I want to focus on something Timothy Snyder and Robert Hubbell shared recently about finding Democratic leadership. This concept is called a Shadow Cabinet.
I wonder if we can put pressure on thr creation of a sort of Shadow Cabinet/Opposition Voice. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat, is becoming a leader to watch in the Democratic Party. The youngest member of the house, he is pushing for democrats to lead not just a minority party, but an opposition party, and to put up an actual fight. Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Texas also shared ideas of having a group of progressive Dems serve as voices of reason and rally citizens. What do you all think? Would love to create a sort of working group with you all!
Thanks. I can't take credit but I'd love to get it off the ground. My Indivisible chapter wasn't keen on it. But if folks really feel strong enough. Please message me directly.
We’re experiencing a right-wing coup against the federal government, the extent, speed, and ferocity of which few anticipated. The coup is enabled by Donald Trump, most of the Republican Party, and their extremist allies in so-called conservative think tanks.
Remaining rational and combative are certain Democratic representatives and senators, more than a handful of federal and state courts, certain Democratic attorneys general, some Dem governors, thoroughly woke grassroots activists, a handful of principled Republicans, and thank goodness, numerous savvy reporters, commentators, and political cartoonists.
Injured so far have been thousands of ordinary federal civil servants who’ve been fired without cause; many are going to court. Soon to be hurting and with little to no recourse are millions here and abroad who depend on the U.S. government for sustenance and protection.
Adjectives to describe this increasingly desperate situation are unprecedented, unwarranted, undemocratic, illegal, unconstitutional, reprehensible, and dangerous.
All checks and balances that have kept order are gone or ignored.
The White House is openly lying to courts and is not following their orders.
People are looking forward to the mid term elections but I'm skeptical that we will ever have a free and fair election again in my lifetime. (I'm 70 years old.)
THE PEOPLE need to take to the streets and resist anything that comes out of the White House.
Our democracy won't be legislated back to us, we need to take it.
Rights are not gained or retained by asking nicely.
Rights that are lost are 10 times harder to get back than they were to obtain in the first place.
I've heard from several Democrat lawmakers that "there are more of us than them."
I feel your pain. Taking to the streets is as easy to ignore as an email or phonecall or tweet. There are 1000s of local municipal and school board meetings that the Republicans dominate to pressure Democrats about their issues. We need to do the same back.
That's why I built OperationSunshine.info. It provides simple steps to find a meeting, prepare a message, and get out engage Republican politicians so they feel the pressure.
The people DO have a voice and we need to use it wisely and effectively!
Your friend and I are in the exact same spot and I agree with you that this is not a plan but I no longer trust any corporate media and other than watching the west on my local channels I watch the BBC or nothing for news.
Same here. I get up and read anything I may have missed by Jay, HCR and then a few from Legal AF or the Meidas Touch as I have my coffee. Then depending on what I'm finding, I turn on CBS morning news as I go about beginning my day. As I take my breaks, I check 5 calls app for anything new I haven't already bombarded the phone lines or my three congressional people's inboxes with expressing what actions I demand be taken by them.
I was checking many on Substack, but the zones are flooded and it does too often feel overwhelming and impossible to stay on top of. I am grateful for my sewing projects and gardens that put joy and nature into my life and revive me till my next newsbreaks. I have started limiting them to maintain my sanity.
I'm unemployed unexpectedly and not able to financially support you at this juncture. I appreciate the opportunity to read a portion of your writings for now. Thank you for being you.
I was so overwhelmed that I needed to keep a list. By 1/20, at least 10 major events were happening every day. I didn't know where to keep a list, so I signed up for a substack. It has been a major help to me, both mentally and emotionally. (I never thought that anyone would look at it, but quite a few have. I hope it helps them, too.)
Great idea. People can usually remember 3 things. So directing the daily flood of news into “3 buckets” mentally could keep me from feeling too overwhelmed. Looking forward to hearing more✊💙🇺🇸
Your response to your reader ”Wrong, yes. Illegal…we’ll see," highlights the weakness of law in democracies: as written, laws cannot account for every attempt to abuse them through some obscure exemption. Challenges to the obscenities of this administration are prodding their way through the courts, week by weary week, and by the time any decision is finally made, likely in SCOTUS, it will already be far too late to prevent the destruction done. As shown in the recent Atlantic piece on the constitutionality of Hitler's rise to authoritarian rule (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/), unless there is some extra-legal will to stop the madness, the madness will find a way to assume unchecked power legally. We are witnessing this today: a Republican-controlled Congress sitting on its hands while they are totally stripped of any relevancy, the ultimate in criminal complicity. And then it becomes too late.
Jay, any positive thoughts on how the law alone can still save us in these darkest of times? For my sanity, I am grasping at the thinnest of straws.
I occasionally take a non-news day off to refresh. But what makes me feel good is emailing my Senators and Representative. They are all MAGA and I know, especially from the ridiculously MAGA letters they send in return, that there will be no help from them. It still lets me get rid of some steam. Also, one Senator and the Representative will be up for reelection in 2026.
Ada, Yeah, I've had the same experience. The formula letters they send back are insulting. I actually decided to call one of my MAGA reps office and talk to a real person. I still got irritating talking points in return to my concerns (no real discussion occurring) but it was nevertheless more satisfying than just emailing them.
Thanks Jay. Always appreciate you.
I want to focus on something Timothy Snyder and Robert Hubbell shared recently about finding Democratic leadership. This concept is called a Shadow Cabinet.
I wonder if we can put pressure on thr creation of a sort of Shadow Cabinet/Opposition Voice. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat, is becoming a leader to watch in the Democratic Party. The youngest member of the house, he is pushing for democrats to lead not just a minority party, but an opposition party, and to put up an actual fight. Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Texas also shared ideas of having a group of progressive Dems serve as voices of reason and rally citizens. What do you all think? Would love to create a sort of working group with you all!
Fabulous idea!
Thanks. I can't take credit but I'd love to get it off the ground. My Indivisible chapter wasn't keen on it. But if folks really feel strong enough. Please message me directly.
We’re experiencing a right-wing coup against the federal government, the extent, speed, and ferocity of which few anticipated. The coup is enabled by Donald Trump, most of the Republican Party, and their extremist allies in so-called conservative think tanks.
Remaining rational and combative are certain Democratic representatives and senators, more than a handful of federal and state courts, certain Democratic attorneys general, some Dem governors, thoroughly woke grassroots activists, a handful of principled Republicans, and thank goodness, numerous savvy reporters, commentators, and political cartoonists.
Injured so far have been thousands of ordinary federal civil servants who’ve been fired without cause; many are going to court. Soon to be hurting and with little to no recourse are millions here and abroad who depend on the U.S. government for sustenance and protection.
Adjectives to describe this increasingly desperate situation are unprecedented, unwarranted, undemocratic, illegal, unconstitutional, reprehensible, and dangerous.
Very, very dangerous.
The courts won't save us.
Congress won't save us.
All checks and balances that have kept order are gone or ignored.
The White House is openly lying to courts and is not following their orders.
People are looking forward to the mid term elections but I'm skeptical that we will ever have a free and fair election again in my lifetime. (I'm 70 years old.)
THE PEOPLE need to take to the streets and resist anything that comes out of the White House.
Our democracy won't be legislated back to us, we need to take it.
Rights are not gained or retained by asking nicely.
Rights that are lost are 10 times harder to get back than they were to obtain in the first place.
I've heard from several Democrat lawmakers that "there are more of us than them."
We need to show our strength in numbers then.
Get out there and get working.
I feel your pain. Taking to the streets is as easy to ignore as an email or phonecall or tweet. There are 1000s of local municipal and school board meetings that the Republicans dominate to pressure Democrats about their issues. We need to do the same back.
That's why I built OperationSunshine.info. It provides simple steps to find a meeting, prepare a message, and get out engage Republican politicians so they feel the pressure.
The people DO have a voice and we need to use it wisely and effectively!
I don’t understand why so few anticipated it.
You don’t do a coup in slow motion, or by the book. You do it fast and ruthlessly. It is always that way.
I fear few were willing to believe it would happen, or didn’t care that much, which is an entirely different thing.
Your friend and I are in the exact same spot and I agree with you that this is not a plan but I no longer trust any corporate media and other than watching the west on my local channels I watch the BBC or nothing for news.
Same here. I get up and read anything I may have missed by Jay, HCR and then a few from Legal AF or the Meidas Touch as I have my coffee. Then depending on what I'm finding, I turn on CBS morning news as I go about beginning my day. As I take my breaks, I check 5 calls app for anything new I haven't already bombarded the phone lines or my three congressional people's inboxes with expressing what actions I demand be taken by them.
I was checking many on Substack, but the zones are flooded and it does too often feel overwhelming and impossible to stay on top of. I am grateful for my sewing projects and gardens that put joy and nature into my life and revive me till my next newsbreaks. I have started limiting them to maintain my sanity.
To be fair, a person who reads Jay Kuo and HCR every day is much more informed than the average American.
Don't forget Joyce Vance, Jeff Tiedrich and Jay Kuo!
And HCR
I'm unemployed unexpectedly and not able to financially support you at this juncture. I appreciate the opportunity to read a portion of your writings for now. Thank you for being you.
I was so overwhelmed that I needed to keep a list. By 1/20, at least 10 major events were happening every day. I didn't know where to keep a list, so I signed up for a substack. It has been a major help to me, both mentally and emotionally. (I never thought that anyone would look at it, but quite a few have. I hope it helps them, too.)
Go Jay go!
I'm looking good forward to your insight... cause I'm about to lose my ever loving mind
Thanks. I need this.
I pray we survive the flood! Depend on your words to help us through it all! Calms my nerves!! Thank you!
Great idea. People can usually remember 3 things. So directing the daily flood of news into “3 buckets” mentally could keep me from feeling too overwhelmed. Looking forward to hearing more✊💙🇺🇸
Let’s focus on the same reasoning Trump uses. “Common sense”.
Common sense tells me that when you fire the inspectors and the regulators you intend to steal and cheat.
Common sense tells me that when you side with our enemies you are also the enemy.
Common sense tells me that when you fire thousands of employees who are serving the country you want the country to fail.
Common sense tells me that when you stop medical and health policies you want people to get sick and die.
Common sense tells me that when you go after all the data and are buying AI companies you intend to use AI for some things.
Common sense tells me that this government wants to destroy the country.
Common sense tells me that we are heading into a new era of colonialism with Russia and the US dividing up territory.
Your response to your reader ”Wrong, yes. Illegal…we’ll see," highlights the weakness of law in democracies: as written, laws cannot account for every attempt to abuse them through some obscure exemption. Challenges to the obscenities of this administration are prodding their way through the courts, week by weary week, and by the time any decision is finally made, likely in SCOTUS, it will already be far too late to prevent the destruction done. As shown in the recent Atlantic piece on the constitutionality of Hitler's rise to authoritarian rule (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/), unless there is some extra-legal will to stop the madness, the madness will find a way to assume unchecked power legally. We are witnessing this today: a Republican-controlled Congress sitting on its hands while they are totally stripped of any relevancy, the ultimate in criminal complicity. And then it becomes too late.
Jay, any positive thoughts on how the law alone can still save us in these darkest of times? For my sanity, I am grasping at the thinnest of straws.
At this rate, we won’t last four years.
Courage, sturdiness, and determination. That is how get get through this together.
I occasionally take a non-news day off to refresh. But what makes me feel good is emailing my Senators and Representative. They are all MAGA and I know, especially from the ridiculously MAGA letters they send in return, that there will be no help from them. It still lets me get rid of some steam. Also, one Senator and the Representative will be up for reelection in 2026.
Ada, Yeah, I've had the same experience. The formula letters they send back are insulting. I actually decided to call one of my MAGA reps office and talk to a real person. I still got irritating talking points in return to my concerns (no real discussion occurring) but it was nevertheless more satisfying than just emailing them.