A piece in the Washington Post, indicates that tax revenues could drop by as much as 10%, following the Trump/Musk campaign to free the government of fraud and waste. Another piece, this one in The Guardian, points to problems for the U.S. tourism industry facing “drop offs” as Trump’s new “immigration agenda deters travelers.”
At the same time, DJT, has alienated our allies, allied us with an international terrorist and is now threatening cuts to Homeland Security. According to Newsweek, “The Trump administration plans to dismiss hundreds of senior DHS officials this week to reshape the nation’s third-largest agency by removing individuals perceived as not aligning with its objectives…”
Even in the heartland, the can be no joy. NBC News reports that “Farmers face steep losses in the middle of Trump’s trade war and funding cuts.”
With each new day, the downhill slide seems to continue, as the Administration “floods the zone” with new activity, much of it, including but not limited to, warrantless searches and mass deportation without due process, quite possibly illegal, setting us up for months and months of litigation.
The temptation is to ignore all that’s happening. The fear though, is that if you do, everything might be gone when you once again start paying attention. In addition, you might be missing all the good news, like word that just rolled in that DJT won a golf tournament at his course in West Palm Beach. The President, considers the win to be a “great honor” the article says.
Of course he does. Another phony golden trophy for the mantle back at the White House.
Woke up this morning with Rome on my mind, an empire that lasted for more than 1,500 years, if you include Constantinople and the east. Even without that, the city state of Rome was around for 500 years. The United States is only approaching 250 years of age but without an eastern empire, and like Rome, we are under a direct threat.
I always believed we’d last much longer than this. If the Romans could survive Caligula and Nero, surely we can survive Donald J. Trump?
The new leadership at the DNC needs to get more speakers on board the bully pulpit train, like Wes Moore, Gavin Newsom, John Larson and dare I say it……Al Franken. Bring back Al.
Chuck Schumer is down for the count and should be kept out of the public eye.
There’s also Andrew Cuomo, probably the strongest speaker, the toughest public personality the Dems have. They need him now more than ever, despite past allegations of sexual misconduct. I have no idea if it’s true, but I can overlook his past if it means saving the Republic from Trump, Musk and their Russian allies.
JFK fooled around, I get it. He also saved the world from a nuclear crisis with his naval blockade of the Russians in the 60’s. Cuomo, an Italian son of Manhattan, may have just the stuff the country needs to beat back the Russians one more time, despite any past transgressions.
Trump treats every day like a campaign. The Dems have got to do the same. The DNC needs to step up and coordinate the effort as the country heads into the fourth quarter of the game. The Dems need to quit snapping at one another and put their best players back on the field.
With each new day it feels like we are closer to living in a dictatorship, with warrantless searches and people being snatched off the street and then being denied due process. These are not just hypotheticals anymore. These are actual events as the rule of law is being set aside, replaced by a new brand of anti-Americanism made possible by a Supreme Court that enabled Donald J. Trump, declaring him to be immune from being held accountable for pretty much anything he does. And he’s doing it, at an ever increasing pace.
But there was more. It was the one/two punch of the Supreme court, first making it possible for anyone to funnel any amount of “dark” money to support any candidate with no transparency through their “Citizens United” ruling. That, first knocked the American ideal down onto the mat, followed by the insanity of declaring the President to be above the law in a country where the rule of law is supposed to be paramount. That, was Lady Liberty, being kicked while she was down.
We do not have a king. Or we had none, until now. Until the Supreme Court, made it possible. Apparently the majority never read the Constitution.
Question: “Will John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett, step up and save the Republic? It’s an outside chance, but it is, at least, something to hold onto. A flash of judicial conscience with the realization that they can actually save the country from tyranny.
And still there are those who don’t seem to care about any of it. Hopefully, it’s because they don’t understand. Even now, with the U.K. and Germany, issuing travel advisories to their citizens planning on coming into the United States. Advisories about the possible hazards of traveling to the U.S. It’s unthinkable. Impossible. But it’s happening.
Donald Trump, is turning the United States into an international pariah, and Americans are not happy about it. A new study indicates that Finland, a Socialist country, is the happiest place on Earth. Americans are the unhappiest ever, dropping down to 24th place.
Here at home losing our Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security will hurt like hell. Not for millions of younger Americans, of course. Not now. And by the time they realize what they’ve lost, it will be too late. That, however, will be next to nothing compared to the loss of their liberty. But again, odds are they won’t know what they’ve lost until they have no chance at getting it back.
An exaggeration you say? Just weeks ago, we were the leader of the free world. Now, we’re being regarded as not much more than another banana republic. That’s a flat-out fact. The European Union is drawing up plans for their defense absent the United States.
Those who support this current president should dwell on that for a time before continuing their slow-walk, confidently supporting that which is in their worst interest. Something the Republican Party has been working on for years. Something they may now, finally achieve.
The BBC is reporting that Trump and Putin will be talking about “dividing up certain assets” in regard to Ukraine, without any input from the Ukrainians.
This is beyond belief. How long will it be before all of America realizes just how utterly incompetent DJT truly is as he stumbles forward with his attempt at ending the war Russia started with its invasion of Crimea in 2014, while Elon Musk continues running rampant through the federal government, gutting institutions, ending lives and destroying careers with the stated goal of putting and end to Social Security. A move that will financially cripple millions of our senior citizens.
Musk, is unelected, an immigrant from South Africa. It’s doubtful he has an adequate understanding of our system, much less our traditions, many of which were purchased and then preserved with the blood of our friends and ancestors. Who is he to run roughshod over our institutions, many of which have made the United States, the envy of so much of the world?
For whatever problems we may have, we are still that “Shining city on a hill” that President Reagan, spoke of.
Don’t buy into Trump’s baseless argument that the United States is a mess. We were fine, with a sound and stable economy, able to work through our differences with no threat to the Republic until he came along, supported by Vladimir Putin at the polls and with Saudi money being funneled directly into his family while he promoted Roy Cohen’s immoral philosophy of striking back twice as hard, even when you’re in the wrong.
The truth, is that Donald J. Trump, has a history. Whatever he gets his hands on, falls into ruin. And he now has his hands all over the United States. Trump, moves ahead with the bravado of a monarch, suggesting the annexation of Greenland and Canada. An American dictator, ignoring the orders of federal courts, our very constitutional guarantees, as he thumbs his nose at our legal traditions, the rule of law that gives our system its balance, guaranteeing our liberty.
This is madness. Much of America, was distracted by the false prophecy of fear and hate. It’s time to wake up. We must reclaim our true allies on the world stage and demand a return to the rule of law in America, holding all accountable, including the Chief Executive and those justices of the Supreme Court, who may have been unduly influenced by personal gain. The high court’s past misjudgements can be corrected by the Congress and the Court, acting together as co-equal branches.
Both Republicans and Democrats should be screaming for Trump’s removal from office under the authority of the 25th Amendment before he destroys the United States. Doing any less is to promote the destruction of all we hold dear. The death of our very liberty. The death of the American ideal.
Well, this should be interesting. The following is from the BBC –
“Planes carrying more than 200 Venezuelans deported by the US have landed in El Salvador, hours after a US judge ordered the Trump administration not to do so.
El
Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, wrote on social media that 238
members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had arrived, along with 23
members of the international MS-13 gang, on Sunday morning.
Don’t be surprised if you feel a little nauseous. This is what happens when your plane is in a tailspin with Mr. Magoo, in the cockpit. Or you see some idiot with a chainsaw jumping around on a stage while other idiots cheer him on.
What’s happening to the country is truly sickening.
A peculiar feature of our system is that so many of us are apparently more concerned with how much we’ll make this year as opposed to worries over whether our country will survive Trump, Musk and Putin.
How long will it take the Republican Party, or what’s left of it, to wake up to this attempted destruction of the American Republic?
Call it what you will, a crack in the dam, a sliver of sunshine breaking through the vast darkness of Republican sloth. Whatever you want to call it, it has happened.
First, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins stood up against the misguided and just plain irrational nomination of Kash Patel for director of the FBI. The guy, who clearly shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near any branch of law enforcement, was confirmed anyway, as Murkowski and Collins were the only two Republicans with the courage to stand up against Donald Trump, but they did.
Then came Senator Thom Tillis, of North Carolina. He was a another beam of light and truthfulness to cut through all the Trumpian insanity, as he took to the senate floor to lambaste Vladimir Putin and Trump’s demented stand on supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine while turning his back on NATO and our traditional allies.
Three Republican senators may not be much, but it’s a start. A beginning in what hopefully will be a return to sane and responsible governance by the Republican Party, before Donald J. Trump, brings us all down, destroying our “shining city on a hill” that took 250 years to build.
We can only pray there will be more, joining in the patriotic fight against creeping despotism, until the entire Republican Party, or most of it at least, can regain their senses and stand as a block against Donald Trump, refusing to accept his attempted overthrow of our Constitutional Democracy.
America needs heroes not cowards, and we need them now. People willing to take the lead, like Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska.
Use any metaphor you like, the train carrying American patriots to the continued successful future of our Constitutional Democracy is about to leave the station. Time to pick a side, Democracy or dictator.
When we were growing up we were criticized for doing stupid things. We were told “you better go and take a smart pill or you won’t be able to get into college.” It worked, I think, as many of us tried harder to develop our minds as well as our bodies. And a bunch of us, did get into college.
Then it happened. Somewhere in the 80’s, the country began celebrating ignorance and chastising higher learning as being “elitist.” The country started glorifying commonality and demeaning higher learning for anything other than an MBA. Diplomacy was displaced by a bigger and badder war machine as we adopted “Greed is good” as our national mantra.
What was left of any spiritual ethos we might have had was beaten bloody and left lying on the floor.
Now, here we all are. Half the country has no reading comprehension and the only thing anybody can agree on is football. A perfect satellite for Putin and his Russian machine as the United States turns it back on its allies in favor of dictators, oil rich kingdoms and terrorists.
The bad guys are no longer at the gate, they have kicked down the front door and made a home for themselves in the Oval Office. They are standing the American ideal on its head and probably laughing about it while the Republican Party, the only ones left with the power to put our house back in order, cower in a dark corner of some basement room at the Capitol.
This current Republican Party gives new meaning to the term political cowardice, as they watch the country die from a thousand cuts with influence being purchased through dark money courtesy of a totally politicized Supreme Court.
It may be too late to hope that people will develop critical thinking. Instead we’re losing the Dept. of Education, denying Science and hoping the Oligarchy, our new rulers that are slowly tearing apart our American Democracy, will be kind to us.
The hotline to the Kremlin, installed years ago to keep the peace in an increasingly dangerous world, is undoubtedly coming in handy to receive instructions from Vladimir Putin, advising Trump how and when to act, so that we the sheeple will continue behaving according to plan, making as little trouble as possible as they continue laying waste to our institutions.
You didn’t really think Donald J. Trump was smart enough to come up with all this stuff on his own, did you?
Feels like people are complaining a lot, doesn’t it?
I went in for a blood draw with an appointment for one o’clock. There were three women in the waiting area when I arrived around 12:50. All three were complaining about how long they had been waiting. I finally asked if they had an appointment. They did not. I then suggested that maybe the people who worked at the office might be on a lunch break. That was a mistake, as all three then directed their frustration at me, because it would, they explained, be only reasonable to put up an “out to lunch” sign. At one o’clock, on the nose, a phlibotomist came out and invited me into the office for my blood draw. Because I had an appointment. Easy to get one. You can do it online in just three or four minutes.
Next came a guy the at supermarket, loudly complaining about all the federal workers being “Paid big money for just sittin’ around.” I wondered if he could name three, or even two, and what his complaint will be when he needs help from that same Federal Government, but there’s nobody to take his call. Bet that’ll set him off.
I wonder if he knows that our President, a guy he may have voted for, is now claiming that Ukraine started the war with Russia, and not the other way around. Or that people working for Elon Musk, are now scrambling to try and re-hire some of the federal workers they recently fired, because it turns out those recently dismissed had filled positions of critical importance within the Federal Government? Like keeping tabs on our nuclear industry and watching the expanding Bird Flu problem.
I wonder if he knows any of that, or even cares. Thing is, if you tried to tell him, he’d probably just get mad. Therein lies the heart of it. Telling people what they don’t know but should is a blow to their egos. So, suggestions like making an appointment might be a good idea or maybe you should read a newspaper now and then, will only draw their ire.
It seems to be epidemic. So many of our fellow Americans now seem to think with their collective gut and not with their heads. Which should probably be expected in a country led by a man who frequently complains and divides but seldom if ever, does anything designed to heal and bring people together. He seems great at tearing things down and then playing the victim when he fails, but lousy when it comes to building things up. And he once billed himself as a real estate developer?
The really scary thing, if you’ve been paying any attention at all, is that his condition is obviously systemic. This time when he crashes, turning his back on NATO, denying Science and attempting to silence the legitimate press, he’s gonna try and take us all down with him. It’s built in to his psychosis. Simply put, it’s who he is.
In the words of retired U.S. Army 4-star General Barry McCaffrey, “It’s utter madness. It’s against the security of the United States and its allies.”
While we wait to see the implications of Elon Musk’s attempted takeover of the Treasury of the United States, the gutting of the Justice Department and much of the federal workforce (whether we will receive this month’s Social Security checks), thoughts race through my head about this past election.
Mostly, I continue to be fascinated by the fact that DJT, inherited a stable government with a growing economy. Something those on the right rejected in favor of a convicted felon, who inherited a fortune only to go bankrupt six times before leading an attempted coup against the United States. Donald J. Trump, now appears determined to destroy the stable government he inherited and to ignore the rule of law despite the fact that he swore an oath to “…preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Trump and his FCC, are now trying to silence the media, the free media, not just those outlets that support the Administration and care only for profitability with no concern for any obligation they might have to provide their viewers or readers with factual news and information. Trump and his lieutenants have targeted CBS, and will undoubtedly target others, including special agents of the FBI, who are being threatened for doing their jobs. Curtailing the work of the FBI would be bad enough. Muzzling a free press, would be as bad and maybe worse.
Imagine having no idea at all, as to what’s actually happening to the country. Imagine news outlets living in fear of saying or writing anything that might upset the Trump Administration. Imagine the United States, following the the path of Hungary or Russia.
Keeping a population ignorant, is one of a tyrant’s greatest weapons. A free press, is among his most powerful enemies.
If you don’t like what’s happening to the country, you can fight back. You can start by calling your U.S. Senators and your representative in Congress, demanding that the laws of the land are upheld, that our Constitution must be preserved – that tyranny, shall not stand. While we can’t all afford to take the government into court, the ACLU can, and will. You can make a donation to the ACLU by clicking here.
After being under the radar for a few days, Trump arrived in Paris, without Melania. Greeted by French President Macron on a red carpet, Trump appeared as though he was trying to arm wrestle the French president. Clearly confused, Macron patted Trump’s hand as if to let him know that everything would be okay, that no wrestling would be necessary. Later, DJT was seen in the newly renovated Notre Dame Cathedral, sitting hunched over to one side as though he had an injured butt cheek.
Generally, Macron appeared extremely cordial toward the soon-to-be U.S. President, possibly reflecting back to his earlier congratulatory message to him on social media: “Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine.” (Thank you Jimmy Kimmel).
Here in the U.S., the news was full of speculation about who Joe Biden will pardon next. Specifically, preemptive pardons for possible targets of Trump’s retribution once he’s been sworn in.
The fact that this is even happening in the United States, should give pause to Trump supporters, “should” being the operative word. I no longer hold out much hope for the possibility of conversions although any late awareness of reality will be greatly appreciated.
I was stunned at the outcome of the popular vote. Still am. It just doesn’t seem possible. It feels like some kind of alternate reality kicked in, taking the country by the throat and threatening our American Democracy as Democrats failed to vote. For anybody. But here we now are, stuck with it.
Years ago, I had a professor in a humanities course at the University of Minnesota, who taught us an interesting premise. One that’s stuck with me. Maybe because the professor was a body builder who rode a Harley. Very imposing for an academic. Smart guy, too.
“Every man, wants to be a god.” That’s what he told us. I can’t remember who originally came up with it, but it’s pretty good. Especially in light of all that’s happening in our current state of madness.
Think about those in control and those who seek control. And how much of it they actually want.
Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, contributed more than a quarter-billion dollars to the Trump campaign, or so says the New York Times. But why? Why would anybody give that much money to an egomaniac with the attention span of a flea? Because he wants to be a god, that’s why.
It’s not enough for Musk to be uber-wealthy, so wealthy that his family will enjoy “generational wealth” for centuries to come. No, he wants it all for himself, or as much as possible, and he wants it now. That means obtaining the office of the most powerful person in the world, the President of the United States. But Musk can’t have that because he wasn’t born in the U.S. He’s a South African import, who, according to reports, inherited an emerald mine before getting his company started on U.S. soil illegally, apparently, before obtaining the proper credentials.
So, unable to get himself elected to be the nearest thing we have to an Egyptian Pharaoh, a sun god who walks the earth like a giant while all others cower in fear, he’s trying to buy his way in. With a quarter of a billion dollars. Why? To get next to Donald J. Trump, our soon to be anointed American god, who admires, perhaps idolizes, Vladimir Putin, dictator, absolute ruler and god of Russia, master of all he observes, a man who is trying to rebuild the old Soviet Union. Apparently. And who is helping him get that done, as Ukraine is devastated to satisfy Putin’s god-like desires? Why it’s Kim Jong Un of North Korea, of course. Dragon God of the North.
Putin is running out of soldiers to continue his war of conquest against the unfortunate people of Ukraine, so North Korea’s Kim, not wanting another god-factor dictator to go down in flames because that might reflect badly on him, has sent his troops to Russia, to help conquer Ukraine and perhaps one or two or three other countries that were at one time in the Soviet orbit.
Those who would be gods, need to stick together. Trump has professed his admiration and even “love” for both Putin and Kim. A bromance from hell.
And then there’s Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, who, it seems, has something in common with all the others. All these wealthy, powerful, conceited and probably sociopathic individuals who just can’t get enough. They demand absolute power and if you disagree, they’ll threaten you with a state sanctioned reprisal. They might send in the tanks and blow you away. In Putin’s case, some rare radioactive poison might be preferred.
The common factor is that they all want to be gods. The professor was right. For any one of them, more will never be enough. And they are all here at the same time. What a cruel and unholy turn fate has dealt us.
So Lindsey Graham is saying that it “will be difficult” to get Pete Hegseth, confirmed by the senate? Really? That will make Hegseth the third Trump nominee to be shot down before DJT has been sworn in. Gotta be a record for failure, and an interesting one at that, since Trump’s opposition appears to be not just the democrats, but his own party as well. This could portend a difficult time ahead for Donald, one he did not anticipate. Tough to do, I suppose, if you have the attention span of a flea. (Please read Mary Trump’s book.)
I can’t get used to the idea that a hurricane bombing, dictator loving, bleach injecting, Covid denying, six time bankrupt coup leader is actually going to be sworn in, and not for the first time. Will Democracy hold?
Speaking of Democracy-
Good and bad news from South Korea this morning, that’s the country just south of North Korea, which is ruled by a murderous dictator with whom DJT shares self-admitted love letters. South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol, declared marshal law, and then canceled the declaration after being confronted by a vote in parliament overriding his decision. It was a bad move by the president, who now faces the probability of being impeached, but a good day for Democracy, which held together in spite of the country being thrown into chaos.
I’m reminded of the U.K. keeping relatively calm and carrying on, despite years of madness with Boris Johnson. For some reason, Johnson, reminds me of DJT. Could be the hair I suppose, or possibly their mutual tendency toward inexplicable behavior. Johnson, is now blaming the Church of England, for turning the UK into a bunch of “fatsoes.” Weird? Sure, but it’s not that difficult to believe for those of us who remember the Covid parties at 10 Downing Street. Alas, Johnson is all but gone, leaving the UK to deal with Brexit, much to the delight of Vladimir Putin, who is being assisted by the North Korean military, as he, Putin, continues his war of conquest in Ukraine.
As for Trump, everything he comes into contact with seems to fall into ruin, leading to the obvious question of whether America can survive another four years under his thumb. At least four years, I should say, since he’ll probably refuse to leave again, as he did the first time, if defeated at the polls.
If you want to predict the future, study the past. Everyone should know this by now, but apparently there are a few who do not, so I am repeating it here. Yes, I went to college. Please don’t hate me for it.
We can only hope DJT wasn’t watching tv coverage of what was happening in South Korea. With no patience for reading, that’s reportedly how he gets his news, and is probably why he likes to nominate talking heads from Fox, like Pete Hegseth. Marshal Law in South Korea, might give him ideas about doing the same thing here in the U.S.? Never mind that it didn’t work. Pretty sure DJT wouldn’t let that stand in his way. Or the fact that his ability to be backed by his party regardless of what he does, may be slipping away.
The Republican Party, doing what is right for America, instead of being driven by the imagination of a handful of MAGA loonies? It could happen, I suppose. Washington, did survive the winter in Valley Forge. We may be due for another miracle.
Putin has been making noises about nuclear war for months. Now Kim Jong Un, is making the same threatening sounds about nuclear conflict on the Korean Peninsula while his troops fight alongside the Russians in Ukraine under a master plan obviously drawn up by the Kremlin. Wonder what China thinks? What’s keeping their Commie big-wigs up at night?
Also have to wonder if Russia, North Korea and China are awaiting the coronation of Prez Elect Trump, before announcing their new hybrid Communist/Autocratic axis while NATO shrinks into near insignificance without the United States? Will it herald the Chinese attacking Taiwan and maybe some of the Japanese islands while the Russians continue pushing into Ukraine and possibly other countries as well, all with the blessings of Donald J. Trump? If that does happen, will even that be adequate to convince Trump’s supporters that they made a massive mistake?
Why didn’t anybody tell us?
By the time the right wing media gets done with what will be a boiling cauldron of misinformation, disinformation, opinion and rumor, the Trumpsters will have no idea what’s really going on or why. But that’s to be expected, the truth being so bothersome to autocracy. Anyway, for them it will be nothing new. It’s what they want to hear. It’s their comfort food. It’s Pavlov, blowing his whistle.
