We must assume that the guardrails are gone. He is slow walking compliance with some court orders and outright disobeying others. There is no pushback from his republican enablers and the democrats, with some notable exceptions, are still in a coma. We are on our own.
I continue to wonder what the republican end game is. They don’t seem to mind the destruction of our democracy. They don’t seem to mind transferring wealth from the poor and middle class to the rich. Indeed they enthusiastically endorse it. They seem content to watch the destruction of the economy by tariffs and mass layoffs. Where does this all end?
I don’t understand why corporate interests think this is a good for their businesses. When the economy tanks who will buy their shit? I must be missing something. Even Henry Ford knew that people had to have an income to afford his cars.
Some posit that economic destruction will allow the oligarchs to buy the remnants for peanuts. Even if they can, I come back to the same question: who will be able to afford their products?
The answer to these questions elude me.
In the meantime it’s up to us. Boycotts, mass protests, and acts of peaceful civil disobedience are the only way out of this. I participate in small local protests every week. I will be attending the march in Washington next week. Small steps but at least I feel that I am doing something.
The GOP endgame is to reduce the population to poverty and destroy the political and social order. I think we're in the equivalent of last few turns in a Monopoly game. We only own Baltic Avenue... Once the economy tanks, they hoover up businesses and real estate for pennies on the dollar. Think high tech feudalism with fifty little feifdoms held loosely together buy a weak federal government.
Taken in all at once by someone (me) who writes about it daily feels like being crushed under a ton of rocks. 50 tons. Whatever. But it’s actually happening, and the fact that it is means I have to adapt and deal with not only the scope but the depth of destruction happening. It’s just a matter of time before the second order consequences ripple through every aspect of our daily lives, a prospect for the future I’m certainly not calm about. Thanks for posting this.
You make such a good point Rick... It feels like each one of us, individually, is being crushed by the weight of how serious this all is... And that weight makes collective action that much harder. It feels so important to talk about it.
Thanks for posting and keeping track of all the questionable or illegal moves. It's too bad Trump won the popular vote and enough swing states. It gives people the impression that this is what they wanted or voted for again
And the view from across the pond is no better - I'm struggling to find things to do about it. The best I can come up with currently is try to avoid buuying goods that are made by or sold by American firms. Problem is, too many "British" companies are actually owned by USA firms or USA private equity. But I've started with Amazon.
Well done Amanda! I'm not surprised, but I am sad to hear that folks across the pond are just as concerned. Americans are also wondering how toove forward... I got rid of prime months ago, but Google and Walmart are TOUGH to part from
What the USA does affects us all, especially NATO countries. The UK has long had a "special" relationship with the USA, where basically the USA says Jump and the UK says How High. We have provided troops for too many of the USA's military actions. (Harold Wilson thankfully kept us out of Vietnam.) The UK has kidded itself for too long that the relationship is mutually favourable, and now we have to look the truth in the face.
Having lived through democracy to military coup in my youth, and back to democracy as an adult, and it's aftermath, I see this ending one of three ways.
The "good": the US military gets to a point, and says "that'll do donkey" and takes over, until the next election and an updated constitution , and then hands power to the next democratically elected administration. Easy to write, hard to do. Hint, it usually takes a couple of tries.
The bad: Vance becomes the 48th president and serves two terms, is even more efficient and effective than 47. Some of your own so called neighbors turn you over to DOGE (so they can eat this week) and their army of robots, and then, see above.
The ugly: A civil war where certain states band together as confederates, major cities are decimated and eithnic genocides come to pass, and we lose no less than 20% of the population.
All I can say...build your local communities and prepare, and stay resilient, but be strategic.. We will get through this, but we each much decide who we will become.
Hi, this was posted on my 74th bday. Anyway, I digress,I am so worried about the disenfranchisement of POC (especially black women) by the Democratic leadership. Pelosi, Schumer, and the new guy leading the DNC are so out of touch it is painful to watch. They just need to get out of the way. Unfortunately since they are part of the 10% (not as bad as the 1% tech bros and oligarchs but pretty close) they don’t want radical new ideas cuz they think those would jeopardize their future prospects/comfortable retirements. I say that as a white 74 yo elitist boomer who is very well educated but has a very different retirement as a retired public school special education teacher who also happens to have a chronic health condition, is lgbtq+, and is mentally ill (aka batshit crazy with a Master’s degree). They will be just as responsible in the demise of the USA as Trump and his minions.
Excellent catalog of his misdeeds.
We must assume that the guardrails are gone. He is slow walking compliance with some court orders and outright disobeying others. There is no pushback from his republican enablers and the democrats, with some notable exceptions, are still in a coma. We are on our own.
I continue to wonder what the republican end game is. They don’t seem to mind the destruction of our democracy. They don’t seem to mind transferring wealth from the poor and middle class to the rich. Indeed they enthusiastically endorse it. They seem content to watch the destruction of the economy by tariffs and mass layoffs. Where does this all end?
I don’t understand why corporate interests think this is a good for their businesses. When the economy tanks who will buy their shit? I must be missing something. Even Henry Ford knew that people had to have an income to afford his cars.
Some posit that economic destruction will allow the oligarchs to buy the remnants for peanuts. Even if they can, I come back to the same question: who will be able to afford their products?
The answer to these questions elude me.
In the meantime it’s up to us. Boycotts, mass protests, and acts of peaceful civil disobedience are the only way out of this. I participate in small local protests every week. I will be attending the march in Washington next week. Small steps but at least I feel that I am doing something.
Can I trade someone for Mediterranean?
The GOP endgame is to reduce the population to poverty and destroy the political and social order. I think we're in the equivalent of last few turns in a Monopoly game. We only own Baltic Avenue... Once the economy tanks, they hoover up businesses and real estate for pennies on the dollar. Think high tech feudalism with fifty little feifdoms held loosely together buy a weak federal government.
Still leaves the question: who will buy their stuff?
Taken in all at once by someone (me) who writes about it daily feels like being crushed under a ton of rocks. 50 tons. Whatever. But it’s actually happening, and the fact that it is means I have to adapt and deal with not only the scope but the depth of destruction happening. It’s just a matter of time before the second order consequences ripple through every aspect of our daily lives, a prospect for the future I’m certainly not calm about. Thanks for posting this.
You make such a good point Rick... It feels like each one of us, individually, is being crushed by the weight of how serious this all is... And that weight makes collective action that much harder. It feels so important to talk about it.
Thanks for posting and keeping track of all the questionable or illegal moves. It's too bad Trump won the popular vote and enough swing states. It gives people the impression that this is what they wanted or voted for again
One can only pray that enough of us realize that this is NOT a mandate!
yeah pretty much proves put the fact that the GOP are truly the biggest group of traitors this country has EVER seen. --> answer lead bee
It's definitely hard to explain why they would cede their power like this...
weak, gutless and Oh yeah the Mobster / gangster president is probably threatening their kids. a LAWLESS govt we have now
Most likely his 1/6 thugs, Promise Keepers, and Proud Boys.
And the view from across the pond is no better - I'm struggling to find things to do about it. The best I can come up with currently is try to avoid buuying goods that are made by or sold by American firms. Problem is, too many "British" companies are actually owned by USA firms or USA private equity. But I've started with Amazon.
Well done Amanda! I'm not surprised, but I am sad to hear that folks across the pond are just as concerned. Americans are also wondering how toove forward... I got rid of prime months ago, but Google and Walmart are TOUGH to part from
What the USA does affects us all, especially NATO countries. The UK has long had a "special" relationship with the USA, where basically the USA says Jump and the UK says How High. We have provided troops for too many of the USA's military actions. (Harold Wilson thankfully kept us out of Vietnam.) The UK has kidded itself for too long that the relationship is mutually favourable, and now we have to look the truth in the face.
Having lived through democracy to military coup in my youth, and back to democracy as an adult, and it's aftermath, I see this ending one of three ways.
The "good": the US military gets to a point, and says "that'll do donkey" and takes over, until the next election and an updated constitution , and then hands power to the next democratically elected administration. Easy to write, hard to do. Hint, it usually takes a couple of tries.
The bad: Vance becomes the 48th president and serves two terms, is even more efficient and effective than 47. Some of your own so called neighbors turn you over to DOGE (so they can eat this week) and their army of robots, and then, see above.
The ugly: A civil war where certain states band together as confederates, major cities are decimated and eithnic genocides come to pass, and we lose no less than 20% of the population.
All I can say...build your local communities and prepare, and stay resilient, but be strategic.. We will get through this, but we each much decide who we will become.
"All politics is local" - Tip O'Neill
Are there any? Not that I’ve seen!
Hi, this was posted on my 74th bday. Anyway, I digress,I am so worried about the disenfranchisement of POC (especially black women) by the Democratic leadership. Pelosi, Schumer, and the new guy leading the DNC are so out of touch it is painful to watch. They just need to get out of the way. Unfortunately since they are part of the 10% (not as bad as the 1% tech bros and oligarchs but pretty close) they don’t want radical new ideas cuz they think those would jeopardize their future prospects/comfortable retirements. I say that as a white 74 yo elitist boomer who is very well educated but has a very different retirement as a retired public school special education teacher who also happens to have a chronic health condition, is lgbtq+, and is mentally ill (aka batshit crazy with a Master’s degree). They will be just as responsible in the demise of the USA as Trump and his minions.
"The question becomes an obvious one; if [Trump] bashes through a court ruling, what options do We The People even have to hold him accountable?"
An uprising, carefully planned and executed by the majority that watched neither MSNBC nor Fox News.
https://howwewon.substack.com/p/the-french-had-their-patriotism-we