just the right amount of threat, trying to keep him from going over the line of pushing insurrection. Oh wait, he already did that on January 6th and before and nothing happened to him that counted. Republicans saw his treason and acquitted him anyway. I guess power for them is more important than truth and our democracy. Congress could do a lot to stop this by a wealth tax, making sure corporations and rich folks pay their full taxes, breaking up monopolies, fining corporations for their bad behavior, pollution, etc. Stop bailing out banks who are participating in risky behavior, end the Trump tax cuts for the rich. These could be done with minimal trouble if Congress even gave a damn about our nation. Then, the military budget would be put back to a more reasonable level, say $700 billion. Will any of that happen with McConnell and McCarthy in charge of their party in Congress, not on your life. States could also keep Trump's name from appearing on any ballots in their states because of his insurrection attempt which is against our Constitution. When will Democrats act decisively? Getting rid of the filibuster or at least modifying it would be a great start. Yo Joe Manchin, you will never gain the presidency, so grow up and work for this nation instead of against it. It might make people like you better.
One aspect of this that amazes me is how many of the people who continue to enable Trump, and are inspired by him, are frequently wealthy or desire to be so, and yet, they seemingly fail to recognize the obvious and predictable pitfalls of creating a democratically antithetical and authoritarian police state which will ultimately lead to sufficient societal acrimony and violence that the entire economy will simply implode upon itself in the longer term.
They are somehow delusional in thinking that THEY will be allowed to keep all of their wealth and power once a totalitarian fascist system/despot is in place.
They look at the Russkie oligarchs and think, "WOW, that is GREAT, totally unfettered greed, kleptocracy, and NO culpability at all!".
What they fail to see is Vlad The Impaler's total control over those very oligarchs, and that their VERY EXISTENCE is at his momentary whims. ;)
Very true. They have thrived under the current system. If they push it too far towards an unequal, unjust authoritarian system, the backlash & repercussions against them will likely not be pleasant.
Jaime Ramirez ; The challenge can be simplified if we can see the forest for the trees ; obscenely wealthy 'donors' love the chaos of the culture wars. they want US to feel disempowered and overwhelmed. Invasion of the most 'sacrosanct' privacy is the ultimate invasion. Psychic rape (along with the real thing AND financial rape!). They thumb their noses at HIPPA laws; and separation of church and state while making 'moral judgements' that violate these laws while violating US! The courts are tied in knots with rules being unheeded or ignored, and the similarly slow moving obstruction used by entities like the Vatican! Meanwhile, they consort with the Saudis and other out of control oligarchs while robbing US blind! This is the bottom line! They are buying (and selling), our country and our power of self rule! That orange criminal still has classified docs! He should be waterboarded at Gitmo!
Wow! A kind of "Battle Cry of Freedom!" I am still beyond amazed that the Trumpers and Trumpetes have not notices that Trump is losing it. So much of what he says makes little sense. He has stopped noticing that his "supporters" are the same folks, often going from town to town to catch the sunlight of his gaze which never seems to fall on them. They can't see, for some reason, that Trump does not even notice them and nor would he care about them if he did. He is in his own little fantasy he is dragging them into. Because so little has been done to stop the Trump madness, Trump thinks he is "king of the world" and is fighting to recapture his reign. As a person who never had to grow up emotionally, he is the petulant child wanting to get even with everyone he thinks tried to stop his rule of the household, school, or wherever he finds himself at any time. His ignorance is legendary, but his cult thinks their god is perfect in every way, makes sense every time he opens his mouth, and only they can understand what he is saying and doing (even though they have no idea what that is except for the violence and hatred he spews. They understand that part because it works so well to make them feel important, like warriors for their king (no matter that we live in a democracy and kicked out a king 240 years ago. The media need to wake up to see what a problem this level of corruption, deceit, general lying, and gaslighting they are participating in is doing to us as a people. Then, We the People, along with the media need to call out the hypocrisy of DeSantis and his crew in Florida designing a false curriculum because their little white kiddies are too fragile to learn the truth of what white people did to other people in this nation in the past. They may be able to see what they are doing to those who are not rich white men right now if they are encouraged to look. We also need medical personnel, teachers, unions, and others who are targets of Trump and Kump, DeSantis, and the other anti-American white governors and legislatures around the country to show some more courage. A doctor who refuses to treat a woman who is in need of abortion due to complications of a pregnancy is pathetic. One of the problems with having private hospitals as well as religious ones is that doctors and nurses who work there are subject to the tyranny of those who own or religiously oversee the institution. In short, this "battle" is going to be complex and only winnable if We the People wake up and start working right where we are to stop the encroachment of fascism. We must stop letting the ignorance of Trump, the evil of DeSantis, the hatred spewing from Republican governors and legislatures, and the rest to keep us from restoring some of the sanity we have been losing drip by drip under Republican mismanagement for the past 50+ years.
"I am still beyond amazed that the Trumpers and Trumpetes have not notices that Trump is losing it. So much of what he says makes little sense."
That's a feature, not a bug, Ruth. As long as he's ranting and frothing, no matter what he actually says, he's their guy. The more outrageous and screaming he is, the more he's devoted to their "cause," whatever that is. Or so they think.
Mr. Trump has it in his pea-sized brain that he can rule America like his authoritarian friends rule their countries. I do not want my grandchildren growing up in that kind of country. I grew up simply believing that if you broke the law, you went to court and if found guilty, you went to jail. I grew up with respect for the law and respect for authority figures; however, I have learned much in the years since childhood and I will never bow down to anyone in authority who is pure evil. I see how many of my fellow Americans are treated and it sickens me. I wish Mr. Trump would inject himself with some of that disinfectant bleach he talked about during COVID. This group of sycophants that believe he is some kind of prophet sent by God are not only simple-minded but simply afraid! They grew up being taught that "others" meaning any other group or culture that wasn't exactly like them were going to take over and when that gets handed down through the generations it is hard to get through to them!
We "normal" Americans (isn't that ridiculous to say but considering our times) must fight the misinformation with truths every single time. We must not be afraid. Democracy must prevail.
You are Right Trump and his band of Cowards MUST be defeated! We cannot and should Not allow his Trump / Hitler agenda be able to grow into a extremely dangerous Dictatorship which most of us have never seen Thanks to the Greatest Generation as Tom Brokow would say !
I think this is the real issue you face. If only 62% can be bothered to vote to prevent the rise of authoritarianism then do you even deserve democracy? You know the MAGA crowd are going to turn out and do their best to suppress other voters because if 100% of voters turned out they know they would be utterly crushed and their fringe lunacy exposed for what it is.
Got to overwhelm the Republicans with new voters, who trend heavily Democratic. As many as 7 million to 9 million more members of the racially and culturally diverse Gen Z could cast ballots in 2024 than did in 2020, while the number of the predominantly white Baby Boomers and older generations voting may decline by a corresponding amount, according to nonpartisan forecasts.
Every year, about 4 million Americans turn 18 and gain the right to vote. In the eight years between the 2016 and 2024 elections, that’s 32 million new eligible voters. Also every year, 2½ million older Americans die. So in the same eight years, that’s as many as 20 million fewer older voters.
Which means that between Trump’s election in 2016 and the 2024 election, the number of Gen Z (born in the late 1990s and early 2010s) voters will have advanced by a net 52 million against older people. That’s about 20 percent of the total 2020 eligible electorate of 258 million Americans.
dnkarr, I am a pro-Z-er. I think those young people are terrific (OK, not all of them. Some have joined the Trumpers and Trumpettes), but most are really awesome, thinking about how they are going to secure their future since we "Boomers" have left such a mess for them. It is now up to us Boomers to stand with them and do everything we can to make up for what we have done and permitted. Helping them to get registered (OK, registration should be automatic upon reaching age 18), and helping them to help other Z's to get registered and so on is critical. They often don't even understand how the whole democratic process works because civics is not required in most schools now and in a lot of red states, teachers are afraid to even teach what their overlords don't want taught and voting is one of those things. We the People need to fix that for those young people. We also need to ask them what they need to be successful and do our best to help them get it.
Ruth Sheets ; I disagree that "we 'Boomers' have left such a mess for them." Tell the families of the "4 Dead in Ohio" that their college student forbears were not actively questioning authority when pushing back at the draft and the War in Vietnam! There were many , many 'boomers' who actually died while fighting injustice! It's like the messages against President Biden that he's too old and senile to do his job!
Laurie, I did not intend to say that all Boomers are bad; we're not! However, there are among us some pretty shady characters who have done a lot of harm as legislators, business men, fossil fuelers, etc. We fought to move the nation along after the challenges of previous generations that came down to us, but our generation got jaded and didn't vote, went for profit over people, and helped to elect 2 presidents, Bush Jr. and Trump who were not worthy of us and our nation. Many of our generation are still working to make things better. Joe Biden is one of those (just missed being a Boomer) and many of the quality non-profits are headed by Boomers doing an amazing job of caring for our people. Now, we need to encourage the Z's to take the lead and with our experience and skill, we can help them finish what we started.
Daniel ; Old people can develop Alzheimers and other conditions which could prevent them to vote. Even normal old age can be a barrier in some states, particularly in the Southern states which feature long lines at the polls, which can feel like a marathon for the elderly; not to mention the disabled.
professor reich: i HOPE amerikkkans reject fascism & authoritarianism, but i'm actually not so sure. on one hand, some people, like me, grew up in an authoritarian family filled with violence of any and every sort you can think of or imagine. it scared me to death. but sadly, there are plenty of people out there who either are unaware of the implications of living in such a family (or country), or embrace this possibility. (i grew up amongst those people, and they also scared me.)
whenever i think about this, and wonder why they are so supportive of fascism or authoritarianism, i come to the conclusion this is like child abuse: some people who were abused as kids become anti-violence, sometimes to the point of becoming pacifists, whereas a not insignificant number of them instead embrace violence, bullying and abuse as a way to control their environment and all the people within it.
GrrlScientist ; I have heard lawyers who were prosecutors, saying on TV, that they were reminded of actual crime bosses they prosecuted, when they heard tRump say certain things in a certain way. I have read that anyone in serious real estate business in New York City, for any significant length of time, will have to deal with organized crime. while dealing in real estate. We know he is a bully! He openly names people, or a particular race, in a way that puts a target on them. At his earlier rallies, he openly encouraged attacks against reporters covering the rally, or hecklers. He suggested that people "hit 'em in the face!" and he would pay their court costs or fines.
It’s getting really bad folks! Republican Anarchy is becoming increasingly common across America!
(Anarchy) a state of society without government or law. It needs to be stopped! Here are some examples of their handy work.
The Republican governor of Texas, Gregory Wayne Abbott, is defying both federal law and international treaties, constructing a barrier of inflatable buoys and razor wire in the Rio Grande between the U.S. and Mexico which violates the Rivers and Harbors Act. The DOJ told Abbott he has until 2:00 Tuesday afternoon to remove the barrier. Abbott responded to the DOJ’s letter: “I’ll see you in court, Mr. President.”
On July 11, 2023, Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to chair of the Committee on Appropriations Kay Granger (R-TX) asking her to defund Biden’s immigration policies as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which investigates crime.
Defying the SCOTUS, the Alabama legislature passed a new congressional map that openly violates the Supreme Court’s order. By a vote of 75–28 in the House and 24–6 in the Senate, the legislature approved a map that includes only one Black-majority district.
After rampant scandals, the Republican-dominated Supreme Court refuses to adopt an ethics system that might restore some confidence in their decisions. The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act would bring the Supreme Court Justices’ ethics requirement in line with every other federal judge and restore confidence in the Court. Senator Lindsey Olin Graham R-SC, disagreed that Congress could force the Supreme Court to adopt an ethics code.
And, aided by his loyalists, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is threatening mob violence if he is held legally accountable for his behavior. Trump said earlier this week: “I think it’s a very dangerous thing to even talk about, because we do have a tremendously passionate group of voters, much more passion than they had in 2020 and much more passion than they had in 2016. I think it would be very dangerous.”
Worse, apparently members of Congress, all potential witnesses to the Jan 6 insurrection, have been colluding or conspiring with Trump to undermine his prosecution.
More than witnesses, they were co-conspirators. After Trump gets indicted, they should too -- especially those who gave the insurrectionists a tour of the capitol on Jan 5.
See what I said below.
According to Navarro in his book, approximately 110 members of Congress were involved in the Green Bay sweep, which culminated in 7 sets of fake electors to be presented to the Senate on Jan 6.
I mean, dozens ALREADY are in prison. Not NEARLY enough, but it's a good start! Keep in mind that, were this the 1700s, they would have been HANGED on January 7th for their insurrection!
Perhaps the law regarding insurrection should be strengthened.
Actually, if this was the 1700, those people would have been later called the Founding Fathers. They protested forcefully against a ruler who would not follow the law and kept on making changes to make their lives horrible.
Again, as I said before, the "rulers" of this era have ignored the mandates of the Constitution and now we have what we have. You want to talk about failures of the Supreme Court. Fine. Fix it. There is a simple solution in the mechanism that should have been done a century ago. But then again, those in power want to keep their power. I don't care how you want to label them. Remember the saying: One man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter.
Benedict Arnold is a better analogy. So is the Civil War.
We supposedly have a civil society. 18 U.S. Code § 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.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Under the law, force is forbidden. Besides incarceration, 144 police officers injured by your heroes have causes of action to sue them for everything they are worth.
If you are advocating for your herpes there may be consequences. 18 U.S. Code § 2385 - Advocating overthrow of Government
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; July 24, 1956, ch. 678, § 2, 70 Stat. 623; Pub. L. 87–486, June 19, 1962, 76 Stat. 103; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)
Just out of curiosity, could these cited laws be used against ALEC, is founders, and perpetrators? From what I have read they used 'propaganda', outright lies and false promises, to secure the State legislatures of those smaller in population States they now control.
Too bad that Merrick (Milquetoast) Garland is Attorney General.
Hey, I'm with ya on that one. Now, let's apply that to the truth.
Both of those statutes apply to each and every member of Congress, today and past, for the last 100 years. They didn't need to use force to overthrow our form of Constitutional government. But they hide behind the very same.
Stop trying to defend the very people who keep you from knowing the truth and hiding the knowledge from you (the sheepople).
I forgot about ole' Arnold! Even though he WASN'T hanged, his life WAS completely ruined.
To be fair though, he DIDN'T run into the house of congress with old fashioned handcuffs, no such thing as zipties, and a gallows.
I think that comparing the fight for independence from Britain to what trump and his cult did/are doing is not comparable. trump wants to be king.
Surely you're joking - or delusional.
As I can't see what your replying to, if it is a Constitutional Convention, no I am not joking and it is a serious matter. When Congress purposely ignores the mandates of the Constitution, we no longer have a Constitutional form of government as envisioned by the Founding Fathers. We have a government of whatever Congress wants to do.
What do you call someone who believes that complex problems have simple solutions?
Occam. Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities.
The answer has always been there in the Congressional Record. It's just that the people in charge just ignore it to stay in power.
I believe that several of those in the lower ranks of the Insurrection have been charged and some will be doing some pretty serious “Time.” We may have something of a bittersweet gift when Trump is finally charged & convicted. His Bravado is as “Hollow” as his “Courage.”
But what probably will become necessary is that a substantial number of his followers who’ve been itching for a reason to be seen waving their guns and mounting an insurrection .... will take the some of the first irrevocable steps towards an armed attempt at a Coup.
And yes there are substantial numbers of “gun owners” in this country, but I”m not entirely certain how the politics among these will play out. How many are “Hard Core, Itching for a Fight,” and how many are what I would call “Rural” or “Ex Military & Happy to Be a Civilian Again,” Small Town Cops, and those who are still “Active Military.” And while there are clearly a substantial number of all of these who keep guns at home ... and some who see themselves - in theory - as eager join an Armed Insurrection .... what percentage of these will continue to believe that they really want that “Last Battle” .... WHEN THE SH*T GETS REAL? I really don’t know - and I’m not sure that any of us do.
I continue to believe that the “Real Men” who have taken up arms to actually defend this country over the years are more like Beau of 5th Column. They are Family men, they might hunt for some of their food, and they hold strong convictions. And among those Strong Convictions is a belief in Democracy ... in all of its challenges, messiness, requirements for working with those with whom you disagree, and ... Bottom Line ... they are Grown Ups and they know the difference between a “Show of Force” in service of “Puffed Out Chests & Guns Waving in the Air .... and a Bloody Battle.
Trumps’ Troops are “Hollow Men” who are Brave when the Camera is “On Them,” and Cowards when the Sh*t Hits the Fan.. The Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, etc. were itching for a fight back when they believed that “Attacking the Capitol” was something that “Brave & Noble Patriots” did, but I’m not all that certain that this “courage” would persist in the face of a National Mobilization of the National Guard, and potentially some of our Armed Forces - Posse Comitatus not withstanding.
And the Trump Gun Nut Troops are very loud when the camera is on, but how many of these would be willing to stand against their fellow Officers? I think their willingness to fight ... similar to those who attacked on the Capitol on January 6th ... might not survive the first few casualties among those visibly defending their towns, cities, monuments & FAMILIES.
But it is DEFINITELY time to begin to put more of these deluded “Patriots” in Prison, and give them a chance to spend some of the long hours in those long days ... Thinking Things Over.
Yes, but maybe with some education, not just incarceration. I've seen interviews with trump supporters at his rallies who have never read the constitution. I really hope the people jailed for their violence on J6 get rehabilitation that focuses on education. They are so very dis-informed and misinformed.
We all know how Hitler responded to 'insurrectionists'....tho the July 1944 saboteurs were the good guys. The Democrats need to get tougher..the MAGA fascists neither fear nor respect Dems because of their wimpy nature. I'd send them to what Russians call labor re-education camps
I have always wondered if my representative was a tour guide"
I think that they published a list somewhere. Will try to find it.
My Rep only follows orders, like a good dooby. Constantly bleats the party talking points. His latest email started out with deliberate ideas for cruelty toward immigrants. No surprise.
Vote them all out of office!
As to Trump, 18 U.S. Code § 1512 - Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant.
18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights
If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or
If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—
They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 696; Pub. L. 90–284, title I, § 103(a), Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 75; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7018(a), (b)(1), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60006(a), title XXXII, §§ 320103(a), 320201(a), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1970, 2109, 2113, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §§ 604(b)(14)(A), 607(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507, 3511.)
That's great. We can cite law all day. But it appears that they will ignore it all night :(
So clear, so succinct, so well put. Thank you.
My biggest fear, that there is too little political strength of character to get the job done.
Glen, it's mine also. The job is so huge, the corruption so far-reaching. But I have to have hope.
Political strength of character begins with the electorate!
No, most people simply do not know the law. The statutes being cited by Daniel, especially 18 USC 2385 are extremely important.
Climate change may be the great leveler, now that's something to really be afraid of. The r's are a minority, We must get out the vote and go from there, after we have big majorities.
I'd be mightily surprised if I learned that Mr. Smith was unaware of such conspiracies between Drumpf and the Freedumb Caucus' Congress critters to undermine Smith's prosecution. Those incompetent conspirators may just find themselves facing a gale force blowback. Jack Smith is not a bungling neophyte at the game.
I'm waiting for the Georgia shoe to drop, and for Trump and his drones having to answer in court for the fake elector scam. My guess is that a few other states, especially Michigan, will follow Georgia's lead.
And Arizona, as well.
This is necessary - I do hope it happens.
They will allege complete legislative immunity.
Trump is not immune. Intimidation of witnesses.
It's possible that Trump and his lawyers can be sanctioned for his threats to judges, prosecutors and witnesses. In the Trump v HRC et al case in the SDFL Judge Middlebrooks fined his lawyers almost a $ mil.
“This case should never have been brought. Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start. No reasonable lawyer would have filed it. Intended for a political purpose, none of the counts of the amended complaint stated a cognizable legal claim,” U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks, an appointee of former President Clinton, wrote in the order. The case at hand had previously been dismissed.
“A continuing pattern of misuse of the courts by Mr. Trump and his lawyers undermines the rule of law, portrays judges as partisans, and diverts resources from those who have suffered actual legal harm
I also think Trump may have violated the terms of bail from NY and SDFL. Cannon signed a protective order but to my knowledge none of the Republican members of Congress are witnesses to the documents case.
If and when a case is filed in DC, bail should eliminate his capacity to meet with witnesses like McCarthy, Gym Jordan et al.
Really like the "freedumb" word!
Please think what the other side would do with that. “ Oh, so you think freedom is dumb!” I don’t like to call people names like demoncrat or repugnican because it buys into the sleezy part of the argument. Let them act like squabbling kids, I agree with Michelle Obama that we need to take the high road. I also don’t want to censor their comments because letting Trump rum amok on Twitter opened a million more eyes to his evil than if he had been censored. Your passion and indignation are absolutely understandable but fascists use our own words to try and turn the tables. Just my opinion.
Yes, let’s.
Let's see what sticks.
And be sure to vote Republicans out of office for their efforts in the meantime!
Thanks Daniel. I appreciate your expertise in the law and hearing the facts is important for stiffening resolve towards a solution to the crisis. The best venue for this is in the courts so anyone who defies the law to refute wanton disregard for our institutions and common decency, indeed, murder and mayhem, can be prosecuted and punished. Otherwise we have nothing to save us. We have to will our democracy into existence by performing our civic duties and respecting the law. Hopefully the courts will uphold our democracy.
This land is your land,this land is my land,this land was made for you and me!
It appears so clear, so direct, so simple and yet ….?
Just look at Title 5 U.S.C. 7311. That should apply to every member of Congress - past and present. They are all "a member of an organization [Congress] that he knows advocates the overthrow of our constitutional form of government". They "may not accept or hold a position in the Government of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia". Who enforces this when the people in power won't?
It's time to read the Declaration of Independence again people.
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
It's time to take out the pruning sheers and get to work.
Are you referring to the Republican Party or the Federalist Society?
BTW the only time the Declaration was read as law by SCOTUS was the Dred Scott decision that led to the Civil War.
I am referring to each political party since March 13, 1908.
From that point forward, every member of Congress has been in violation of their Oath of Office and the Constitution. They hide this to stay in power.
We learned of this event because the Russian press-- not US press-- was invited. How many laws do you want to quote.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html
Daniel Solomon ; In a better world, they would have been out of their government seats when they refused to certify Biden's win. Also, the court stacking that started before tRump would have been nipped in the bud.
A rematch of the last election shouldn't have ever become a topic of discussion, much less a possibility. Justice is quick and cruel if you're poor and/or POC. It's often slow and easily stalled by minutiae if you're rich, connected and Euro-descended.
Kalief Browder, a 17 year-old Black man from the Bronx, was held in Rikers Island prison from 2010-2013, much of it in solitary confinement. He was accused and charged with theft of a backpack, taken into custody on a faulty eyewitness ID and made to stay in the jail's custody to face charges, because his family couldn't afford the roughly $2k to post for his bail. The plaintiff left the country shortly after the charges were filed and didn't appear in court to pursue them at the arraignment. Mr. Browder was held in jail as the DA aggressively tried to force him to take a plea deal for a case that should have been dismissed. He refused to plead to something he didn't do and suffered 3 years in one of the country's most notorious prisons until the case was finally dismissed. He suffered PTSD and depression and died by suicide a few years later.
Donald J. Trump tried to overturn a presidential election. There are voluminously documented attempts he tried to to use false electors; have the military seize voting machines to stop national counts; made numerous televised false claims that he election was stolen when he knew otherwise; announced a "Wild" rally on Twitter the day of election certification; is on film rousing and then directing the angry mob he gathered to the Capitol to overturn the vote; he watched in the White House as aides beheld the televised insurrection and attempts to murder the outgoing VP. A Congressional Committee compiled copious evidence and testimony of all of the above. Trump is running for election to be president.
Anyone else see the problem in this contrast?
Like everything young, and we're young compared to other nations with many hundreds more years as nations, this country has potential. It's not the greatest country yet but it has a chance to be. If a lot more of us stop believing someone can only reach their goals by demeaning, belittling and sabotaging everyone else, we could really be something great.
They can thank Garland.
How misinformed are the people who were polled? Do they know much about anything? What are their sources of information?
I do not like polling (almost all of it) that says 20%, 30% 70% of Rs think X without mentioning that the smallest percentage of the electorate are registered Rs. We have low voter turnout in the US, I find that very depressing.
Many of them made public statements during or immediately after the riot condemning the event and Trump. The video of those statements will come home to haunt them, and they will be exposed for the hypocrites they are.
Generally speaking, evidence law gives more weight and credibility to statements that are made at or near an event. Then it does statements that are made months later period
They get away TOTALLY with their duplicity, since they know those clips of their condemning statements will NEVER EVER be shown on Goebbels Nooz, or any of the other 4th REICH fascist entertainment 'outlets', which is the ONLY thing the brownshirt MAGAts who put them into power, consume. :( :(
But too many in our country don't know much of anything. Did they watch the J6 hearings, did they read the Mueller report, did the read the 45 page (double spaced) Jack Smith indictment, do they know it's available to them and an easy read? Do they demand credible evidence?
Apathy and indifference are serious problems, but they have always been with us. The televised hearings last summer made a big difference.
I agree, millions of us watched, unfortunately too many in our country aren't interested in any sort of news and too many are getting lies instead of news. No one who just watches fox knows that the network has to pay nearly a billion dollars for their proven lies found in a process involving a unanimous jury verdict. I surely want regulations around cable an internet similar to what we have for broadcast. I want election day to be a federal holiday, with a requirement that even the most necessary of jobs be given hours off to vote. And I most definitely believe getting money out of politics would be great for our democracy.I want short substantive campaigns with no 30 second, one minute tv spots. Other countries do it.
Given that the party holding the white house always takes big losses in congress, we did pretty well.
In depositions or trial testimony at an upcoming criminal trial.
Send them all to Gitmo for re-education.
You Can Tell trumpet 🎺 is lying because his lips are moving.
Citizen J
I been saaayyyiiinnn.....
Keith, you are right about Republican defiance of the Federal government. It is not OK. The barrier could be taken care of by some Navy seals demolishing it. That one's an easy one. The others you mentioned are not so easy. Alabama is doing what Alabama has always done, do its best to pretend it is its own entity and can do whatever it wants just because it is Alabama. The Feds might have to wait until Democrats are back in charge of the House and Senate before acting by cutting back on federal funding for the state until they clear up the map situation.
Despite the fact that Jim Jordan, a person of questionable character has no right to demand defunding of anything. He is a non-entity trying to pretend he is something special. Maybe that FBI he is trying to ditch should be investigating happenings at the university where he worked.
The Senate should adopt a code of ethics for the SC. However, it needs to include consequences for bad behavior, and that needs to be spelled out too. The consequences could be a term's suspention, inability to hear certain types of cases, a serious fine (maybe a million dollars (their donors will pay it for them), demotion to a lower court for a year or two, or something else creative minds can think of. As for Lindsay Graham, what say does he have about anything more than any other senator? He isn't exactly free of sin either. We the People and Democrats need to stop folding under the onslaught of hatred, innuendo, blaming, ignorance, fascism and more that Republicans are dishing out to see which go over best. Then we need to start holding the media accountable for their bad behavior, their bad coverage, their support for fascism and their part in the "Big Lie" and January 6th. So far, none of the big players in the Trump attempted Coup have been held accountable and cruise along as though nothing happened that could hurt them. That needs to change too.
The Jan 5 committee referred five House Republicans — including McCarthy — who ignored congressional subpoenas from the panel. The panel subpoenaed McCarthy, R-Calif., and Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama.
IMHO Garland and the FBI should, at a minimum, have taken statements from them. In Perry's case, he appealed the subpoena for his phone to prevent DOJ from reviewing his communications as part of the investigation into Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Perry and Biggs asked Trump for a pardon. If I wer Garland, he'd have to explain why he needed one to a grand jury.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/09/cheney-scott-perry-jan-6-hearing-00038724
Daniel, I just love the way McCarthy whines when Dems and others don't choose to appear before his committees when he did exactly the same when he was called. The problem, there were no consequences for those Reps not showing up for questioning and DOJ seems to have dropped the ball on getting them to answer questions there too. I do not understand what is going on. Those you mentioned may well have had something to do with the January 6th insurrection, particularly Perry, so should have been questioned. We the People are going to have to do better if we are to save our democracy.
That little POS Scott Perry from my ex-state really needs to be investigated, prosecuted and STOPPED!
He is jonesing to be SCUMp SHITler's Goring once he imagines, and helps his putrid orange fuehrer back into absolute power.
He may not be quite as 'visible' as all of the other low life, wannabe NAZI scum enemies of democracy, but just as, if not MORE, dangerous ultimately.
Lance the "F-ing" boil!!!
“What if...” LOL! He actually said it out loud! What about [insert crazy vlad bot sh*t here].
what if the boil is corruption of government officials including joe biden? the FBI testimony about Hunter’s laptop is not going to just evaporate.
Mweiner — Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi! And HER EMAILS!!!
Attack of the Vladbots!
STALE DATA!!!
Sir or Madam. If you knew anything about the provenance of that unfortunate machine and just what an FD - 1023 is, you would not say another word about Hunter Biden, who is a private citizen unlike the trmp clan offspring, had/has no role in government at all and has paid his debt to society.
Now how's about you find something interesting to do?
It looks like the original drive was taken out, a replacement drive that held images was placed into the machine and other files loaded onto it. This is why certain things failed to make sense, like those emails that were stored as pdf's. Etc, bla, bla, bla.
Someone in my own family whines about HB's laptop all the damn time. Look at real crooks. That's what I tell em. Crooks like the one (s) you apologize for.
It's all so tiresome. All this disinfo business making horses asses out of what used to be fairly smart people. But the narrative is what thrills them. They love that damn narrative and they line "facts" up to support it.
PS: Don't get me started on that repulsive, hideous and spork-footed throwback, MTG.
They don’t want to deify the rule of law they want to Write Pass and Enforce their laws . Politics in the USA closely resembles the range war in the west before fences and rules were enforced.
The cattle barons were the Self appointed Regulators and the resistance to the Regulators was the Moderators .
Literal Range wars (battles) took place before the Moderators Won The war many were sacrificed .
Moderator citizen J
DeSantis words and actions in Florida should be added to the list.
I think they should ascend to slavery...in Florida...a re education program under DeFascist where they could "learn some skills...for their personal benefit."
Even Nixon and Reagan must be shuddering in their caskets!
Oh NatureBear, I suspect they are jealous they couldn't get as much power as Trump has to get their own way. Nixon was a power broker who did enough good things (EPA, Title IX, Clean Air and Water Acts) to cover for the power he was grabbing and the racist actions he was taking and promoting. Reagan was out of his depth and would have loved to make more folks do his bidding. Neither Nixon nor Reagan were ever held accountable for their actions just as Trump has not been. My guess is the next Republican under the current Republican Party who gets into office will be worse than the three of them put together because that person will have learned how to get away with anything, even a murder in the middle of 5th Avenue.
Nixon LITERALLY got elected to the White House by a treasonous act — scuttling the Paris Peace Talks. He’s recorded talking to Lyndon Johnson about it just days before the ‘68 election. He agreed the behavior was treason, but Johnson didn’t ask him if he was part of it — there was never an investigation! It was alluded to and denied for decades until the information was unsealed a half-century later and Nixon had confirmed it happened.
They scuttled what had promised to be an end to the Vietnam conflict in 1968, and we got SIX MORE YEARS OF THAT HORRENDOUS WAR, with Nixon widening its scope and throwing ever-more sickening bombs and chemicals at the people there [including harming our own soldiers].
To my mind, Nixon deserves to be considered one of the monsters of history. I don’t care if he played ping pong with the Chinese or signed the EPA, I can’t let him off the hook for being a monster.
{I could easily be convinced to put the Cheney Administration and that Loon George Dubya into the same category for the utter chaos they fomented, going to war in the Middle East on a RUSE!}
Pat, I totally agree with you. I only mentioned the few positives because of his conniving to cover for the rest of the things he had done. A monster is a good word to describe Nixon. So much of what we are dealing with today is a direct result of Nixon's poisoning of the American political life and the Republican Party. I don't know what it will take for either to recover.
Yes, Ruth, I agree.
I see so much of the dirty tricks and outright venality and lack of respect for law {they act like law is for the rubes} stemming to the Nixon era, his getting away with literal murder, his “pardon,” and his crew carrying forward thinking they had gotten to nod to do anything they could get away with — “If the ref doesn’t see it, it didn’t happen.” I always hated that attitude toward living with honor and the rule of law, as though it’s stupid to value integrity.
^^THIS!! (Beat me to it!)
Everyone was so (justifiably) worried that SCUMp would "Start a war or something near the end of his term in order to stay in power."
Well Prixon actually DID just that, except for the starting part. ;)
👍
Bravo, Pat! Couldn't agree more. TFG, Bush II, and Nixon: the triumvirate of evil, when it comes to U.S. Presidents. Add in Ford, Cheney, Giuliani, and others as accessories.
Thanks for your reply, Ruth.
I mostly agree with your perspective. I guess that I was perceiving both Nixon and Reagan - neither of whom I have any respect nor admiration for - as being more moderate than Trump or DeSantis, as possible examples, to name a few.
I entirely concur with you that Trump has unleashed a "can of worms" that will likely take decades to vanquish.
DeathSantis
moRon deathSatan
DeStinko
I hope you are wrong, but I fear you are correct.
Wow!
No they will not be shuddering; they will be rejoicing. Plans for this were made decades ago. Step back. Look deep and far. There you will find the small, usually unnoticed steps that brought us to today and have given the enemies of democracy and law and order the path to manipulate and control ordinary, too over-worked to notice folks. It is not an accident that many workers have to work more than one job to survive. This is part of the take-over plan.
Barbara - you are exactly right. I hate to admit it, but I must admire the tenacity of the repugnants long game. FDR was to them a temporary setback. There have been folks along the way that have pointed out the actions, decisions, policies that built to what we have now, but the press has always marginalized and/or ridiculed them, if they were mentioned at all, usually as an outlying aberration. Chomsky is the classic example.
FDR even WARNED that they would be like this, way back when.
When he started up the Social Security program, he told us that they will do EVERYTHING in their power to take it away from U.S., despite it's popularity, an he was CORRECT to this day!
We can't breathe.
These people were elected: vote 'em out!
Help get the vote out by supporting the Democratic Coalition https://www.democraticcoalition.org/
Now that the GOP has decided to up the ante on lawlessness, by outright ignoring a SCOTUS ruling, what enforcement mechanism is there in a case like this? Who steps up to make sure the law is followed? Does the court issue sanctions, or seeing how we're talking "fellow travelers," doing the bidding of keeping the party in power, democracy be damned, will they just ignore it?
This is the gap in the vision of the Founding Fathers when it came to governance. They assumed the people would elect decent leaders with a measure of integrity, such that in cases where there is no law they would do the right and moral thing. For example, the SCOTUS has no rules on ethics because who would have thought a SC justice would be so lacking in integrity as to openly take bribes and enrich themselves in exchange for favorable rulings?
This is a symptom of the legacy of Donald Trump. He ushered in a spirit of lawlessness, that ignoring or breaking the law is fair game politically, if it advances the party's political interests. They could give a rat's behind about the adverse impact this has on democracy and the damage the lies and divisiveness has on society as long as they get to stay in power.
Whether Trump stays or goes, the poison he's unleashed, affecting the government and institutions down to the true believers, is destroying the very concept of "America."
I think the lawless attitude and contempt for doing the right thing goes back at least to Nixon. It simply became more blatant under TFG.
I agree. Starting with Nixon, accelerating with Reagan -- remember Iran/Contra? GWB and the lies that got the US into the Iraq war, and now Trump with his Russian collusion, insurrection and thoroughly corrupt presidency. Trump just "normalized" it. From day one he ignored the Emoluments clause and used the Presidency and the government to enrich himself and his "kids." The GOP ignored/defended it and the media reported it as if they were not as serious as they were. Imagine if Obama had done even one of the things Trump did. The media would be in high dudgeon and the GOP would have set the world on fire.
Agree completely, Clark. There was a lot about GHWB and his history with the CIA that was never really made public, Iran/Contra aside. Then GWB was blatant about his lies, but was excused by Obama, and now Bush II has become a rehabilitated "elder statesman." We've come close to the height of normalization with TFG. If the worst happens and he skates on all the charges against him, there's pretty much nothing this country won't collectively sanction.
And don't be surprised if Biden is reelected and Trump is convicted, which I am not counting on, given the history of how we let "leaders" like that get away with stuff "for the good of the country", that Biden pardons him, which actually won't be good because until we start holding people accountable for these very egregious things, even more dangerous people who find themselves in positions of power will feel there will be no consequences if they do subvert the government or Constitution. If democracy dies, it won't be because of the civil war those on the right fantasize about, apathy will pave the way for it.
Do you really think Biden would pardon him? I mean, at that point, Biden would have nothing to lose, personally, but he'd sure tank the Dems for a generation, I'd think.
I hate thatI agree with you, Clark maxwell.
I wish, Dorothy Knudson, it were not the case. I keep hoping things will change, that leaders of institutions like the SC will find their moral voices, and the courage to step up and speak out. I don't see how we can keep on like this.
This is Heather Cox Richardson's letter from a day or two ago.
Everyone needs to be shouting this theme.
Yessiree bob!
I love HCR's writing and perspective!
Yep, she's a bona fide treasure.
Put a muzzle on that dog trump! And add democratic judges to the Supreme Court it seems it’s the only way to get a fair unbiased opinion. The current lying Supreme Court judges elected by by trump all lied and Thomas is a crook and a dispicable human being …what has happened to our country. Lock trump up!!!
This is w h y we must vote in Every Single Election we can. We can no longer just vote in Presidential elections!
Use YOUR VOICE -
VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION - they All Matter!
You are right. Defiance is the first stage of this revolt. We are baring witness to it.
Hard to “like” that, but certainly agree!
I live in Texas, and I am very embarrassed and disgusted with Abbott. He is a man that has aligned with people like Trump and his sycophants like Ted Cruz
All of Texas is watching to see if we are a state of compassion and humanity or a state of hate, and fear that is sold to us daily by fox Rupert Murdoch‘s Vehicle of repugnancy.
We should certainly welcome this battle, however, we must also recognize all the many tactics/fronts that the battle is being waged on- 3rd party candidates to dilute votes and facilitate minority rule via the electoral college, division of the electorate via 'culture wars' to water down collective voting power; gerrymandering (selection of voters vs voter selection of representatives) and voter suppression to subvert the will of the people/majority; propaganda & misinformation (blurring the lines between truth and fiction); fearmongering/anarchy while flooding the streets with guns & providing immunity from their use by claiming fear/self-defense. Lying, cheating and stealing- to control the Supreme Court; to stymie congressional power, while transferring power to gerrymandered State legislatures and the ill-gotten Supreme Court Rep. majority; to attempt to retain and/or regain the Presidency. Unlimited money provided by the .01% who are the ultimate benefactors of all these efforts.... I could go on! Ultimately trying to keep us divided and distracted so we won't wake up (woke) and realize our true strength (strength-in-numbers via Democracy) until it is too late. Similar to the progress made by black Americans Black Wall Street); It seems some believe that the progress being demonstrated by a multi-racial, multi-class, multi-religious, multi-sexually oriented, multi-...,. society/electorate, might have to be met with violence and destruction (burned down) in order to prevent further progress.
Do not forget this heartening fact though: Trumplicans make up roughly 30% of America . . . and FALLING! That obsolete Deathcult won't last until 2026.
So well put. I hate to sound so dramatic but are we headed for Armageddon?
What to do? How and where do we invest our time, money, emotions and other limited resources.
In 2015, when the Republican Presidential primaries were just beginning, Trump mocked a disabled reporter. I will never understand why that wasn't the end of Donald J Trump as a politician. Some people, it would appear, think cruelty is entertaining. The only thing littler than Trump's hands are the brains of his supporters.
And the only thing larger is the arrogance of their egos!
David, Some Orwellian double speak : when there are interviews on television of a group of his supporters and they are asked what they "think"! It appears to me that none of them are thinking. They are in a trance state and repeating the mantras. The mantras are pre-digested regurgitations of formerly latent racist, elitist distortions and cruelties that they are pretending are their rights as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
t did many acts similar to this mocking of a differently abled reporter that should have been the end of him. I remember how he reacted to the young, female college student who had the courage to challenge him; I was shocked that Americans parents voted for a person who would treat a young person in this way. I remember Obama responding to a young, female college student who challenged him. The difference between the two was the difference between night and day. I still can't believe that after witnessing this kind of behavior Americans voted for t.
We need those two responses to young women questioners - with voiceovers asking parents - the pointed question of the contrasting behaviors and how that relates to many other things. Can MoveOn or another do this?!
Everybody votes, right?
Help get out the vote, today-- the Democratic Coalition, Indivisible, Swingleft.org are all actively working to do so--
Republicans can't do this if we don't let them! Vote-- and help get out the BLUE vote-- and they're done!
There is NO other choice but to elect Dems. They "cower" in your words has often been because of either 1) they did not hold both the Senate AND the House, or 2) Their majority was marginal. This was Obama's situation w the Affordable Care Act.
Also, we a very center to center-right ideological society.
Lastly, America is NOT Social Democracy, like all of Europe. We are a "Capitalist Democracy," where capital rules, as you know.
We are no longer a Capitalist Democracy. We are a system of unfettered capitalism. Our elected officials no longer do what the majority wants them to do. The for-profit motive underlies everything that exists in this country. Any employee, or person, patient, or inmate that isn't a commodity will cease to exist.
That very unfettered capitalism is the basis, and major tenet of FASCISM. ;)
I agree with you, Gloria. You're spot on regarding the for-profit motive dictating life. We've basically become commodities, as have all species and our Mother Earth
I've often stated that only only democracy will guarantee rights and responsibilities. So, progressives must control the government, and know what to do. Because, right now, not even progressives have an agreed upon course of action regarding the control of our economy and capitalism.
I believe Obama had the votes to pass single-payer, but he was stuck on bipartisanship. So he caved to Big Pharma and Big Insurance, and got the [significantly flawed] ACA.
Is this the sentiment of citizens, or of 'official' dems in whatever capacity?
I agree with your statement 100%! When someone shows you who they are BELIEVE them!
"Some"??
MOST of the effing RepugnaF**Ks it seems, are just A OK with this cruelty and sadism, and 100% of their effing NAZI 'base' LIVE FOR IT!
I still don't understand why Trump wasn't charged with treason after he publicly requested Russia to hack...
You get today's gold star for your last sentence, David.
Schadenfreude works in strange but not so mysterious ways.
I hate to draw the comparison, but FPOTUS & MAGA GOP remind me of the rise of the Brown Shirts & NAZIS 100 years ago! Never Ever Again!
Entirely appropriate . . . I've known a few people who grew up in Germany in the 1920's and they were saying in the Bush years that this is what it feels like. Alluding, I think, to the determination and complete lack of scruples of the Bush crowd and their arrogance and belief that only they were fit to rule and that the other side were fantasists and idiots.
Of course it was true of them, as is now obvious, but it's too late. Some descent into the abyss has already happened. We must accept that. America as we knew is over. But there's an opportunity here to finish and complete the vision of Roosevelt, which was the true path for us. What an unbelievable blast of fresh air it is Biden and his people are there.
But the nutcases will not allow it. We must simply keep trying and not get too demoralized but it's hard. An unbelievable opportunity has been lost for nothing. So the Kochist sickos could have more money and power. What an incredible waste.
Aren't the khaki wearing, small penis, crowd already attacking people?
If their putrid orange fuehrer gets back into power, FOR LIFE this time, they will be doing it not just without repudiation or legal consequence, but WITH government (4thREICH) sponsorship and PRAISE. :( :(
It is happening. Hopefully it will not go much farther. But at this point it looks like a 50% chance Trump will get back to the Whitehouse. My fear is that he does not leave. "12 more years!!"
Although I understand the legally legitimate concept of being "presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law," I think that given the magnitude of the issues involved pertaining to the security of extremely top secret information that is the property of the US Government; how long these documents were apparently easily accessible to who knows which personnel of which governments - including enemies of the United States; Trump's multiple attempts to defy the legal requirements to return these documents; his continuing threats of violence; and the various other actions as related to the "Big Lie" about a stolen election, as well as, the incitement of the January 6th, 2021 constitutional crisis, etcetera, etcetera, how is it even remotely feasible for this man to be permitted to run for the highest office in the American system of government yet again? It would be astonishing if it wasn't entirely mad!
It's not dissimilar to returning a person who attempted to build and detonate a bomb to a bomb making facility without any restrictions of any kind. "Have at it, Mr. President."
Surely, even without this current classified documents case as part of the equation, his recent public prognostications, and his continuing allusions to violence, has Donald Trump not done more than enough already to disqualify himself from being permitted to pursue re-election to the Office of the President of the United States of America?
Incidentally, I am Canadian, and I for one am totally incredulous! And I am additionally very disturbed by the increasingly irratic behaviour of American politics. I sense that many important factors comprising the stable maintainance of such a massive and important Country such as yours that is so very critical to the stability of the global situation as it currently is, that many of these constituent functions of your society, legal system, and system of government are beginning to spiral out of control?
Donald Trump and his nefarious compatriots within the Republican Party, and elsewhere, have committed grievous injury and harm to the American People. He simply should never be permitted to become President again. Period! The risks are far too grave and dangerous. He is a traitor to his Country!
He needs to be informed by the American People - without ambiguity of any kind - that "You're fired!"
I live in Alberta and the UCP have been elected....your concerns are already in Canada.
Condolences. But like the US as a whole, Alberta is a "petroleum state"--maybe the political damage can be contained? or is it crucial to the Canadian economy?
The president who oversaw the genocide of indigenous America was more effectively harmful.
Good point, but that happened over many decades, & therefore even more administrations. I understand Jackson was among the most egregious, but certainly not the only one.
Of course you're right, but Jackson was far, far bloodier than any other: "Indian Removal" was a mission for him, and he was overt in writing about considering the "extermination" of the "Indians" no great price to pay for bringing industrial agriculture and cities to the West.
I remember when Jackson was considered 1 of our greatest Presidents. That assessment has certainly changed! Much of it due to his policy against indigenous people, whom historians have fortunately started regarding as human.
I can hardly believe he's still on the $20 bill. Remember when Obama was going to change it to Harriet Tubman? I think Biden promised to revive that but I sure haven't seen her on a $20 bill yet.
Let's avoid being or even giving the impression of being an apologist. Tfg is a crook and going back a hundred years or so for a comparison is a hint that you may be reaching a bit, eh?
Huh? I don't get where you're coming from. Let's avoid thinking we have ESP and casting aspersions on strangers. Trump has few more energetic or implacable foes than I've been, having given up most of my time and a large proportion of my retirement income to defeating him and his troll and zombie armies for the last 8 years, at the polls, in writing, on phonebanks and canvassing, on social media and in print and in the streets, including the streets of DC. I mentioned that genocide--pure and simple under Jackson--is at least as bad as the venal, heartless mismanagement of a pandemic because I think our worst problem--as I've said over and over again on Bob Reich's substack blog--is the apathy of despair.
Oops, stopped my wordy comment too soon. It seems that as a nation we've overcome the kind of genocidal hatred of indigenous Americans that spurred Jackson's massacres, and at least officially rejected that ideology (though god knows "indian-hating" is alive in the Dakotas and NC, where suppression of voting on reservations is mind-bogglingly overt--please support Four Directions and Honor the Earth!) Because we no longer believe in "savages" or call people "redskins" or, at least in blue states, suppress indigenous history, I'm emboldened to believe we can overcome the current tide of hatred and lawlessness too. Biden's support for the Line 3 pipeline through traditional Ojibwe rice fields (treaty lands!) in MN does give me pause though...
I apologize. The tone of your initial comment was hard to read. Your elucidation has provided the illumination needed to fully appreciate your comment.
And I'm sorry I was snarky. I was partly responding to another comment, that asked what the genocide's body count was, assuming it couldn't compare to those lost to Covid. As the expression goes, "comparisons are odious," especially re: genocide! I had my back up.
This is a hard question to answer and as you can imagine the historical debates are fierce (and largely inter-generational). Demographic estimates for population of the Americas in 1492 range from 50-100+ million. By the end of the 19th century Indian Wars, mainly in the US, the indigenous population in North America was down to 238,000 from a population whose estimates run from 5 to 15 million. Jackson formulated the Indian Removal Act and was thus responsible for most of the killing and the deaths on forced marches. He's on record as calling the "extinction" of the native people a reasonable price to pay for a populated West of Big Ag and cities.
Yes, Jackson was a homicidal maniac with probably the most thorough case of white supremacy ever expressed in action by a U.S. president, while Trump is nothing but a lousy crook. (Or maybe a virus?) Makes Nixon look like Pericles.
As important as 2020 was (and make no mistake it was the most important election in my lifetime to that point) 2024 is even more important because we will literally be fighting to keep our country and our democracy intact.
Yes, exactly! The 2024 Presidential election cycle in the United States will literally decide Earth's and humanity's future!
Exactly . This reader in Aoteroa New Zealand 🇳🇿 wants to remind Americans that all democracies rely on a strong democratic US. We have too many MAGA-mini mes here already just aching to tear us apart and copying every fascistic move they see like petulant toddlers.
I completely agree with you. As a Canadian observer of global and American politics for several decades, I am experiencing increasing levels of anxiety as I watch and read about so many previously stable governments rapidly moving rightward toward authoritarianism and even outright fascism.
Although I think that Trump put a bow on it and made such political leanings more acceptable and palatable to the average person, I have begun to believe that perhaps a significant reason for this trend toward fascism and authoritarianism is actually a panic like reaction to the multitude of climate crisis impacts that are increasingly affecting them personally. As a result, many people are looking for both simplistic solutions to these problems and are additionally looking for egotistical and bombastic loudmouths to implement them even if it means destroying their societies in the process.
Rats in mazes act out strange and sometimes unpredictable behaviours when they are increasingly stressed over longer periods of time. After all, humans are merely sophisticated primates. Why should our reactions be that much different?
I agree. I think this is, beyond anything else it also is, the predictable and predicted result of 60 years of increasingly strenuous and difficult climate denial.
PS remember when De Santis forbade the use of the words 'climate change' in official documents, even those concerning environmental destruction from storms and heat waves and extinctions?
It is a vise we have created entirely by ourselves. Indeed, it is we who continue to turn the screws tighter by the day.
Thank you for your comment!
Not sure I want to take credit for the situation, as I've soent a whole lot of my time, since 1970, working against this denial, by every means possible to me. Time I think to name the enemies and focus on them rather than accept anonymous collective guilt. By the skin of our teeth, we still have democracy and the rule of law: we can act. If need be we can go to jail. But thanks for your concern!
To add to your reasoning, NatureBear, I recently read a very pointed argument made by a historian. He observed that most of the generations who saw the rise of, then fought Nazism and Italian fascism, are gone. By far, the majority of people alive today never lived through or witnessed that battle to preserve freedom in the world. They have no personal reference point, so the rise of right-wing power is still an abstract concept. Therefore, there's no sense of immediate alarm. Sobering thought, no?
Thank you for your reply and for your observations, Denise!
Indeed, this likely explains the Republican zeal to confuse and obscure - whitewash? - American history. By removing, and/or making invisible, various unfortunate and deplorable events from the education curriculums, it then makes it possible to simply ignore reality itself and instead create an alternate reality more suitable to their ultimate plans for America and its citizens. Like-minded drones are much easier to influence and control.
Very well said, NatureBear. Indeed, we already hear all the time about high schoolers who don't even know there were two world wars. Once the context for those wars is erased, comparisons with current events in the U.S. also disappear. Normalization becomes much easier. <shudder>
"Don't worry, 'big daddy' will force all of the bad stuff to go away, and make it all alright!"
That is sad to hear in your land, which I always (maybe naively??) considered to be a very beneficent place, especially once the aboriginal peoples were given full rights there, and their history and persecution were recognized.
Is some of (most of) the fascist BS a 'backlash' to what I mentioned above?
I think shielded-by-governments corporate natural-resource extractors should both face accountability for the destruction of the forests and fisheries that have caused the environmental crisis we have today. Let's add the air and water polluters and the waste disposal industry, too.
We are in a most definite 1932 Germany moment right now.
The supposed 'freedom loving' apathetic, apolitical, 'can't be bothered' populace of this land had better WAKE THE F**K UP, NOW!!
Folks, please take a breath... Look out the window at something living. Democracy is a living thing like that, it depends on free and open exchange of knowledge, energy and matter. It's not a war or battle. If there is a boil on the body, and you love the body... It's a sign, listen to what the body is saying, why did this boil come up... Listen with the love of a mother, a brother, listen and look the way your dog would with ever present love. The sysyis broke for all of us if it's failing the most vulnerable. This isn't a war folks. It's time to be the old wise ones who listen with their hearts to the deep pain across all life forms in the United States of America. Think about how to bring real change, real hope and a real future for all and this pustule will take care itself easily.
It isn't enough to work against tRump. We must expect and demand that the Democrats get much more vocal and "fierce" in the fight. Democratic "electeds" must be all over all the media - social and all others - describing what the GOP is doing and what they intend to do. It is not enough to keep repeating the rather weak words, "overturning our democracy," when they are, in fact, in the active act of overthrowing our government! They have already destroyed democracy because they are totally ignoring "the will of the people" at every turn which is the very definition of being un-democratic!
The Democratic "electeds" really need to take off the gloves and get out the megaphones.
Remember Hillary tried to warn you. How different our country would be today if you had only listened. That is the message. You don’t have to like Biden, but you sure as hell better vote for him. He is the only choice for democracy and saving our country. He has done an amazing job with what he was handed.
Don’t be ignorant and whine.
VOTE!
Vote as if the entire future of America depends upon it, because it does!
Right on! Betty Moyers
Vote in the next election or it will be the last chance you ever have to vote...
As a former American who lives in Australia I have to say, moving on from Reich’s spot on points, there is also an international picture I foresee if Trump is elected: he will gain autocratic power with a title “president for life”, congress will be disabled, American financial Oligarchs will control Trump and his power, Trump will give Ukraine to Putin on a silver platter with GOP support, he will disjoin NATO for the USA, he will allow Xi to invade Taiwan without protest. Then he will make himself out as the business for America tycoon making a deal with China to get all of the earth”s microchips manufactured in Taiwan at a 5% discount, then China will take over Pacific trade routes (USA screws all Pacific nations including Australia and NZ) and democratic nations will be in survival mode against autocracies. NOT a pretty picture but clearly foreseeable. I personally am terrified and hope my grandchildren are not sacrificed in Trump’s grand scheme. It is possible!!!!!😵💫☹️
One exception, instead of '' President for life'' he will be ''Dictator'' for life. I am also very terrified for my 4 grandchildren. They are in their late teens and early twenties of age and they hate and despise that Orange baboon as much as i do..
How about "life in prison" for this evil con man?
YES!! That would be great, How about, '' Life in prison without the possibility of parole?'' No outside contact with the rest of the world and only contaminated water and stale, moldy bread to eat, No more Big Mac hamberders either. I can't express how sick and tired i am of this bloated orange baboon. I would also like to see that Kevin McCarthy in prison too. Him and TUMP could be cell mates. McCarthy couldn't be with his lover, Marjorie Traitor Goon anymore.
I think we all have our political shit lists. Kevin M is on mine too. Perhaps a better fate for them all would be a Gulag in Siberia where they could compete to put lipstick on Putin's butt.
That is a great suggestion. My list of political shit list is pretty long too. Two of them that aren't mentioned that much is Roger Stone and that slouchy skid row bum, Steve Bannon, those 2 are on my list. Donald TUMP and Death DeSatan are at or close to the top of my list. I made a comment on another site a while back that also referred to them going to Siberia so they could kiss Putin's ass every day and twice on Sunday..
Let's not even talk about what would happen to the environment in very short time. But that would, as it already is, create a very expensive result for businesses. (See: Florida insurance companies) I feel Republicans right now have gone so far that they are barely pro-business anymore. They're just pro-power, and that's not going to end well for anymore. Because actual billionaire's are more powerful than Trump and all the GOP.
Yes, those are the likely consequences of another Trump presidency (or any administration headed by a Republican). The 3 strongest military powers would all be headed by autocrats who would probably seek to divide the remaining world's resources amongst themselves. Hey, Russia, you take Europe & the Middle East, you, China, take India & Africa, while we get Latin America & Canada.
The SHITler, and Vlad The Impaler will then use that power base to strengthen all of the other fascist dictatorships around the globe (POS Orban, etc.) to the point where there will not even be a 'survival mode' possible for ANY democracy. :( :(
We have to keep in mind that Trump is just the symptom of a much larger problem that was bound to happen anyway as soon as the right charismatic demagogue came along to head the increasingly fascist, subversive Republican Party. We have a large portion of Americans open to authoritarianism gravitating to authoritarians like Trump, Putin & DeSantis, additional ideologues like Bannon, Flynn, & many others popping up in state after state like Kari Lake, Noem, Youngkin, etc. -- far too many to name, & all willing to take the mantle Trump wears. We have a huge problem with billionaires financing these demagogues & fascist "think tanks", & one of the most well-developed, comprehensive, sophisticated propaganda machine ever created of fascist media like Fox, Breitbart & right-wing radio, with influences from international instigators like Russia (itself one of the most sophisticated propaganda conglomerate ever developed), China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea & Iran.
Those of us who value democracy, liberty, equality & justice have a tremendous task ahead of us to overcome these forces that has only just begun. And then we can finally tackle the other enormous problems facing us like climate chaos, ecosystem collapse, economic injustice, etc.
Jaime, you are right about this overwhelming assault on our democracy. The problem, it is looking like it will be impossible to stop this steamroller of insanity. A lot of people lose hope when faced with such a huge task, especially when they don't feel like there is support for wanting to do something real to stop it. We so often see the media trying to be "balanced" when what they really have become is a mouthpiece for the crazies, repeating what Trump and Kump say as though it is worthy of repeating; it isn't. Trump should not be permitted to spew his threats of violence against this country. His handlers (those who are really running the Trump show) have schooled Trump to say just the right amount of threat, trying to keep him from going over the line of pushing insurrection. Oh wait, he already did that on January 6th and before and nothing happened to him that counted. Republicans saw his treason and acquitted him anyway. I guess power for them is more important than truth and our democracy. Congress could do a lot to stop this by a wealth tax, making sure corporations and rich folks pay their full taxes, breaking up monopolies, fining corporations for their bad behavior, pollution, etc. Stop bailing out banks who are participating in risky behavior, end the Trump tax cuts for the rich. These could be done with minimal trouble if Congress even gave a damn about our nation. Then, the military budget would be put back to a more reasonable level, say $700 billion. Will any of that happen with McConnell and McCarthy in charge of their party in Congress, not on your life. States could also keep Trump's name from appearing on any ballots in their states because of his insurrection attempt which is against our Constitution. When will Democrats act decisively? Getting rid of the filibuster or at least modifying it would be a great start. Yo Joe Manchin, you will never gain the presidency, so grow up and work for this nation instead of against it. It might make people like you better.
One aspect of this that amazes me is how many of the people who continue to enable Trump, and are inspired by him, are frequently wealthy or desire to be so, and yet, they seemingly fail to recognize the obvious and predictable pitfalls of creating a democratically antithetical and authoritarian police state which will ultimately lead to sufficient societal acrimony and violence that the entire economy will simply implode upon itself in the longer term.
They are somehow delusional in thinking that THEY will be allowed to keep all of their wealth and power once a totalitarian fascist system/despot is in place.
They look at the Russkie oligarchs and think, "WOW, that is GREAT, totally unfettered greed, kleptocracy, and NO culpability at all!".
What they fail to see is Vlad The Impaler's total control over those very oligarchs, and that their VERY EXISTENCE is at his momentary whims. ;)
Quite literally, that last part, David. How many "window mishaps" have there been, so far?
Very true. They have thrived under the current system. If they push it too far towards an unequal, unjust authoritarian system, the backlash & repercussions against them will likely not be pleasant.
Seems to me that money in Politics is the biggest boil.
It is certainly a huge part of it. Virtually all the power & influence goes to those with lots of money.
Jaime Ramirez ; The challenge can be simplified if we can see the forest for the trees ; obscenely wealthy 'donors' love the chaos of the culture wars. they want US to feel disempowered and overwhelmed. Invasion of the most 'sacrosanct' privacy is the ultimate invasion. Psychic rape (along with the real thing AND financial rape!). They thumb their noses at HIPPA laws; and separation of church and state while making 'moral judgements' that violate these laws while violating US! The courts are tied in knots with rules being unheeded or ignored, and the similarly slow moving obstruction used by entities like the Vatican! Meanwhile, they consort with the Saudis and other out of control oligarchs while robbing US blind! This is the bottom line! They are buying (and selling), our country and our power of self rule! That orange criminal still has classified docs! He should be waterboarded at Gitmo!
Superbly well said, Jaime.
Wow! A kind of "Battle Cry of Freedom!" I am still beyond amazed that the Trumpers and Trumpetes have not notices that Trump is losing it. So much of what he says makes little sense. He has stopped noticing that his "supporters" are the same folks, often going from town to town to catch the sunlight of his gaze which never seems to fall on them. They can't see, for some reason, that Trump does not even notice them and nor would he care about them if he did. He is in his own little fantasy he is dragging them into. Because so little has been done to stop the Trump madness, Trump thinks he is "king of the world" and is fighting to recapture his reign. As a person who never had to grow up emotionally, he is the petulant child wanting to get even with everyone he thinks tried to stop his rule of the household, school, or wherever he finds himself at any time. His ignorance is legendary, but his cult thinks their god is perfect in every way, makes sense every time he opens his mouth, and only they can understand what he is saying and doing (even though they have no idea what that is except for the violence and hatred he spews. They understand that part because it works so well to make them feel important, like warriors for their king (no matter that we live in a democracy and kicked out a king 240 years ago. The media need to wake up to see what a problem this level of corruption, deceit, general lying, and gaslighting they are participating in is doing to us as a people. Then, We the People, along with the media need to call out the hypocrisy of DeSantis and his crew in Florida designing a false curriculum because their little white kiddies are too fragile to learn the truth of what white people did to other people in this nation in the past. They may be able to see what they are doing to those who are not rich white men right now if they are encouraged to look. We also need medical personnel, teachers, unions, and others who are targets of Trump and Kump, DeSantis, and the other anti-American white governors and legislatures around the country to show some more courage. A doctor who refuses to treat a woman who is in need of abortion due to complications of a pregnancy is pathetic. One of the problems with having private hospitals as well as religious ones is that doctors and nurses who work there are subject to the tyranny of those who own or religiously oversee the institution. In short, this "battle" is going to be complex and only winnable if We the People wake up and start working right where we are to stop the encroachment of fascism. We must stop letting the ignorance of Trump, the evil of DeSantis, the hatred spewing from Republican governors and legislatures, and the rest to keep us from restoring some of the sanity we have been losing drip by drip under Republican mismanagement for the past 50+ years.
Ruth Sheets ; "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion".....
They ignore the laws already on the books!
"I am still beyond amazed that the Trumpers and Trumpetes have not notices that Trump is losing it. So much of what he says makes little sense."
That's a feature, not a bug, Ruth. As long as he's ranting and frothing, no matter what he actually says, he's their guy. The more outrageous and screaming he is, the more he's devoted to their "cause," whatever that is. Or so they think.
Mr. Trump has it in his pea-sized brain that he can rule America like his authoritarian friends rule their countries. I do not want my grandchildren growing up in that kind of country. I grew up simply believing that if you broke the law, you went to court and if found guilty, you went to jail. I grew up with respect for the law and respect for authority figures; however, I have learned much in the years since childhood and I will never bow down to anyone in authority who is pure evil. I see how many of my fellow Americans are treated and it sickens me. I wish Mr. Trump would inject himself with some of that disinfectant bleach he talked about during COVID. This group of sycophants that believe he is some kind of prophet sent by God are not only simple-minded but simply afraid! They grew up being taught that "others" meaning any other group or culture that wasn't exactly like them were going to take over and when that gets handed down through the generations it is hard to get through to them!
We "normal" Americans (isn't that ridiculous to say but considering our times) must fight the misinformation with truths every single time. We must not be afraid. Democracy must prevail.
You are Right Trump and his band of Cowards MUST be defeated! We cannot and should Not allow his Trump / Hitler agenda be able to grow into a extremely dangerous Dictatorship which most of us have never seen Thanks to the Greatest Generation as Tom Brokow would say !
That indictment is long overdue.
Amen! I just hope there are enough Americans who care enough to come out and vote for democracy and the rule of law
I think this is the real issue you face. If only 62% can be bothered to vote to prevent the rise of authoritarianism then do you even deserve democracy? You know the MAGA crowd are going to turn out and do their best to suppress other voters because if 100% of voters turned out they know they would be utterly crushed and their fringe lunacy exposed for what it is.
Got to overwhelm the Republicans with new voters, who trend heavily Democratic. As many as 7 million to 9 million more members of the racially and culturally diverse Gen Z could cast ballots in 2024 than did in 2020, while the number of the predominantly white Baby Boomers and older generations voting may decline by a corresponding amount, according to nonpartisan forecasts.
Every year, about 4 million Americans turn 18 and gain the right to vote. In the eight years between the 2016 and 2024 elections, that’s 32 million new eligible voters. Also every year, 2½ million older Americans die. So in the same eight years, that’s as many as 20 million fewer older voters.
Which means that between Trump’s election in 2016 and the 2024 election, the number of Gen Z (born in the late 1990s and early 2010s) voters will have advanced by a net 52 million against older people. That’s about 20 percent of the total 2020 eligible electorate of 258 million Americans.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/19/gen-z-voters-2024/
It's unfair to put the burden on the Gen-Zers, but who said life was fair. Go GEN-Z!!
dnkarr, I am a pro-Z-er. I think those young people are terrific (OK, not all of them. Some have joined the Trumpers and Trumpettes), but most are really awesome, thinking about how they are going to secure their future since we "Boomers" have left such a mess for them. It is now up to us Boomers to stand with them and do everything we can to make up for what we have done and permitted. Helping them to get registered (OK, registration should be automatic upon reaching age 18), and helping them to help other Z's to get registered and so on is critical. They often don't even understand how the whole democratic process works because civics is not required in most schools now and in a lot of red states, teachers are afraid to even teach what their overlords don't want taught and voting is one of those things. We the People need to fix that for those young people. We also need to ask them what they need to be successful and do our best to help them get it.
Ruth Sheets ; I disagree that "we 'Boomers' have left such a mess for them." Tell the families of the "4 Dead in Ohio" that their college student forbears were not actively questioning authority when pushing back at the draft and the War in Vietnam! There were many , many 'boomers' who actually died while fighting injustice! It's like the messages against President Biden that he's too old and senile to do his job!
Laurie, I did not intend to say that all Boomers are bad; we're not! However, there are among us some pretty shady characters who have done a lot of harm as legislators, business men, fossil fuelers, etc. We fought to move the nation along after the challenges of previous generations that came down to us, but our generation got jaded and didn't vote, went for profit over people, and helped to elect 2 presidents, Bush Jr. and Trump who were not worthy of us and our nation. Many of our generation are still working to make things better. Joe Biden is one of those (just missed being a Boomer) and many of the quality non-profits are headed by Boomers doing an amazing job of caring for our people. Now, we need to encourage the Z's to take the lead and with our experience and skill, we can help them finish what we started.
Yes, let us NOT speak as though EVERY 'boomer' gen member is a fascist SCUMp lover/supporter, although yes, many are.
I was left leaning in my youth, but have actually become even MORE leftist yet as I have aged, quite contrary to 'the norm' (I guess??).
At almost 70 now I am ready to take up arms against these effing NAZI pieces of shit to fight for democracy, IF that becomes necessary. ;)
Daniel ; Old people can develop Alzheimers and other conditions which could prevent them to vote. Even normal old age can be a barrier in some states, particularly in the Southern states which feature long lines at the polls, which can feel like a marathon for the elderly; not to mention the disabled.
Oh, were it but so easy...
Amen. Ambeyrac, France
professor reich: i HOPE amerikkkans reject fascism & authoritarianism, but i'm actually not so sure. on one hand, some people, like me, grew up in an authoritarian family filled with violence of any and every sort you can think of or imagine. it scared me to death. but sadly, there are plenty of people out there who either are unaware of the implications of living in such a family (or country), or embrace this possibility. (i grew up amongst those people, and they also scared me.)
whenever i think about this, and wonder why they are so supportive of fascism or authoritarianism, i come to the conclusion this is like child abuse: some people who were abused as kids become anti-violence, sometimes to the point of becoming pacifists, whereas a not insignificant number of them instead embrace violence, bullying and abuse as a way to control their environment and all the people within it.
GrrlScientist ; I have heard lawyers who were prosecutors, saying on TV, that they were reminded of actual crime bosses they prosecuted, when they heard tRump say certain things in a certain way. I have read that anyone in serious real estate business in New York City, for any significant length of time, will have to deal with organized crime. while dealing in real estate. We know he is a bully! He openly names people, or a particular race, in a way that puts a target on them. At his earlier rallies, he openly encouraged attacks against reporters covering the rally, or hecklers. He suggested that people "hit 'em in the face!" and he would pay their court costs or fines.