Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders and his "Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here" town halls are packed and having to move to bigger venues to accommodate turn out - and not just in blue areas.
I've been a Bernie Backer since I found out that he was involved in marching for equality in housing for minority students at the University of Chicago in the early 1960s, and getting carried off by the police. My evil Trumplike stepfather was in charge of all of the University's rental properties so they were actually protesting him.
Bernie is one of the people who gets it! So do Warren, AOC, Jasmine Crockett, Jamie Raskin, Jared Moskowitz, Maxwell Frost and others like them who are speaking out. Here is a hopeful video on what we can do.
The video is embedded in the Substack INK from Anand Giridharadas called "WATCH: An *actual* plan to beat fascism. A masterclass from political sage Anat Shenker-Osorio on how you can fight back against Trump II, create "social proof," mobilize your community, stop waiting for Democrats, and start getting it DONE"
Anand was introduced to me by Prof. Ruth Ben-Ghiat at their Monday Lunch podcasts. She has said he has guests who have their finger on the pulse. His guest Anat Shenker-Osorio does not disappoint. It does take about 18 minutes before she gets specific.
Also on Rebel HQ here are MAGAs admitting they have regrets.
That Substack INK video you linked to is exactly the kind of action-oriented info we desperately need. I've already shared it with 3 close family members and friends, and I shared it on social media.
I'm paring down my reading list of news and info to just those that bring me actionable value to fight and win over this fascist nonsense.
Let's remember that we are all leaders. Do not wait for anyone to start taking action, and that includes Democratic lawmakers.
This Substack by Jay Kuo is definitely on my "Keep" list and continues to feed me the energy to fight. Thank you, Jay!
Apparently right before he came to power it was told to fossil fuel executives by scientists that we were facing global warming. Executives said okay we will invest in something else. Then Reagan came in and told them he was putting an industry insider into power and they did not need to look elsewhere, they could kick the can down the road and let someone in the future solve the problem.
That worked out for Reagan because he is dead and did not have to experience the effects of his decision, but children all over the planet are inheriting a deteriorating environment because of him. The Heritage Foundation began planning for conservatives presidents under Reagan and said that in his first year he accomplished 61% of their objectives. Right now Trump has accomplished 35% of the Project 2025 objectives in his first month in office according to the Project 2025 Tracker. https://www.project2025.observer/
We need to slow him down.
When we the people take back over, we need to repeal Citizen United and reinstate the Fairness Doctrine.
The real blow will come - and ONLY come - when the stock market crumbles with a 20-25% blowout to the downside. It's all about money with tRump, that is the only barometer he uses to guide his conduct. A crushing bear market will grab his attention like nothing else will, including town halls, protest marches and placards, etc.
Agreed. And it will be blamed on Trump, even though that stock market crumble has been a long time coming already; it is way above where it should have been by historic measures for a very, very long time.
Unfortunately, a lot of people's 401(k)s are going to get seriously hurt in the process. One more reason Social Security is, and should be, a third rail.
We for one are almost 100% in cash/cash equivalents in our investment account, as the markets don't need much more of a (slight?) push to crater. AI bubble at bursting point, thanks to the Chinese "Deep Seek" AI tool release, and a lot will follow in the wake of the ensuing wreckage.
That's not limited to him. You can park your 401(k) in a money market account today (or Gold, since reportedly Elon Musk is now going to Fort Knox to play "Goldfinger"), and invest again when the crash happens.
That slide may have started today as the red chatted denizens of Wall Street start waking up to their selfish stupidity.
If you have more in the market than you need to get by for the next 5 years or so, leave the part you don't need. Move the rest to cash equivalents, maybe buy an immediate annuity for 5 or 10 years to hedge against inflation during a prolonged market downturn.
I don't focus on the orange blight. My protests are directed at my representatives. I want them to do their jobs and uphold our Constitution. I want them to stop and reverse the orange blight's coup. The orange blight and muskrat are traitors. They must be arrested and tried for treason.
Interesting that Jesse Watters doesn't seem to understand that in some sense veterans are a DEIA hire in that they get preferential status for government jobs. They continue to shoot themselves in the foot.
DEI was never, ever about giving anyone preferential treatment, even to Vets.
DEI was designed to prevent incompetent white men from getting jobs that could be filled by a more competent woman, POC, or someone with a disability whose disability did not prevent them from doing the job.
DEI was supposed to widen the scope of qualified candidates to consider others, not only white men.
Yes! And now, when you look at the makeup of Trump and Musk's supposedly 'qualified' hires and appointments, you can see exactly why their idea of "merit-based" hiring means almost exclusively white people, most of whom are absolutely unqualified to hold their positions. That's exactly why the workforce (and administration) need to examine all qualified persons, not just hire based on the lightness of their skin, politics, or opinions.
It's so interesting that MAGA is out there decrying that DEI is giving preferential treatment to women, minorities, LGBT, etc., over qualified white men, when it does not, in fact, give any such preference in hiring to any of those groups (as you have explained above); however, when it comes to veterans -- a group which (ironically) MAGA tends to forget about while they are condemning DEI policies -- it is literally federal policy to give them preference over other candidates when applying for federal jobs.
I lost my Federal job many years ago, but was able to transfer to another position within the Federal system because I had no military/service connection. All worked out in the end but is a totally different situation today.
We need to stop calling by it’s acronym handle, and spell it out: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. What part of that acronym are any of us against? One, two or all?
And speaking of DEI, I wonder what the younger Trump darlings are doing (Donald, Eric, Ivanka). With all the noise and attention focused on EO's and the doge-bag, I bet those three are cleaning up behind the scenes
Ivanka is probably profiting off her Chinese coffin trademarks, which she 'negotiated' in 2018, during Trump's first term and before Covid. She knew people were gonna die under her Daddy's administration.
So proud of the indispensable role you're playing in mobilizing support, spittin' mad truth, and providing much-needed inspiration to the beleaguered opposition during this dispiriting and soul-crushing moment in American politics. Thanks, little brother!!
30% of federal workers are military veterans, and more than that at the VA hospitals. They're getting fired by the President who swore he loved the military, etc. (in between calling them losers). I will bet that some of them are heavily armed. I will bet that some of them HATE Elon Musk. I will bet... take it from there.
There is not an insignificant number of veterans tossed out of their livelihoods who wouldn't consider a "Second- Amendment solution to the Elno problem". Musk has seriously upped his security detail, even having them "deputized" into the US Marshals, so he knows people hate his fecking arse, and very likely could act drastically here.
I would argue that Elno, as a quasi-employee of the government, has already secured public funds for his *schutzstaffel*, and deputizing them into the Marshals will cinch the deal.
There are likely many vets who will feel they have nothing left after losing benefits, health care, their homes, and their rights. When you have no future, drastic actions are easier to commit to.
I can't go there. This kind of thinking may be a way of releasing angst, but remember what happened when Trump said things like this. Your bet could lead to people getting hurt.
The American Revolution wasn't bloodless, nor can any overthrowing of tyranny go without blood being shed. Yes, always the question of whose blood, but when one man, acting like a dictator, steals your means of livelihood, the answer seems rather straightforward.
Except it's not just one man...whether one is talking about Elmo or #TheSphincter, it's the puppetmasters: Namely #TheWhiteBillionaireBoysClub, their Federalist Society The Heritage Foundation members, (Not to mention Putin and others) and they've kept themselves behind the curtain so to speak, while using #TheOrangeBaldingBabyMan to sign all the papers they wrote for him, before he got back into the Oval office. And if someone gets to him they've got JD to replace him and whoever else is next in line after that...
Lance, my point was that posting messages that could trigger a loose cannon can be dangerous. I know possibly better than you that change sometimes includes violence. But if ever we go in that direction, I hope it is because we have no other options, and if that ever happens, I hope that it is with reluctance and with guidance.
The worst thing that could happen is for irresponsible insinuations to set off an unmanagable situation- which Jan 6 nearly was, set up and triggered by Trump's malicious insinuations. We'd better have better plans than that. The original post apparently has been removed. So I hope she understood the point better than you seem to have.
Funny how Watters only cares about this when someone he is personally connected to is impacted. And a Fun Fact for him. Veterans are part of DEI. I worked for the federal government for 30 years. Veterans were given preference for a wide range of jobs, ahead of people who might have been more qualified. Being a veteran gave them “extra points” so to speak, before qualifications were even discussed.
And I’m not saying that wasn’t deserved. They served their country and put themselves in harms’ way. I hired veterans. But I am saying that when you work with labels, you better be sure about who that label attaches to.
THIS! My mother was a postal worker for 42 years—she saw and told me about how veterans are given a massive leg up when it comes to landing a job there, and are absolutely given preferential treatment once employed at USPS. And a lot of them were anti-government militia types, as far back as the 90’s!
This is a very common attribute of people who lack empathy. You see it in such places as the Catholic Church and other religious organizations. There is no room for anyone who does not go along with their beliefs, but if it's a neighbor in need they are 100% there.
Unless the FAFO comes with some self reflection about how the people they voted for in the past have lead us into this mess; then we are going to have to fight this fascism all over again. Just like the lawyers that resigned in the SDNY office, but they're still all members of the Federalist Society. The same Federalist Society gave us Judge Cannon. So unless they leave these conservative breeding grounds their integrity falls short.
They are the most evil but only the tip of the iceberg. Go the Heritage Foundation webpage and look at all their sponsors. Then google any institution with America or Freedom in the name and they are most likely MAGA. I am so overwhelmed because everytime time I think I have heard of all of them another one crawls out of the woodwork. They are everywhere. How did we not notice this earlier? What did the Democratic reseachers do the last 20 years to not see this? Asleep at wheel I guess.
The persistence of you and many other resistance writers with big audiences is slowly but surely paying off. The persistence of those of us with smaller audiences is also paying off. The persistence of readers and commenters is paying off. People are beginning to mobilize.
This is all proof that mainstream media is not the master of our destiny.
Jay - An idea for a future column, perhaps in the Big Picture:. A running compilation, maybe in the form of a table, of the promisory statements made by cabinet nominees during their confirmation hearings followed by their actual breaking of those promises when in office, maybe along with the dates and time taken to break those commitments. There wouldn't be many surprises for most of us, but this would be a useful document for reference, particularly when confronting MAGA supporters and apologists.
Unfortunately, that would be helpful to the people who already know about promises broken. Look at all the lists of Trump's lies. His supporters simply don't believe it
Y'all know when the MAGA folks Social Security checks fail to turn up,and then suddenly the local office is gone too,because the staff just got canned,it will get very interesting.Or when they go for their VA doctors appointment,and the doors are closed.Tho they will likely be shocked by there being NO EXCEPTIONS for them too!If you don't have the big bucks you don't matter either!
Don't forget these bums are WELL ARMED and might not be past using it to their advantage...It could be them who actually succeed in getting the rats out of the cupboards,if y'all know what I mean...just sayin'.😉
My cousin is a Vietnam veteran who recently underwent open-heart, triple bypass surgery at an excellent Minnesota VA hospital. On Election Day no less. Since then he has received delayed and grossly inadequate to fairly good rehab services in non-VA hospitals and then in a private rehab care center. He lost 20 pounds in a public hospital and was admitted to a second hospital in “a malnourished condition.”
His PT, OT and speech therapy have further diminished due to some disagreement between Medicare and VA health service. I foresee mounting financial problems and less progress, plus a quick determination that he is no longer making progress and thus must be moved to a nursing home at 100% billing to his wife.
I used to read nursing home deficiency reports in my job 30 years ago. What I see today is worse. There is not enough staff or facilities or oversight - and the Muskrats are certain to make things MUCH worse. This is not the country I knew. Cuts to VA, Medicare, Medicaid….. it’s the difference between life and living at home vs warehouses filled with custodial care patients.
That's so very sad.We shouldn't treat the people who fought for us this. It's just shameful.
I have a disabled sister in law that my brother takes care of,I worry if she ever gets to where he can't take care of her anymore if she'll end up in one of those places.I hope to keep her at home,but for how long remains to be seen.
It is sad that the wealthy look down their noses at poor and disabled people,they have no empathy or heart for anything except more money.
I had a family member die in a nursing home last year. As a retired nurse, I could see all the horrible care, tried and failed to get him to care he needed before he died. Then filed a complaint with the state; they found sufficient evidence for an investigation. Was told more than likely I was right but is hard to substantiate. In the end, they couldn't prove it. I truly feel for the vulnerable and elderly when the cuts hit them and their families.
As a long term care Nurse I can tell you that things are bad. And will only get worse,especially if Muskrat and company are able to get their funding reduced.
One thing us fellow europeans have been wondering about, and obviously we've been following the situation closely but we are not knowledgeable about the inner workings of American politics and institutions like you folks, is where does the USA army stand in all this? If an uprising starts, are they more likely to stand with Trump, stay neutral? Are there internal divisions? How far has cronyism spread there?
Many high level members of the Pentagon have said that they will abide by the *Constitution*, but not all of them have made a statement.
A number of enlisted members have also made similar statements, but there is some level of extremism in the US military, so it definitely isn't all sunshine and roses.
We may find out for sure, but so far the courts are acting as a speed bump, and public opinion is certainly changing, so that answer *may* get kicked down the road...
Hard to say. Many military, police etc. tend to be right-leaning, in part because it's a better cultural fit (a tendency to "solve" problems with aggression is part of the job description, after all). More peace-minded people from the left simply don't join the military in meaningful numbers.
And in part it is because once you join, there is peer pressure to conform.
So there is a self-selecting and self-reinforcing mechanism at work that tends to make military and police much more Trump-friendly than the general population.
OTOH, once they realize that they've been betrayed, all that could flip on its head in no time.
There are certain career paths that attract control freaks, law enforcement, the military, politics. The last war the US truly won was WWII, which was won by reluctant warriors who did their jobs as ordered, mustered out, and went home to build modern America. All volunteer militaries are a different breed, and I claim that coming from a military family.
"[O]nce they realize that they've been betrayed, all that could flip on its head in no time."
Reading this, it occurred to me: I wonder if the FO phase of FAFO is the opening that will finally enable Americans -- everyday, non-rich, working-class Americans -- to coalesce around a common cause and overcome the bitter political divisions. Will MAGA allow themselves to reckon that they have been lied to all this time? Will liberals be able to be gracious enough to forgive? Will both sides finally realize we're ALL getting ratf***ed by the oligarchs, and join forces to vanquish them for good?
I'm hopeful that exactly that may happen. It is what happened in Germany after WW II. And a lot of the economic theories Americans have been sold for decades are already getting discredited.
I do recall when his first term started, there was an article, I believe in the New York Times, that there was a discussion in the upper echelons of the military regarding whether or not they would follow orders to launch a nuclear weapon. Of course this now is a whole other kettle of fish. But I do think there are sensible people in the military, and they feel that their first duty is to the US Constitution (rule of law), not the president.
Our country is now headed for a second civil war. There will be violence in the streets. The Crown considered the Boston Tea Party to be an illegal action. The Crown considered the American Revolution to be an illegal action. Yet, without those “illegal actions”, the United States of America would never have happened.
Let’s pick a 4-day period to get together to protest. I want to see 100 million Americans hit the streets on those 4 days. All over the country. Surround State Capitol buildings, surround the White House and the Executive Office Building, surround the U.S. Capitol, surround Federal Agency HQ buildings, and surround the Supreme Court. Lock arms, shut down government! It is not working for the American People. We must make it perfectly clear that there are no kings in a democracy, that, in a democracy, no one is above the law, and that we, the people, will not stand back and let a lying, conning, grifting, fraudulent, law-breaking, traitorous American president - and his disgusting enablers - destroy our democracy.
We can avoid violence and bloodshed if we mobilize now and begin defeating the agenda of the GOP and Trump’s EOs. Today, he rescinded his firing of thousands of National Park workers. Pressure works. Let’s keep it up, keeping in mind that taking to the streets will be necessary if Trump openly defies direct federal court orders. At that point, we haven’t much of a Constitution left.
I don’t believe that’s true, at least not yet. Considering how many people are attending these town halls and seeing how pissed each other are, and that cracks are growing in the DOGE/Musk/Trump camp, I find that encouraging. There are plenty of ostriches in red states, sure, but it seems plenty of peeps are angry that their earned benefits are being wantonly slashed. I think most of us are on the same side there.
This is not about tax breaks and it never was. Money is the MacGuffin moving the story along. This is about creating a holocaust. Musk may act like a fool but you need to listen to his words because he does not mince them. He wants to get rid of the parasites that are damaging the healthy body. White supremacy is never about money. Money is a side effect. This is about killing people. Call your attorney's General and the man that they bring charges of depraved indifference attempted homicide to every legislator who is in favor of these Medicaid cuts.
Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders and his "Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here" town halls are packed and having to move to bigger venues to accommodate turn out - and not just in blue areas.
Oh, YAY! Love me some Bernie!!!!!
Reported. Scam. DO NOT CLICK
I've been a Bernie Backer since I found out that he was involved in marching for equality in housing for minority students at the University of Chicago in the early 1960s, and getting carried off by the police. My evil Trumplike stepfather was in charge of all of the University's rental properties so they were actually protesting him.
Bless Bernie.
Bernie is one of the people who gets it! So do Warren, AOC, Jasmine Crockett, Jamie Raskin, Jared Moskowitz, Maxwell Frost and others like them who are speaking out. Here is a hopeful video on what we can do.
The video is embedded in the Substack INK from Anand Giridharadas called "WATCH: An *actual* plan to beat fascism. A masterclass from political sage Anat Shenker-Osorio on how you can fight back against Trump II, create "social proof," mobilize your community, stop waiting for Democrats, and start getting it DONE"
https://the.ink/p/watch-an-actual-plan-to-beat-fascism?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Anand was introduced to me by Prof. Ruth Ben-Ghiat at their Monday Lunch podcasts. She has said he has guests who have their finger on the pulse. His guest Anat Shenker-Osorio does not disappoint. It does take about 18 minutes before she gets specific.
Also on Rebel HQ here are MAGAs admitting they have regrets.
https://youtu.be/yhRezeCWik0?si=Lmo5_RTYT8WJahVJ
And Rupert Murdoch's British News Outlet Times Radio is all about interviewing people who are criticizing Trump.
https://youtu.be/upbz7uYCxsM?si=6Xhe4aJbY4p-ldV_
https://youtu.be/HZ8CufiU16c?si=JWcns_sZU6Hqpp9B
Looks like Britain has rules about news that is news. Why can't the US have that?
That Substack INK video you linked to is exactly the kind of action-oriented info we desperately need. I've already shared it with 3 close family members and friends, and I shared it on social media.
I'm paring down my reading list of news and info to just those that bring me actionable value to fight and win over this fascist nonsense.
Let's remember that we are all leaders. Do not wait for anyone to start taking action, and that includes Democratic lawmakers.
This Substack by Jay Kuo is definitely on my "Keep" list and continues to feed me the energy to fight. Thank you, Jay!
We did, it was called the Fairness Doctrine, and was repealed diring Reagan.
I have long said Reagan was the beginning of the end, after reading Losing Earth: A Recent History by Nathaniel Rich.
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374191337/losingearth/
Apparently right before he came to power it was told to fossil fuel executives by scientists that we were facing global warming. Executives said okay we will invest in something else. Then Reagan came in and told them he was putting an industry insider into power and they did not need to look elsewhere, they could kick the can down the road and let someone in the future solve the problem.
That worked out for Reagan because he is dead and did not have to experience the effects of his decision, but children all over the planet are inheriting a deteriorating environment because of him. The Heritage Foundation began planning for conservatives presidents under Reagan and said that in his first year he accomplished 61% of their objectives. Right now Trump has accomplished 35% of the Project 2025 objectives in his first month in office according to the Project 2025 Tracker. https://www.project2025.observer/
We need to slow him down.
When we the people take back over, we need to repeal Citizen United and reinstate the Fairness Doctrine.
Linda, you have the best information sources and links, thank you! Your diligence is notable.
Bernie is 84 years old so I don’t think we should think about him as a potus candidate. If Biden was too old, Bernie is older.
Yes, I wish he was younger, I love Bernie!
The real blow will come - and ONLY come - when the stock market crumbles with a 20-25% blowout to the downside. It's all about money with tRump, that is the only barometer he uses to guide his conduct. A crushing bear market will grab his attention like nothing else will, including town halls, protest marches and placards, etc.
Agreed. And it will be blamed on Trump, even though that stock market crumble has been a long time coming already; it is way above where it should have been by historic measures for a very, very long time.
Unfortunately, a lot of people's 401(k)s are going to get seriously hurt in the process. One more reason Social Security is, and should be, a third rail.
No it won't be blamed on Orange Guy. Dictator Musk will get the blame.
Biden will definitely get the blame even though Trump would love to blame it on Obama.
Not so sure about that as he brought “Leon” into the fold…though on the other hand hand, Musk bought Trump, so…
Except that he and his wealthy rabble will invest in the depressed market and make a killing when it recovers. So, I think he just won't give a damn.
We for one are almost 100% in cash/cash equivalents in our investment account, as the markets don't need much more of a (slight?) push to crater. AI bubble at bursting point, thanks to the Chinese "Deep Seek" AI tool release, and a lot will follow in the wake of the ensuing wreckage.
That's not limited to him. You can park your 401(k) in a money market account today (or Gold, since reportedly Elon Musk is now going to Fort Knox to play "Goldfinger"), and invest again when the crash happens.
The town halls are for us and for the spineless to find one.
That slide may have started today as the red chatted denizens of Wall Street start waking up to their selfish stupidity.
If you have more in the market than you need to get by for the next 5 years or so, leave the part you don't need. Move the rest to cash equivalents, maybe buy an immediate annuity for 5 or 10 years to hedge against inflation during a prolonged market downturn.
I don't focus on the orange blight. My protests are directed at my representatives. I want them to do their jobs and uphold our Constitution. I want them to stop and reverse the orange blight's coup. The orange blight and muskrat are traitors. They must be arrested and tried for treason.
Interesting that Jesse Watters doesn't seem to understand that in some sense veterans are a DEIA hire in that they get preferential status for government jobs. They continue to shoot themselves in the foot.
DEI was never, ever about giving anyone preferential treatment, even to Vets.
DEI was designed to prevent incompetent white men from getting jobs that could be filled by a more competent woman, POC, or someone with a disability whose disability did not prevent them from doing the job.
DEI was supposed to widen the scope of qualified candidates to consider others, not only white men.
Yes! And now, when you look at the makeup of Trump and Musk's supposedly 'qualified' hires and appointments, you can see exactly why their idea of "merit-based" hiring means almost exclusively white people, most of whom are absolutely unqualified to hold their positions. That's exactly why the workforce (and administration) need to examine all qualified persons, not just hire based on the lightness of their skin, politics, or opinions.
However, in the case of veterans, they actually DO get preference for federal jobs.
https://www.usa.gov/veteran-federal-jobs
https://www.opm.gov/fedshirevets/veteran-job-seekers/vets/
It's so interesting that MAGA is out there decrying that DEI is giving preferential treatment to women, minorities, LGBT, etc., over qualified white men, when it does not, in fact, give any such preference in hiring to any of those groups (as you have explained above); however, when it comes to veterans -- a group which (ironically) MAGA tends to forget about while they are condemning DEI policies -- it is literally federal policy to give them preference over other candidates when applying for federal jobs.
I lost my Federal job many years ago, but was able to transfer to another position within the Federal system because I had no military/service connection. All worked out in the end but is a totally different situation today.
Thank you, carol!!!
As I read the sentence about veterans "getting preferential treatment," I was like, THAT'S DEI!!!
We need to stop calling by it’s acronym handle, and spell it out: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. What part of that acronym are any of us against? One, two or all?
TBH, tRump, MAGA, and the GOPers use "DEI" as a code word for women, Black people, and other "undeserving non-white males"...we all know the drill.
and Accessibility.
I view inclusion as accessibility, but that might be due to my life experience in a female body.
They think DEI only hires unqualified women and non-white people. They are so damn privileged they simply don't get it.
And speaking of DEI, I wonder what the younger Trump darlings are doing (Donald, Eric, Ivanka). With all the noise and attention focused on EO's and the doge-bag, I bet those three are cleaning up behind the scenes
Ivanka is probably profiting off her Chinese coffin trademarks, which she 'negotiated' in 2018, during Trump's first term and before Covid. She knew people were gonna die under her Daddy's administration.
So proud of the indispensable role you're playing in mobilizing support, spittin' mad truth, and providing much-needed inspiration to the beleaguered opposition during this dispiriting and soul-crushing moment in American politics. Thanks, little brother!!
Aw thanks!
30% of federal workers are military veterans, and more than that at the VA hospitals. They're getting fired by the President who swore he loved the military, etc. (in between calling them losers). I will bet that some of them are heavily armed. I will bet that some of them HATE Elon Musk. I will bet... take it from there.
There is not an insignificant number of veterans tossed out of their livelihoods who wouldn't consider a "Second- Amendment solution to the Elno problem". Musk has seriously upped his security detail, even having them "deputized" into the US Marshals, so he knows people hate his fecking arse, and very likely could act drastically here.
Why do you think he has started carrying his kid around with him everywhere?
He is using him as a human shield.
Echoes of Steven King's "The Dead Zone".
Even the child's mother said as much. And she let's him do it.
I had the same thought last week
If they are US Marshalls, does that mean he doesn’t have to pay them, we do?
I would argue that Elno, as a quasi-employee of the government, has already secured public funds for his *schutzstaffel*, and deputizing them into the Marshals will cinch the deal.
I wake up every morning hoping for such news…
You are not alone.
I am wishing and hoping
There are likely many vets who will feel they have nothing left after losing benefits, health care, their homes, and their rights. When you have no future, drastic actions are easier to commit to.
I can't go there. This kind of thinking may be a way of releasing angst, but remember what happened when Trump said things like this. Your bet could lead to people getting hurt.
The American Revolution wasn't bloodless, nor can any overthrowing of tyranny go without blood being shed. Yes, always the question of whose blood, but when one man, acting like a dictator, steals your means of livelihood, the answer seems rather straightforward.
Except it's not just one man...whether one is talking about Elmo or #TheSphincter, it's the puppetmasters: Namely #TheWhiteBillionaireBoysClub, their Federalist Society The Heritage Foundation members, (Not to mention Putin and others) and they've kept themselves behind the curtain so to speak, while using #TheOrangeBaldingBabyMan to sign all the papers they wrote for him, before he got back into the Oval office. And if someone gets to him they've got JD to replace him and whoever else is next in line after that...
The Stalin imperative: "Man is problem?...no man, no problem".
Lance, my point was that posting messages that could trigger a loose cannon can be dangerous. I know possibly better than you that change sometimes includes violence. But if ever we go in that direction, I hope it is because we have no other options, and if that ever happens, I hope that it is with reluctance and with guidance.
The worst thing that could happen is for irresponsible insinuations to set off an unmanagable situation- which Jan 6 nearly was, set up and triggered by Trump's malicious insinuations. We'd better have better plans than that. The original post apparently has been removed. So I hope she understood the point better than you seem to have.
Funny how Watters only cares about this when someone he is personally connected to is impacted. And a Fun Fact for him. Veterans are part of DEI. I worked for the federal government for 30 years. Veterans were given preference for a wide range of jobs, ahead of people who might have been more qualified. Being a veteran gave them “extra points” so to speak, before qualifications were even discussed.
And I’m not saying that wasn’t deserved. They served their country and put themselves in harms’ way. I hired veterans. But I am saying that when you work with labels, you better be sure about who that label attaches to.
This tracks for many MAGA folks.
THIS! My mother was a postal worker for 42 years—she saw and told me about how veterans are given a massive leg up when it comes to landing a job there, and are absolutely given preferential treatment once employed at USPS. And a lot of them were anti-government militia types, as far back as the 90’s!
This is a very common attribute of people who lack empathy. You see it in such places as the Catholic Church and other religious organizations. There is no room for anyone who does not go along with their beliefs, but if it's a neighbor in need they are 100% there.
Like McConnell and the polio vaccine with Jr.
My brother was an air traffic controller & vets got an extra 5 points on the entrance examination.
Unless the FAFO comes with some self reflection about how the people they voted for in the past have lead us into this mess; then we are going to have to fight this fascism all over again. Just like the lawyers that resigned in the SDNY office, but they're still all members of the Federalist Society. The same Federalist Society gave us Judge Cannon. So unless they leave these conservative breeding grounds their integrity falls short.
The Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation are the root of all this evil we’re going through.
They are the most evil but only the tip of the iceberg. Go the Heritage Foundation webpage and look at all their sponsors. Then google any institution with America or Freedom in the name and they are most likely MAGA. I am so overwhelmed because everytime time I think I have heard of all of them another one crawls out of the woodwork. They are everywhere. How did we not notice this earlier? What did the Democratic reseachers do the last 20 years to not see this? Asleep at wheel I guess.
Don't forget the Kochs and their house organ: George Mason U.
The persistence of you and many other resistance writers with big audiences is slowly but surely paying off. The persistence of those of us with smaller audiences is also paying off. The persistence of readers and commenters is paying off. People are beginning to mobilize.
This is all proof that mainstream media is not the master of our destiny.
We are.
Persistence is Power.
May you be a prophet Charles.
A very unlikely event lol.
Jay - An idea for a future column, perhaps in the Big Picture:. A running compilation, maybe in the form of a table, of the promisory statements made by cabinet nominees during their confirmation hearings followed by their actual breaking of those promises when in office, maybe along with the dates and time taken to break those commitments. There wouldn't be many surprises for most of us, but this would be a useful document for reference, particularly when confronting MAGA supporters and apologists.
Unfortunately, that would be helpful to the people who already know about promises broken. Look at all the lists of Trump's lies. His supporters simply don't believe it
I'll look around. Somebody may already be doing that.
Reading this just made my day. Thank you!
Me too! Thanks for including the clips of people pushing back at Town Hall meetings. Very energizing!
Y'all know when the MAGA folks Social Security checks fail to turn up,and then suddenly the local office is gone too,because the staff just got canned,it will get very interesting.Or when they go for their VA doctors appointment,and the doors are closed.Tho they will likely be shocked by there being NO EXCEPTIONS for them too!If you don't have the big bucks you don't matter either!
Don't forget these bums are WELL ARMED and might not be past using it to their advantage...It could be them who actually succeed in getting the rats out of the cupboards,if y'all know what I mean...just sayin'.😉
My cousin is a Vietnam veteran who recently underwent open-heart, triple bypass surgery at an excellent Minnesota VA hospital. On Election Day no less. Since then he has received delayed and grossly inadequate to fairly good rehab services in non-VA hospitals and then in a private rehab care center. He lost 20 pounds in a public hospital and was admitted to a second hospital in “a malnourished condition.”
His PT, OT and speech therapy have further diminished due to some disagreement between Medicare and VA health service. I foresee mounting financial problems and less progress, plus a quick determination that he is no longer making progress and thus must be moved to a nursing home at 100% billing to his wife.
I used to read nursing home deficiency reports in my job 30 years ago. What I see today is worse. There is not enough staff or facilities or oversight - and the Muskrats are certain to make things MUCH worse. This is not the country I knew. Cuts to VA, Medicare, Medicaid….. it’s the difference between life and living at home vs warehouses filled with custodial care patients.
That's so very sad.We shouldn't treat the people who fought for us this. It's just shameful.
I have a disabled sister in law that my brother takes care of,I worry if she ever gets to where he can't take care of her anymore if she'll end up in one of those places.I hope to keep her at home,but for how long remains to be seen.
It is sad that the wealthy look down their noses at poor and disabled people,they have no empathy or heart for anything except more money.
😢
I had a family member die in a nursing home last year. As a retired nurse, I could see all the horrible care, tried and failed to get him to care he needed before he died. Then filed a complaint with the state; they found sufficient evidence for an investigation. Was told more than likely I was right but is hard to substantiate. In the end, they couldn't prove it. I truly feel for the vulnerable and elderly when the cuts hit them and their families.
As a long term care Nurse I can tell you that things are bad. And will only get worse,especially if Muskrat and company are able to get their funding reduced.
One thing us fellow europeans have been wondering about, and obviously we've been following the situation closely but we are not knowledgeable about the inner workings of American politics and institutions like you folks, is where does the USA army stand in all this? If an uprising starts, are they more likely to stand with Trump, stay neutral? Are there internal divisions? How far has cronyism spread there?
Frankly, it's not clear to us either.
Many high level members of the Pentagon have said that they will abide by the *Constitution*, but not all of them have made a statement.
A number of enlisted members have also made similar statements, but there is some level of extremism in the US military, so it definitely isn't all sunshine and roses.
We may find out for sure, but so far the courts are acting as a speed bump, and public opinion is certainly changing, so that answer *may* get kicked down the road...
Yes, constitution. It symbolizes the rule of law. Rule of law trumps Trump
Hard to say. Many military, police etc. tend to be right-leaning, in part because it's a better cultural fit (a tendency to "solve" problems with aggression is part of the job description, after all). More peace-minded people from the left simply don't join the military in meaningful numbers.
And in part it is because once you join, there is peer pressure to conform.
So there is a self-selecting and self-reinforcing mechanism at work that tends to make military and police much more Trump-friendly than the general population.
OTOH, once they realize that they've been betrayed, all that could flip on its head in no time.
There are certain career paths that attract control freaks, law enforcement, the military, politics. The last war the US truly won was WWII, which was won by reluctant warriors who did their jobs as ordered, mustered out, and went home to build modern America. All volunteer militaries are a different breed, and I claim that coming from a military family.
"[O]nce they realize that they've been betrayed, all that could flip on its head in no time."
Reading this, it occurred to me: I wonder if the FO phase of FAFO is the opening that will finally enable Americans -- everyday, non-rich, working-class Americans -- to coalesce around a common cause and overcome the bitter political divisions. Will MAGA allow themselves to reckon that they have been lied to all this time? Will liberals be able to be gracious enough to forgive? Will both sides finally realize we're ALL getting ratf***ed by the oligarchs, and join forces to vanquish them for good?
I'm hopeful that exactly that may happen. It is what happened in Germany after WW II. And a lot of the economic theories Americans have been sold for decades are already getting discredited.
I think there is a great difference between local police, and the military.
I’ve been curious about this too!
I do recall when his first term started, there was an article, I believe in the New York Times, that there was a discussion in the upper echelons of the military regarding whether or not they would follow orders to launch a nuclear weapon. Of course this now is a whole other kettle of fish. But I do think there are sensible people in the military, and they feel that their first duty is to the US Constitution (rule of law), not the president.
At least that's what I hope
They took an oath to protect and defend the constitution.
Good question, Isabel. We’re waiting to find out aren’t we.
Thank you, Jay. It’s great to see the resistance in action.
Our country is now headed for a second civil war. There will be violence in the streets. The Crown considered the Boston Tea Party to be an illegal action. The Crown considered the American Revolution to be an illegal action. Yet, without those “illegal actions”, the United States of America would never have happened.
Let’s pick a 4-day period to get together to protest. I want to see 100 million Americans hit the streets on those 4 days. All over the country. Surround State Capitol buildings, surround the White House and the Executive Office Building, surround the U.S. Capitol, surround Federal Agency HQ buildings, and surround the Supreme Court. Lock arms, shut down government! It is not working for the American People. We must make it perfectly clear that there are no kings in a democracy, that, in a democracy, no one is above the law, and that we, the people, will not stand back and let a lying, conning, grifting, fraudulent, law-breaking, traitorous American president - and his disgusting enablers - destroy our democracy.
We can avoid violence and bloodshed if we mobilize now and begin defeating the agenda of the GOP and Trump’s EOs. Today, he rescinded his firing of thousands of National Park workers. Pressure works. Let’s keep it up, keeping in mind that taking to the streets will be necessary if Trump openly defies direct federal court orders. At that point, we haven’t much of a Constitution left.
Ooh, I hadn’t heard that! Can you possibly do another column soon on wins like this if/as there are more?
Take a look at the Contrarian. They cover this kind of thing quite closely. Also Democracy Defender.
I don’t believe that’s true, at least not yet. Considering how many people are attending these town halls and seeing how pissed each other are, and that cracks are growing in the DOGE/Musk/Trump camp, I find that encouraging. There are plenty of ostriches in red states, sure, but it seems plenty of peeps are angry that their earned benefits are being wantonly slashed. I think most of us are on the same side there.
It seems someone is above the law because he is now president.
He "thinks" he is above the law, and therein will lie his downfall.
Didn’t enough rats in robes tell him he was above the law? Could still be his downfall though.
This is not about tax breaks and it never was. Money is the MacGuffin moving the story along. This is about creating a holocaust. Musk may act like a fool but you need to listen to his words because he does not mince them. He wants to get rid of the parasites that are damaging the healthy body. White supremacy is never about money. Money is a side effect. This is about killing people. Call your attorney's General and the man that they bring charges of depraved indifference attempted homicide to every legislator who is in favor of these Medicaid cuts.
Village Dems are furious
https://www.villages-news.com/2025/02/20/villagers-furious-that-jan-6-rioters-will-be-welcomed-at-rec-center/
Wait until their Social Security is mangled.