there's some irony inherent in all of this ..... the obvious is they broadcast eagerly & delightfully blaming dems any chance they can on TV..... we can now say they are truly inept, suffer from covenient amnesia and cowards to the bone. they are terrified of their leader and have forgotton they control congress... they have stooped so low they forgot they are the party in charge and scream "it's the dems fault" the party not in charge... laughable & pathetic if people weren't dying because of this..... now they are just evil...
Hypotheticals rolling around in my head: might the WH/GOP hold out until right before Thanksgiving to appear to be the 'saviors'? Other than just being callous self-serving aholes, is this truly just to keep the Epstein files from being released?
As had been said many times, cruelty is the point. Republicans have no regard whatsoever for the working class and the poor. I guess they figure if they starve people enough, they'll be happy to work for slave wages. Or no wages, if they manage to bring back 'company stores' etc. I've always believed that's their agenda - to lower the cost of wages so they can enrich themselves further, although I don't know who they think will be able to buy anything they'd be selling to generate an 'economy.' Having little to no taxes on the wealthy only feeds into that goal. Greed is king.
You know, I'll be honest here. I always thought "cruelty is the point" was intended as a bit of hyperbole. Make no mistake, I've always considered these people loathsome creatures, but I always thought there must be SOME method to the madness that I can't see.
I'm naive, even in my later years. Cruelty really is the point. Barbarism and a desire to see people die is the point. It's beyond me. I can't get my arms around the why of it. Reducing the number of poor people by 10% is just going to enrage the remaining 90%. Are they seeking a civil war?
Charles, it's clear from all their rhetoric about welfare queens and illegals receiving SNAP, Medicaid, etc. that even though it goes against the facts, Republicans believe these people are a drain on society and we'd all be better off without them. What I can't believe is how very few people seem to understand what this means, that ultimately they don't care if people die and children go hungry. Cruelty is very much the point. It boggles the mind how they can even begin to call themselves Christians. They have zero compassion.
I don't buy it for one minute that Repubs believe poor people are a drain on society. They're simply too greedy to be willing to contribute to the common good.
They are a 'drain' if they aren't able to work for low wages and keep the economy going. Particularly since hardworking immigrants who do those jobs are being terrorized by Trump's ICE.
Remember candidate Romney's comment in 2012 about 47% of the population being 'takers '? That included people on Social Security and Medicare, and people who earn so little they don't pay income tax
What the oligarchs won't acknowledge is that the "drain" is of their own making, by refusing to pay living wages. It's an ugly spiral: they hoover up all the money, the rest of us scramble to get by, with some falling short, which means more needy people, and on it goes.
I seem to recall Jeff Sessions actually using those words when they were literally pulling families apart at the southern border during this [fill in expletive of choice]'s first term.
It's not only not hyperbole, at this point, it's an understatement.
Yes they want blood in the streets so they can impose martial law and keep the felon child rapist murderer in power till he dies - which hopefully will be soon.
Yes, they are. They're already doing their damnedest to provoke people on peaceful protests in order to have an excuse for sending in the military. It's exactly what they want.
My thinking is that they are literally trying to kill us. And right: who will buy what they are selling, once all us pathetic non-millionaires are dead? Not to mention harvesting the crops. Etc.
I agree! The idiots in charge are planning on killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Then again, they have forgotten that they are human too! So far we've been peaceful and incredibly patient. If it gets bad enough, we might have to bring back the guillotine! Or make drone strikes on private yacht and islands.
It could break down this weekend. My friend is going to Texas for a family wedding, and I'm getting prepared to feed her cats longer than she said she'd be away.
Small acts of kindness are never insignificant (and I do realize that you didn't mean they were, Alec). They ripple out and spread, they remind us that most of us are decent, compassionate people. It's the ‘Butterfly Effect’.
How would they be "saviors" at that point ? Food banks and other providers would be so drained that no regular Thanksgiving dinners would be possible. People would be so far behind. You don't suddenly drop a turkey on the table after people have been eating nothing for a month.
I think this group is underestimating grassroots organizing. Grassroots organizations at the national and local levels have been planning for mutual aid since this regime came to power. We know who they are and we know what to expect from them.
We are not just going to sit back and moan about it. We are already ramping up donations, volunteers, and local resources to support our food banks and local assistance programs.
Of course this is not a permanent solution, the government will be forced by the American people to do their job. But in the emergency we face in this moment, don’t sit back. Donate if you can. Volunteer if you can’t donate. Check on your neighbors. Make them a casserole. We are not helpless, and we have a job to do here. Let’s get to it.
Acts of charity or assistance, though noble, often extend the life of an unjust system by softening its edges just enough to keep the masses pacified. Feeding the hungry may soothe immediate suffering, but it also relieves the pressure that might otherwise ignite transformation. A society that can absorb discontent through minimal concessions — food banks, subsidies, or moral appeals — delays the confrontation with its own structural rot.
Rebellion requires collective desperation, not isolated compassion. It is not born in the soup kitchen but in the empty cupboard. Only when hardship becomes systemic — when comfort is no longer accessible even to those who obey — do people shed the fear that binds them. Hunger, unemployment, and the collapse of trust in institutions forge a unity that moral outrage alone cannot. The moral impulse can spark dissent, but sustained hardship gives dissent teeth.
You’re absolutely right that the federal government is required to provide these services, and the American people will have to force them to do so. At the same time, we need to make it clear that we won’t take their shenanigans without fighting.
We want our communities to see that WE are stepping up to the challenge, and we will not let our corrupt government starve our people for political gain.
That’s the strategy behind the focus on mutual aid. Mutual aid is not charity. Nor is it intended to help activists feel warm and fuzzy. It is a short term response to a lawless regime.
That'd make for some fascinating Thanksgiving dinner table conversation, wouldn't it? Perhaps the wise hostess would keep the sharp knives in the back of the drawer and only set out butter knives.
I am absolutely heartbroken about how far our country has fallen, I am ashamed to be American and live in this country. I am contributing in my small way to food pantries. It is going to take more than a village to get us past this. The cruelty and lack of compassion and empathy from our leaders is staggering.
I feel your pain, Brenda, and share your view that it's gonna be a heavy lift. But lift we must! For the moment, we should do what we can to mitigate the pain that's being felt by the actions of these heartless fools. Their day will come, but only if we bring it.
p.s. Giving to food pantries is a great thing to do anyway, especially as we're entering the holidays. I just gave to FulfillNJ, a 4-star 100% rated (Charity Navigator) in New Jersey. Here's a link to find worthwhile food banks in your area: https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank
Charity soothes pain but sustains injustice. By easing hunger and hardship, it releases the pressure that could ignite real change. A system that pacifies discontent with food banks and handouts preserves its own decay.
Interesting. I prefer to think that charity, if appreciated, has the opposite effect. If taken for granted, to ease personal guilt of benefactors, or is expected, it does as you suggest. For me, charity ends when it prolongs dependency.
Nah, just Thune. He's the Senate Majority Leader and the single holdup on a vote in the senate. He's considering doing away with the filibuster so they can ram whatever crap they like through on a simple majority vote.
Even if the Dems cave & vote for a CR there is no guarantee that the GOP will reinstate SNAP benefits. Personally, I think the gop & Maga are a bunch of Sadists that get off on both the idea & the sufferings of others.
Jay Kuo, I appreciate getting your full column today. More and frequently, your Status Kuo column is very brief and asks us to read further at your other Substack column, the Big Picture. I'm discouraged because as a paid subscriber I'm expecting a great Status Kuo article and don't get it. I'd love to understand what's going on.
Just write and publish the gursh durn essay. I get mad every time I read your teaser only to find out the real piece is coming out later. Squarsh the snails. I look forward to your piece a lot without the teaser. 😐💙 I look forward to your pieces a lot!
FWIW, the link to Big Picture always goes to a free post, at least in my experience. I only pay for this one, but I haven't had any problem accessing Big Picture (they do have occasional paid only posts, but I've never seen one specifically reference here in the way you mention). Legit and fair question, but I hope this helps.
Amen. For those of us who are paid subscribers to a lot of Substacks, I am becoming weary of the pleas to pay up for another one. I found Jay a while ago and was more than happy to pay to subscribe. But it's just not possible for me to pay for another related Substack. I've actually stopped reading the Big Picture "previews" and I don't comment on them either.
I know, and I do get your content, Jay. I'm concerned about being hit up to pay to subscribe every time...and the Preview. I haven't encountered that with any of your posts. But I just delete the message whenever I see that. I don't understand what's behind it. Does someone really think that just giving a "teaser" will result in lots of new paid subscribers? Some of us support a lot of Substacks. As I said, I am MORE than happy to support yours! But it often feels like Substack views us as ATMs (like a lot of politicos and "good causes!). That's what I object to.
The NYTimes editorial board's analysis identifies 12 anti-democratic actions, some of which are already enacted by Donald J. Trump, and others which are threatened, and some soon to be deployed by Donald Trump.
This editorial is an unambiguous warning that the U.S. is on an anti-democratic path.
These actions mirror the playbooks of autocrats such as Putin of Russia, Orbán of Turkey, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. The report emphasizes that the U.S. has regressed on all 12 markers, with actions including:
Targeting political opponents with law enforcement and pardoning allies.
Bypassing Congress by withholding authorized funds and imposing tariffs.
Defying federal courts and using the military for domestic control.
Vilifying marginalized groups and trying to control media and universities.
Manipulating elections to entrench his party's power.
Creating a cult of personality, corrupting and using the presidency for personal profit.
The ultimate danger cited is that once a leader and party make it impossible for opponents to win an election, the slide into autocracy becomes extremely difficult to reverse.
The current path, if continued, will pervert American elections for years and lock in power through a cowed legislature and judiciary.
Unless Trump, and his handlers, the architects of Project 2025, are stopped either by Congress, and the Supreme Court, and if they fail to take action, then We the People must do it at the ballot box, if we are let.
The “irony and hypocrisy” can be laid out for what they gave to him and themselves versus what is/was taken from the constituents of this nation ..
May the Odds be Ever In Our Favor ..
As SNAP benefits reserve money of $5 to $6 Billion is NOT released.
The food stamp program began in 1939, but the current program was made permanent in 1964 with the Food Stamp Act signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The initial 1939 program was a temporary solution during the Great Depression, and the 1964 act created a permanent and expanded version. The program was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2008.
First Time in history since Food Stamps became possible under FDR that the Federal Government has stopped payment to Feed the American People
Given to Him and their Regime:
* $170 Billion for ICE
* $117 Billion in Tax Cuts for the Rich
* $40 Billion for Argentina
* $1 Billion for “gifted" Qatari jet that he keeps once out of office
* $172-$200 Million for Noem’s 2-Jets
* $150 Million for First Term Golf Trips
* $18-$20 Million for 2025 Golf trips as of October 2025
* $300 Million for Vanity Ballroom
* $230 Million in DOJ payments to Trump lawsuit
___
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025(OBBB), signed into law on July 4, 2025
Taken from the People:
* $1 Trillion Cuts in the OBBB Act to Medicaid
* $186-$187 Billion Cuts from SNAP over the next decade and shifts more of the program's costs and administrative burden onto individual states.
* Affordable Care Act - The OBBBA does NOT extend the enhanced premium tax credits for ACA marketplace plans, leading to increased costs for many. An estimated “20 Million marketplace enrollees will see their costs spike”, and “4.2 Million may lose coverage each year”, on average. If your state strictly uses Healthcare.gov for ACA (or, as it's colloquially known, Obamacare) insurance options, you're likely looking at an even higher potential price increase, with KFF saying the average jump will be 30%. States that have their own Marketplaces will see a 17% rise.
Jay, I think the reason the Becuzican party can't use the contingency fund is that it's perfectly legal, and they've forgotten how to do things legally or without cheating.
I started an essay with exactly the same name, but haven't gotten too far with it. Paul Krugman also used it in his Substack post, "The Hunger Games Begin," earlier this week. My premise was going to be a little different though. I was musing that we need a heroine like Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence's excellent portrayal of the protagonist), and a mentor like Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) to stand up against Donald Sutherland's Coriolanus Snow. I'm picturing the pairing of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders taking on our own autocratic dictator. I'm only a casual viewer of The Hunger Games, and a somewhat distant admirer of AOC and Bernie, but the image is striking.
Republican leaders are so despicable and without shame. Clay Higgins, the wife beating divorcee who refuses to pay child support told SNAP recipients to get off crack! These members of the sado-populist party are evil and morally depraved. But then republicans only elevate the "best people".
They're starving children to protect pedos who ... raped children. The GOP is a terrorist gang of child abusers. Will the Maladministration blow them out of the water with drone attacks, to stop their attacks on the United States?
I live near an airforce base, and I hate that every time I hear the military aircraft flying over, my first thought is the terror that he has decided to attack.
there's some irony inherent in all of this ..... the obvious is they broadcast eagerly & delightfully blaming dems any chance they can on TV..... we can now say they are truly inept, suffer from covenient amnesia and cowards to the bone. they are terrified of their leader and have forgotton they control congress... they have stooped so low they forgot they are the party in charge and scream "it's the dems fault" the party not in charge... laughable & pathetic if people weren't dying because of this..... now they are just evil...
Hypotheticals rolling around in my head: might the WH/GOP hold out until right before Thanksgiving to appear to be the 'saviors'? Other than just being callous self-serving aholes, is this truly just to keep the Epstein files from being released?
As had been said many times, cruelty is the point. Republicans have no regard whatsoever for the working class and the poor. I guess they figure if they starve people enough, they'll be happy to work for slave wages. Or no wages, if they manage to bring back 'company stores' etc. I've always believed that's their agenda - to lower the cost of wages so they can enrich themselves further, although I don't know who they think will be able to buy anything they'd be selling to generate an 'economy.' Having little to no taxes on the wealthy only feeds into that goal. Greed is king.
You know, I'll be honest here. I always thought "cruelty is the point" was intended as a bit of hyperbole. Make no mistake, I've always considered these people loathsome creatures, but I always thought there must be SOME method to the madness that I can't see.
I'm naive, even in my later years. Cruelty really is the point. Barbarism and a desire to see people die is the point. It's beyond me. I can't get my arms around the why of it. Reducing the number of poor people by 10% is just going to enrage the remaining 90%. Are they seeking a civil war?
Charles, it's clear from all their rhetoric about welfare queens and illegals receiving SNAP, Medicaid, etc. that even though it goes against the facts, Republicans believe these people are a drain on society and we'd all be better off without them. What I can't believe is how very few people seem to understand what this means, that ultimately they don't care if people die and children go hungry. Cruelty is very much the point. It boggles the mind how they can even begin to call themselves Christians. They have zero compassion.
They are Theocratic Nationalists, and saying they are Christian is a slap in the face to all those who follow the teachings of Christ.
The white Christian nationalists think only the "others" will suffer, certainly not anyone in their tribe.
I think they're in for a rude awakening.
I don't buy it for one minute that Repubs believe poor people are a drain on society. They're simply too greedy to be willing to contribute to the common good.
They are a 'drain' if they aren't able to work for low wages and keep the economy going. Particularly since hardworking immigrants who do those jobs are being terrorized by Trump's ICE.
Remember candidate Romney's comment in 2012 about 47% of the population being 'takers '? That included people on Social Security and Medicare, and people who earn so little they don't pay income tax
https://www.factcheck.org/2012/09/dependency-and-romneys-47-percenters/
What the oligarchs won't acknowledge is that the "drain" is of their own making, by refusing to pay living wages. It's an ugly spiral: they hoover up all the money, the rest of us scramble to get by, with some falling short, which means more needy people, and on it goes.
I seem to recall Jeff Sessions actually using those words when they were literally pulling families apart at the southern border during this [fill in expletive of choice]'s first term.
It's not only not hyperbole, at this point, it's an understatement.
Yes they want blood in the streets so they can impose martial law and keep the felon child rapist murderer in power till he dies - which hopefully will be soon.
Droopy looks like he's going to collapse into a heap of coagulated orange poopalade any second now.
We're already way past "Weekend at Bernie's."
Yes, they are. They're already doing their damnedest to provoke people on peaceful protests in order to have an excuse for sending in the military. It's exactly what they want.
Yes, so the regime can declare martial law and Tangerine Palpatine can declare himself president for life.
My thinking is that they are literally trying to kill us. And right: who will buy what they are selling, once all us pathetic non-millionaires are dead? Not to mention harvesting the crops. Etc.
I agree! The idiots in charge are planning on killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Then again, they have forgotten that they are human too! So far we've been peaceful and incredibly patient. If it gets bad enough, we might have to bring back the guillotine! Or make drone strikes on private yacht and islands.
By the time US Thanksgiving arrives, will anyone be able to travel by air? I believe air traffic control will break down long before then.
It could break down this weekend. My friend is going to Texas for a family wedding, and I'm getting prepared to feed her cats longer than she said she'd be away.
All three NYC airports had ground stoppages today
What about Texas? She's flying from Cleveland, Ohio to DFW.
Lots of cancellations and delays at DCA in Washington, DC as well.
Small acts of kindness are never insignificant (and I do realize that you didn't mean they were, Alec). They ripple out and spread, they remind us that most of us are decent, compassionate people. It's the ‘Butterfly Effect’.
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
- Aesop
Thank you. I'd forgotten that quote, much more succinctly put than my effort 😊.
And actually, I had to look up the attribution, because I was thinking it was something Gandalf had said.
She's lucky to have you as a friend; you're kind to look after her cats and wise to have a contingency plan.
In my world, cats being fed is always a priority!
How would they be "saviors" at that point ? Food banks and other providers would be so drained that no regular Thanksgiving dinners would be possible. People would be so far behind. You don't suddenly drop a turkey on the table after people have been eating nothing for a month.
I think this group is underestimating grassroots organizing. Grassroots organizations at the national and local levels have been planning for mutual aid since this regime came to power. We know who they are and we know what to expect from them.
We are not just going to sit back and moan about it. We are already ramping up donations, volunteers, and local resources to support our food banks and local assistance programs.
Of course this is not a permanent solution, the government will be forced by the American people to do their job. But in the emergency we face in this moment, don’t sit back. Donate if you can. Volunteer if you can’t donate. Check on your neighbors. Make them a casserole. We are not helpless, and we have a job to do here. Let’s get to it.
Acts of charity or assistance, though noble, often extend the life of an unjust system by softening its edges just enough to keep the masses pacified. Feeding the hungry may soothe immediate suffering, but it also relieves the pressure that might otherwise ignite transformation. A society that can absorb discontent through minimal concessions — food banks, subsidies, or moral appeals — delays the confrontation with its own structural rot.
Rebellion requires collective desperation, not isolated compassion. It is not born in the soup kitchen but in the empty cupboard. Only when hardship becomes systemic — when comfort is no longer accessible even to those who obey — do people shed the fear that binds them. Hunger, unemployment, and the collapse of trust in institutions forge a unity that moral outrage alone cannot. The moral impulse can spark dissent, but sustained hardship gives dissent teeth.
JAG-
You’re absolutely right that the federal government is required to provide these services, and the American people will have to force them to do so. At the same time, we need to make it clear that we won’t take their shenanigans without fighting.
We want our communities to see that WE are stepping up to the challenge, and we will not let our corrupt government starve our people for political gain.
That’s the strategy behind the focus on mutual aid. Mutual aid is not charity. Nor is it intended to help activists feel warm and fuzzy. It is a short term response to a lawless regime.
YES!
That'd make for some fascinating Thanksgiving dinner table conversation, wouldn't it? Perhaps the wise hostess would keep the sharp knives in the back of the drawer and only set out butter knives.
I am absolutely heartbroken about how far our country has fallen, I am ashamed to be American and live in this country. I am contributing in my small way to food pantries. It is going to take more than a village to get us past this. The cruelty and lack of compassion and empathy from our leaders is staggering.
I feel your pain, Brenda, and share your view that it's gonna be a heavy lift. But lift we must! For the moment, we should do what we can to mitigate the pain that's being felt by the actions of these heartless fools. Their day will come, but only if we bring it.
p.s. Giving to food pantries is a great thing to do anyway, especially as we're entering the holidays. I just gave to FulfillNJ, a 4-star 100% rated (Charity Navigator) in New Jersey. Here's a link to find worthwhile food banks in your area: https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank
Thanks for the link!
Charity soothes pain but sustains injustice. By easing hunger and hardship, it releases the pressure that could ignite real change. A system that pacifies discontent with food banks and handouts preserves its own decay.
Interesting. I prefer to think that charity, if appreciated, has the opposite effect. If taken for granted, to ease personal guilt of benefactors, or is expected, it does as you suggest. For me, charity ends when it prolongs dependency.
I think we should make John Thune the face of Americans' starvation.
All the retrumpians really!
Nah, just Thune. He's the Senate Majority Leader and the single holdup on a vote in the senate. He's considering doing away with the filibuster so they can ram whatever crap they like through on a simple majority vote.
"“If we had a contingency fund.…” You mean, like the 55-page one that the USDA put out in late September?"
I'm wondering if Dana Bash followed up with this question? I'm guessing not.
I wish I had a chance to question him lol
The media always seems to drop the ball on the 1 yard line…
I wondered that too when I read the post. And like you, I thought probably not--a missed opportunity.
Corporate media seems to have a lot of missed opportunities.
What an understatement!!! It's truly infuriating.
Unfortunately too many people still think these benefits go to illegals. People like my sister. There is no way to convince her otherwise.
My brother too...they are in a cult...
Even if the Dems cave & vote for a CR there is no guarantee that the GOP will reinstate SNAP benefits. Personally, I think the gop & Maga are a bunch of Sadists that get off on both the idea & the sufferings of others.
Jay Kuo, I appreciate getting your full column today. More and frequently, your Status Kuo column is very brief and asks us to read further at your other Substack column, the Big Picture. I'm discouraged because as a paid subscriber I'm expecting a great Status Kuo article and don't get it. I'd love to understand what's going on.
I only write once a week for The Status Kuo and it’s free to receive, no subscription fee needed.
? I can always get Jay's full analysis via Facebook.
That requires making the devil's bargain of being a Facebook member, which some of us refuse to do.
Yes, desist with the early short teaser! Not appreciated! Just post the Substack substantive column! (from an admirer and fully paid up follower)
If I don’t post a note that I’m writing for the Big Picture I get snails asking where the status Kuo is that day.
Just write and publish the gursh durn essay. I get mad every time I read your teaser only to find out the real piece is coming out later. Squarsh the snails. I look forward to your piece a lot without the teaser. 😐💙 I look forward to your pieces a lot!
FWIW, the link to Big Picture always goes to a free post, at least in my experience. I only pay for this one, but I haven't had any problem accessing Big Picture (they do have occasional paid only posts, but I've never seen one specifically reference here in the way you mention). Legit and fair question, but I hope this helps.
Amen. For those of us who are paid subscribers to a lot of Substacks, I am becoming weary of the pleas to pay up for another one. I found Jay a while ago and was more than happy to pay to subscribe. But it's just not possible for me to pay for another related Substack. I've actually stopped reading the Big Picture "previews" and I don't comment on them either.
The Big Picture and The Status Kuo are both free publications. You can get all my content without any fee.
I know, and I do get your content, Jay. I'm concerned about being hit up to pay to subscribe every time...and the Preview. I haven't encountered that with any of your posts. But I just delete the message whenever I see that. I don't understand what's behind it. Does someone really think that just giving a "teaser" will result in lots of new paid subscribers? Some of us support a lot of Substacks. As I said, I am MORE than happy to support yours! But it often feels like Substack views us as ATMs (like a lot of politicos and "good causes!). That's what I object to.
Jay, you are always spot on. Your substack is my favorite and I always read it. Thank you!
Totally agree!
The NYTimes editorial board's analysis identifies 12 anti-democratic actions, some of which are already enacted by Donald J. Trump, and others which are threatened, and some soon to be deployed by Donald Trump.
This editorial is an unambiguous warning that the U.S. is on an anti-democratic path.
These actions mirror the playbooks of autocrats such as Putin of Russia, Orbán of Turkey, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. The report emphasizes that the U.S. has regressed on all 12 markers, with actions including:
Targeting political opponents with law enforcement and pardoning allies.
Bypassing Congress by withholding authorized funds and imposing tariffs.
Defying federal courts and using the military for domestic control.
Vilifying marginalized groups and trying to control media and universities.
Manipulating elections to entrench his party's power.
Creating a cult of personality, corrupting and using the presidency for personal profit.
The ultimate danger cited is that once a leader and party make it impossible for opponents to win an election, the slide into autocracy becomes extremely difficult to reverse.
The current path, if continued, will pervert American elections for years and lock in power through a cowed legislature and judiciary.
Unless Trump, and his handlers, the architects of Project 2025, are stopped either by Congress, and the Supreme Court, and if they fail to take action, then We the People must do it at the ballot box, if we are let.
The “irony and hypocrisy” can be laid out for what they gave to him and themselves versus what is/was taken from the constituents of this nation ..
May the Odds be Ever In Our Favor ..
As SNAP benefits reserve money of $5 to $6 Billion is NOT released.
The food stamp program began in 1939, but the current program was made permanent in 1964 with the Food Stamp Act signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The initial 1939 program was a temporary solution during the Great Depression, and the 1964 act created a permanent and expanded version. The program was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2008.
First Time in history since Food Stamps became possible under FDR that the Federal Government has stopped payment to Feed the American People
Given to Him and their Regime:
* $170 Billion for ICE
* $117 Billion in Tax Cuts for the Rich
* $40 Billion for Argentina
* $1 Billion for “gifted" Qatari jet that he keeps once out of office
* $172-$200 Million for Noem’s 2-Jets
* $150 Million for First Term Golf Trips
* $18-$20 Million for 2025 Golf trips as of October 2025
* $300 Million for Vanity Ballroom
* $230 Million in DOJ payments to Trump lawsuit
___
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025(OBBB), signed into law on July 4, 2025
Taken from the People:
* $1 Trillion Cuts in the OBBB Act to Medicaid
* $186-$187 Billion Cuts from SNAP over the next decade and shifts more of the program's costs and administrative burden onto individual states.
* Affordable Care Act - The OBBBA does NOT extend the enhanced premium tax credits for ACA marketplace plans, leading to increased costs for many. An estimated “20 Million marketplace enrollees will see their costs spike”, and “4.2 Million may lose coverage each year”, on average. If your state strictly uses Healthcare.gov for ACA (or, as it's colloquially known, Obamacare) insurance options, you're likely looking at an even higher potential price increase, with KFF saying the average jump will be 30%. States that have their own Marketplaces will see a 17% rise.
The MAGA/Republicans all of them OWN THIS!!
Oh, but he SAYS he donates his salary!
Don't forget about the crypto-grift, the meme coin, Melania's "book" advance, and so much more"
He puts the "con" in the Constitution, the "dip" in diplomacy, and the "rant" in tyrant.
Jay, I think the reason the Becuzican party can't use the contingency fund is that it's perfectly legal, and they've forgotten how to do things legally or without cheating.
I started an essay with exactly the same name, but haven't gotten too far with it. Paul Krugman also used it in his Substack post, "The Hunger Games Begin," earlier this week. My premise was going to be a little different though. I was musing that we need a heroine like Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence's excellent portrayal of the protagonist), and a mentor like Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) to stand up against Donald Sutherland's Coriolanus Snow. I'm picturing the pairing of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders taking on our own autocratic dictator. I'm only a casual viewer of The Hunger Games, and a somewhat distant admirer of AOC and Bernie, but the image is striking.
Once again, Jay, you're right on the money (pun intended). I've restackled you for the benefit of readers of United Methodist Insight.
Republican leaders are so despicable and without shame. Clay Higgins, the wife beating divorcee who refuses to pay child support told SNAP recipients to get off crack! These members of the sado-populist party are evil and morally depraved. But then republicans only elevate the "best people".
They're starving children to protect pedos who ... raped children. The GOP is a terrorist gang of child abusers. Will the Maladministration blow them out of the water with drone attacks, to stop their attacks on the United States?
I live near an airforce base, and I hate that every time I hear the military aircraft flying over, my first thought is the terror that he has decided to attack.