It's horrifyingly embarrassing that I live in a country where this "human" was allowed to be President, in still allowed to speak publicly and will be allowed to run for President again. Truly disturbing.
Jul 26, 2022·edited Jul 26, 2022Liked by Robert Reich
That's not what I find horrifying. What I find horrifying is how many people ever supported him and still support him. What I find horrifying is the zeitgeist providing the wind under his wings. Without any of that, ol' Tweety's nothing but a cheesy little carnival barker with bad hair and a personality disorder. But most horrifying of all is that we're still even discussing him.
If Biden said that, he's really lost the plot! (Sorry, old Joe.) The whole 1/6 attempted coup was a result of his >real<. "evil courage." The whole thing was a result of his action.
I appreciate your exception. However, it really does take a certain courage to stand in front of a mob and play the king, knowing how quickly that mob could turn on you at the slightest - in their eyes - misstep. There's also a certain amount of courage involved when facing the possible consequence of your actions, in that regard. It may not be the kind of thing you respect as courage, but don't underestimate whatever it is you consider it to be. It's clearly quite potent & effective. Just sayin'.
I don't know what Biden really thinks, but saying Trump lacked the courage to act seems like a put-down. It portrays Trump as weaker than saying he devised an evil plot.
For those of us who have been there, it's like a platoon leader telling the troops to charge, but retreats in the face of the enemy. The mission before the men.
And we will never forget President Biden's magnificent comment,"you will not hold a dagger to the throat of democracy" I have to say,it's one of the most golden statements in my entire life.!!!
Well to be fair, at the moment it's >global< economic instability, exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict, in the midst of a persistent - no matter what anyone would have us all >believe< - Covid >global< pandemic that's doing the damage - presently. The destruction is just a lot easier to see, these days.
I live 15 minutes from Portland. It was definitely not burned down. Not even close. There was a small fire in a trash can. Its picture made the national news, even though it was on cement and near a stone wall, and was quickly put out. Armed right wing crazies who rolled into town in their trucks did threaten danger to people.
You are just another trumpie parrot who accuses your superiors of having the personality flaw that you actually possess. Try harder the next time you decide to crawl out from under your rock.
I am till waiting for him to reveal his taxes which he promised he would do if elected.
Acknowledge his role in the insurrection. Admit to having dodged two bullets in his impeachment trials. He is so dishonest and shush a liar that I cannot see him ever being President. The only way I can accept the stupidity of Americans who still support him is they do not read. Their dependency is on Fox TV for their information may change now that Murdoch has abandoned Trump.
Hey DZK, that disturbs me too. I keep wondering what is missing in a person's life that they have to cling to someone who is so clearly warped and dysfunctional. He yells a lot in his "speeches," but says nothing that has depth because his thinking is so limited. He got where he is because he learned from the best how to con everyone he can, to lie with conviction, to surround himself with people who can be bought with compliments and a bit of money, then to blame everyone else for everything he messes up. It's crazy!
>Exactly!< However, ol' Tweety's "limited thinking" is well thought out. As someone else observes in an earlier discussion, he's effectively set up a "feedback loop" with his followers. That's why - as the comment went - when asked what in particular they like about ol' Tweety's message, his followers invariably say they like everything he's saying. ol' Tweety's a schnook, indeed. But never underestimate the power of a schnook!
A couple, to be sure. I used to drive past his Philly casino regularly on I-95. I think the Scots were talkin' 'bout throwin' him out of Scotland - but don't quote me on that, because my memory is short on detail about what I though I heard about.
DZK I think we’re a little mislead by the “massive” numbers that support him. The trolling is professional. His crowds are brought in on buses. There are supporters in larger numbers than there should be. (More than 2 is disturbing) BUT we already know 70% of the voting population supports abortion rights and expanded medicare, social security etc. They are thick in propaganda, like this troll, edward, on this site. They scream loudest before they go down. The evidence from the hearing is crystal clear. But WHY are we allowing the lunatic to walk around free?
There’s big propaganda against Biden, despite what he has accomplished. Suddenly people are bringing up what he said 50 years ago. So f’ing what! I’m concerned with what he says now and what he is doing now. I think we’ve all had some changes of mind in 50 years!
Upside down US. WE should be out on the streets beating them back, not visa versa! They should have been shot at the capital. But instead, they pretend to be victims and right wing media reports it!
The battle is getting media back under control of sane people!
There’s a pay wall on that story but this is what we need to see more of. Shockingly, the Dems are still in offense mode. But the media situation is at issue.
With the abortion issue on the table, and repression of women, I don’t see the Rs coming close enough to a win to cheat the way they have to & steal the win. After all is said and done, if any Democrat dares negotiate with an R before all of the Democratic agenda is accomplished, they will need to go next.
Super possible and for that we work and pray! A question for you personally sir(Mr. Solomon),would it be possible to have special counsel (like we've had before) prosecute'rump?We desperately need to clean up this mess.
I personally did not like the appointments in the past.
I don't understand why grand juries weren't seated immediately. I understand as to Trump why don't want a rush to justice but low hanging fruit like Giuliani and the phony state electors should have been investigated immediately. I also fault the FBI for failing to take statements from all material witnesses starting Jan 7 , 2021.
Thanks for responding,I wonder,is it only our President that could appoint? Also,is some of the FBI leftover from (the 'rump) I heard there was some controversy w/ the FBI not investigating Kavanaugh properly.Is this true?
Fake news is a crime in Germany. Source: AN UGLY TRUTH, an in depth book about Facebook by two women authors. It is most troubling that fake news is allowed to run rampant on social media without a gatekeeper (editor) and the authors, as well as Roger McNamee an original investor in FB, are calling for government intervention, for FB will not self-police its platform. McNamee wants criminal penalties imposed on FB !
We get all capitalistic all the time with just about everything but our politicians, which are - let's face it - marketed products. When someone makes false claims about the products they market, they're subject to legal action ranging from tort lawsuits to criminal prosecution for fraud. I too am a bit flummoxed why those truth in advertising laws don't apply to the marketed products we call our elected officials.
We know our dear President has accomplished alot.(I believe more do than admit it,we just need more to acknowledge by backing off).I read this the other day,'it;s not a good idea to criticize the President,it makes him and the party look weak.'That's for his own party.Fellow dems should request a mtg. w/ him and/ or special advisors,could be very productive.
I think you're probably right. That's "Beatles Concerts 101." Pay 50 - or whatever - hookers $20 - or whatever - each to swoon and cheer, give them all front row seats, and let the concert magic begin. Really. That's one of the things they did at the beginning of their rise - or so I understand from a seminar I attended on the music business, conducted by a Berkeley School of Music prof, back about 30 years ago. I never regretted leaving the music business, and never looked back, after attending that seminar!
So many people don't realize little tiny things they take for granted are actually privileges. Being privileged and rich isn't just about money. All those rich dudes who claim "I did it on my own". I highly doubt the VAST % did it without any loans, without any political and/or business connections, without any social support, without any resources.. it's not just cash, it's all these privileges and resources. Having 2 parents is a privilege. Not being abused as a child is a privilege, Not being hungry as a child. When you actually get deep into the research on "rich people coming from nothing" it is VASTLY different than the lies they like to spout. I'm not saying no one has worked hard who has privileges, plenty of privileged people work hard, but people need to own their privilege and accept we are not all born equal, so let's fight so the future can be more equal.
Nope! To say that misses the whole diabolical point, and short-shrifts the even more diabolical reality. >It was their unimaginably effective PR campaign!< I don't know how old the hookers were, but they had the desired effect on the teeny-boppers who bought the concert tickets and records and t-shirts. It all relies on the herd mentality, particularly of the youngsters hungry to be a part of what's new and hip and sexy. Indeed, what was >really< behind the Beatles rise to the top was utterly carnivorous cynicism. The Beatles only provided the dance music! Next time you go to your favorite band's concert, make sure to buy a t-shirt. Unless they're super stars, that's probably how they're making their living - selling t-shirts. Otherwise, the concert tours are advertisement campaigns that finance their record releases, which in turn are advertising campaigns that ultimately finance their concert tours. It's a "political reality" at it's absolute grungiest. Think about how the politicians spend the contribution monies they collect. How much of that do you think they spend raising more political contributions? Per the original comment I responded to, it's also operative in raising a mob. You have a few "Proud Boy" types salted in, and the rest of the "true believers" will follow.
Brian Epstein was undoubtedly a genius, but he certainly wasn't the first, nor the last, to manufacture an image. Countless bands have generated teeny-bopper frenzy, manufactured or otherwise, and never approached the success of the Beatles. What separated them was talent, and songwriting skills far more sophisticated and advanced than their years. Nothing cynical about that.
Yes, this is true DZX. Adults who are truly grown up and healthy ( mentally) cannot abide that corporate and business oriented groups would allow this aberration to keep going public. Shame doesn’t seem to be in the vocabulary of a Newt Gingrich who is himself a shameful example of a grown up stilted since childhood. WHY are we still hearing from that creep?
Down below some guys calls him "decent and moral". Sometimes I truly think I'm in the Twilight Zone or Gilead or taking crazy pills. Or maybe all 3. Did I take the red pill?
His is the cult of the loser, and so many losers like he is follow him. He is the tax cheat, the child molester, the mugger, who feel resentful and tragically misunderstood. Where winners take hard knocks in life, losers brood and plot revenge. He personified the soccer hooligan, and the other losers follow him to win big. This has always been his schtick. America wallows in self-pity and ressentiment. How else would Marjorie and Josh become famous but for the cult of the loser? We have so many incarcerated, and many of them think just like Trump. Society owes them for its betrayal, they imagine.
If we are to fight this enemy, we must use the language of morality. WWII was about the fight against evil. The beliefs of that generation represented a bulwark agains Fascism and its evils. They were patient, and waited for that generation to die off.
It's the Republofascists that are constantly proven overwhelmingly to be mendacious, corrupt, criminal, authoritarian, seditious & treasonous. The whole party should be declared a terrorist organization & outlawed.
Edward, actually there were many such accusations about his time as beauty pageant owner. About the times when he brought underage models to the US for his modeling agency.
Not to mention the open cases by women against him. Has a trial date Feb 2023 in the big one. He has resisted submitting his DNA for several years.
Also Russian collusion should have been a jury question.
But 1/6 is now open and to most observers pretty obvious. So far hundreds of convictions, guilty pleas, and dozens of Trump subordinates have come forward. More to come.
A woman had a court case accusing him of raping her when she was 13. She withdrew the suit under serious death threats.
Trump is an alleged statutory rapist. There are sworn eyewitness statements attesting to his depravity.
<i>DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF'S REQUEST FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER
....
7. It was at these series of parties that I personally witnessed the Plaintiff being forced to perform various sexual acts with Donald J Trump and Mr. Epstein. Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Epstein were advised that she was 13 years old.
8. I personally witnessed four sexual encounters that the Plaintiff was forced to have with Mr. Trump during this period, including the fourth of these encounters where Mr. Trump forcibly raped her despite her pleas to stop.
9. I personally witnessed the one occasion where Mr. Trump forced the Plaintiff and a 12-year-old female named Maria perform oral sex on Mr. Trump and witnessed his physical abuse of both minors when they finished the act.
....
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.</i>
Law-- not common best practice, but law-- requiring presidential candidates publish 20 years of tax returns would have prevented candidates Trump from running.
As I try to understand the mind of a Drumpf supporter, I think I can imagine a state of mind that revels in cheating the system, in getting away with things. For his supporters, is “our kind of guy (but richer)” who “beat the system.”
They imagine they will be rich one day or will benefit by being on his “team” They’re the only ones dumb enough not to figure out their idol is a psychopath with no concern for them at all.
He is their shining star. He is the greatest! The Greatest Loser Of All Time! The GLOAT! Usually when you run a coup, you’re a complete outsider who has to seize the whole government. He was the f’n President! Couldn’t pull it off. Biggest Loser Of All Time. THE BLOAT!! Dimwit, you have to SHOW UP YOURSELF if you’re running a coup-not watching it on the boob tube, waiting for Magic Mikey Pence to do your job for you. What a lazy ass. No self-respecting thug dictator would be caught dead with you. Even Melania wasn’t with you, big cheese! “I knew Ceauescu. You are no Ceauescu.” Get a consultant, fer chrissake! Some boob thrown out of the CIA! But noooo…
What you’ve said is funny but for Pete’s sake don’t give the BLOAT, GLOAT or Whatever he sees himself as any ideas. Unless a car falls on his head, the sob ain’t dead yet.
It’s as though they’re admitting they like cheaters so you know from the beginning that there is no honor there. Then just follow it to its logical conclusion.
They see themselves in him. They especially admire how he keeps getting away with everything, & they wish they could, & think they can under him, & they are right if they are rich white guys, but if they don't fit that description, well, sorry about that!
Maryk, I believe you’re right, and I also believe we can get it done in 23 if we hold the House and pick up at least 2 Senators who are receptive either to modifying or abolishing the filibuster.
@phezweb, What most disturbs me, if Trump and his coterie are not apprehended, prosecuted, and punished, is that the future I see unfolding is one of utter chaos, the breakdown of the rule of law, and the loss of trust both in government and also in maintaining institutions of American life.
Frankly, were I to be truthful, regardless of what happens to Trump, if, in 22, Democrats don’t retain control of both Houses and also prevent Republicans in select states from attaining trifecta control—control of both legislative state Houses and the governorship, I expect we’ll see a fatal weakening of the key mechanisms of democracy in the U.S.
I agree. State election officials are being intimidated, the independent state legislature doctrine SCOTUS may likely support this fall could set us up for national minority rule (not sure if the Electoral College Bill, if passed, will safeguard against this) and the GOPs ever more fascist leanings (with corporate support via Citizen's United, etc.) are existential threats to our democracy. DeSantis is capable of filling a Trump void but with real discipline, focusing Trump's fanatacists on cultural issues (LGBTQ+, school sex education, etc.,) that will further enflame their hearts and minds. Dems gotta get busy!
@OhioBabs, Were I asked, I would say that reforming the Electoral Count Act would not be among the top 5 things we need to do to address the complex challenges facing our voting system today. To be clear, absent comprehensive voter protection safeguards, I worry that Republicans at the local and state levels simply won’t include all the ballots in the certified results, which comes way before we get to counting electors in the chambers of the House and Senate.
I would note that I largely base my concerns on Democracy Docket Founder Marc Elias’s portrayal of a Republican election subversion plan he expects will be enacted as early as this fall. You will find a brief explanation of this plan in my response to Maryk, who is part of this thread.
You're right. DeSantis is a version of ol' Tweety that knows >exactly< how to work government to his ends. If you think ol' Tweety as president was bad, a DeSantis presidency would likely be devastating. We can only work for a contest between ol' Tweety & DeSantis that would result in "mutually assured destruction," actively stirring-up and encouraging such a contest with all available resources.
I have never in my life seen any GOV. dissed so much by talk show hosts,pro democracy groups and there is actually a group cld. 'Remove Ron' and a new one cld DeSantis watch.He does have supporters,but ALOT of people don't like him.He lost the black vote w/ his wise guy gerrymandering in North Fla.(which by the way should be nationally outlawed),the Gay vote w/ his bigotry bills and other groups.His ego and ambition are too big for his breeches!
Mary, I work nearly 24/7 on behalf of the Democratic Party. Nonetheless, if attorney Marc Elias is right in anticipating that Republicans, as early as 22, will use “false allegations of fraud as a pretext to remove ballots from the vote totals and then certify those incomplete results,” we have a great deal more work ahead of us.
@ RedElisa, I am certain the Justice Department is aware. Regrettably, Justice has been constrained by the Supreme Court, which, in 2013, gutted Section #5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and in subsequent years has gutted most of Section#2. Hence, A.G. Garland, this past year, has urged Congress to pass comprehensive voter protection safeguards that, you might recall, was filibustered this past January.
Indeed. I completely agree. It is scary to think about where this is going. Stage 1- Trump, Stage 2- SCOTUS starts screwing us over, Stage 3--???!?!? I'm just baffled as to how in 2022, people are still not supporting birth control, even though they CLAIM to not like abortions. It's all lies. They only care about CONTROL and I think every single person with a uterus should be terrified. In 2022, we still have to come up with ways to keep gay marriage legal too.. wow... we are going backwards. Scary indeed.
Hey Phezweb, excellent comments! I think Republicans are stuck in that nostalgia mode where they think things in the past were so much better than they are now. They want white men to rule and women and everyone else to be under their direction, like the slave owners of old. They don't know about what other people went through in life, only what they themselves experience, so they missed how hard life really was for most people back then. That takes a lot of insensitivity to others and a lack of curiosity. They are more interested in pushing their own tunnel vision on others so they themselves won't have to actually think things through, to reason. Meanwhile, a whole lot of women will suffer with unwanted pregnancies and nearly die before they can get help, even though science has found ways to make women's lives less hazardous. What kind of person would want to go back to Medieval times, someone who is not the one who will be suffering -- rich powerful white men and the women who love them.
Yep, privilege. People just assume their experience is the exact same as everyone else. We are not all born equal, but they think so because they were born with privilege. So many privileges seem so minor and everyone assumes we all have them. Not true
@phezweb, I don’t believe it’s hyperbolic to presume that Republicans are intent on seizing control of all the levers of government through whatever means necessary. That said, I do take heart from author Scott Russell Sanders who writes, “Every gesture, every act, every choice we make sends ripples of influence into the future.”
What I don’t understand about anti-abortion men is this: the more unwanted kids they have the more they have to pay to support them. Don’t they realize this? And don’t tell me they’ll skip out on child support. Many of them are married to the women they’re forcing to have babies.
They don’t support anything that’s scientifically proven to decrease abortions. They always say “if you don’t want kids, don’t have sex”. Well I say to the NON uterus havers- if they don’t want their partner to have an abortion, don’t have sex. If they don’t want to be responsible for 50% of that child, don’t have sex. It’s all about control.
Yes, Barbara Jo, I, too am worried about our democracy. In the past 50 years or so, it has been dripping away bit by bit as we let things go by that we should not. Republicans have now stepped up their attacks and our A.G. does not feel the intensity of the situation. Going after the insurgents of Jan. 6 is critical, but if they don't step up soon and go after the big guys and prosecute the ones who did the real damage, you know, the damage that can't be repaired by Capitol maintenance, we are going to be lost.
I agree, Ruth. Thus, along with everything else that is demanded of us, we must persist in pressing Main Justice to hold the entire command structure up to and including Trump accountable, at least to the point of being subject to full-blown criminal investigation.
How about more state laws that allow private citizens to sue people for various offenses? That way if an attorney general won’t step up the populace can. We’re doing that in California with guns (modeled on the abhorrent Texas anti-abortion law but turnabout is fair play.) Why do we have to wait for Garland?
All this is possible,but I refuse to let fear and paranoia rule me.Like Prof. Reich once mentioned,we've been thru hard times before and we'll get thru this.It's a GRAND OLD FLAG!!!
@RedElisia, The point is not to submit to “fear and paranoia,” but to understand the full nature of the existential threat to our democratic republic. The first step to finding solutions is to identify the problem.
No, freedom of speech means the gov’t (except in rare cases) can’t stop you from speaking.
It does NOT mean you are “entitled to a platform” to do so.
That’s the kind of warped understanding of the 1st Amendment that leads to people whining (completely falsely) that their rights were trampled when a private company turns off their account.
False analogy. Holding a public meeting is protected speech and freedom of assembly. Zero relationship to twitter -or anything else.
I do think that they are full of BS. I read the propaganda.
If I were in the media I'd question them about whether they were witnesses to the planning and execution of the insurrection. Have they been promoting the big lie?
It’s really hard to follow the thread how you think your comments are responding to mine. Your “hope you’re not a lawyer” suggests you disagree with me and think that the first amendment requires people be provided with a platform for their speech.
Which it does NOT.
The 1st Amendment says the gov't can't stop you from speaking out. But you're ABSOLUTELY WRONG when you claim it means people are "entitled to a platform" to do so. Twitter/Facebook/AuntSadie'sKnittingNook.com and every other company can shut down anyone's account for any reason they like and it is not a 1st Amendment issue.
Similarly, yes, people are free to peacefully assemble. But NOBODY is obligated to provide them with a space to hold their public meeting.
You, like so many eager-to-be-a-victim people who whine about their rights being taken away when THEY ARE NOT seem to have a hard time grasping that concept.
What is horrifying is that from what I understand, that half the population of America is dosed up on psychotic medications, running around with rifles and guns to maintain law and order?
We have the shortest police training program out of all developed nations and our cops kill the most people by a WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE margin, and have the highest death rates from guns out of all industrialized nations. In most states, Hairdresser training is longer. We don't require education. Basically you can turn 18, buy rifles, shotguns, 100s of rounds of ammunition, become a cop and get a gun... it's insanity. The training should be beyond intense, especially if we aren't going to add more mental health responders, if we are going to rely on the cops for everything, then they need to be so trained, that no "BAD APPLES" get through. We don't need bad apples running around with guns, killing unarmed civilians. Just like you don't want the bad apple surgeon!
trump is a psychopath and a narcissist. i don't see why anyone needs to see more of him to know this. as a NYCer, i knew all about his personal ... um, er ... "foibles" ... and would never vote for him. (maybe we should ask all those bankers and contractors and construction workers he stiffed without consequence if they'd vote for him? or maybe we should poll all those renters that he and his smarmy brats evicted from their apartments for the crime of not being white-skinned?) basically, anyone who votes for him after 4 years of trump-inflicted misery, is a deeply psychologically damaged individual who should be required to be deprogrammed, just as anyone who buys in to any other cult must be, before being allowed to return to the civilised world.
these tens of millions of amerikkkans were not duped, but they were, in a word, voting for racism/hatred. if you've read the readable and meticulously researched book, Dying of Whiteness by Jonathan M. Metzl, you'd get a much clearer and MUCH more disturbing portrait of this self-destructive psychology in action.
If you call the past seven years worth of lies and conning "very little info", be careful someone doesn't try to sell you a bridge! The fact that he has shown the world what a complete moron and criminal he is should more than catch the public up with the knowledge New Yorkers have had for many, many years. As a hard working, tax-paying citizen, and a veteran, to see people enamored by this draft-dodging tax cheat pisses me off to no end. One small example of news in the papers, look at the Oct. 3, 2018 article in the NY Times about his tax evasion schemes. There are numerous examples of what a racist and misogynist he has been throughout his life. In all, the fact that he is an example of the kind of person who does NOT belong in our White House has been out there for all to see for a long time. I agree that anyone who votes for him after his first failed attempt at holding an important job is certainly not interested in preserving our democracy and the freedom and rights we will all lose if they do.
Agreed, and I still think there has not been adquate digging into trump's association with Jeffrey Epstein. I know there was a lawsuit many years ago, and the young woman (and an incriminating notebook) "disappeared" soon after the case was dropped. He is a thoroughly scurrilous excuse for a human being. Jeffrey too!
In contrast, Robert Reich, you are a brilliant person who writes dire warnings, with an ability to make me laugh, as in today's post. Thank you!
Watching this drama from Spain. Thank you for your wise words. Trump is the biggest testimony to the effectiveness of the ultraright and fascistic take over of the laws in the USA by the monopolistic gargantuan companies and fortunes starting in 1980 and accelerating in 2011 with Citezens United decission. The Rep. Party is an evil party, bought by big capital.
Good column, Robert, but I refuse to even ponder trump taking power again. I'm hanging on to the hope that he will be in prison at best and indicted at worst. Of course, then much of what you write could apply to DeSantis and some of the other anarchists, so the future looks grim.
I'm with you, PeggyJo, but I do fear the neofascist grifters that he inspired and who learned a lot from his demise. Right now, I'm in a rural area where the local state rep wears his pardon from Trump like a badge of knighthood.
To all the so called “Evangelicals and Christians” who voted for this monstrosity and demanded in their churches that their followers vote for him, this is just a small prototype and demonstration of how the anti-Christ will tear the world apart. He will be very charismatic and will say exactly what people want to hear, but his true intention will be to gain power at all costs and this is EXACTLY what we have just witnessed - albeit in a much smaller scale.
Trump's vision of the future probably includes schemes to absolve himself and his sycophants of their crimes and sins and any accountability. He deserves execution for his crimes and treason!
A conflab of the wanna be con-artists . A directionless, rudderless microcosm of the flailing reflublican farty. Void of any real desire for meaningful policy for and about the real American people, 'AMERICA FIRST' is hanging it's hat on lil donnie draft dodger ?
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha ! ! Such an early morning laugh is good for my soul ! He, they, their ilk have never and will never put anything or anyone 'FIRST' in front of themselves ! Their name and desire in and of themselves are oxymoronic in essence ! Me thinks it may be the comedy show of the year ! Lord, please consider a policy to save us all . AMEN.....
(Pancha Chandra): Following Trump in his single term Presidency was never an inspiring experience. One would normally look to an American President for wisdom and good common sense but one would be well advised to keep away from dear Donald. He is pompous, selfish & mean & never had the virtues of telling the truth nor speaking from the core of his heart! He was a dictator at heart, for sure! He was a flunky of Vladimir Putin & supported dictators & despots across the world. In his case, power corrupts. What a sad commentary! He will be remembered for leading an insurrection on the Capitol building on January 6th that failed miserably! No other previous American President had the gall to lead an insurrection on the seat of government; he simply could not stomach an election defeat!
Yep, Dr. Reich got this one correct! A man who lied more than 30,000 times in public in the four years of his presidentcy,cannot be relied on to tell the truth, ever. I know his cult is aware of his lying but somehow, they have decided they like him anyway and are OK with the lies. They really don't care about a vision because so many of the supporters I have heard interviewed, even Republican elected officials blurt out the lies with as much confidence as Trump does and they either can't answer a follow-up question, or none is asked -- on purpose. I can't help but wonder, are Republican officials in office because they are willing to lie at every turn, because they also have no "policy" vision, because they are cynics and go with the flow if it gets them power and money, or all of the above. One thing is clear, Trump is a cheat, a liar, and a narcissist who cares only about loyalty of others to himself and his lies. If a person has little or no personal integrity, Trump thinks they can be made to do and say anything. That has been pretty true of the sycophants who trail after Baby Donnie. I love Dr. Reich's image of the elephant pooper-scoopers running behind. The media did that for Trump during his first election pointing out the occasional times when Trump "sounded presidential: and laughing off the regular lies and constant insults. Then, the various press secretaries tried to clean up the mess each day, usually unsuccessfully to the point of having little or no direct connection with any media but Fox "Not Really News" and similar outlets. A political vision, not a chance!
You are more than a little bit superb in the way you write, and this analysis of Donald Trump is right up there on truth and summarizing Donald Trump's personality, deceitfulness, and extremely dangerous efforts to continue on as the Republican Party's Dictator, and by extension, the United States. He's a madman without any sense of ethics, honesty, or fair play. He rules by intimidation, force, fake news, hook or crook behavior, and unlawfulness. Pearl B. Spodick
It's horrifyingly embarrassing that I live in a country where this "human" was allowed to be President, in still allowed to speak publicly and will be allowed to run for President again. Truly disturbing.
That's not what I find horrifying. What I find horrifying is how many people ever supported him and still support him. What I find horrifying is the zeitgeist providing the wind under his wings. Without any of that, ol' Tweety's nothing but a cheesy little carnival barker with bad hair and a personality disorder. But most horrifying of all is that we're still even discussing him.
Collective racist subconscious. Rebels without a clue. Led by a coward.
Trump ‘Lacked the Courage to Act’: Biden. Trump sat in the comfort of the White House as his supporters stormed the Capitol. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/25/us/politics/biden-trump-jan-6.html
If Biden said that, he's really lost the plot! (Sorry, old Joe.) The whole 1/6 attempted coup was a result of his >real<. "evil courage." The whole thing was a result of his action.
I disagree, it doesn't take a shred of "courage" to goad others into doing your dirty work. What that takes is cunning and a lack of any morality.
I appreciate your exception. However, it really does take a certain courage to stand in front of a mob and play the king, knowing how quickly that mob could turn on you at the slightest - in their eyes - misstep. There's also a certain amount of courage involved when facing the possible consequence of your actions, in that regard. It may not be the kind of thing you respect as courage, but don't underestimate whatever it is you consider it to be. It's clearly quite potent & effective. Just sayin'.
I don't know what Biden really thinks, but saying Trump lacked the courage to act seems like a put-down. It portrays Trump as weaker than saying he devised an evil plot.
Good point! Maybe Biden was attempting to goad ol' Tweety into taking credit for it all. I could see that as a possible "strategic insult."
For those of us who have been there, it's like a platoon leader telling the troops to charge, but retreats in the face of the enemy. The mission before the men.
Exactly.....lacking courage to act is minimizing what happened. Our enemies are not cowards. That's the real danger.
Josh Hawley certainly is.
Certainly not the ones doing the storming, though - their politicians be damned.
No,they're idiots and hopefully one day will be victims of their own stupidity.
As a further thought, not only are our enemies >not< cowards, they're convinced >we< are cowards. That only serves to embolden them.
Agreed!
And it continues today.
And we will never forget President Biden's magnificent comment,"you will not hold a dagger to the throat of democracy" I have to say,it's one of the most golden statements in my entire life.!!!
It's not just racism. This country has economically destroyed people.
Well to be fair, at the moment it's >global< economic instability, exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict, in the midst of a persistent - no matter what anyone would have us all >believe< - Covid >global< pandemic that's doing the damage - presently. The destruction is just a lot easier to see, these days.
I'd add the global climate crisis, which has awful economic effects as well as horrors for humans, animals and plants.
That Western Europe as well as the Western states all burning down are Fake News! LOL! No. Disregard that! I agree with you!
Just saw this on the news..exactly.
Maybe if you checked for the truth it would help, "...Trump’s claim was debunked by fact-checkers in March, after he first made the statement during a Fox News appearance, and it’s still not true. There is no evidence Trump made any formal request about deploying 10,000 National Guard troops before the rally." https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/12/16/fact-check-no-trump-request-10000-guard-troops-jan-6/8929215002/
That dude does not GAF about the truth. He is a true TBG
I live 15 minutes from Portland. It was definitely not burned down. Not even close. There was a small fire in a trash can. Its picture made the national news, even though it was on cement and near a stone wall, and was quickly put out. Armed right wing crazies who rolled into town in their trucks did threaten danger to people.
I saw more security around the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse, than the Nations Capitol on Jan. 6th.
I stand corrected. Western Europe? Not so much. I think Australia is suffering a "hotfoot," too.
Total BS, debunked by several reliable sources:
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/jun/13/sean-hannity/no-evidence-pelosi-rejected-trumps-authorization-2/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/12/16/fact-check-no-trump-request-10000-guard-troops-jan-6/8929215002/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/07/28/false-gop-claim-that-pelosi-turned-down-national-guard-before-jan-6-attack/
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/11/955548910/ex-capitol-police-chief-rebuffs-claims-national-guard-was-never-called-during-ri
You are just another trumpie parrot who accuses your superiors of having the personality flaw that you actually possess. Try harder the next time you decide to crawl out from under your rock.
Yep, he totally is.
Edward, we all know you’re a troll. It doesn’t really work here. Nice try, but its over for your ilk. Go slither back under your rock.
I think the resident troll has emerged.
You clearly have been hoodwinked by false disinformation that has been thoroughly debunked
I am till waiting for him to reveal his taxes which he promised he would do if elected.
Acknowledge his role in the insurrection. Admit to having dodged two bullets in his impeachment trials. He is so dishonest and shush a liar that I cannot see him ever being President. The only way I can accept the stupidity of Americans who still support him is they do not read. Their dependency is on Fox TV for their information may change now that Murdoch has abandoned Trump.
.
They read epoch times. There could be other newspapers out there also.
Hey DZK, that disturbs me too. I keep wondering what is missing in a person's life that they have to cling to someone who is so clearly warped and dysfunctional. He yells a lot in his "speeches," but says nothing that has depth because his thinking is so limited. He got where he is because he learned from the best how to con everyone he can, to lie with conviction, to surround himself with people who can be bought with compliments and a bit of money, then to blame everyone else for everything he messes up. It's crazy!
>Exactly!< However, ol' Tweety's "limited thinking" is well thought out. As someone else observes in an earlier discussion, he's effectively set up a "feedback loop" with his followers. That's why - as the comment went - when asked what in particular they like about ol' Tweety's message, his followers invariably say they like everything he's saying. ol' Tweety's a schnook, indeed. But never underestimate the power of a schnook!
I believe he was the proud owner of a failed casino,imagine the drek that patronized that place.
A couple, to be sure. I used to drive past his Philly casino regularly on I-95. I think the Scots were talkin' 'bout throwin' him out of Scotland - but don't quote me on that, because my memory is short on detail about what I though I heard about.
no,you're spot on,they don't like him either.
Totally agree with you, Ruth. Totally pathetic.
DZK I think we’re a little mislead by the “massive” numbers that support him. The trolling is professional. His crowds are brought in on buses. There are supporters in larger numbers than there should be. (More than 2 is disturbing) BUT we already know 70% of the voting population supports abortion rights and expanded medicare, social security etc. They are thick in propaganda, like this troll, edward, on this site. They scream loudest before they go down. The evidence from the hearing is crystal clear. But WHY are we allowing the lunatic to walk around free?
There’s big propaganda against Biden, despite what he has accomplished. Suddenly people are bringing up what he said 50 years ago. So f’ing what! I’m concerned with what he says now and what he is doing now. I think we’ve all had some changes of mind in 50 years!
Upside down US. WE should be out on the streets beating them back, not visa versa! They should have been shot at the capital. But instead, they pretend to be victims and right wing media reports it!
The battle is getting media back under control of sane people!
Lead story WAPO: Biden poised for big wins in Congress.
After a long stretch when his legislative program stalled, Biden and the Democrats appear ready to notch a string of victories.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/07/25/biden-big-wins-congress/
There’s a pay wall on that story but this is what we need to see more of. Shockingly, the Dems are still in offense mode. But the media situation is at issue.
With the abortion issue on the table, and repression of women, I don’t see the Rs coming close enough to a win to cheat the way they have to & steal the win. After all is said and done, if any Democrat dares negotiate with an R before all of the Democratic agenda is accomplished, they will need to go next.
Super possible and for that we work and pray! A question for you personally sir(Mr. Solomon),would it be possible to have special counsel (like we've had before) prosecute'rump?We desperately need to clean up this mess.
Needs to be appointed.
I personally did not like the appointments in the past.
I don't understand why grand juries weren't seated immediately. I understand as to Trump why don't want a rush to justice but low hanging fruit like Giuliani and the phony state electors should have been investigated immediately. I also fault the FBI for failing to take statements from all material witnesses starting Jan 7 , 2021.
Thanks for responding,I wonder,is it only our President that could appoint? Also,is some of the FBI leftover from (the 'rump) I heard there was some controversy w/ the FBI not investigating Kavanaugh properly.Is this true?
Fake news is a crime in Germany. Source: AN UGLY TRUTH, an in depth book about Facebook by two women authors. It is most troubling that fake news is allowed to run rampant on social media without a gatekeeper (editor) and the authors, as well as Roger McNamee an original investor in FB, are calling for government intervention, for FB will not self-police its platform. McNamee wants criminal penalties imposed on FB !
We get all capitalistic all the time with just about everything but our politicians, which are - let's face it - marketed products. When someone makes false claims about the products they market, they're subject to legal action ranging from tort lawsuits to criminal prosecution for fraud. I too am a bit flummoxed why those truth in advertising laws don't apply to the marketed products we call our elected officials.
We know our dear President has accomplished alot.(I believe more do than admit it,we just need more to acknowledge by backing off).I read this the other day,'it;s not a good idea to criticize the President,it makes him and the party look weak.'That's for his own party.Fellow dems should request a mtg. w/ him and/ or special advisors,could be very productive.
I think you're probably right. That's "Beatles Concerts 101." Pay 50 - or whatever - hookers $20 - or whatever - each to swoon and cheer, give them all front row seats, and let the concert magic begin. Really. That's one of the things they did at the beginning of their rise - or so I understand from a seminar I attended on the music business, conducted by a Berkeley School of Music prof, back about 30 years ago. I never regretted leaving the music business, and never looked back, after attending that seminar!
Wow, is there any successful person who hasn’t cheated his way there?
So many people don't realize little tiny things they take for granted are actually privileges. Being privileged and rich isn't just about money. All those rich dudes who claim "I did it on my own". I highly doubt the VAST % did it without any loans, without any political and/or business connections, without any social support, without any resources.. it's not just cash, it's all these privileges and resources. Having 2 parents is a privilege. Not being abused as a child is a privilege, Not being hungry as a child. When you actually get deep into the research on "rich people coming from nothing" it is VASTLY different than the lies they like to spout. I'm not saying no one has worked hard who has privileges, plenty of privileged people work hard, but people need to own their privilege and accept we are not all born equal, so let's fight so the future can be more equal.
I completely agree with you. It’s going to take a while for people to realize this though.
The old "Horatio Alger" myth rears its ugly head again!
I keep a tight grip on my wallet and an eye on my hat when they're around - particularly when they're being "just folks!"
Nonsense. Thirteen year old "hookers" are behind the Beatles rise to the top?
Nope! To say that misses the whole diabolical point, and short-shrifts the even more diabolical reality. >It was their unimaginably effective PR campaign!< I don't know how old the hookers were, but they had the desired effect on the teeny-boppers who bought the concert tickets and records and t-shirts. It all relies on the herd mentality, particularly of the youngsters hungry to be a part of what's new and hip and sexy. Indeed, what was >really< behind the Beatles rise to the top was utterly carnivorous cynicism. The Beatles only provided the dance music! Next time you go to your favorite band's concert, make sure to buy a t-shirt. Unless they're super stars, that's probably how they're making their living - selling t-shirts. Otherwise, the concert tours are advertisement campaigns that finance their record releases, which in turn are advertising campaigns that ultimately finance their concert tours. It's a "political reality" at it's absolute grungiest. Think about how the politicians spend the contribution monies they collect. How much of that do you think they spend raising more political contributions? Per the original comment I responded to, it's also operative in raising a mob. You have a few "Proud Boy" types salted in, and the rest of the "true believers" will follow.
Brian Epstein was undoubtedly a genius, but he certainly wasn't the first, nor the last, to manufacture an image. Countless bands have generated teeny-bopper frenzy, manufactured or otherwise, and never approached the success of the Beatles. What separated them was talent, and songwriting skills far more sophisticated and advanced than their years. Nothing cynical about that.
Yes, this is true DZX. Adults who are truly grown up and healthy ( mentally) cannot abide that corporate and business oriented groups would allow this aberration to keep going public. Shame doesn’t seem to be in the vocabulary of a Newt Gingrich who is himself a shameful example of a grown up stilted since childhood. WHY are we still hearing from that creep?
These are the really disabled. They are boring!!!
Switch Channels America!!!
Jean
Yes. Gingrich is yet another piece of failed garbage. He’s completely irrelevant.
Down below some guys calls him "decent and moral". Sometimes I truly think I'm in the Twilight Zone or Gilead or taking crazy pills. Or maybe all 3. Did I take the red pill?
Funny. Something I came across yesterday evening made me wonder which pill I'd inadvertently swallowed! I hear ya'! LOL ];-)>
His is the cult of the loser, and so many losers like he is follow him. He is the tax cheat, the child molester, the mugger, who feel resentful and tragically misunderstood. Where winners take hard knocks in life, losers brood and plot revenge. He personified the soccer hooligan, and the other losers follow him to win big. This has always been his schtick. America wallows in self-pity and ressentiment. How else would Marjorie and Josh become famous but for the cult of the loser? We have so many incarcerated, and many of them think just like Trump. Society owes them for its betrayal, they imagine.
Cult gestalt therapy.
Me. You have a lot to lose. Social Security, Medicare, VA.
MAGA. Don't care, we have to kill them libs. Big steal.
Me. How many kids do you have?
MAGA. .Got six, all MAGA like me.
Me. Any grandkids?
MAGA. 12. Got a great grand baby.
Me. Congratulations. So you know that under BBB you'd get $300 per child per month.
MAGA 2 days later. Tell me more.
❤️👍🏼 Way to go Daniel.
If we are to fight this enemy, we must use the language of morality. WWII was about the fight against evil. The beliefs of that generation represented a bulwark agains Fascism and its evils. They were patient, and waited for that generation to die off.
I agree. We don't do that nearly enough. Morality is practically totally on our side. Keep shaming them (no matter how incapable of shame they are).
It's the Republofascists that are constantly proven overwhelmingly to be mendacious, corrupt, criminal, authoritarian, seditious & treasonous. The whole party should be declared a terrorist organization & outlawed.
Edward, actually there were many such accusations about his time as beauty pageant owner. About the times when he brought underage models to the US for his modeling agency.
Not to mention the open cases by women against him. Has a trial date Feb 2023 in the big one. He has resisted submitting his DNA for several years.
Also Russian collusion should have been a jury question.
But 1/6 is now open and to most observers pretty obvious. So far hundreds of convictions, guilty pleas, and dozens of Trump subordinates have come forward. More to come.
Edward. You have a lot to lose.
Have any children?
Try reading the Mueller report.
A woman had a court case accusing him of raping her when she was 13. She withdrew the suit under serious death threats.
Trump is an alleged statutory rapist. There are sworn eyewitness statements attesting to his depravity.
<i>DECLARATION IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF'S REQUEST FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER
....
7. It was at these series of parties that I personally witnessed the Plaintiff being forced to perform various sexual acts with Donald J Trump and Mr. Epstein. Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Epstein were advised that she was 13 years old.
8. I personally witnessed four sexual encounters that the Plaintiff was forced to have with Mr. Trump during this period, including the fourth of these encounters where Mr. Trump forcibly raped her despite her pleas to stop.
9. I personally witnessed the one occasion where Mr. Trump forced the Plaintiff and a 12-year-old female named Maria perform oral sex on Mr. Trump and witnessed his physical abuse of both minors when they finished the act.
....
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.</i>
http://tinyurl.com/hzst76q
Follow this link:
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4154484/1/katie-johnson-v-donald-j-trump/
Agreed, DZK, agreed!
Yeah, when I saw today’s topic I thought, “Robert, why are you wasting your valuable space on this eejit?
Right!
no
Law-- not common best practice, but law-- requiring presidential candidates publish 20 years of tax returns would have prevented candidates Trump from running.
In Trump's case even 5 years of returns would have sufficed.
As I try to understand the mind of a Drumpf supporter, I think I can imagine a state of mind that revels in cheating the system, in getting away with things. For his supporters, is “our kind of guy (but richer)” who “beat the system.”
They imagine they will be rich one day or will benefit by being on his “team” They’re the only ones dumb enough not to figure out their idol is a psychopath with no concern for them at all.
He is their shining star. He is the greatest! The Greatest Loser Of All Time! The GLOAT! Usually when you run a coup, you’re a complete outsider who has to seize the whole government. He was the f’n President! Couldn’t pull it off. Biggest Loser Of All Time. THE BLOAT!! Dimwit, you have to SHOW UP YOURSELF if you’re running a coup-not watching it on the boob tube, waiting for Magic Mikey Pence to do your job for you. What a lazy ass. No self-respecting thug dictator would be caught dead with you. Even Melania wasn’t with you, big cheese! “I knew Ceauescu. You are no Ceauescu.” Get a consultant, fer chrissake! Some boob thrown out of the CIA! But noooo…
For being so clever & funny, you are amazingly accurate, too!
What you’ve said is funny but for Pete’s sake don’t give the BLOAT, GLOAT or Whatever he sees himself as any ideas. Unless a car falls on his head, the sob ain’t dead yet.
And a failed casino operator to boot!
It’s as though they’re admitting they like cheaters so you know from the beginning that there is no honor there. Then just follow it to its logical conclusion.
They see themselves in him. They especially admire how he keeps getting away with everything, & they wish they could, & think they can under him, & they are right if they are rich white guys, but if they don't fit that description, well, sorry about that!
Yes Stan, I think you are exactly correct about this.
...
House Jan. 6 panel says Trump raised millions for a nonexistent election defense fund https://www.npr.org/2022/06/15/1105162597/house-jan-6-panel-says-trump-raised-millions-for-a-nonexistent-election-defense
Maryk, I believe you’re right, and I also believe we can get it done in 23 if we hold the House and pick up at least 2 Senators who are receptive either to modifying or abolishing the filibuster.
RIGHT?! Remember when he said he would show them? We all know it was a lie, but still infuriating.
Is that audit still going on!😳
Every once in awhile some article says “they’re coming out soon” but never does.
I doubt it! The IRS was badly underfunded & corrupted during his administration & still is.
indeed. didn't california recently enact this very thing as law?
Hope so
Yeah, And whatever happened to tha accountant/bookkeeper in NY who was questioned. Yet another cover up .... ?
@phezweb, What most disturbs me, if Trump and his coterie are not apprehended, prosecuted, and punished, is that the future I see unfolding is one of utter chaos, the breakdown of the rule of law, and the loss of trust both in government and also in maintaining institutions of American life.
Frankly, were I to be truthful, regardless of what happens to Trump, if, in 22, Democrats don’t retain control of both Houses and also prevent Republicans in select states from attaining trifecta control—control of both legislative state Houses and the governorship, I expect we’ll see a fatal weakening of the key mechanisms of democracy in the U.S.
I agree. State election officials are being intimidated, the independent state legislature doctrine SCOTUS may likely support this fall could set us up for national minority rule (not sure if the Electoral College Bill, if passed, will safeguard against this) and the GOPs ever more fascist leanings (with corporate support via Citizen's United, etc.) are existential threats to our democracy. DeSantis is capable of filling a Trump void but with real discipline, focusing Trump's fanatacists on cultural issues (LGBTQ+, school sex education, etc.,) that will further enflame their hearts and minds. Dems gotta get busy!
@OhioBabs, Were I asked, I would say that reforming the Electoral Count Act would not be among the top 5 things we need to do to address the complex challenges facing our voting system today. To be clear, absent comprehensive voter protection safeguards, I worry that Republicans at the local and state levels simply won’t include all the ballots in the certified results, which comes way before we get to counting electors in the chambers of the House and Senate.
I would note that I largely base my concerns on Democracy Docket Founder Marc Elias’s portrayal of a Republican election subversion plan he expects will be enacted as early as this fall. You will find a brief explanation of this plan in my response to Maryk, who is part of this thread.
Indeed.
You're right. DeSantis is a version of ol' Tweety that knows >exactly< how to work government to his ends. If you think ol' Tweety as president was bad, a DeSantis presidency would likely be devastating. We can only work for a contest between ol' Tweety & DeSantis that would result in "mutually assured destruction," actively stirring-up and encouraging such a contest with all available resources.
I have never in my life seen any GOV. dissed so much by talk show hosts,pro democracy groups and there is actually a group cld. 'Remove Ron' and a new one cld DeSantis watch.He does have supporters,but ALOT of people don't like him.He lost the black vote w/ his wise guy gerrymandering in North Fla.(which by the way should be nationally outlawed),the Gay vote w/ his bigotry bills and other groups.His ego and ambition are too big for his breeches!
Get out the vote for Democrats : there are more of them.
Mary, I work nearly 24/7 on behalf of the Democratic Party. Nonetheless, if attorney Marc Elias is right in anticipating that Republicans, as early as 22, will use “false allegations of fraud as a pretext to remove ballots from the vote totals and then certify those incomplete results,” we have a great deal more work ahead of us.
What I don't understand is,I'm sure the Justice Dept. knows about this,are they prepared w/ a counter attack?
@ RedElisa, I am certain the Justice Department is aware. Regrettably, Justice has been constrained by the Supreme Court, which, in 2013, gutted Section #5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and in subsequent years has gutted most of Section#2. Hence, A.G. Garland, this past year, has urged Congress to pass comprehensive voter protection safeguards that, you might recall, was filibustered this past January.
Indeed. I completely agree. It is scary to think about where this is going. Stage 1- Trump, Stage 2- SCOTUS starts screwing us over, Stage 3--???!?!? I'm just baffled as to how in 2022, people are still not supporting birth control, even though they CLAIM to not like abortions. It's all lies. They only care about CONTROL and I think every single person with a uterus should be terrified. In 2022, we still have to come up with ways to keep gay marriage legal too.. wow... we are going backwards. Scary indeed.
Hey Phezweb, excellent comments! I think Republicans are stuck in that nostalgia mode where they think things in the past were so much better than they are now. They want white men to rule and women and everyone else to be under their direction, like the slave owners of old. They don't know about what other people went through in life, only what they themselves experience, so they missed how hard life really was for most people back then. That takes a lot of insensitivity to others and a lack of curiosity. They are more interested in pushing their own tunnel vision on others so they themselves won't have to actually think things through, to reason. Meanwhile, a whole lot of women will suffer with unwanted pregnancies and nearly die before they can get help, even though science has found ways to make women's lives less hazardous. What kind of person would want to go back to Medieval times, someone who is not the one who will be suffering -- rich powerful white men and the women who love them.
Yep, privilege. People just assume their experience is the exact same as everyone else. We are not all born equal, but they think so because they were born with privilege. So many privileges seem so minor and everyone assumes we all have them. Not true
@phezweb, I don’t believe it’s hyperbolic to presume that Republicans are intent on seizing control of all the levers of government through whatever means necessary. That said, I do take heart from author Scott Russell Sanders who writes, “Every gesture, every act, every choice we make sends ripples of influence into the future.”
Yep. Newton’s law, karma, Ray Bradbury’s butterfly, etc.
What I don’t understand about anti-abortion men is this: the more unwanted kids they have the more they have to pay to support them. Don’t they realize this? And don’t tell me they’ll skip out on child support. Many of them are married to the women they’re forcing to have babies.
They don’t support anything that’s scientifically proven to decrease abortions. They always say “if you don’t want kids, don’t have sex”. Well I say to the NON uterus havers- if they don’t want their partner to have an abortion, don’t have sex. If they don’t want to be responsible for 50% of that child, don’t have sex. It’s all about control.
Exactly. Any man who is anti-abortion should not have sex with a woman of childbearing age.
200% agree
Yes, Barbara Jo, I, too am worried about our democracy. In the past 50 years or so, it has been dripping away bit by bit as we let things go by that we should not. Republicans have now stepped up their attacks and our A.G. does not feel the intensity of the situation. Going after the insurgents of Jan. 6 is critical, but if they don't step up soon and go after the big guys and prosecute the ones who did the real damage, you know, the damage that can't be repaired by Capitol maintenance, we are going to be lost.
I agree, Ruth. Thus, along with everything else that is demanded of us, we must persist in pressing Main Justice to hold the entire command structure up to and including Trump accountable, at least to the point of being subject to full-blown criminal investigation.
How about more state laws that allow private citizens to sue people for various offenses? That way if an attorney general won’t step up the populace can. We’re doing that in California with guns (modeled on the abhorrent Texas anti-abortion law but turnabout is fair play.) Why do we have to wait for Garland?
Appalling prospect ...
I agree, Michael. That said, I believe seeking solutions is fruitless unless we fully have identified the problems.
All this is possible,but I refuse to let fear and paranoia rule me.Like Prof. Reich once mentioned,we've been thru hard times before and we'll get thru this.It's a GRAND OLD FLAG!!!
@RedElisia, The point is not to submit to “fear and paranoia,” but to understand the full nature of the existential threat to our democratic republic. The first step to finding solutions is to identify the problem.
We have freedom of speech, so these folks are entitled to have a platform.
But my question is: what do each of these people know about the insurrection and if so when did they know it?
No, freedom of speech means the gov’t (except in rare cases) can’t stop you from speaking.
It does NOT mean you are “entitled to a platform” to do so.
That’s the kind of warped understanding of the 1st Amendment that leads to people whining (completely falsely) that their rights were trampled when a private company turns off their account.
Yes!
Hope you don't practice law.
Why? What is incorrect in what I wrote?
Do you actually believe people have a constitutional right to a Twitter account?
False analogy. Holding a public meeting is protected speech and freedom of assembly. Zero relationship to twitter -or anything else.
I do think that they are full of BS. I read the propaganda.
If I were in the media I'd question them about whether they were witnesses to the planning and execution of the insurrection. Have they been promoting the big lie?
It’s really hard to follow the thread how you think your comments are responding to mine. Your “hope you’re not a lawyer” suggests you disagree with me and think that the first amendment requires people be provided with a platform for their speech.
Which it does NOT.
The 1st Amendment says the gov't can't stop you from speaking out. But you're ABSOLUTELY WRONG when you claim it means people are "entitled to a platform" to do so. Twitter/Facebook/AuntSadie'sKnittingNook.com and every other company can shut down anyone's account for any reason they like and it is not a 1st Amendment issue.
Similarly, yes, people are free to peacefully assemble. But NOBODY is obligated to provide them with a space to hold their public meeting.
You, like so many eager-to-be-a-victim people who whine about their rights being taken away when THEY ARE NOT seem to have a hard time grasping that concept.
It’s a disgrace, and will go down in history
Amen to that, phezweb. I keep being stunned anew that anyone on this planet could accept him as presidential material.
What is horrifying is that from what I understand, that half the population of America is dosed up on psychotic medications, running around with rifles and guns to maintain law and order?
We have the shortest police training program out of all developed nations and our cops kill the most people by a WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE margin, and have the highest death rates from guns out of all industrialized nations. In most states, Hairdresser training is longer. We don't require education. Basically you can turn 18, buy rifles, shotguns, 100s of rounds of ammunition, become a cop and get a gun... it's insanity. The training should be beyond intense, especially if we aren't going to add more mental health responders, if we are going to rely on the cops for everything, then they need to be so trained, that no "BAD APPLES" get through. We don't need bad apples running around with guns, killing unarmed civilians. Just like you don't want the bad apple surgeon!
You're too kind, phezweb. Closer to accurate: "human impersonator."
You are so right
That won't happen,he'll be in the dungeon way before.
You’re on the wrong website. You need help. Seek it.
trump is a psychopath and a narcissist. i don't see why anyone needs to see more of him to know this. as a NYCer, i knew all about his personal ... um, er ... "foibles" ... and would never vote for him. (maybe we should ask all those bankers and contractors and construction workers he stiffed without consequence if they'd vote for him? or maybe we should poll all those renters that he and his smarmy brats evicted from their apartments for the crime of not being white-skinned?) basically, anyone who votes for him after 4 years of trump-inflicted misery, is a deeply psychologically damaged individual who should be required to be deprogrammed, just as anyone who buys in to any other cult must be, before being allowed to return to the civilised world.
don't drink the kool-aid!
I never understood how 10s of millions of people could have been duped by this brainless shyster.
these tens of millions of amerikkkans were not duped, but they were, in a word, voting for racism/hatred. if you've read the readable and meticulously researched book, Dying of Whiteness by Jonathan M. Metzl, you'd get a much clearer and MUCH more disturbing portrait of this self-destructive psychology in action.
Co-dependents.
Exactly. Trump was talking bigoted shit, so they said "Hey finally we can shout it out loud and the President is cool with it!"
Thanks for the info. Sounds informative
Ignorance and fear
Greed!
NYCers and a few others knew, but there seems to have been very little info about the candidate in the papers for everyone else.
If you call the past seven years worth of lies and conning "very little info", be careful someone doesn't try to sell you a bridge! The fact that he has shown the world what a complete moron and criminal he is should more than catch the public up with the knowledge New Yorkers have had for many, many years. As a hard working, tax-paying citizen, and a veteran, to see people enamored by this draft-dodging tax cheat pisses me off to no end. One small example of news in the papers, look at the Oct. 3, 2018 article in the NY Times about his tax evasion schemes. There are numerous examples of what a racist and misogynist he has been throughout his life. In all, the fact that he is an example of the kind of person who does NOT belong in our White House has been out there for all to see for a long time. I agree that anyone who votes for him after his first failed attempt at holding an important job is certainly not interested in preserving our democracy and the freedom and rights we will all lose if they do.
sorry about the bridge comment.
Before he assumed the presidency in 2016 there was little or no news in the mainstream media about his businesses etc.
Papers? Media? Consider the source!
Agreed, and I still think there has not been adquate digging into trump's association with Jeffrey Epstein. I know there was a lawsuit many years ago, and the young woman (and an incriminating notebook) "disappeared" soon after the case was dropped. He is a thoroughly scurrilous excuse for a human being. Jeffrey too!
In contrast, Robert Reich, you are a brilliant person who writes dire warnings, with an ability to make me laugh, as in today's post. Thank you!
I so agree, both a psychopath and a narcissist, who should therefore have 0 credibility even among the most benighted people on this planet!
“Smarmy brats”!! I love you, even if it takes one to know one.
Watching this drama from Spain. Thank you for your wise words. Trump is the biggest testimony to the effectiveness of the ultraright and fascistic take over of the laws in the USA by the monopolistic gargantuan companies and fortunes starting in 1980 and accelerating in 2011 with Citezens United decission. The Rep. Party is an evil party, bought by big capital.
Francisco Luis Amado ; Well said!
Golpe fallido del estado. Quisiera ser un caudillo como Franco! Peron! Trujillo! Castro!
Don’t flatter Don. Dio de las moscas.
Daniel, translation ?
Failed coup. Wanted to be a dictator like Franco, Peron, Trujillo and Fidel Castro.
Thank you, Daniel!
Good column, Robert, but I refuse to even ponder trump taking power again. I'm hanging on to the hope that he will be in prison at best and indicted at worst. Of course, then much of what you write could apply to DeSantis and some of the other anarchists, so the future looks grim.
There's also a super good possibility we're going to DUNK DeStupid.It's definitely doable!
I'm with you, PeggyJo, but I do fear the neofascist grifters that he inspired and who learned a lot from his demise. Right now, I'm in a rural area where the local state rep wears his pardon from Trump like a badge of knighthood.
Trump’s only policy is “Me, Myself and I”
trumps pronouns are me ,myself ,i and many people
To Trump, "many people" is a synonym for me, myself and I.
He should be in jail or a mental institution.
We may need to go Chinese on the situation and, as someone has suggested, de-program his followers.
Anyone of average means to low wage would be nuts to support him. Anyone who believes in decency too.
Like my dear brother used to say.'that's a pregnant idea!
AKA the DUNGEON!
Medieval baby!
Love the image of chasing an elephant with a pooper-scooper!
I hope he is indicted.
To all the so called “Evangelicals and Christians” who voted for this monstrosity and demanded in their churches that their followers vote for him, this is just a small prototype and demonstration of how the anti-Christ will tear the world apart. He will be very charismatic and will say exactly what people want to hear, but his true intention will be to gain power at all costs and this is EXACTLY what we have just witnessed - albeit in a much smaller scale.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5314134/
https://images.app.goo.gl/ZAtZi3J2C9e5uGb97
Lord have mercy on all of us!
Trump's vision of the future probably includes schemes to absolve himself and his sycophants of their crimes and sins and any accountability. He deserves execution for his crimes and treason!
Yes!! I keep thinking, treason used to be a big deal
A conflab of the wanna be con-artists . A directionless, rudderless microcosm of the flailing reflublican farty. Void of any real desire for meaningful policy for and about the real American people, 'AMERICA FIRST' is hanging it's hat on lil donnie draft dodger ?
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha ! ! Such an early morning laugh is good for my soul ! He, they, their ilk have never and will never put anything or anyone 'FIRST' in front of themselves ! Their name and desire in and of themselves are oxymoronic in essence ! Me thinks it may be the comedy show of the year ! Lord, please consider a policy to save us all . AMEN.....
“republican farty”😆 I’m going to have to steal that phrase!
'FLAILING REFLUBLICAN FARTY ' feel free anytime ! 😊
Yes, it's flailing and Failing. One big FAIL!
Hahahaha!
(Pancha Chandra): Following Trump in his single term Presidency was never an inspiring experience. One would normally look to an American President for wisdom and good common sense but one would be well advised to keep away from dear Donald. He is pompous, selfish & mean & never had the virtues of telling the truth nor speaking from the core of his heart! He was a dictator at heart, for sure! He was a flunky of Vladimir Putin & supported dictators & despots across the world. In his case, power corrupts. What a sad commentary! He will be remembered for leading an insurrection on the Capitol building on January 6th that failed miserably! No other previous American President had the gall to lead an insurrection on the seat of government; he simply could not stomach an election defeat!
You know I agree. What doesn't he get correct our Robert Reich~
The trumpsters biggest oxymoron, "President Trump".
I am amazed that there are so many insightful posters and overjoyed that are. I am in my nineties and it’s gratifying to read every one of the posts.
Yep, Dr. Reich got this one correct! A man who lied more than 30,000 times in public in the four years of his presidentcy,cannot be relied on to tell the truth, ever. I know his cult is aware of his lying but somehow, they have decided they like him anyway and are OK with the lies. They really don't care about a vision because so many of the supporters I have heard interviewed, even Republican elected officials blurt out the lies with as much confidence as Trump does and they either can't answer a follow-up question, or none is asked -- on purpose. I can't help but wonder, are Republican officials in office because they are willing to lie at every turn, because they also have no "policy" vision, because they are cynics and go with the flow if it gets them power and money, or all of the above. One thing is clear, Trump is a cheat, a liar, and a narcissist who cares only about loyalty of others to himself and his lies. If a person has little or no personal integrity, Trump thinks they can be made to do and say anything. That has been pretty true of the sycophants who trail after Baby Donnie. I love Dr. Reich's image of the elephant pooper-scoopers running behind. The media did that for Trump during his first election pointing out the occasional times when Trump "sounded presidential: and laughing off the regular lies and constant insults. Then, the various press secretaries tried to clean up the mess each day, usually unsuccessfully to the point of having little or no direct connection with any media but Fox "Not Really News" and similar outlets. A political vision, not a chance!
You are more than a little bit superb in the way you write, and this analysis of Donald Trump is right up there on truth and summarizing Donald Trump's personality, deceitfulness, and extremely dangerous efforts to continue on as the Republican Party's Dictator, and by extension, the United States. He's a madman without any sense of ethics, honesty, or fair play. He rules by intimidation, force, fake news, hook or crook behavior, and unlawfulness. Pearl B. Spodick
Who foots the bill for this America First Policy Institute?
Good question! I bet it's a 'non profit' paid for by the taxpayers. And maybe some dark money.?
Those wealthy Persons who want big tax breaks, like they got the last time he was 'elected'.
Clearly a lot of super wealthy people (and foundations) who are devoted to shielding their wealth from the IRS.
Clearly anyone who puts themselves first!