Sadly, I agree. I am glad you have written about Thiel, Yarvin and the rest of the gang, and how they and Vance plan to wrest us from democracy. America needs to learn much more about this thus-far quiet movement. But the many signs are out there, starting with Project 2025. Thank you!
Political vision and morals are only signs of a burgeoning leadership: You start with an idea, then the idea takes hold and you start growing numbers, then you gain power. Once you have the power, all bets are off.
Given power, they will have the teeth to bite. Remember that the Nazi movement was still tiny when Hitler became Chancellor in 1933. Their membership was fewer than 60 in 1920 but rose to 8.5 Million by the end of WWII in 1945. That is out of 66 Million people, give or take. That's only about 13% of the population who actually belonged to the Nazi Party, yet look how much mayhem they unleashed in all of Europe and the millions of Jews and Socialist/ Union workers they murdered.
Corruption, once it has a foothold, can be very difficult to dislodge.
For example, superpacs are a corrupting influence in our politics. The effort in Maine to pass a ballot measure to limit donations to a Superpac (pacs?)to $5,000 annually has caused Superpac money to flow into the state to convince the public not to pass that measure. Corruption begets power which begets more corruption. A vicious cycle.
Yes Cecile, As a European of almost 80, the example is close to me.
I could mention "Der wille zur Macht" of Nietszche, or the writing of Machialvelli. But the essence is: have the Republican something political or is it only empty nostalgia about a paradise lost...
Unfortunately, one does not preclude the other, does it? A good number of Southerners call the Civil War "The Yankee invasion" and they do hug a fond nostalgia about "The Lost Cause", when *they* were free to own slaves and women didn't have the right to vote.
When Archie & Edith Bunker at the beginning of their sitcom always sing: "Those were the days"
A time when girls were girls and men were men men... guys like me we had it made, didn't need no welfare state, everybody pulled his weight" that is a nostalgia about a "happy time", that never really existed.
At least, not for all.
Ah, that! was "freedom" as they understand it. And they hate the Federal Government that put an end to it.
Nazis had no ideas. What they had was anger, resentment, a desire for revenge, and they had fear and desperation on their side: fear of Moscow-controlled Communists, and the desperation of the unemployed.
Victor, this comment gave me chills down my spine: isn't that exactly what we are seeing today in the MAGA Part? Anger, resentment, desire for revenge, desperation of the unemployed. And it is true that the first ones who were locked up in concentration camps were Union people.
Hitler and Mussolini both dreamed of a union, a strong cooperation between the business sector and Government. Here, we now have this in spades, thanks to the supreme court and Citizens United!
MAGAS seem to find their ideas by totally opposing everything Dems say. "Own the Dems" is their favorite refrain. That is not how one governs a country: one needs ideas, good ones, that are appealing to a majority of the People.
Appealing to the people's worst angels is a path that leads to destruction, and in the end, self destruction.
Cecile, Thank you for your insights. Let me add respective to the ideological distinction that that Dr. Reich draws between Trump's self-serving power lust and Vance's cadre of democracy destroyers, that Trump needs to employ the anti-democracy movement in a way congruent to that of the old Nazi party, in order to serve his completely selfish goals. Similarly to Hitler's brownshirts and others from the nascent party, Trump has whipped up a furor among the violent extreme right in this country, forever loyal, whose fervor is unlikely to be quelled peacefully. Looking to the 1930's, clearly, they were the most powerful industrial conglomerates in Europe if not the world who threw their support to the Nazi Party irrevocably like a blood oath, with the intent of world domination, and with the concomitant result of the eliminations of millions of the 'others' not falling within 'Aryan' bloodlines or viewed as genetically or morally inferior to the Ideology of the regime. Look up Krupp Werke and I.G. Farben AG.
Well Krupp etc is not so powerful these days but Bezos,Musk,Thiel and others do wield that level of power through social media and the internet. Hatred is much easier to disseminate along with rallying calls to mobs.Unless the USA and Europe legislate for control over the publishers of hatred then democracy is under a death sentence.The very first thing that Putin did on assuming control over Russua was to dismantle a free press.
They made hate respectable just like Thiel,Musk,Trump etc.This anti democracy virus has spread across the world.It only serves the interests of oligarchs and dictatorships such as Putin's or China's leadership nit the ordinary citizen deprived of public services and subject to private monopolistic practices.Who did most to help Hitler rise to power? The wealthy industrialists who used slave labour and the landowners who wanted to reassert feudalism.
google the organization Teneo and you will see just how much power they have, Real teerh and they don’t care about morals. Their political vision is a libertarian view that the rich should rule.
Ironically many who assert a "meritocracy" government is best, would be turned into crispy critters if the dominionist white supremacists get their way.
We are already the country of Wall St. Blackrock, Vanguard, and State Street Bank control a huge percentage of voting power of all major corporations. These are major contributors to the Democratic Party. Wake up!
Finance capitalism needs the rule of law to thrive, manufacturing not so much, the extractive industries not at all. Note that all the countries which rely primarily on extractive industries are ruled by dictators. Note also that the extractive industries (fossil fuels and other natural resources) would be the primary beneficiaries of Project 2025, and that they are the primary financial backers of the Republican Party.
What else is old? Those who control the money have always ruled, and always will as long as money is the means to gain access to the goods and services we need. It will always accumulate into the hands of the most predatory and anti-social elitists who feel they deserve to be in charge because they are so skilled at getting money away from so many others. they have bestowed divine sanction on their earthly gains, and through schemes like lotteries and million-dollar giveaways, they have legitimized their greed in the minds of the public.
I think so. And the rational for their self justification I think comes from Ayn Rand, and her "virture of selfishness". Her books painted liberals as idiot leaches, and her imaginary heros as arising without any need for the trappings of government.
The fundamental flaw I see in the existance of the Republican party is that politics is driven by greed of some people to have more and more money and power. Everyone accepts that good thinking and hard work deserve to be rewarded. But no one seems to account for the advantage of wealth to obtain more wealth at the expense of those with less wealth. The net tendency of total freedom of business is monopoly, and the richest people owning the government, and using the government to further their greed. Between nations we get war between oligarchs.
Democracy is for the people not the oligarchs. Of course that means less freedom for the unjust rich. So the choice is clear, democracy with limits of the power of the wealthy, or dictatorship and domination by the ultra wealthy.
Luckily, there are always more less-wealthy people than more-wealthy. So the integrity of the vote is the critical means of preserving the democracy, and preventing dictatorship and the arbitrary extermination of anyone opposing the dictatorship.
We get to this dangerous condition becasue the ultra rich have more disposable money to influence the electoral process. The masses with less disposable money have to organize to counter the lies of the Oligarchs.
This basic stuff should be taught to everyone. As it is, only the ultra rich seem to know it. But be fair, not every over rich person is obsessed with this greed.
Feed the wolves, and they will not attack your sheep, advised St. Francis. We must make a compromise with some of the wolves so that we can beat back those unwilling to compromise.
Freedom to a narcissist does not mean respecting others rights. It means they can do whatever they want without restriction or limitation by the law. Thiel and the Oligarchs preeminant goal is to remove the pitiful few restrictions our societies laws have left for them. For the rest of us brutal capitalism and strict laws.
Yes, Bill, strict laws and, as Kevin Roberts says, hard work. The "sanctity of work" is violated by collective bargaining, just as the sanctity of life is violated by contraception and abortion. Most fascist regimes have weaponized religion.
Sanctity of work. Means that work is holy. The CEO is a god and we are but humble servants who should be happy with whatever god deigns to give us. I am sure this is a pervasive Oligarch attitude.
Doesn't Thiel have an association with Elon MUSK? I saw a picture of them when they were much younger on a Dr. Steven Greer documentary that showed them together very close to each other like a romantic couple would depict themselves in a photograph. After all, the both of them are greedy selfish a-holes that are hell bent on destroying democracy.
O.K., now even I am completely freaked out. Even I can see what might be going on here with these guys. I have to think hard about this. Thanks for the article.
I believe that Vance was more than a protege of Thiel. Vance has said that he once thought he was gay. The 180 Vance did over Trump from 2020 to now, tells me he would do anything for power, including sleeping with Thiel. Can't prove it but it smells that way.
There is a lot of misogyny and transphobia among gays, I can only point to the likes of Andrew Sullivan for starters. I have no idea how prevalent it is, but it paradoxically exists.
J D Vance, or whatever his real name is, has had political ambitions, and such ambitions require a wife and kids, so he marries a woman from a culture which raises women to be submissive and obedient. yes she is a Yale graduate and a lawyer, but she has hitched her wagon to a rising star in an otherwise racist and xenophobic society.
They met in Yale, married in 2014 and she has helped him rise in politics., she was originally a Democrat, but apparently the way to power and prestige has been through the Republican party.
I have thought the same as Vance was 1st exposed to Thiel in 2011 while Vance was a student at Yale where Thiel was giving a talk. Thiel is gay and Vance had his questions about if he might be gay. “Peter’s talk remains the most significant moment of my time at Yale Law School,” Vance later wrote in a blog post. Inspired, Vance emailed Thiel. “Stop by my house next time you’re out here,” the investor responded. The connection was made. 🤔
Yes, Vance definitely has "a little explaining to do." His performance during the debate with Walz is a national scandal. We should not let him get away with it. And we should not wait years as we have done with Trump.
Wow! thanks for this information. I was totally unaware of the details of this. JD Vance is creepy beyond my comprehension. I have noticed very recently that there are quite a few white guys in the same age group as Vance with the brown or black hair are getting haircuts like Vance and growing the same type of beard that Vance has in their deluded efforts to look like him. I especially have noticed this in the sports worlds of football and baseball with players and coaches. This is disgusting to me personally! I have also noticed this with older white men in their silly and absurd efforts to look like Donald TUMP with many of them with the same hair styles and even dying their hair a TUMP shade of orange. Grown men that behave like this are children in adult bodies and are in desperate need of psychiatric evaluation and possible time spent in an institution for the mentally ill.
Who knew you could make friends with a billionaire, write your opinion about hillbillies, get elected to the Senate with the billionaires money, and try to be VP in less than 2 years? "Lord Have Mercy," as Vance said in the VP debate.
I suspect JD Vance is using Trump. Perhaps he recognizes TRump’s worsening dementia and sees opportunity. What if they get elected and once in office Vance could maneuver Trump out of office. Vance as VP is there to take over. Following this plan could explain how Vance could change his attitude towards Trump so easily. Is Don the Con being conned? We have to stay tuned and watchful.
Apparently money is power and more important than anything. The Republican party and the MAGAt movement are notoriously homophobic, and against gay marriage, but Peter Thiel has a husband and kids.
I am a little late to this party, but my theory aligns pretty closely with Reich’s.
Here is my crazy revelation. My personal belief is that The Heritage Foundation, The Federalist Society, Peter Thiel and Musk…maybe even more, are conspiring to get Trump elected but he is just a front man. Their real candidate is Vance. They know Trump is too undisciplined, doesn’t really care about their cause and frankly stupid, and they cannot control him. But Vance is dyed in the wool of Christian Nationalism, savvy, and they own him. So that’s who they really want in power. They want their theocracy come hell or high water. Trump will be kicked to the curb (or perhaps fall out a window) soon after inauguration.
Promoting "woke" books helps Republicans. You should learn from Liz Cheney and stay focused on the paramount issue of the moment--unless, of course, you want to taste slavery yourself.
Smokey, sadly this is the history of humankind everywhere. We've made progress, and we must stay focused on the road ahead. This is a critical moment, and we must create a united front against fascism. Trump supporters have created ghosts by weaponizing words such as antifa, woke, the left, socialism, globalists. They deserve ridicule, and we must prevent them from influencing the mainstream.This is not the time to educate people about the cruelties of the past.
At my son's house, I was watching his giant screen SMART TV. I went to YouTube and clicked on News. There, in brilliant color, was a headline proclaiming that Vance won the debate, and a string of other FOX NEWS lies about the day's events. There were no other choices but FOX. I think my son's provider is Verizon. If I didn't already know about other sources of news, I wouldn't have learned about them at all from the choices provided on that screen. It was a shock to me to see how managed the facts really are. Winning this election for Harris and Walz is just the beginning for us.
I'm sure he doesn't. But that is a great idea! I will work on changing this mediascape to something more palatable. He uses his phone for most things and YouTube probably came with a package. His TV is on Disney most of the time because he has four kids from two months to ten years.
Vance won the oratory and rhetoric debate according to neutral commentators but the substantive issues are open for public debate without well honed Yale courtroom skills.The danger is the power of Fox and other propaganda vehicles skewing the narrative of recent history to favour Trump.
Fox News succeeded in convincing many whits that they are becoming a minority, and that they are losing their country. Trump has surfed on the wave created by Murdoch&Co.
Mike, your words are so very true and accurate. Our kids need to have civics taught when they are in high school! When Kamala Harris gets elected, I am going to get a petition going that will get Civics installed back in the high school curriculum again! Vote blue, America, up and down the ballot!
Long long ago in a post WWII suburb my high school civics teacher was hounded out of town for teaching us that the New Deal was a good thing that brought us out of the Great Depression. Or maybe it was that his wife was seen at an NAACP meeting in the town next door to our all white subdivision.
About ten years ago, I was assisting another teacher teaching ESL. One of the kids brought their civics homework to me, asking for help. Turns out that civics was taught by the football coach (no disrespect towards Coach Walz intended) who basically read Powerpoint slides to the kids every day and didn't take questions. Not only do we need to have civics taught in the schools, but we also need it to be taught by competent teachers.
I will never forget my Civics teacher! She was also my Americanism vs Communism teacher as well. She was a force! She knew all of it backwards and forwards and when we asked a question, she would always begin her answer with "Well, let me ask you this......"! She always made us think, debate and make up our own minds about different views. Thanks to her I learned about the rights and the obligations of citizens, how the government and political system functions, how a society is organized and how political decisions are made. She encouraged us to get involved and participate in the political process. She was a truly great teacher!
Talking to a social studies teacher yesterday she says the kids to graduate must pass a US and Missouri constitutional test and a civics test. That this is state law.
Yes, Steve, clearly this is not enough. A real test of civics must involve some form of personal sacrifice. This is the way it has been since time immemorial in most societies, but now all we require is passing a perfunctory written test.
I didn't know that civics wasn't being taught anymore in school. We used to have classes that we could elect (notice the wording!) to attend in addition to our regular curriculum. I was always in college prep( never got to go there sadly) but nevertheless we learned about how our government worked ( or was SUPPOSED TO WORK). I'll circulate petitions if I can to help you here where I live. I'm in my 70's but I'm not useless!😁👍🇺🇸
Denise, in education today there is such a difference of opinion about what is taught and not taught. The Civics classes we attended in high school are sadly gone. I remember I also took a class called 'Americanism vs Communism'.
It was so refreshing to see Marcus interviewed on MSNBC post debate and give his mini civics lesson in the Vice President’s role and duties. From JD Vance’s perspective, he seems to think VP Harris is already POTUS. I’ll take that projection. Harris Walz 2024!
He taught geography in the social studies department. Just the other day someone asked me what geography was doing in the social studies department, but when properly taught it includes both physical and cultural knowledge.
Sorry Mike, so many MAGA have their "minds" made up . The don't want facts or education. They want a leader to who will destroy what they hate...anything with a "liberal" tinge.
@DarcyGue, In conjunction with those at the top who would upend our constitutional democracy, I would suggest we also help spread awareness of the estimated 40,000 MAGA volunteers whose efforts already have challenged the voting rights of 850,000 eligible voters (nearly all voters of color)with a goal of nullifying 2 million by November 5th. I understand their methodology largely entails using AI tricks and disinformation expressly on Black, Hispanic, and Asian American citizens. (Source: Greg Palast’s just-released documentary Vigilantes, Inc.: America’s New Vote Suppression Hitman)
Our Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, recently purged thousands of voters. Among the people he purged were one man from Great Britain who had recently been naturalized as an American citizen and he was eligible to register as a voter. Abbott and his minions purged over one million Texas voters.
Kathy, Seeing we can’t counts votes that weren’t cast, I very much appreciate you writing and confirming the importance of regularly verifying one’s voting eligibility.
Yes, important, but think about it - if you work two jobs, don't have a car, etc. etc. the thing high on your list is not "checking your voting eligibility" and if you have been purged somehow finding time to do something about it. This is how they win.
O’Lady, While your point undoubtedly rings true, you’ve also identified a justification for supporting organizations like Fair Fight, whose deep reach into communities helps to overcome obstacles like the ones you mentioned to ensure as many as possible are eligible to vote and are able to get to the polls.
It says a lot about our democracy when a billionaire like Theil can put someone in the Senate with only the credentials of writing his opinion about Southern Ohio hillbillies and a few years in the military. Hello? Vance is not qualified to be VP, one step from the Presidency.
Whatever happened to working your way up in government as a local elected official, then to a Representative, and then a State-wide office? Working your way up government allows voters to know who they are supporting while teating the candidates' ethics and leadership. This is important process for good, representative government.
However, now a billionaire used his fortune to fund Vance and skip the legislative leadership tests. Vance is qualified to be a local leader or a regional Congressman. Vance is qualified to be a State-wide representative, like a US Senator. It's a travesty to democracy when candidates like Cruz and Vance can bypass lower offices and legislative leadership tests and go right to very powerful state-wide offices like the US Senate.
Keep in mind, from day one in the Senate Cruz and Vance wanted to tear down the best healthcare reform that Congress created after decades with the ACA. And what do they have better than the bipartisan legislation? Not a damn thing! This "disruption" to our democracy is very dangerous to Americans.
Our campaign laws have not protected speech. Our weak campaign finance laws have allowed those with the most money to overpower the voice of the people.
Weak campaign finance laws allow the super wealthy to dump many millions of dollars into our democracy and transform it to a fascist autocracy. The SCOTUS has allowed the super wealthy to have disproportionate speech and blanket the airwaves and media with lies and deception.
Now a billionaire is using his wealth and influence to try and make an unproven author on hillbillies be the second most powerful person in the country, the number two Commander in Chief. Billionaires like Theil and Musk are using their wealth to "disrupt" our democracy, re-create our government to favor billionaires, make the rich richer, and allow billionaires to be unaccountable with "deregulation," while ignoring the needs of workers and the middle class. As Vance said, "Lord have mercy."
Danny - They use the same dark/out of state money that they cry about when it is used to try to get people to vote correctly on the issues they don’t want passed.
... note the quote: "Make no mistake: The foundation for America’s first true anti-democracy president is being laid right now." - how is presiding over *an actual, physical, real-life physically-stroll-down-to-Congress-and-hang-Mike-Pence coup* not foundation enough to qualify its ringmaster-in-chief as the first true anti-democracy president? (Like, can there even be an encore for such a thing??)
PS: Democrats always say Hillary Clinton has "baggage"; isn't that baggage on the other side of the fence?
For the next month, whatever happens with the dock strike, in the Middle East, Ukraine, and at the border, “don’t change the subject” is the right response. Donald Trump is unqualified to be president and very dangerous for every American and the world. In addition to his rapes, frauds, anti healthcare, anti reproductive rights, pro Putin, document stealing, Project 2025, insurrection, he promises violence with his mass deportations and retribution. History has vivid examples of how this works for the countries with such leaders. Every citizen in Germany and the Soviet Union suffered under Hitler and Stalin.
Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot happened because people entrusted their destinies to these individuals. The Republican Party has entrusted its destiny--and that of the country--to Donald Trump, a fraud.
It seems that the Dark Siths want to establish a New High Tech Feudalism... This is the Product of Reaganism, Wealth Disparity, Generational UnTaxed Wealth Inheritance, and Extreme Wealth Disparity... In a System like that, if You are not a Sith, You are a Serf... Our Only Hope Is To Think Society-Wide, and Organize... The Top Countries In the World Happiness Indexes have low Wealth-Disparity, and a high sense of Social Responsibility... The Siths have GREED, and a SENSE of ENTITLEMENT...
I agree too but I don't see the Dems helping much. Yes, the republicans should be in jail. No else could steal bubble gum and get away with what they have - and yet the Dems won't listen to Bernie or talk policy about issues.
The signs were there in the 70s but they kept yes too busy working and trusting to pay attention.
I too, am pleased that you named these über wealthy monsters that provide financial support for their puppets who are engaged in pure unadulterated treason on their behalf. What saddens and angers me simultaneously is that the term 'treason' has devolved into a mere slap on the wrist for people like this.
Both the candidates and their backers must be rounded up and imprisoned with their fortunes confiscated BEFORE the election or ASAP afterwards (before January, 2025), independent of who actually wins. Their ill-gotten gains should be redirected towards the care and welfare of the common good.
Just saw Congressman Mike Waltz of Florida (R) on CNN... He Parroted JD's Defense of Jan6, 2021, and the non-Peaceful Transfer of Power... I did not see him commit to a Peaceful Transfer of Power... I suspect that Mike Waltz is not alone among the (R)s in Congress... Be Advised...
I'm just pleased MAINSTREAM MEDIA picked up Project 2025 and explained it! They were too cowardly to pin it to Bunkerboy, but his candidacy is over, so no need to be heroic adults I guess?
When Tim Walz asked Vance if Trump lost the 2020 election, Vance’s response was something totally unrelated. Obviously he is all in on overthrowing our democracy!
Vance is such a weasel. When the moderator asked him whether he would challenge the results even if every governor confirmed the results, either a yes or a no answer would have landed him in hot water. First, he inserted a string of lies about Harris and then he answered the question with a serving of pablum about peaceful discussion. But Walz put him back in the headlights with a yes/no question. Vance answered again with a "damning non-answer." I was so grateful to Walz for saying that. Just like Mike Johnson, Vance is a much better liar than trump. So slick, so clever, so "middle America." When he cultivates his damning non-answer skills, he will be a match for the devil himself. Still they will never win without lying and cheating. The first order of local business for Harris is to destroy the Electoral College. The second is to bring back the Fairness Doctrine.
That is a difficult objection. I would say yes, looking to the election. But there might be more connections to reality. The political subculture is missing the connection to "the reality"; there are possibly more...
This is sad. While Vance tried to make himself more relatable - Mr Walz was nervous and excited and even passionate about what he was trying to get accomplished. And I saw Mr Walz be respectful of the two minutes he had to talk. Watch it back. Mr Walz said I'm sorry when he thought he had gone overtime. And for heaven's sake please stop making a big deal out of me Walz saying he was somehow friends with school shooters! Anybody with a mustard seed of a brain cell KNEW what he meant to say. Strange how Mr. Walz's slip of the tongue is exaggerated while the entire debate was won by Mr Vance's refusal to say 'dt lost 2020'. "A damning non answer ' Mr. Walz won debate for me!
Vance first made himself relatable by writing his opinion about Hillbillies. The hillbilly book and Theil's money made him a powerful US Senator with zero legislative experience. Welcome to the techbros "disruption" of our democracy.
And Vice President Walz SPECTACULARLY condemned "Mrs. Mascara!" (It was actually weird seeing him NOT did up like an 11 year old girl at a sleep-over, right?)
2024 is just one battle in what will be a long war. We must have a congressional majority large enough, and leaders with the stones, to put up a thick firewall.
We must encourage the formation of a new Conservative Party as committed to basic American values as the old school Republicans.
And then we must ensure that the “anti- democracy” contingent NEVER wins an election, not even for school board.
It will take at least a generation to root them all out. Maybe two.
Peggy Freeman ; I wonder how much effect the latest "bombshell" revelations released by the now unredacted documents will have in the short time left before the election? This may remove the teeth of some of these would be dictators ; as it should. There may be more Republicans coming over to vote for Kamala Harris as a result of this evidence.
I hope that many people might reconsider their decisions to vote for Trump, but they may never hear about Trump’s crimes as Fox “News” and their preferred media outlets may never cover them.
Yes: if we want to keep our Democratic Republic we must Vote like hell, as someone posted here earlier. And hope our good lawyers and justices can do their jobs without obstruction. At least we currently have the Executive.unlike before.
Laurie, I just got through with my last batch of post cards. My fingers are permanently bent but that's okay if it gets more people to the polls! Yes, we must vote because sitting out on this election would be a huge mistake! Vote blue, America, up and down the ballot!
Yes Annabel, I think the Trumpian Republicans will be empty handed after their defeat. Then the party should be reorganised or reconstructed. But shivering about 2028 is not the good strategy or answer.
People who say “freedom is incompatible with democracy”, like Peter Thiel, conveniently overlook the fact that freedom is also incompatible with freedom.
One cannot act in a completely unconstrained manner without limiting the ability of other people to do the same.
Thiel shares an idea of “freedom” that entails the rights of the privileged to stomp all over everyone else. Unfortunately, so do the Trump Republicans.
Well said. We’ll see; it is entirely possible. Let’s get Harris/Walz voted in. This phenomenon of the possibility of our present Democracy turning into an autocracy is absurd enough as it would be hugely unpopular and, at best, 50/50 achievable. If today's forum as described comes to fruition many would be frustrated with such an outcome as autocratic regimes can only accommodate the few not the many. Today’s read was reminiscent of the Russian Revolution of 1917, which lasted for years, and by 1991, its vast Union ceased to exist. The Mandate for Leadership, the conservative promise 2025 (project 2025), is not a playbook. It’s a manifesto of sorts. America needs to preserve and retool its democracy under a Harris presidency, prepare for the opposition under a Vance Leadership, and do its best to counter it. DJT is, although many would deny it, excess baggage to many Republicans like Vance with aspirations in 2028. Go Democrats elect Harris/Walz as the sensible choice in preserving fair elections and our unique brand of Democracy.
I agree 💯👍. It's not going to stop with the 2024 election. We've got to look ahead and forward to what could possibly come for not only ourselves but for our kids and grandkids. I have some of those 👍🇺🇸🙏
We need an ad that has Hope Walz advising Tim and Kamala that Vance will pull the 25th Amendment on Trump and take power immediately, ending democracy in the USA forever.
Trump and Vance . This is the nicest we’ll ever see these guys. If they win they will unleash hell on the middle class , minorities, women . Not a campaign promise from Trump is to be believed.
Thank you for bringing to our attention Curtis Yarvin among others in the anti-democracy movement. Another source for this and not given enough attention is the historical reseach of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean.
That is why it so important to vote in every single election, local, state, and federal eevery single time! All the time! I am from Ohio, this Bernie Marino character against Sherrod Brown has me worried. He is billionaire backed too. Ugh
I share your distaste for Bernie Moreno. Sherrod Brown is the only senator who cares about ordinary citizens of this state. Our feckless General Assembly, Senate and state government don’t, and JD Vance is an embarrassing, angry Trump toady and misogynist. I’d really like to know if Usha Vance is impressed with her husband’s angry and hate-filled rhetoric and his commitment to lying to win?
That is beyond creepy. The good news is that there is now an energized, organized, and dedicated grassroots movement determined to keep democracy strong.I’m sick of folks like
This old fashioned corporate city state carve up has been the fallback reaction for every historically ignorant spoiled predatory ‘self-made’ millionaire for decades. Individuals who have been helped by past political economic regulations and have returned this gift by choosing to abuse the people’s good works, will and hard work that they have benefitted from to reach such positions of power. Amoral crooks and chancers like Trump & Co now inhabit positions of high political influence in both the US and the UK. As has been seen by their hijacking of SCOTUS they will never obey any rule of law, simply buy their own versions.
I have no bright ideas on how to even begin to effectively fight back against such deep seated social corruption. However, historically this kind of political failure has always lead to an eventual total societal collapse 🐈⬛💙
True as this is, what’s actually being done to combat it? Poor people don’t own big corporations or the media, social media are echo chambers and the power of the majority has become millions of lost individual voices.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz seem to be capable of changing things for the better but can and will they? And that’s assuming they first get elected then actually fight to assume government.
Inequality is the root of modern evil, vast wealth is buying power and silencing democracy. Unfortunately I don’t yet see an answer.
I agree but so far it’s been nothing but talk, the proof of the pudding as they say will be in the eating.
It’s a fact that so far there has been a massive transfer of wealth from government to the wealthy (where do you think the deficit went?) but nothing has actually been done about it - not yet anyway.
I guess we’ll find out soon enough, if Harris wins the election, what the people of the USA will do about Trump and if not, what Trump will do to the people of the USA.
But there are answers, Barry. Professor Reich, Kamala, and Tim have offered - break up the monopolies (as was done in the early 20th century.) Tax the wealth and increase and enforce capital gains.
Forget about income tax - the wealthy 'claim they have no income' And they don't, they work at their corporations for shares of the wealth. they get 56 billion dollar bonuses (unearned so only taxed under the the very, very low trump so-called tax reform).
How do you think we got such lopsided wealth inequity in the first place? Trickle down, which Republicans to this day firmly believe in, GUSHED up like an oil well, enhanced by W's tax reform, and trump's tax giveaway. The wealth accumulated by the middle class from 1945 to 1986 was re-distributed to the wealthy.
Yes, what we're talking about now is re-distribution - BUT - now from the wealthy (who will still be wealthy, just millionaires instead of billionaires) to the majority of Americans to once again have the largest middle class ever known.
I just sincerely hope this time around that middle class will use that wealth to educate themselves and their children in economics.
Yes I’m well aware of what MAGA’s all about, with Vance as the heir apparent; my question is “what is actually being done to combat” the threat? Lots of talk and hope but this won’t be enough, win or lose the election.
Amazing how so many smart people state jd vance will remain a viable candidate when he's the worst & most transparent projector CNI has ever observed. Thus is easy to expose & take down. https://samray.substack.com/p/worst-projector-ever-jd-vance
While I generally applaud you efforts, idk how spamming people with this jumbled mess is helping get any msg across. Including fake assumptions like "(including your friend Chuck Collins at Inequality.org)," fully discredits whatever your non-solutional msg is, since I have no idea who that is. Please discontinue wasting mine & other people who understand the psychology's time with complaints of no one listening to you, when most of us have vast experience in that, as we have tried to get the psych out for many years.
Agreed. I've written about how easy & accurate invoking the 25th amendment would be, but they'd likely drug up trump for a year, & then remove him claiming to be heroes.
We are in such deep trouble with monkey-wrenching of the mechanics of vote-counting across the country that it's hard for me to focus on Vance's philosophy. Rachel related him to some guy who said the other term for a CEO was "dictator," and Americans needed to get over our "anti-dictator paranoia." But now how do Georgia and N. Carolina even vote? What does the Electoral Count look like subtracting Helene-obliterated voting capability added to purged votes and etc. ?
Like! All you reference is relevant. I have been following the Bandy Lee interviews. I observe that MSNBC has been calling out Trump's cognitive decline a lot. There just doesn't seem to be any evidence that "progressive media" doing more would"destroy Trump's personality cult." There was a broadcast today out of Colorado (I saw on MSNBC, replayed from a channel 9 ? local in Colorado) of some severe and comprehensive condemnatory statements of a Colorado judge explaining his 9-year sentence of a local elections official who gave unauthorized access to election deniers, and to this day is an unrepentant Trump zombie. What is there to do?
Douglas...at 90 this will realistically be my.last opportunity to vote in a presidential election. For.all my voting years I have never felt more determined or blessed to cast my vote for Kamala & Tim...and to vote BLUE up & down the ballot!
This time so imperative... our democracy & freedom depends on overwhelmingly defeating these odious mendacious examples to the world of what America is all about ! We are better than what they represent! VOTE BLUE !
its funny how republicans are usually very anti Russia... yet would LOVE to live in the same corrupt "oligarchy + big boss cult of personality" non-democratic system
(maybe i should have said trumptards - since there are some sane republicans still)
Remember the Russian oligarchs under Yeltsin? They became fabulously rich by gaining control of the country's mineral resources. Project 2025 promises the same thing to our would-be oligarchs.
Sadly, I agree. I am glad you have written about Thiel, Yarvin and the rest of the gang, and how they and Vance plan to wrest us from democracy. America needs to learn much more about this thus-far quiet movement. But the many signs are out there, starting with Project 2025. Thank you!
I’m sick and tired of folks like Thiel who pontificate about freedom while planning to enslave the rest of us.
Freedom for the wolves means death for the sheep.
But Gloria, have they teeth to bite? I think the political vision and morals are missing.
Political vision and morals are only signs of a burgeoning leadership: You start with an idea, then the idea takes hold and you start growing numbers, then you gain power. Once you have the power, all bets are off.
Given power, they will have the teeth to bite. Remember that the Nazi movement was still tiny when Hitler became Chancellor in 1933. Their membership was fewer than 60 in 1920 but rose to 8.5 Million by the end of WWII in 1945. That is out of 66 Million people, give or take. That's only about 13% of the population who actually belonged to the Nazi Party, yet look how much mayhem they unleashed in all of Europe and the millions of Jews and Socialist/ Union workers they murdered.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Party
Corruption, once it has a foothold, can be very difficult to dislodge.
For example, superpacs are a corrupting influence in our politics. The effort in Maine to pass a ballot measure to limit donations to a Superpac (pacs?)to $5,000 annually has caused Superpac money to flow into the state to convince the public not to pass that measure. Corruption begets power which begets more corruption. A vicious cycle.
More on all this here https://equalcitizens.us/against-super-pacs/
Yes Cecile, As a European of almost 80, the example is close to me.
I could mention "Der wille zur Macht" of Nietszche, or the writing of Machialvelli. But the essence is: have the Republican something political or is it only empty nostalgia about a paradise lost...
They modeled themselves from the American eugenics movement.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/feb/06/race.usa
Dear Tom,
Unfortunately, one does not preclude the other, does it? A good number of Southerners call the Civil War "The Yankee invasion" and they do hug a fond nostalgia about "The Lost Cause", when *they* were free to own slaves and women didn't have the right to vote.
When Archie & Edith Bunker at the beginning of their sitcom always sing: "Those were the days"
https://www.google.com/search?q=lyrics+to+archie+bunker+those+were+the+days&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1080US1081&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggCEAAYChgWGB4yBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCggCEAAYChgWGB4yCggDEAAYgAQYogTSAQoxODA1NmowajE1qAIIsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&si=ACC90nzcg09uT9dLCxMVYtMO0-0pjgQ_JR12fuxEIIyv63Ip94qTV1AYapsQRC_0ZtNEAZoNHoqbehAkl3mXPBtzP-DoGGi7dgZhGipq9QsJk9oOX7gcRqOPqIUW1OtmzNBgQz9aGfssBjsioJmyO-BgNL3RfNvyV86Db33XmevKo7rHSedLXj8%3D&ictx=1&ved=2ahUKEwim9ubB0_KIAxXtw_ACHV23AasQ_coHegQIGRAD
A time when girls were girls and men were men men... guys like me we had it made, didn't need no welfare state, everybody pulled his weight" that is a nostalgia about a "happy time", that never really existed.
At least, not for all.
Ah, that! was "freedom" as they understand it. And they hate the Federal Government that put an end to it.
Nazis had no ideas. What they had was anger, resentment, a desire for revenge, and they had fear and desperation on their side: fear of Moscow-controlled Communists, and the desperation of the unemployed.
Victor, this comment gave me chills down my spine: isn't that exactly what we are seeing today in the MAGA Part? Anger, resentment, desire for revenge, desperation of the unemployed. And it is true that the first ones who were locked up in concentration camps were Union people.
Hitler and Mussolini both dreamed of a union, a strong cooperation between the business sector and Government. Here, we now have this in spades, thanks to the supreme court and Citizens United!
MAGAS seem to find their ideas by totally opposing everything Dems say. "Own the Dems" is their favorite refrain. That is not how one governs a country: one needs ideas, good ones, that are appealing to a majority of the People.
Appealing to the people's worst angels is a path that leads to destruction, and in the end, self destruction.
That is what the MAGAs have. I was thinking about that today. Much class resentment. Kash Patel story.
Cecile, Thank you for your insights. Let me add respective to the ideological distinction that that Dr. Reich draws between Trump's self-serving power lust and Vance's cadre of democracy destroyers, that Trump needs to employ the anti-democracy movement in a way congruent to that of the old Nazi party, in order to serve his completely selfish goals. Similarly to Hitler's brownshirts and others from the nascent party, Trump has whipped up a furor among the violent extreme right in this country, forever loyal, whose fervor is unlikely to be quelled peacefully. Looking to the 1930's, clearly, they were the most powerful industrial conglomerates in Europe if not the world who threw their support to the Nazi Party irrevocably like a blood oath, with the intent of world domination, and with the concomitant result of the eliminations of millions of the 'others' not falling within 'Aryan' bloodlines or viewed as genetically or morally inferior to the Ideology of the regime. Look up Krupp Werke and I.G. Farben AG.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Krupp_von_Bohlen_und_Halbach
Well Krupp etc is not so powerful these days but Bezos,Musk,Thiel and others do wield that level of power through social media and the internet. Hatred is much easier to disseminate along with rallying calls to mobs.Unless the USA and Europe legislate for control over the publishers of hatred then democracy is under a death sentence.The very first thing that Putin did on assuming control over Russua was to dismantle a free press.
Thank you for putting this in perspective.
They made hate respectable just like Thiel,Musk,Trump etc.This anti democracy virus has spread across the world.It only serves the interests of oligarchs and dictatorships such as Putin's or China's leadership nit the ordinary citizen deprived of public services and subject to private monopolistic practices.Who did most to help Hitler rise to power? The wealthy industrialists who used slave labour and the landowners who wanted to reassert feudalism.
google the organization Teneo and you will see just how much power they have, Real teerh and they don’t care about morals. Their political vision is a libertarian view that the rich should rule.
Yes, Linda. "They" want unfettered capitalism to essentially BE THE
"Law of the Land!" The "Country" BECOMES an extension of Wall St.!!!
Ironically many who assert a "meritocracy" government is best, would be turned into crispy critters if the dominionist white supremacists get their way.
https://www.newsweek.com/charlotesville-crying-nazi-hosts-video-game-allowing-users-kill-lgbt-people-1212855
We are already the country of Wall St. Blackrock, Vanguard, and State Street Bank control a huge percentage of voting power of all major corporations. These are major contributors to the Democratic Party. Wake up!
The rich already do rule. But there is never enough to satisfy the Paul Singers of the world.
Finance capitalism needs the rule of law to thrive, manufacturing not so much, the extractive industries not at all. Note that all the countries which rely primarily on extractive industries are ruled by dictators. Note also that the extractive industries (fossil fuels and other natural resources) would be the primary beneficiaries of Project 2025, and that they are the primary financial backers of the Republican Party.
What else is old? Those who control the money have always ruled, and always will as long as money is the means to gain access to the goods and services we need. It will always accumulate into the hands of the most predatory and anti-social elitists who feel they deserve to be in charge because they are so skilled at getting money away from so many others. they have bestowed divine sanction on their earthly gains, and through schemes like lotteries and million-dollar giveaways, they have legitimized their greed in the minds of the public.
Linda, they have no morality but they do care about morals--yours. This is why they have weaponized religion.
I think so. And the rational for their self justification I think comes from Ayn Rand, and her "virture of selfishness". Her books painted liberals as idiot leaches, and her imaginary heros as arising without any need for the trappings of government.
The fundamental flaw I see in the existance of the Republican party is that politics is driven by greed of some people to have more and more money and power. Everyone accepts that good thinking and hard work deserve to be rewarded. But no one seems to account for the advantage of wealth to obtain more wealth at the expense of those with less wealth. The net tendency of total freedom of business is monopoly, and the richest people owning the government, and using the government to further their greed. Between nations we get war between oligarchs.
Democracy is for the people not the oligarchs. Of course that means less freedom for the unjust rich. So the choice is clear, democracy with limits of the power of the wealthy, or dictatorship and domination by the ultra wealthy.
Luckily, there are always more less-wealthy people than more-wealthy. So the integrity of the vote is the critical means of preserving the democracy, and preventing dictatorship and the arbitrary extermination of anyone opposing the dictatorship.
We get to this dangerous condition becasue the ultra rich have more disposable money to influence the electoral process. The masses with less disposable money have to organize to counter the lies of the Oligarchs.
This basic stuff should be taught to everyone. As it is, only the ultra rich seem to know it. But be fair, not every over rich person is obsessed with this greed.
Agreed. These folks have missing parts.
Hunger for power and wealth, easily subsumes political vision and morals.
thats why you dems should stop being sheep and start being the shepards
Yes except for endangered gray wolves in Montana
Feed the wolves, and they will not attack your sheep, advised St. Francis. We must make a compromise with some of the wolves so that we can beat back those unwilling to compromise.
But if the ravenous and insatiable appetites of those wolves leads to hunger among others?
yes
Exactly why a balance of power is so important
Dear Gloria fantastic comment you ought to be on Tv
Those ultra-wealthy oligarchs think they are so smart…HAHAHA! Here’s is one question that they cannot answer: “How much money is enough?”
Freedom to a narcissist does not mean respecting others rights. It means they can do whatever they want without restriction or limitation by the law. Thiel and the Oligarchs preeminant goal is to remove the pitiful few restrictions our societies laws have left for them. For the rest of us brutal capitalism and strict laws.
yep-freedom for the wolves means death to the lambs
exactly
Yes, Bill, strict laws and, as Kevin Roberts says, hard work. The "sanctity of work" is violated by collective bargaining, just as the sanctity of life is violated by contraception and abortion. Most fascist regimes have weaponized religion.
Sanctity of work. Means that work is holy. The CEO is a god and we are but humble servants who should be happy with whatever god deigns to give us. I am sure this is a pervasive Oligarch attitude.
They don't want freedom, and they can't mind their own business.
Doesn't Thiel have an association with Elon MUSK? I saw a picture of them when they were much younger on a Dr. Steven Greer documentary that showed them together very close to each other like a romantic couple would depict themselves in a photograph. After all, the both of them are greedy selfish a-holes that are hell bent on destroying democracy.
Personally, with JD Vance wearing eye liner and his best buddy Peter Thiel being married to Matt Danzeisen
and a tragic and suspicious death of Peter Thiel's previous male model boyfriend Jeff Thomas, who was uncomfortable with being a "kept man".
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11926699/Peter-Thiels-model-boyfriend-died-WEEKS-NYE-showdown-billionaire-husband.html
I think we could be suspicious...
There are so many things we don't know about JD Vance...
This new paragon of virtue who hates women, wears eye make up and is the protege of Peter Thiel has a little explaining to do, IMHO.
O.K., now even I am completely freaked out. Even I can see what might be going on here with these guys. I have to think hard about this. Thanks for the article.
Yeah. I wish they would just make a podcast called "Teatime with Peter and JV," rather than use their wealth to run our government
I believe that Vance was more than a protege of Thiel. Vance has said that he once thought he was gay. The 180 Vance did over Trump from 2020 to now, tells me he would do anything for power, including sleeping with Thiel. Can't prove it but it smells that way.
Their disdain for cats and women is very telling, imo.
There is a lot of misogyny and transphobia among gays, I can only point to the likes of Andrew Sullivan for starters. I have no idea how prevalent it is, but it paradoxically exists.
J D Vance, or whatever his real name is, has had political ambitions, and such ambitions require a wife and kids, so he marries a woman from a culture which raises women to be submissive and obedient. yes she is a Yale graduate and a lawyer, but she has hitched her wagon to a rising star in an otherwise racist and xenophobic society.
They met in Yale, married in 2014 and she has helped him rise in politics., she was originally a Democrat, but apparently the way to power and prestige has been through the Republican party.
I have thought the same as Vance was 1st exposed to Thiel in 2011 while Vance was a student at Yale where Thiel was giving a talk. Thiel is gay and Vance had his questions about if he might be gay. “Peter’s talk remains the most significant moment of my time at Yale Law School,” Vance later wrote in a blog post. Inspired, Vance emailed Thiel. “Stop by my house next time you’re out here,” the investor responded. The connection was made. 🤔
Yes, Vance definitely has "a little explaining to do." His performance during the debate with Walz is a national scandal. We should not let him get away with it. And we should not wait years as we have done with Trump.
https://newrepublic.com/article/183971/jd-vance-weird-terrifying-techno-authoritarian-ideas?fbclid=IwY2xjawFrvtFleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHaWlKEk47FF7zjUJPITDCMEJM8-dGHg0o_URQgg7T9lQ-tH53zvzGSJUEg_aem_l3R2z3sy-TSGH1nU_9Y2iA
Wow! thanks for this information. I was totally unaware of the details of this. JD Vance is creepy beyond my comprehension. I have noticed very recently that there are quite a few white guys in the same age group as Vance with the brown or black hair are getting haircuts like Vance and growing the same type of beard that Vance has in their deluded efforts to look like him. I especially have noticed this in the sports worlds of football and baseball with players and coaches. This is disgusting to me personally! I have also noticed this with older white men in their silly and absurd efforts to look like Donald TUMP with many of them with the same hair styles and even dying their hair a TUMP shade of orange. Grown men that behave like this are children in adult bodies and are in desperate need of psychiatric evaluation and possible time spent in an institution for the mentally ill.
Yes and yes.
That is an accurate description of them both: greedy, selfish, and bent on destroying democracy.
Who knew you could make friends with a billionaire, write your opinion about hillbillies, get elected to the Senate with the billionaires money, and try to be VP in less than 2 years? "Lord Have Mercy," as Vance said in the VP debate.
ABTAHH: Anybody But Trump And His Hillbilly
PayPal was a business venture that they both invested in.
I suspect JD Vance is using Trump. Perhaps he recognizes TRump’s worsening dementia and sees opportunity. What if they get elected and once in office Vance could maneuver Trump out of office. Vance as VP is there to take over. Following this plan could explain how Vance could change his attitude towards Trump so easily. Is Don the Con being conned? We have to stay tuned and watchful.
Apparently money is power and more important than anything. The Republican party and the MAGAt movement are notoriously homophobic, and against gay marriage, but Peter Thiel has a husband and kids.
I am a little late to this party, but my theory aligns pretty closely with Reich’s.
Here is my crazy revelation. My personal belief is that The Heritage Foundation, The Federalist Society, Peter Thiel and Musk…maybe even more, are conspiring to get Trump elected but he is just a front man. Their real candidate is Vance. They know Trump is too undisciplined, doesn’t really care about their cause and frankly stupid, and they cannot control him. But Vance is dyed in the wool of Christian Nationalism, savvy, and they own him. So that’s who they really want in power. They want their theocracy come hell or high water. Trump will be kicked to the curb (or perhaps fall out a window) soon after inauguration.
We are in deeper doo doo than we can imagine.
Thiel and Musk started PayPal together
And Thiel has bought a farm in NZ we don’t want him contaminating our side of the world. Vote BLUE!
hum, are people turning homophobic here?
Our founding wasn't just based on African slavery - it was slavery for all.
Reference:
White Trash - Nancy Isenberg
Nope, it wasn't. It began by swindling & killing the First Peoples then appropriating their land by the Spaniards first in 1588 I believe.
read the book - that topic is covered too.
Promoting "woke" books helps Republicans. You should learn from Liz Cheney and stay focused on the paramount issue of the moment--unless, of course, you want to taste slavery yourself.
Is that a threat? That's not a WOKE book - It's called FACTS. It's hard to handle for you ??
I just read that book! Fascinating, and explains some things that I never fully realized about how history has created Trump supporters.
yes.... I read it over the summer... I got so mad - I had to take a walk.
What an eye opener. Please share it. I have been.
Dr. Reich talks about "how" of trump supporters - well here's the book!
Yes, it is a great reminder about how far we have come too. It's hopeful!
Not going back to it either.
Yes, and the WWI vets were sent to the Keys and many died there in the hurricane of '35.
Janet, going overboard is counterproductive. It makes you an easy target.
I didn't ask for your advice and I don't care about your thoughts. I'm not going to change anymore than you.
Go command other people to change their minds
Are you commanding to be a commander? Is a hint a command?
Smokey, sadly this is the history of humankind everywhere. We've made progress, and we must stay focused on the road ahead. This is a critical moment, and we must create a united front against fascism. Trump supporters have created ghosts by weaponizing words such as antifa, woke, the left, socialism, globalists. They deserve ridicule, and we must prevent them from influencing the mainstream.This is not the time to educate people about the cruelties of the past.
Not sick and tired, terrified and enraged
Do not let fear and anger cloud your mind, don't let your enemies manipulate you!
Freedom for me but not for thee.
MAGA is Really Just A New Version of Bring Slavery Back Again (BSBA) .
Trumpet 🎺 Vance And Thief are the face
Self Directed Wage Slavery.
And has bought an “escape pod” farm in NZ in case the proverbial hits the fan. Keep the MFs your side of the Pacific please!
There needs to be a massive effort to educate Americans on civics.
At my son's house, I was watching his giant screen SMART TV. I went to YouTube and clicked on News. There, in brilliant color, was a headline proclaiming that Vance won the debate, and a string of other FOX NEWS lies about the day's events. There were no other choices but FOX. I think my son's provider is Verizon. If I didn't already know about other sources of news, I wouldn't have learned about them at all from the choices provided on that screen. It was a shock to me to see how managed the facts really are. Winning this election for Harris and Walz is just the beginning for us.
You Tube reflects what the viewer looks for. Ask your son if he uses You Tube for news.
I'm sure he doesn't. But that is a great idea! I will work on changing this mediascape to something more palatable. He uses his phone for most things and YouTube probably came with a package. His TV is on Disney most of the time because he has four kids from two months to ten years.
Post on Fox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASMLggH0iyo
Vance won the oratory and rhetoric debate according to neutral commentators but the substantive issues are open for public debate without well honed Yale courtroom skills.The danger is the power of Fox and other propaganda vehicles skewing the narrative of recent history to favour Trump.
I don't see how he won, but this is still America.
Vance won in body language.
Fox News succeeded in convincing many whits that they are becoming a minority, and that they are losing their country. Trump has surfed on the wave created by Murdoch&Co.
Most people will simply parrot back whatever they watch/read. Be it left or right wing.
Thank you Ronald Reagan!
THAT is frightening.
Mike, your words are so very true and accurate. Our kids need to have civics taught when they are in high school! When Kamala Harris gets elected, I am going to get a petition going that will get Civics installed back in the high school curriculum again! Vote blue, America, up and down the ballot!
Long long ago in a post WWII suburb my high school civics teacher was hounded out of town for teaching us that the New Deal was a good thing that brought us out of the Great Depression. Or maybe it was that his wife was seen at an NAACP meeting in the town next door to our all white subdivision.
Miriam, your poor civics teacher! Even if his wife did attend that meeting, he should not have been punished for it!
This is so sad
Fear of Communism/socialism has shaped the American landscape, both figuratively and in reality, in both positive and negative ways.
About ten years ago, I was assisting another teacher teaching ESL. One of the kids brought their civics homework to me, asking for help. Turns out that civics was taught by the football coach (no disrespect towards Coach Walz intended) who basically read Powerpoint slides to the kids every day and didn't take questions. Not only do we need to have civics taught in the schools, but we also need it to be taught by competent teachers.
I will never forget my Civics teacher! She was also my Americanism vs Communism teacher as well. She was a force! She knew all of it backwards and forwards and when we asked a question, she would always begin her answer with "Well, let me ask you this......"! She always made us think, debate and make up our own minds about different views. Thanks to her I learned about the rights and the obligations of citizens, how the government and political system functions, how a society is organized and how political decisions are made. She encouraged us to get involved and participate in the political process. She was a truly great teacher!
Talking to a social studies teacher yesterday she says the kids to graduate must pass a US and Missouri constitutional test and a civics test. That this is state law.
Whatever is happening isn't enough.
I agree 💯👍 also
100% agree, Steve!
Yes, Steve, clearly this is not enough. A real test of civics must involve some form of personal sacrifice. This is the way it has been since time immemorial in most societies, but now all we require is passing a perfunctory written test.
I didn't know that civics wasn't being taught anymore in school. We used to have classes that we could elect (notice the wording!) to attend in addition to our regular curriculum. I was always in college prep( never got to go there sadly) but nevertheless we learned about how our government worked ( or was SUPPOSED TO WORK). I'll circulate petitions if I can to help you here where I live. I'm in my 70's but I'm not useless!😁👍🇺🇸
Denise, in education today there is such a difference of opinion about what is taught and not taught. The Civics classes we attended in high school are sadly gone. I remember I also took a class called 'Americanism vs Communism'.
It was so refreshing to see Marcus interviewed on MSNBC post debate and give his mini civics lesson in the Vice President’s role and duties. From JD Vance’s perspective, he seems to think VP Harris is already POTUS. I’ll take that projection. Harris Walz 2024!
Absolutely!
I completely agree, but it’s too late for this go-around. …All of this: worrisome and scary.
Isn't that what Coach Walz taught in high school?
He taught geography in the social studies department. Just the other day someone asked me what geography was doing in the social studies department, but when properly taught it includes both physical and cultural knowledge.
Sorry Mike, so many MAGA have their "minds" made up . The don't want facts or education. They want a leader to who will destroy what they hate...anything with a "liberal" tinge.
Sadly, too late for us now. We have two entire generations who did not study civics.
Likely by design.
So true, Mike. I remember learning Civics in both middle school and high school.
@DarcyGue, In conjunction with those at the top who would upend our constitutional democracy, I would suggest we also help spread awareness of the estimated 40,000 MAGA volunteers whose efforts already have challenged the voting rights of 850,000 eligible voters (nearly all voters of color)with a goal of nullifying 2 million by November 5th. I understand their methodology largely entails using AI tricks and disinformation expressly on Black, Hispanic, and Asian American citizens. (Source: Greg Palast’s just-released documentary Vigilantes, Inc.: America’s New Vote Suppression Hitman)
Our Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, recently purged thousands of voters. Among the people he purged were one man from Great Britain who had recently been naturalized as an American citizen and he was eligible to register as a voter. Abbott and his minions purged over one million Texas voters.
Kathy, Seeing we can’t counts votes that weren’t cast, I very much appreciate you writing and confirming the importance of regularly verifying one’s voting eligibility.
Yes, important, but think about it - if you work two jobs, don't have a car, etc. etc. the thing high on your list is not "checking your voting eligibility" and if you have been purged somehow finding time to do something about it. This is how they win.
O’Lady, While your point undoubtedly rings true, you’ve also identified a justification for supporting organizations like Fair Fight, whose deep reach into communities helps to overcome obstacles like the ones you mentioned to ensure as many as possible are eligible to vote and are able to get to the polls.
I am really leery of Palast without double and triple checking what he says.
Steve, Suffice it to say my interest is sufficiently aroused to warrant viewing the film, after which I will evaluate next steps.
It says a lot about our democracy when a billionaire like Theil can put someone in the Senate with only the credentials of writing his opinion about Southern Ohio hillbillies and a few years in the military. Hello? Vance is not qualified to be VP, one step from the Presidency.
Whatever happened to working your way up in government as a local elected official, then to a Representative, and then a State-wide office? Working your way up government allows voters to know who they are supporting while teating the candidates' ethics and leadership. This is important process for good, representative government.
However, now a billionaire used his fortune to fund Vance and skip the legislative leadership tests. Vance is qualified to be a local leader or a regional Congressman. Vance is qualified to be a State-wide representative, like a US Senator. It's a travesty to democracy when candidates like Cruz and Vance can bypass lower offices and legislative leadership tests and go right to very powerful state-wide offices like the US Senate.
Keep in mind, from day one in the Senate Cruz and Vance wanted to tear down the best healthcare reform that Congress created after decades with the ACA. And what do they have better than the bipartisan legislation? Not a damn thing! This "disruption" to our democracy is very dangerous to Americans.
Our campaign laws have not protected speech. Our weak campaign finance laws have allowed those with the most money to overpower the voice of the people.
Weak campaign finance laws allow the super wealthy to dump many millions of dollars into our democracy and transform it to a fascist autocracy. The SCOTUS has allowed the super wealthy to have disproportionate speech and blanket the airwaves and media with lies and deception.
Now a billionaire is using his wealth and influence to try and make an unproven author on hillbillies be the second most powerful person in the country, the number two Commander in Chief. Billionaires like Theil and Musk are using their wealth to "disrupt" our democracy, re-create our government to favor billionaires, make the rich richer, and allow billionaires to be unaccountable with "deregulation," while ignoring the needs of workers and the middle class. As Vance said, "Lord have mercy."
John C. Calhoun+Josef Goebbels=Trump+Vance.
Danny - They use the same dark/out of state money that they cry about when it is used to try to get people to vote correctly on the issues they don’t want passed.
You say you agree but...
... note the quote: "Make no mistake: The foundation for America’s first true anti-democracy president is being laid right now." - how is presiding over *an actual, physical, real-life physically-stroll-down-to-Congress-and-hang-Mike-Pence coup* not foundation enough to qualify its ringmaster-in-chief as the first true anti-democracy president? (Like, can there even be an encore for such a thing??)
PS: Democrats always say Hillary Clinton has "baggage"; isn't that baggage on the other side of the fence?
= D
For the next month, whatever happens with the dock strike, in the Middle East, Ukraine, and at the border, “don’t change the subject” is the right response. Donald Trump is unqualified to be president and very dangerous for every American and the world. In addition to his rapes, frauds, anti healthcare, anti reproductive rights, pro Putin, document stealing, Project 2025, insurrection, he promises violence with his mass deportations and retribution. History has vivid examples of how this works for the countries with such leaders. Every citizen in Germany and the Soviet Union suffered under Hitler and Stalin.
“Don’t change the subject!!!!”
Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot happened because people entrusted their destinies to these individuals. The Republican Party has entrusted its destiny--and that of the country--to Donald Trump, a fraud.
Do something.
https://www.mobilize.us/
It seems that the Dark Siths want to establish a New High Tech Feudalism... This is the Product of Reaganism, Wealth Disparity, Generational UnTaxed Wealth Inheritance, and Extreme Wealth Disparity... In a System like that, if You are not a Sith, You are a Serf... Our Only Hope Is To Think Society-Wide, and Organize... The Top Countries In the World Happiness Indexes have low Wealth-Disparity, and a high sense of Social Responsibility... The Siths have GREED, and a SENSE of ENTITLEMENT...
I agree too but I don't see the Dems helping much. Yes, the republicans should be in jail. No else could steal bubble gum and get away with what they have - and yet the Dems won't listen to Bernie or talk policy about issues.
The signs were there in the 70s but they kept yes too busy working and trusting to pay attention.
Janet, all you are good at is complaining. It's getting tiresome.
I too, am pleased that you named these über wealthy monsters that provide financial support for their puppets who are engaged in pure unadulterated treason on their behalf. What saddens and angers me simultaneously is that the term 'treason' has devolved into a mere slap on the wrist for people like this.
Both the candidates and their backers must be rounded up and imprisoned with their fortunes confiscated BEFORE the election or ASAP afterwards (before January, 2025), independent of who actually wins. Their ill-gotten gains should be redirected towards the care and welfare of the common good.
I've been posting this article often - It really needs to be spread around!!! https://newrepublic.com/article/183971/jd-vance-weird-terrifying-techno-authoritarian-ideas?fbclid=IwY2xjawFrvtFleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHaWlKEk47FF7zjUJPITDCMEJM8-dGHg0o_URQgg7T9lQ-tH53zvzGSJUEg_aem_l3R2z3sy-TSGH1nU_9Y2iA
Thank you, Marsha.
Just saw Congressman Mike Waltz of Florida (R) on CNN... He Parroted JD's Defense of Jan6, 2021, and the non-Peaceful Transfer of Power... I did not see him commit to a Peaceful Transfer of Power... I suspect that Mike Waltz is not alone among the (R)s in Congress... Be Advised...
I'm just pleased MAINSTREAM MEDIA picked up Project 2025 and explained it! They were too cowardly to pin it to Bunkerboy, but his candidacy is over, so no need to be heroic adults I guess?
I believe you are right about what is planned for the future. Which is why we must win in November.
We must keep democracy alive, even if it’s by one election at a time.
Yes and it’s always one election at a time, and right now our future needs are being accelerated.
Yes, and we should ALWAYS expect the Spanish Inquisition.
I hope you are not trying to appeal to MAgA voters who never read anything!
When Tim Walz asked Vance if Trump lost the 2020 election, Vance’s response was something totally unrelated. Obviously he is all in on overthrowing our democracy!
Vance is such a weasel. When the moderator asked him whether he would challenge the results even if every governor confirmed the results, either a yes or a no answer would have landed him in hot water. First, he inserted a string of lies about Harris and then he answered the question with a serving of pablum about peaceful discussion. But Walz put him back in the headlights with a yes/no question. Vance answered again with a "damning non-answer." I was so grateful to Walz for saying that. Just like Mike Johnson, Vance is a much better liar than trump. So slick, so clever, so "middle America." When he cultivates his damning non-answer skills, he will be a match for the devil himself. Still they will never win without lying and cheating. The first order of local business for Harris is to destroy the Electoral College. The second is to bring back the Fairness Doctrine.
You illustrate my hunch: there is no political substance, just hunger for power...
Yes. That Vance would waffle on that simple question tells you all you need to know about him.
But, as Reich reminds us, Vance has already said he would do what VP Pence refused to do when asked: not certify the public vote!
When they tell you who they are, believe them.
Vote Republicans out of office at every level of government.
Keith : Vance was totally evasive, like tRUMP. Deflect , change the subject and pivot. Project negativity onto your opponents ; that is their tactic.
😆 Kamala would NEVER do that
She does not need to have a tactic like that. She actually supports Democracy and the rule of law.
This is sarcasm right?
That is their weakness: no connection with reality...
But that "no connection... " is shared by much of society!!!
That is a difficult objection. I would say yes, looking to the election. But there might be more connections to reality. The political subculture is missing the connection to "the reality"; there are possibly more...
This is sad. While Vance tried to make himself more relatable - Mr Walz was nervous and excited and even passionate about what he was trying to get accomplished. And I saw Mr Walz be respectful of the two minutes he had to talk. Watch it back. Mr Walz said I'm sorry when he thought he had gone overtime. And for heaven's sake please stop making a big deal out of me Walz saying he was somehow friends with school shooters! Anybody with a mustard seed of a brain cell KNEW what he meant to say. Strange how Mr. Walz's slip of the tongue is exaggerated while the entire debate was won by Mr Vance's refusal to say 'dt lost 2020'. "A damning non answer ' Mr. Walz won debate for me!
Vance first made himself relatable by writing his opinion about Hillbillies. The hillbilly book and Theil's money made him a powerful US Senator with zero legislative experience. Welcome to the techbros "disruption" of our democracy.
Walz won the debate on substance, but Vance made it clear that the only "substance" that matters is promoting Donald Trump.
Vance is a threat to the rest of us, but he is no threat to Trump, because he has no personal integrity. This is why Trump chose him.
And Vice President Walz SPECTACULARLY condemned "Mrs. Mascara!" (It was actually weird seeing him NOT did up like an 11 year old girl at a sleep-over, right?)
("Done up?" Neither look right to me!)
WHAT are you talking about? Who is "Mrs. Mascara"? I don't recall any such reference or discussion during the debate. ??? ("Done up" is correct.)
2024 is just one battle in what will be a long war. We must have a congressional majority large enough, and leaders with the stones, to put up a thick firewall.
We must encourage the formation of a new Conservative Party as committed to basic American values as the old school Republicans.
And then we must ensure that the “anti- democracy” contingent NEVER wins an election, not even for school board.
It will take at least a generation to root them all out. Maybe two.
You are so right, Annabel! We must, must, must continue to fight for Democracy! Vote blue, America, up and down the ballot!
Peggy Freeman ; I wonder how much effect the latest "bombshell" revelations released by the now unredacted documents will have in the short time left before the election? This may remove the teeth of some of these would be dictators ; as it should. There may be more Republicans coming over to vote for Kamala Harris as a result of this evidence.
I hope that many people might reconsider their decisions to vote for Trump, but they may never hear about Trump’s crimes as Fox “News” and their preferred media outlets may never cover them.
Kathy Hughes ; It would suffice to have judges and juries hear /see the facts and decide the cases appropriately.
Excellent point, Laurie! I hope it will be many, many more! Vote blue, America, up and down the ballot!
Yes: if we want to keep our Democratic Republic we must Vote like hell, as someone posted here earlier. And hope our good lawyers and justices can do their jobs without obstruction. At least we currently have the Executive.unlike before.
Laurie, I just got through with my last batch of post cards. My fingers are permanently bent but that's okay if it gets more people to the polls! Yes, we must vote because sitting out on this election would be a huge mistake! Vote blue, America, up and down the ballot!
Peggy : Good job! Thank you for your service! It is a non- violent way to get out the vote to save our Democratic Republic!
What a spread of knowledge all these posts are. No low-information voters here. May our numbers increase IN TIME.
Yes Annabel, I think the Trumpian Republicans will be empty handed after their defeat. Then the party should be reorganised or reconstructed. But shivering about 2028 is not the good strategy or answer.
Well said, I totally agree 💯
I’ve wanted to end the electoral ‘college’ since it was explained to me in elementary school. It was designed during slavery and is 100% undemocratic!
People who say “freedom is incompatible with democracy”, like Peter Thiel, conveniently overlook the fact that freedom is also incompatible with freedom.
One cannot act in a completely unconstrained manner without limiting the ability of other people to do the same.
The kind of freedom Peter Thiel likes is called anarchy. It can only lead to a strong man dictator. That's what sells trump.
Thiel shares an idea of “freedom” that entails the rights of the privileged to stomp all over everyone else. Unfortunately, so do the Trump Republicans.
yes, bring out the decoder ring.
Many idolize the Thiels' and Musks' as an "end result" of a perverted "free - dom!!!"
Freedom *from* people who abuse the privilege of freedom would be freedom; we simply need to think about the things we are free *from*...
What Thiel & Co want is freedom from social responsibility, which, they claim, is a violation of individual freedom.
Well said. We’ll see; it is entirely possible. Let’s get Harris/Walz voted in. This phenomenon of the possibility of our present Democracy turning into an autocracy is absurd enough as it would be hugely unpopular and, at best, 50/50 achievable. If today's forum as described comes to fruition many would be frustrated with such an outcome as autocratic regimes can only accommodate the few not the many. Today’s read was reminiscent of the Russian Revolution of 1917, which lasted for years, and by 1991, its vast Union ceased to exist. The Mandate for Leadership, the conservative promise 2025 (project 2025), is not a playbook. It’s a manifesto of sorts. America needs to preserve and retool its democracy under a Harris presidency, prepare for the opposition under a Vance Leadership, and do its best to counter it. DJT is, although many would deny it, excess baggage to many Republicans like Vance with aspirations in 2028. Go Democrats elect Harris/Walz as the sensible choice in preserving fair elections and our unique brand of Democracy.
And think about a second term for Harris/Waltz in 2028, not about the next fruitcake of the MAGA movement or a Christian fundamentalist.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I agree 💯👍. It's not going to stop with the 2024 election. We've got to look ahead and forward to what could possibly come for not only ourselves but for our kids and grandkids. I have some of those 👍🇺🇸🙏
We need an ad that has Hope Walz advising Tim and Kamala that Vance will pull the 25th Amendment on Trump and take power immediately, ending democracy in the USA forever.
John C. Calhoun+Josef Goebbels=Trump+Vance.
Trump and Vance . This is the nicest we’ll ever see these guys. If they win they will unleash hell on the middle class , minorities, women . Not a campaign promise from Trump is to be believed.
Thank you for bringing to our attention Curtis Yarvin among others in the anti-democracy movement. Another source for this and not given enough attention is the historical reseach of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean.
That is an excellent book.
Nancy McLean is a serious scholar, and she sure knows what she is talking about. Her Democracy in Chains also is a must read.
That is why it so important to vote in every single election, local, state, and federal eevery single time! All the time! I am from Ohio, this Bernie Marino character against Sherrod Brown has me worried. He is billionaire backed too. Ugh
I share your distaste for Bernie Moreno. Sherrod Brown is the only senator who cares about ordinary citizens of this state. Our feckless General Assembly, Senate and state government don’t, and JD Vance is an embarrassing, angry Trump toady and misogynist. I’d really like to know if Usha Vance is impressed with her husband’s angry and hate-filled rhetoric and his commitment to lying to win?
That is beyond creepy. The good news is that there is now an energized, organized, and dedicated grassroots movement determined to keep democracy strong.I’m sick of folks like
This old fashioned corporate city state carve up has been the fallback reaction for every historically ignorant spoiled predatory ‘self-made’ millionaire for decades. Individuals who have been helped by past political economic regulations and have returned this gift by choosing to abuse the people’s good works, will and hard work that they have benefitted from to reach such positions of power. Amoral crooks and chancers like Trump & Co now inhabit positions of high political influence in both the US and the UK. As has been seen by their hijacking of SCOTUS they will never obey any rule of law, simply buy their own versions.
I have no bright ideas on how to even begin to effectively fight back against such deep seated social corruption. However, historically this kind of political failure has always lead to an eventual total societal collapse 🐈⬛💙
Wherever Trump goes, chaos follows, noted Nikki Halley, who now endorses Trump ( and chaos.)
I think by "One vote at a time". We all have that one single vote but from one can come MANY. I Pray 🙏
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
True as this is, what’s actually being done to combat it? Poor people don’t own big corporations or the media, social media are echo chambers and the power of the majority has become millions of lost individual voices.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz seem to be capable of changing things for the better but can and will they? And that’s assuming they first get elected then actually fight to assume government.
Inequality is the root of modern evil, vast wealth is buying power and silencing democracy. Unfortunately I don’t yet see an answer.
I agree but so far it’s been nothing but talk, the proof of the pudding as they say will be in the eating.
It’s a fact that so far there has been a massive transfer of wealth from government to the wealthy (where do you think the deficit went?) but nothing has actually been done about it - not yet anyway.
I guess we’ll find out soon enough, if Harris wins the election, what the people of the USA will do about Trump and if not, what Trump will do to the people of the USA.
But there are answers, Barry. Professor Reich, Kamala, and Tim have offered - break up the monopolies (as was done in the early 20th century.) Tax the wealth and increase and enforce capital gains.
Forget about income tax - the wealthy 'claim they have no income' And they don't, they work at their corporations for shares of the wealth. they get 56 billion dollar bonuses (unearned so only taxed under the the very, very low trump so-called tax reform).
How do you think we got such lopsided wealth inequity in the first place? Trickle down, which Republicans to this day firmly believe in, GUSHED up like an oil well, enhanced by W's tax reform, and trump's tax giveaway. The wealth accumulated by the middle class from 1945 to 1986 was re-distributed to the wealthy.
Yes, what we're talking about now is re-distribution - BUT - now from the wealthy (who will still be wealthy, just millionaires instead of billionaires) to the majority of Americans to once again have the largest middle class ever known.
I just sincerely hope this time around that middle class will use that wealth to educate themselves and their children in economics.
The US Constitution, especially the 14th Amendment, gives a voice to the poor and disadvantaged. This is why the Republicans want to change it.
I got an answer . Stop having these zillions of babies. What are we really giving them ???
Yes I’m well aware of what MAGA’s all about, with Vance as the heir apparent; my question is “what is actually being done to combat” the threat? Lots of talk and hope but this won’t be enough, win or lose the election.
Amazing how so many smart people state jd vance will remain a viable candidate when he's the worst & most transparent projector CNI has ever observed. Thus is easy to expose & take down. https://samray.substack.com/p/worst-projector-ever-jd-vance
Sam, you are right. Vance is just a mercenary. This may be his only chance to occupy high office.
Thanks although I see him as far more Thiel's puppet than his mercenary.
While I generally applaud you efforts, idk how spamming people with this jumbled mess is helping get any msg across. Including fake assumptions like "(including your friend Chuck Collins at Inequality.org)," fully discredits whatever your non-solutional msg is, since I have no idea who that is. Please discontinue wasting mine & other people who understand the psychology's time with complaints of no one listening to you, when most of us have vast experience in that, as we have tried to get the psych out for many years.
Agreed. I've written about how easy & accurate invoking the 25th amendment would be, but they'd likely drug up trump for a year, & then remove him claiming to be heroes.
As I said, accurate, but more strategic to have a scapegoat.
bc the 25th can only be invoked on a sitting Pres, which trump isn't.
We are in such deep trouble with monkey-wrenching of the mechanics of vote-counting across the country that it's hard for me to focus on Vance's philosophy. Rachel related him to some guy who said the other term for a CEO was "dictator," and Americans needed to get over our "anti-dictator paranoia." But now how do Georgia and N. Carolina even vote? What does the Electoral Count look like subtracting Helene-obliterated voting capability added to purged votes and etc. ?
Mmerose: That is an excellent question.
Vance is a mercenary, a complete fraud. He has no philosophy. He has a job: promoting Trump
Like! Second your assessment overall, but especially appreciate shout-out that sanity and humanity needs to win the House.
Like! All you reference is relevant. I have been following the Bandy Lee interviews. I observe that MSNBC has been calling out Trump's cognitive decline a lot. There just doesn't seem to be any evidence that "progressive media" doing more would"destroy Trump's personality cult." There was a broadcast today out of Colorado (I saw on MSNBC, replayed from a channel 9 ? local in Colorado) of some severe and comprehensive condemnatory statements of a Colorado judge explaining his 9-year sentence of a local elections official who gave unauthorized access to election deniers, and to this day is an unrepentant Trump zombie. What is there to do?
If Trump wins 2024, there won’t be a 2028 for a lot of folks
"Vote like hell - or you're not going to have a Democracy to vote in!"
= D
PS: Batman will always by my vengeance.
LOL
Douglas...at 90 this will realistically be my.last opportunity to vote in a presidential election. For.all my voting years I have never felt more determined or blessed to cast my vote for Kamala & Tim...and to vote BLUE up & down the ballot!
This time so imperative... our democracy & freedom depends on overwhelmingly defeating these odious mendacious examples to the world of what America is all about ! We are better than what they represent! VOTE BLUE !
if Trump wins the level of future climate catstrophe will jump a level or 2. From a 6.0 to 7.0 on the richter scale so to speak.
its funny how republicans are usually very anti Russia... yet would LOVE to live in the same corrupt "oligarchy + big boss cult of personality" non-democratic system
(maybe i should have said trumptards - since there are some sane republicans still)
Republicans haven't been "anti-Russia" since declaring their fealty to trump. The old Repub party is dead.
i hope guys like https://substack.com/@adamkinzinger can get it back on the side of sanity .... :fingerscrossed:
Remember the Russian oligarchs under Yeltsin? They became fabulously rich by gaining control of the country's mineral resources. Project 2025 promises the same thing to our would-be oligarchs.
Trump has publicly denounced this so stop it. It’s a talking point.