A fellow named Ed Denton asked ChatGPT what George Carlin might have said about these times. The results are interesting:
“Donald Trump isn’t an anomaly, folks—he’s the product. You don’t get Trump unless the system is already rotten. He didn’t break the game; he just played it louder, dumber, and with better branding.
People ask, ‘How did this happen?’ Easy. We worship money, confuse confidence with intelligence, and think being rich means being smart. Trump is what happens when marketing replaces thinking.
He’s not the disease—he’s the symptom. The disease is a culture that rewards selfishness, celebrates ignorance, and calls it freedom.
And remember, politicians don’t lead. They follow the money. Always have. Trump just stopped pretending otherwise.”
But actually it can get worse. I understand that one reason why ICE is so brutal is because the people running it have some idea that if they act tough enough that could propel Noem to the GOP nomination. With such an outcome voting for her as our first woman president is like the Greek myth about the frogs who asked Zeus for a king. They got a stork who ate them.
You make a solid case for revoking "Citizens United." How we wake up America's culture to emphasize critical reasoning presents a huge challenge as Madison Avenue has spent trillions via the MSM using visual imaging to encourage putting one's brain in standby.
How can society use the example of Trump (and Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos) in future classrooms to refute the capitalist belief that if you are richer than me, then you must be smarter than me? AOC would say that if you are way richer than me, then you must be way more ruthless than me.
Trump could be prosecuited for his acts. Actually is a 34 x convicted felon.
Can't prosecute society as a whole.
As for Citizens' United, there is a doctrine in jurisprudence, coram nobis, an "extrordinary writ." used once in a while. Theoretically can cure defective decisions.
The whole concept that speech = money is illogical. Thom has written several times about fraud in the reporting of the that supposedly the 14th Amendment made corporations "persons."
In his book Unequal Protection, Thom shows how the definition of "persons" was expanded:
The Intent: The amendment was ratified in 1868 to ensure "equal protection of the laws" for human beings.
The "Theft": Hartmann asserts that lawyers for railroad companies leveraged the amendment's language to claim that corporations, as legal entities, should be considered "persons" entitled to the same Bill of Rights protections as humans.
The Turning Point: He highlights the 1886 case Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad, where a court reporter (formerly a railroad president) allegedly inserted a headnote stating that corporations are persons, even though the Supreme Court did not actually rule on that specific question in its formal opinion.
You are correct Daniel, but to achieve all of that one needs power.
How does one get power, when it is a fascist regime that rules.
Could the Germans get rid of Hitler, Italians: Mussolini, Russians: Putin, Turks: Erdogan, Iranians: The Mullahs. I am waiting to see if Israel gets rid of Netanyahu.
Obviously you have no understanding of what denial is.
If anyone is in denial, tis you. You keep promoting far out fancy schemes, that have zero chance in reality.
You appear to believing in a reality that no longer exists. A world in which there is actually a rule of law, that constrains the leader, a world in which there is an administration, not a regime.
Trump and Bondi scoff at the law, they scoff,laugh, insult congress and get away with it. If they don't like a judgement, they ignore it and press on.
And who is there to stop them, to arrest, indict, try them, not to mention get a conviction and put them in prison.? Pam Bondi?
What dimension are you living in?
In this dimension Trump determines reality, he determines what is lawful and what is not, and then directs his sycophant Bondi, to persecute and prosecute his enemies.
He decides if he wants to obey (temporarily) a law, he tell our allies to go fuck themselves, and they grovel,like Mark Rutte, at his feet,like dependent children.
Agree with George, but not about ICE, ICE is brutish, bully's, incapable of any thought beyond the moment and the next apprehension, murder or beating.
Noem has no chance at all of being elected.
And if ducks fall in order, the way Vance, Musk, Thiel, Trump, Bannon have planned, there won't be an election in 2028, or if there is, Hungary or Russia will be the model, maybe even Turkey or Israel.
The Israeli's will never get rid of Netanyahu. He has control of the Knesset, courts , the IDF and for all practical purposes, except for Ha'aretz. the media
With Trump, America not only went criminal, it went stupid. While China races ahead with vast infrastructure projects and world leadership in green technology, Trump is bringing the United States back to the nineteenth century. Whatever the outcome of American democracy Trump will be most successful in giving the future to China.
Work sent me to China in 2019. It was remarkable in several ways. My face was scanned as soon as I got off the plane, and I was then recognized everywhere - even street vendors. The real authoritarian state. Yet everyone I came in contact with was happy, all in, so to speak. Most now had a nice car, air conditioned homes, and decent work. Just a couple of decades prior, it was all rickshaws and bicycles - I imagined. The people were energized, excited, and I couldn't help but think that these guys are going to kick our butts economically, regardless of who was POTUS. Trump 2.0 will certainly accelerate the process, tremendously. Also met several expats. Old now, but don't think I'd ever want to live there. Considering the massive population, their combining of economic capitalism with a totalitarian government seemed to be working, at least for those who I met and worked with. However, I feel certain it is not working for countless others who prefer not to "fall in line" with an anti-democratic government. Many are oppressed, have been put into detention "camps," and many have been simply "disappeared."
My work had me travel, make use of their high speed rail system, which is amazing. Work also paid for me to stay and explore on my own, with a guide, for 3 extra days. I did the touristy stuff, visited The Great Wall, Forbidden City, etc. It was hot and sticky weather. I grew up in the South, but this was a different and more oppressive humidity. I had my guide finally take me into the restaurants and neighborhoods of his friends and neighbors. The highlights of my trip, where I witnessed the joy and exuberance their new found wealth and freedoms availed.
He's looking for a pretext to declare marshal law.
But this week he vascillated on Minnesota.
I still think that Epstein is the fatal flaw. Yesterday, Tom Tillis R.NC said: “the Democratic marketing machine” is likely to seize on the new disclosures about Lutnick’s ties to Epstein to attack GOP candidates.
“You’ll probably see it in the late-August, past-Labor Day time frame,” he said of Democratic attack ads on the subject."
“I think the Justice Department needs to release everything,” Sen. John Claiborne Leghorn Kennedy, R. LA said. “Now obviously that doesn’t include victims’ names, and I don’t want naked photos of underage people, but this issue is not going to go away until they release everything.
“My advice to Secretary Lutnick … would be to tell the truth, to disclose everything,” Kennedy advised. “He’s obviously had a number of contacts with Mr. Epstein based on the documents we’ve seen."
What Bondi has released has been heavily redacted.
There are still 3 million "documents" and she could care less about subpoenas, contempt of congress or inherent contempt,as they are not enforceable and there are no consequences.
She has to hold them and redact them because Trump's name is mentioned over 1 million times.
She scoffed at the Senate, ridiculed them, called them names, and only did that because she knows that there is no and will be no penalty. That should scare you.
Willliam,I watched a bit of the hearing with Bondi. She came loaded with information to fight back against the embarassing questions she received,but did not answer.If you do a wikipedia search on Bondi,she has done a lot of questionable things that should warrant investigation. I have suggested women form groups " WOMEN AGAINST PAM BONDI" but there does not seem to much interest or respose.
I'm going to repeat something I have posted for months. If more of the 76 million who voted for Harris would get out in the rallies,protests,it would make a difference but apparently they are not going to.
Bondi had flash cards for each Democratic Senator, she could be seen shuffling through them to get the right flash card, ad as everyone knows she had binders with research on their internet searches (that lone should scare the shit out of everyone, the NSA can compile a dossier of your internet searches, that one has gone over the heads of even liberal pundits. seems as if people are somnolent, asleep at the switch.
Bondi' isn't worried about investigations or anything, she knows something that we don't know, that she is not going anywhere, and if by some miracle Trump is dislodged as capo de regime, she will be pardoned. for all crimes.
I would rally, but there are only 10,000 people where I live and it is mostly rural, the town, a small one, is Democratic. The only protest I've seen is during COVID when five brainless jerks showed up at a stop sign near the high school, that lasted a day, they lost all their friends. One jerk was 86'd out of the only market we have, by the sheriff, and subsequently moved away. We don't even have a franchise or box store , everything is locally owned, the inconvenience is that for clothes (unless you shop at 2nd Act (used clothing) or need anything special,like stuff the market doesn't carry, you have to use the internet.
Also I am disabled. can't stand more than 1 minute if that, can't walk more than 50 yards.
William,the NSA compiling a dossier of your interent searches should be something the Media( not the bought off meda) and Dems should be making people aware of.With all the negative info out there,are the Dems just incapable of playing hardball?
I am sorry for your disability. Your facts and postings are informative and helpful in letting us know what is going on. Thank you..
Kind of makes you wonder why the media is not making a federal case out of the digital snooping.
I have posted before that one of the offshoots of 9/11 was passage of the P.A.T.R.I.O.T act, which authorized the construction of a huge data center to collect and monitor all electronic traffic, it was suppose to limit it's collection to foreign traffic with domestic sources, however there is no way to limit the transmissions, so it sweeps up everything, including this post of mine and yours, Now with AI they can screen all transmissions at the speed of light
If you use google, just ask it a complex question, it has the entire internet at it's service, as well as all literature that has been scanned into the internet.
The data center is huge and located at Bluffdlale UT
Every time they obviscate they put their heads further into the noose.
There are lots of other sources for the records, such as Treasury and the records of those named, and a court can open all of it. DOJ was supposed to present a "privilege log." I don't think they have.
BTW I keep wondering whether other jurisdictions like VI and NM will ask for the unredacted records pursuant to actual prosecutions. Their prosecutors have a duty to investigate and where there is probable cause, prosecute.
You keep restating what the DOJ position is without knowing what the law ACTUALLY is. Only a court can make that deptermination.
It doesn't matter what the law is Daniel. I keep restating that and it blows past you.
The law does not exist if it is not enforced. You can blabber about the law all you want, but unless DoJ (Bondi) arrests and prosecutes, the law is moot, neutered.
Our only hope lies with the various States Attorney Generals, and their are only 15 of those that are Democrat.
The ultimate hope lies with the Governors of Blue States and an interstate com;pact and soft secession.
I pay no attention to the law because Pam Bondi will not enforce it, rather she and Trump ignore it, where they don't it is two steps forward one step back.
So don't talk to me of the law, As regards Lower courts with one exception all I have seen are TRO's, and they last 10 to 14 days, and give the government time to come back and fine tune their filing.
A TRO ain't shit, A permanent injunction is, but there has to be a penalty for violating an injunction and at the moment there is none, not when the perp is the Government.
William,if you or anyone on this substack has Utube check out -Politics Raw=George Will.Trump falls apart Staff handing him legacy panic and black history erasure. I It is so well done.
Trump is evil, but he's a buffoon. His HANDLERS, who authored "Project 2025" are to blame for this debacle, which has now lasted 13 months! They're like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!!
Trump issued Executive Order 13957 that created Schedule F employees, meaning the could appoint civil service employees, embed them in cabinets, turn the employees that were protected civil servants, into at will employees, fire them and replace them with his cronies.
Biden could have used that same EO to fire all of the Trump embeds, but instead he revoked it with EO 14003, leaving the Embeds in place, like David Weiss, who begged
Merrick Garland be the special counsel to prosecute Hunter Biden.
And Trump on reassuming leadership of the regime, reinstated Schedule F as one of his first acts.
I was gone by the time he was elected. I have a lot of reservations about him, and I think that many of the lawyers at DOJ were ignorant of the law and the history of our positions.
But our members were in 27 agencies, and many had been attacked as long as I was involved and I go back to the Reagan administration, when administrative law judges took on SSA cutting off beneficiaries without a hearing.
There has been and continues to be a lot of litigation. Many of the newer judges were appointed under the spoils system and therefore the orgaizations are not stepping up.
If ever a Democrat is elected President again, his/her first year in office will be just like Trump's. Large numbers of WH staff (and many cabinet members) will find themselves under indictment. Only this time it will not be retribution, it will be Nuremberg - justice for serial violations of law.
Trump's cabinet of sycophants have doubtless been promised pardons. It is possible that such an abuse of power might protect them. Biden and Trump both abused pardons - Trump to unforeseeable levels. This surely suggests that pardon powers should be curtailed as they facilitate fascism. There is no reason why pardons cannot be relegated to Senate confirmations.
Do you know of a fascist dictatorship that has allowed honest elections. and don't use Pinochet. It was the power elite that got rid of him
Bannon gave the game plan away, they are hard at work working on making the regime permanent, elections or not. Pam Bondi's performance in the senate is evidence, she acted that way because she knows she has nothing to fear, ever.
Ans. former Soviet union, approximately 10 former Iron Curtain countries.
Google. We were consultants.
The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) is a public service program that promotes justice, economic opportunity, and human dignity by strengthening legal institutions, supporting legal professionals, and advancing human rights in over 50 countries. It works with lawyers, judges, and governments to foster rule of law, sustainable development, and conflict mitigation.
Key aspects of ABA ROLI include:
Mission: To promote, monitor, and strengthen the rule of law worldwide, countering the "rule of force".
Global Impact: Operates in more than 100 countries over the last 25+ years, partnering with local actors to improve legal systems.
Program Areas: Focuses on governance, human rights, access to justice, and sustainable development.
Support: Leverages the expertise of over 400,000 ABA members.
Initiatives: Includes the Justice Defenders Program, which supports human rights defenders facing retaliation.
My worst nightmares about the Trump administration were pretty bad. But I’m not sure I would have believed that they would train Social Security Administration operators to tell seniors that “suicide is one option.” But here we are:
Headline: 'Suicide is only one option': Social Security staff newly assigned to phone duties raise concerns over training.
This should be a HUGE scandal. It’s up to us to make it one. We’re calling all of our allies on Capitol Hill and within SSA to raise holy hell. Rush a donation to make this front page news.
Daniel,just read the piece. Send the piece to the NY times. Will call my reps.When will people wake up? It almost seems like that question has been answered.Not until,it to late.
I really love your books. Problem is I like the serial format, I'm even doing one on my Substack but my brain can only put it together if it is together, dontcha know. So I'm order it. I had a good friend you was a fiction author and a good one but, as I have found, it just isn't easy to get people to read books anymore so he serialized them on Facebook and no one, including me couldn't keep up;)
OK this is humorous and mostly about me but I'm so very broken. I was an RN for 40 years and always considered myself relatively intelligent but this is so far outside anything I could ever expected. Thanks for being an anchor reminding me I'm not nearly alone and there are people out there way smarter than me. So there ;)
Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist, said the contract’s provision of materials meant to deal with medical needs and death was “extra chilling.”
According to the report, “services extend to ‘Medical Waste Management,’ with specific protocols for biohazard incinerators.”
The performance of Trump, and especially Pam Bondi the other day in front of the senate, should have everyone shook to their core. There is talk of subpoena's,inherent contempt, and hope that the 2026 Election will result in a shift in power. I share that hope, but am skeptical. I just listened to an interview between Joyce Vance and former Gov of Washington State, Jay Inslee (my gov, and a great one too),.
Any act by congress, like a subpoena, or criminal contempt, will not be enforced, because the enforcer is Pam Bondi, and Trump, and for one minute do you think that they will enforce an actin against themselves.
I can see now, Pam Bondi being arrested by the U.S. Marshals which she commands., and if arrested by Congress's Sergeant at Arms, who is going to prosecute her? The Attorney General prosecutes herself?
So she gets impeached. her feelings aren't even hurt, she could care less, because she and her boss have the power, and per her performance she is pretty damn sure that she will never have to pay the consequence for her behavior.
How can she be pretty damn sure? Because she knows that the regime, if not the current capo de regime, will continue in power after 2028. This alone should have you shook to your core.
The discussion was about Trump using ICE as poll watchers. First it is illegal, but that has never stopped Trump. Inslee mentioned legislation forbidding the deployment of any Federal agents or personnel.
First it will have to get through congress (Fat chance), second even if it did, Trump is a scoff law.
My question is: Why can't the state governors use their own National Guard and Police to safeguard the elections and arrest these illegal poll watchers.
Trump has threatened that even if there is a law, he will deploy Ice
He has also threatened s): Trump threatened to issue an executive order to mandate voter identification (Photo ID) for the midterm elections if Congress failed to pass the "Save America" act (SAVE Act). This order would also aim to restrict mail-in voting and require proof of citizenship to register.
I fail to understand why the Democratic Party, the media, pundits on the left have not raised holy hell over this threat and this attempt
Even if the SAVE act got signed, it does not affect the rights of the states to regulate their own elections. and an executive order is a joke in that regard.
The 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, reserves all powers not delegated to the federal government—nor prohibited to the states—to the states respectively, or to the people. It reinforces federalism by limiting federal power to enumerated authorities.
It took the 15th Amendment to enfranchise black men, the 19th to enfranchise women and the 26th to enfranchise 18 year olds.
That is all the say that the Federal government has over elections, other than the 17th which changed how State Senators would be elected (from appointment by state legislatures) to elected by popular vote in the state.
In the first two elections, most states restricted voting to property owners,
1791Vermont is admitted as a new state, giving the vote to all men regardless of color or property ownership.[5]
1792 New Hampshire removes property ownership as requirement to vote.[6]
Kentucky is admitted as a new state, giving the vote to free men regardless of color or property ownership, although the vote would shortly be taken away from free Black people.[5]
Delaware removes property ownership as requirement to vote, but continues to require that voters pay taxes.[3]
1798 Georgia removes tax requirement for voting.[3]
1800 Only three states, Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Vermont, had universal white male suffrage.[7]\
1807 Voting rights are taken away from free black men and all women in New Jersey.[
1819 Economic crisis stemming from the Panic of 1819 led to greater calls from propertyless men for the abolition of restrictions to voting; by 1830, the number of states with universal white male suffrage had risen to ten, although six still had property qualifications and eight had taxpaying qualifications. Territories on the frontier, eager to attract new settlers, also helped expand suffrage.[7]
In 1821, the state of New York held a constitutional convention which removed property requirements for white male voters, but required that "persons of colour" own $250 worth of property, "over and above all debts," in order to vote. White male voters were instead required to pay a tax, but this rule was abolished in an amendment of 1826. Requirements for persons of color were not affected by this amendment.[8] Due to the state's policy of gradual emancipation, slavery persisted until 1827, but until then the proportion of African Americans who were free (and thus potential voters) steadily increased. Native Americans still controlled large territories in Upstate New York, and though typically excluded from citizenship altogether, the property requirement applied to any voter who was not white.
The 1828 presidential election was the first in which non-property-holding white males could vote in the vast majority of states. By the end of the 1820s, attitudes and state laws had shifted in favor of universal white male suffrage.[9]
Maryland passes a law to allow Jews to vote.[10] Maryland was the last state to remove religious restrictions for voting.[11]
1837 Voting rights are taken away from free black men in Pennsylvania.[12]
1838 Kentucky women are allowed to vote in school elections.[13]
As D.S. told me, he wasn't issued a hair shirt. No tolerance for inconvenience or discomfort, leading them to believe in a system that no longer exists hopium.
The postures taken by this regime literally change with the moods of the psychopath that sits at the helm. Our ship of state is being run by a childish, cruel stupid criminal and a group of Republicans that are exactly like him.
In order for them to relentlessly pursue the money and power they want, they need us to OBEY. The propaganda and double-speak is nonstop.The truth is they want LAWLESSNESS and WHITE SUPREMACY.
The rest of the free world is done with TRump, his psychos, and their own. The TRump-Epstein crimes exposed part of the plot and the Tech Bros just say what they are after. Thanks for the history, Thom. See you in the streets.
So much so that this is what Representative Massie just posted on X: "I am not suicidal. I eat healthy food. The brakes on my car and truck are in good shape. I practice good trigger discipline and never point a gun at anyone, including myself. There are no deep pools of water on my farm and I’m a pretty good swimmer."
Well, Captain my Captain I, think Trump making fun of disabled people wasn’t enough. Trump shoving other leaders in public wasn’t enough. I, really think these people should have known better but, no they voted for him anyway. This is a sad statement of what they voters said this cool. They voted for this Thom! Really! We, all knew he was a bad seed. How you doing Piggy? Just, saying. I, just want democracy, back. Will it return of have we gone the way of Orban, Putin and other dictators as well. No guardrails at all. Here we are. Oh, two American citizens dead as well. Who, knew better, we should have, but, no. This is serious Captain. Can the ship ever be steered in the right direction. I, have questions, any solutions.
This, once more, is what organized crime looks like for the 21 century.
As Thom said, “His presidency isn’t about governance but about maintaining the illusion of winning at all costs.”
So called strength is all that matters to him and his constituents and keeping his “territories” in line so they keep paying their tribute to the organization. And, this evidently, is what a segment of our population likes about him—winning. He is their extension. Seemingly powerless, undereducated people winning through him.
He was put into office with a much more organized plan this time around with better funding and maintained by those much better at manipulating the system than even he is.
These advisors and money men are the one’s who pull the strings, and everything else is smokescreen. Religion, democracy, human rights—all a joke to these people. We The People are just the dupes who hand over our power and money, and he and the brood who put put him in office, as the Showman In Charge, are laughing themselves all the way to their private and secret accounts.
They know that if we can’t get the system cleaned up and operational soon according to our Constitution, our only alternatives will make them even richer. They control anarchy while hiding out in their billion dollar bunker paradises. It’s a closed society and they are the only ones they are concerned with, so being isolated is a way of life for them. They are all hoping for a level of chaos that we are definitely not prepared for but they are.
If enough of us stay above board in both our way of dealing with this organization while keeping our own personal sanity and integrity, I believe we can see our way through this. But if all we do is sink to their level, we will lose not only our country, but ourselves in the transition and any semblance of a society that is not only prosperous but cares for the only future that will carry all of us forward as a country and as a world.
If all we’ve learned over the eons of fighting each other for money, land, and power have only taught us that we can only really prosper by depending upon each other and being smart instead of reacting in kind, we have finally learned a lot.
A fellow named Ed Denton asked ChatGPT what George Carlin might have said about these times. The results are interesting:
“Donald Trump isn’t an anomaly, folks—he’s the product. You don’t get Trump unless the system is already rotten. He didn’t break the game; he just played it louder, dumber, and with better branding.
People ask, ‘How did this happen?’ Easy. We worship money, confuse confidence with intelligence, and think being rich means being smart. Trump is what happens when marketing replaces thinking.
He’s not the disease—he’s the symptom. The disease is a culture that rewards selfishness, celebrates ignorance, and calls it freedom.
And remember, politicians don’t lead. They follow the money. Always have. Trump just stopped pretending otherwise.”
But actually it can get worse. I understand that one reason why ICE is so brutal is because the people running it have some idea that if they act tough enough that could propel Noem to the GOP nomination. With such an outcome voting for her as our first woman president is like the Greek myth about the frogs who asked Zeus for a king. They got a stork who ate them.
You make a solid case for revoking "Citizens United." How we wake up America's culture to emphasize critical reasoning presents a huge challenge as Madison Avenue has spent trillions via the MSM using visual imaging to encourage putting one's brain in standby.
How can society use the example of Trump (and Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos) in future classrooms to refute the capitalist belief that if you are richer than me, then you must be smarter than me? AOC would say that if you are way richer than me, then you must be way more ruthless than me.
Trump could be prosecuited for his acts. Actually is a 34 x convicted felon.
Can't prosecute society as a whole.
As for Citizens' United, there is a doctrine in jurisprudence, coram nobis, an "extrordinary writ." used once in a while. Theoretically can cure defective decisions.
The whole concept that speech = money is illogical. Thom has written several times about fraud in the reporting of the that supposedly the 14th Amendment made corporations "persons."
In his book Unequal Protection, Thom shows how the definition of "persons" was expanded:
The Intent: The amendment was ratified in 1868 to ensure "equal protection of the laws" for human beings.
The "Theft": Hartmann asserts that lawyers for railroad companies leveraged the amendment's language to claim that corporations, as legal entities, should be considered "persons" entitled to the same Bill of Rights protections as humans.
The Turning Point: He highlights the 1886 case Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad, where a court reporter (formerly a railroad president) allegedly inserted a headnote stating that corporations are persons, even though the Supreme Court did not actually rule on that specific question in its formal opinion.
You are correct Daniel, but to achieve all of that one needs power.
How does one get power, when it is a fascist regime that rules.
Could the Germans get rid of Hitler, Italians: Mussolini, Russians: Putin, Turks: Erdogan, Iranians: The Mullahs. I am waiting to see if Israel gets rid of Netanyahu.
Jerry Weiss scenario is viable. You are in denial.
SOP response from you Daniel.
Obviously you have no understanding of what denial is.
If anyone is in denial, tis you. You keep promoting far out fancy schemes, that have zero chance in reality.
You appear to believing in a reality that no longer exists. A world in which there is actually a rule of law, that constrains the leader, a world in which there is an administration, not a regime.
Trump and Bondi scoff at the law, they scoff,laugh, insult congress and get away with it. If they don't like a judgement, they ignore it and press on.
And who is there to stop them, to arrest, indict, try them, not to mention get a conviction and put them in prison.? Pam Bondi?
What dimension are you living in?
In this dimension Trump determines reality, he determines what is lawful and what is not, and then directs his sycophant Bondi, to persecute and prosecute his enemies.
He decides if he wants to obey (temporarily) a law, he tell our allies to go fuck themselves, and they grovel,like Mark Rutte, at his feet,like dependent children.
Agree with George, but not about ICE, ICE is brutish, bully's, incapable of any thought beyond the moment and the next apprehension, murder or beating.
Noem has no chance at all of being elected.
And if ducks fall in order, the way Vance, Musk, Thiel, Trump, Bannon have planned, there won't be an election in 2028, or if there is, Hungary or Russia will be the model, maybe even Turkey or Israel.
The Israeli's will never get rid of Netanyahu. He has control of the Knesset, courts , the IDF and for all practical purposes, except for Ha'aretz. the media
With Trump, America not only went criminal, it went stupid. While China races ahead with vast infrastructure projects and world leadership in green technology, Trump is bringing the United States back to the nineteenth century. Whatever the outcome of American democracy Trump will be most successful in giving the future to China.
Work sent me to China in 2019. It was remarkable in several ways. My face was scanned as soon as I got off the plane, and I was then recognized everywhere - even street vendors. The real authoritarian state. Yet everyone I came in contact with was happy, all in, so to speak. Most now had a nice car, air conditioned homes, and decent work. Just a couple of decades prior, it was all rickshaws and bicycles - I imagined. The people were energized, excited, and I couldn't help but think that these guys are going to kick our butts economically, regardless of who was POTUS. Trump 2.0 will certainly accelerate the process, tremendously. Also met several expats. Old now, but don't think I'd ever want to live there. Considering the massive population, their combining of economic capitalism with a totalitarian government seemed to be working, at least for those who I met and worked with. However, I feel certain it is not working for countless others who prefer not to "fall in line" with an anti-democratic government. Many are oppressed, have been put into detention "camps," and many have been simply "disappeared."
My work had me travel, make use of their high speed rail system, which is amazing. Work also paid for me to stay and explore on my own, with a guide, for 3 extra days. I did the touristy stuff, visited The Great Wall, Forbidden City, etc. It was hot and sticky weather. I grew up in the South, but this was a different and more oppressive humidity. I had my guide finally take me into the restaurants and neighborhoods of his friends and neighbors. The highlights of my trip, where I witnessed the joy and exuberance their new found wealth and freedoms availed.
They're going to kick our ass, regardless.
He's looking for a pretext to declare marshal law.
But this week he vascillated on Minnesota.
I still think that Epstein is the fatal flaw. Yesterday, Tom Tillis R.NC said: “the Democratic marketing machine” is likely to seize on the new disclosures about Lutnick’s ties to Epstein to attack GOP candidates.
“You’ll probably see it in the late-August, past-Labor Day time frame,” he said of Democratic attack ads on the subject."
“I think the Justice Department needs to release everything,” Sen. John Claiborne Leghorn Kennedy, R. LA said. “Now obviously that doesn’t include victims’ names, and I don’t want naked photos of underage people, but this issue is not going to go away until they release everything.
“My advice to Secretary Lutnick … would be to tell the truth, to disclose everything,” Kennedy advised. “He’s obviously had a number of contacts with Mr. Epstein based on the documents we’ve seen."
What Bondi has released has been heavily redacted.
There are still 3 million "documents" and she could care less about subpoenas, contempt of congress or inherent contempt,as they are not enforceable and there are no consequences.
She has to hold them and redact them because Trump's name is mentioned over 1 million times.
She scoffed at the Senate, ridiculed them, called them names, and only did that because she knows that there is no and will be no penalty. That should scare you.
Willliam,I watched a bit of the hearing with Bondi. She came loaded with information to fight back against the embarassing questions she received,but did not answer.If you do a wikipedia search on Bondi,she has done a lot of questionable things that should warrant investigation. I have suggested women form groups " WOMEN AGAINST PAM BONDI" but there does not seem to much interest or respose.
I'm going to repeat something I have posted for months. If more of the 76 million who voted for Harris would get out in the rallies,protests,it would make a difference but apparently they are not going to.
Bondi had flash cards for each Democratic Senator, she could be seen shuffling through them to get the right flash card, ad as everyone knows she had binders with research on their internet searches (that lone should scare the shit out of everyone, the NSA can compile a dossier of your internet searches, that one has gone over the heads of even liberal pundits. seems as if people are somnolent, asleep at the switch.
Bondi' isn't worried about investigations or anything, she knows something that we don't know, that she is not going anywhere, and if by some miracle Trump is dislodged as capo de regime, she will be pardoned. for all crimes.
I would rally, but there are only 10,000 people where I live and it is mostly rural, the town, a small one, is Democratic. The only protest I've seen is during COVID when five brainless jerks showed up at a stop sign near the high school, that lasted a day, they lost all their friends. One jerk was 86'd out of the only market we have, by the sheriff, and subsequently moved away. We don't even have a franchise or box store , everything is locally owned, the inconvenience is that for clothes (unless you shop at 2nd Act (used clothing) or need anything special,like stuff the market doesn't carry, you have to use the internet.
Also I am disabled. can't stand more than 1 minute if that, can't walk more than 50 yards.
William,the NSA compiling a dossier of your interent searches should be something the Media( not the bought off meda) and Dems should be making people aware of.With all the negative info out there,are the Dems just incapable of playing hardball?
I am sorry for your disability. Your facts and postings are informative and helpful in letting us know what is going on. Thank you..
Kind of makes you wonder why the media is not making a federal case out of the digital snooping.
I have posted before that one of the offshoots of 9/11 was passage of the P.A.T.R.I.O.T act, which authorized the construction of a huge data center to collect and monitor all electronic traffic, it was suppose to limit it's collection to foreign traffic with domestic sources, however there is no way to limit the transmissions, so it sweeps up everything, including this post of mine and yours, Now with AI they can screen all transmissions at the speed of light
If you use google, just ask it a complex question, it has the entire internet at it's service, as well as all literature that has been scanned into the internet.
The data center is huge and located at Bluffdlale UT
Every time they obviscate they put their heads further into the noose.
There are lots of other sources for the records, such as Treasury and the records of those named, and a court can open all of it. DOJ was supposed to present a "privilege log." I don't think they have.
BTW I keep wondering whether other jurisdictions like VI and NM will ask for the unredacted records pursuant to actual prosecutions. Their prosecutors have a duty to investigate and where there is probable cause, prosecute.
You keep restating what the DOJ position is without knowing what the law ACTUALLY is. Only a court can make that deptermination.
It doesn't matter what the law is Daniel. I keep restating that and it blows past you.
The law does not exist if it is not enforced. You can blabber about the law all you want, but unless DoJ (Bondi) arrests and prosecutes, the law is moot, neutered.
Our only hope lies with the various States Attorney Generals, and their are only 15 of those that are Democrat.
The ultimate hope lies with the Governors of Blue States and an interstate com;pact and soft secession.
I pay no attention to the law because Pam Bondi will not enforce it, rather she and Trump ignore it, where they don't it is two steps forward one step back.
So don't talk to me of the law, As regards Lower courts with one exception all I have seen are TRO's, and they last 10 to 14 days, and give the government time to come back and fine tune their filing.
A TRO ain't shit, A permanent injunction is, but there has to be a penalty for violating an injunction and at the moment there is none, not when the perp is the Government.
William,if you or anyone on this substack has Utube check out -Politics Raw=George Will.Trump falls apart Staff handing him legacy panic and black history erasure. I It is so well done.
Pure serendipity, I saw that very same Youtube with George Will yesterday, He rips Trump a good one,
The very best video's, the very best oppositoni, news letters and substacks are from former Republicans.
I hope everyone on this substack watchs it and passes it on.
Trump is evil, but he's a buffoon. His HANDLERS, who authored "Project 2025" are to blame for this debacle, which has now lasted 13 months! They're like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!!
Dian, as # 45, before there even was a Project 2025, Trump was attempting the same stuff on guys like me. This goes back to Reagan.
In my case, Trump # 45 killed "merit selection" of high ranking civil service employees in favor of the spoils system.
Trump issued Executive Order 13957 that created Schedule F employees, meaning the could appoint civil service employees, embed them in cabinets, turn the employees that were protected civil servants, into at will employees, fire them and replace them with his cronies.
Biden could have used that same EO to fire all of the Trump embeds, but instead he revoked it with EO 14003, leaving the Embeds in place, like David Weiss, who begged
Merrick Garland be the special counsel to prosecute Hunter Biden.
And Trump on reassuming leadership of the regime, reinstated Schedule F as one of his first acts.
How stupid was Biden.?
I was gone by the time he was elected. I have a lot of reservations about him, and I think that many of the lawyers at DOJ were ignorant of the law and the history of our positions.
But our members were in 27 agencies, and many had been attacked as long as I was involved and I go back to the Reagan administration, when administrative law judges took on SSA cutting off beneficiaries without a hearing.
I anticipated this happening and wrote a peer reviewed paper....https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/naalj/vol33/iss1/3/
There has been and continues to be a lot of litigation. Many of the newer judges were appointed under the spoils system and therefore the orgaizations are not stepping up.
If ever a Democrat is elected President again, his/her first year in office will be just like Trump's. Large numbers of WH staff (and many cabinet members) will find themselves under indictment. Only this time it will not be retribution, it will be Nuremberg - justice for serial violations of law.
Trump's cabinet of sycophants have doubtless been promised pardons. It is possible that such an abuse of power might protect them. Biden and Trump both abused pardons - Trump to unforeseeable levels. This surely suggests that pardon powers should be curtailed as they facilitate fascism. There is no reason why pardons cannot be relegated to Senate confirmations.
Big If, Tom.
Do you know of a fascist dictatorship that has allowed honest elections. and don't use Pinochet. It was the power elite that got rid of him
Bannon gave the game plan away, they are hard at work working on making the regime permanent, elections or not. Pam Bondi's performance in the senate is evidence, she acted that way because she knows she has nothing to fear, ever.
Yeah, maybe I should have used all caps. :-)
Ans. former Soviet union, approximately 10 former Iron Curtain countries.
Google. We were consultants.
The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) is a public service program that promotes justice, economic opportunity, and human dignity by strengthening legal institutions, supporting legal professionals, and advancing human rights in over 50 countries. It works with lawyers, judges, and governments to foster rule of law, sustainable development, and conflict mitigation.
Key aspects of ABA ROLI include:
Mission: To promote, monitor, and strengthen the rule of law worldwide, countering the "rule of force".
Global Impact: Operates in more than 100 countries over the last 25+ years, partnering with local actors to improve legal systems.
Program Areas: Focuses on governance, human rights, access to justice, and sustainable development.
Support: Leverages the expertise of over 400,000 ABA members.
Initiatives: Includes the Justice Defenders Program, which supports human rights defenders facing retaliation.
Dirty Donald is a human COVID virus. As such, he has hijacked not a cell, but a seemingly defenseless body politic.
Only YOU can prevent the death of democracy. Unlike the Bezos' WaPo, democracy need not die in darkness, nor at all.
Vote OUT this weakened weekend at Bernie's imposter, his puppetmasters [esp. Putin], and his Mini Me's in the cabinet.
Sir,Trump is " Americas Hitler" He has no conscience,no morality,no empathy,no sympathy,no integrity,no humanity. And big business loves him for that.
In my inbox:
Daniel,
My jaw is on the floor.
My worst nightmares about the Trump administration were pretty bad. But I’m not sure I would have believed that they would train Social Security Administration operators to tell seniors that “suicide is one option.” But here we are:
Headline: 'Suicide is only one option': Social Security staff newly assigned to phone duties raise concerns over training.
This should be a HUGE scandal. It’s up to us to make it one. We’re calling all of our allies on Capitol Hill and within SSA to raise holy hell. Rush a donation to make this front page news.
Attached is an article from Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/management/2026/02/suicide-only-one-option-social-security-staff-newly-assigned-phone-duties-raise-concerns-over-training/411429/?link_id=10&can_id=c21edc35afceb939e29222ede000e0fb&source=email-i-did-not-believe-this-headline-was-real-but-it-is&email_referrer=email_3100019&email_subject=i-did-not-believe-this-headline-was-real-but-it-is&&
Daniel,just read the piece. Send the piece to the NY times. Will call my reps.When will people wake up? It almost seems like that question has been answered.Not until,it to late.
And one cannot even use the S-word on YouTube, according to this lady.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gSGUFbOLo0
I really love your books. Problem is I like the serial format, I'm even doing one on my Substack but my brain can only put it together if it is together, dontcha know. So I'm order it. I had a good friend you was a fiction author and a good one but, as I have found, it just isn't easy to get people to read books anymore so he serialized them on Facebook and no one, including me couldn't keep up;)
OK this is humorous and mostly about me but I'm so very broken. I was an RN for 40 years and always considered myself relatively intelligent but this is so far outside anything I could ever expected. Thanks for being an anchor reminding me I'm not nearly alone and there are people out there way smarter than me. So there ;)
FYI
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1333357598837983&set=a.634822885358128
FROM THE ABOVE LINK:
Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist, said the contract’s provision of materials meant to deal with medical needs and death was “extra chilling.”
According to the report, “services extend to ‘Medical Waste Management,’ with specific protocols for biohazard incinerators.”
The performance of Trump, and especially Pam Bondi the other day in front of the senate, should have everyone shook to their core. There is talk of subpoena's,inherent contempt, and hope that the 2026 Election will result in a shift in power. I share that hope, but am skeptical. I just listened to an interview between Joyce Vance and former Gov of Washington State, Jay Inslee (my gov, and a great one too),.
Any act by congress, like a subpoena, or criminal contempt, will not be enforced, because the enforcer is Pam Bondi, and Trump, and for one minute do you think that they will enforce an actin against themselves.
I can see now, Pam Bondi being arrested by the U.S. Marshals which she commands., and if arrested by Congress's Sergeant at Arms, who is going to prosecute her? The Attorney General prosecutes herself?
So she gets impeached. her feelings aren't even hurt, she could care less, because she and her boss have the power, and per her performance she is pretty damn sure that she will never have to pay the consequence for her behavior.
How can she be pretty damn sure? Because she knows that the regime, if not the current capo de regime, will continue in power after 2028. This alone should have you shook to your core.
The discussion was about Trump using ICE as poll watchers. First it is illegal, but that has never stopped Trump. Inslee mentioned legislation forbidding the deployment of any Federal agents or personnel.
First it will have to get through congress (Fat chance), second even if it did, Trump is a scoff law.
My question is: Why can't the state governors use their own National Guard and Police to safeguard the elections and arrest these illegal poll watchers.
Trump has threatened that even if there is a law, he will deploy Ice
He has also threatened s): Trump threatened to issue an executive order to mandate voter identification (Photo ID) for the midterm elections if Congress failed to pass the "Save America" act (SAVE Act). This order would also aim to restrict mail-in voting and require proof of citizenship to register.
I fail to understand why the Democratic Party, the media, pundits on the left have not raised holy hell over this threat and this attempt
Even if the SAVE act got signed, it does not affect the rights of the states to regulate their own elections. and an executive order is a joke in that regard.
The 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, reserves all powers not delegated to the federal government—nor prohibited to the states—to the states respectively, or to the people. It reinforces federalism by limiting federal power to enumerated authorities.
It took the 15th Amendment to enfranchise black men, the 19th to enfranchise women and the 26th to enfranchise 18 year olds.
That is all the say that the Federal government has over elections, other than the 17th which changed how State Senators would be elected (from appointment by state legislatures) to elected by popular vote in the state.
In the first two elections, most states restricted voting to property owners,
1791Vermont is admitted as a new state, giving the vote to all men regardless of color or property ownership.[5]
1792 New Hampshire removes property ownership as requirement to vote.[6]
Kentucky is admitted as a new state, giving the vote to free men regardless of color or property ownership, although the vote would shortly be taken away from free Black people.[5]
Delaware removes property ownership as requirement to vote, but continues to require that voters pay taxes.[3]
1798 Georgia removes tax requirement for voting.[3]
1800 Only three states, Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Vermont, had universal white male suffrage.[7]\
1807 Voting rights are taken away from free black men and all women in New Jersey.[
1819 Economic crisis stemming from the Panic of 1819 led to greater calls from propertyless men for the abolition of restrictions to voting; by 1830, the number of states with universal white male suffrage had risen to ten, although six still had property qualifications and eight had taxpaying qualifications. Territories on the frontier, eager to attract new settlers, also helped expand suffrage.[7]
In 1821, the state of New York held a constitutional convention which removed property requirements for white male voters, but required that "persons of colour" own $250 worth of property, "over and above all debts," in order to vote. White male voters were instead required to pay a tax, but this rule was abolished in an amendment of 1826. Requirements for persons of color were not affected by this amendment.[8] Due to the state's policy of gradual emancipation, slavery persisted until 1827, but until then the proportion of African Americans who were free (and thus potential voters) steadily increased. Native Americans still controlled large territories in Upstate New York, and though typically excluded from citizenship altogether, the property requirement applied to any voter who was not white.
The 1828 presidential election was the first in which non-property-holding white males could vote in the vast majority of states. By the end of the 1820s, attitudes and state laws had shifted in favor of universal white male suffrage.[9]
Maryland passes a law to allow Jews to vote.[10] Maryland was the last state to remove religious restrictions for voting.[11]
1837 Voting rights are taken away from free black men in Pennsylvania.[12]
1838 Kentucky women are allowed to vote in school elections.[13]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_voting_rights_in_the_United_States#1780s
interestingly google search as you will, this information is by and large cancelled from the web, except for Wikipedia.
William,out standing post and a history lesson.This may end up being a civil war. Too many Dems have no fight,always trying to talk things out.
As D.S. told me, he wasn't issued a hair shirt. No tolerance for inconvenience or discomfort, leading them to believe in a system that no longer exists hopium.
Hope and opium
It is easy to lose the plot.....
The postures taken by this regime literally change with the moods of the psychopath that sits at the helm. Our ship of state is being run by a childish, cruel stupid criminal and a group of Republicans that are exactly like him.
In order for them to relentlessly pursue the money and power they want, they need us to OBEY. The propaganda and double-speak is nonstop.The truth is they want LAWLESSNESS and WHITE SUPREMACY.
The rest of the free world is done with TRump, his psychos, and their own. The TRump-Epstein crimes exposed part of the plot and the Tech Bros just say what they are after. Thanks for the history, Thom. See you in the streets.
When push comes to shove Krasnov is obligated first to Putin.
And using his playbook!
So much so that this is what Representative Massie just posted on X: "I am not suicidal. I eat healthy food. The brakes on my car and truck are in good shape. I practice good trigger discipline and never point a gun at anyone, including myself. There are no deep pools of water on my farm and I’m a pretty good swimmer."
He's an MIT grad---he knows the score.
Well, Captain my Captain I, think Trump making fun of disabled people wasn’t enough. Trump shoving other leaders in public wasn’t enough. I, really think these people should have known better but, no they voted for him anyway. This is a sad statement of what they voters said this cool. They voted for this Thom! Really! We, all knew he was a bad seed. How you doing Piggy? Just, saying. I, just want democracy, back. Will it return of have we gone the way of Orban, Putin and other dictators as well. No guardrails at all. Here we are. Oh, two American citizens dead as well. Who, knew better, we should have, but, no. This is serious Captain. Can the ship ever be steered in the right direction. I, have questions, any solutions.
This, once more, is what organized crime looks like for the 21 century.
As Thom said, “His presidency isn’t about governance but about maintaining the illusion of winning at all costs.”
So called strength is all that matters to him and his constituents and keeping his “territories” in line so they keep paying their tribute to the organization. And, this evidently, is what a segment of our population likes about him—winning. He is their extension. Seemingly powerless, undereducated people winning through him.
He was put into office with a much more organized plan this time around with better funding and maintained by those much better at manipulating the system than even he is.
These advisors and money men are the one’s who pull the strings, and everything else is smokescreen. Religion, democracy, human rights—all a joke to these people. We The People are just the dupes who hand over our power and money, and he and the brood who put put him in office, as the Showman In Charge, are laughing themselves all the way to their private and secret accounts.
They know that if we can’t get the system cleaned up and operational soon according to our Constitution, our only alternatives will make them even richer. They control anarchy while hiding out in their billion dollar bunker paradises. It’s a closed society and they are the only ones they are concerned with, so being isolated is a way of life for them. They are all hoping for a level of chaos that we are definitely not prepared for but they are.
If enough of us stay above board in both our way of dealing with this organization while keeping our own personal sanity and integrity, I believe we can see our way through this. But if all we do is sink to their level, we will lose not only our country, but ourselves in the transition and any semblance of a society that is not only prosperous but cares for the only future that will carry all of us forward as a country and as a world.
If all we’ve learned over the eons of fighting each other for money, land, and power have only taught us that we can only really prosper by depending upon each other and being smart instead of reacting in kind, we have finally learned a lot.
Wonderful! Thank you Thom Hartmann! You are high on my list of American heroes. ❤️