Trump has created a Board of Peace, with himself as Chair, Kushner, Major donors, even Tony Blair, and foreign nations can join if they pay up $1 billion, which of course will go into his Qatar account. This is real mafia shit
In just the past 10 days Trump and his minions invaded Venezuela, killed and covered up the killing of Renee Good, refused to comply with the Epstein transparency law, threatened to invade Greenland and destroy NATO, carried out retaliatory, political and military actions against citizens exercising their freedom of speech, and commit committed FRAUD, FRAUD, FRAUD.
Republican politicians, congress people and Supreme Court “Conservative” Justices: what will it take to get you to defend the sacred oath you swore to on your Bibles to defend the US Constitution?
Have you read Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter for today.
Here is the problem, with all of the bad news, with his polls sliding, with 65% of the country against him, he is not remediating his behavior, he is actually doubling down and getting worse.
And SCOTUS is putting off ruling on his tariffs. And odds are he will ignore the ruling if, and that is a big if, SCOTUS rules against him.
META and Tesla are going to have to lose more than 8 and 7% for them to take notice, they will need to go bankrupt, And at that Musk won't listen he has SpaceX with all of it's heft government contracts and Starlink, which evidently the world can't do without now.
The real question is what will it take to have Trump's base, rise up against him, that is the base of his power, they maybe be a minority, but as you know an organized minority can control a disorganized and fragmented majority.
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Saturday slammed President Trump’s new 10 percent tariffs on Denmark and European allies, saying the tariffs will hurt the U.S. and divide NATO if the president takes Greenland by military force.
So you have a couple of Repblicans that slam or deviate from Trump, Until you have a majority of Republicans doing the same, you have nothing
A Repuglican congressman or Senator here and there, does not affect what Trump is going to do
What is needed is Democratic control of House and a 60 vote majority in the senate, without that there is nothing.
17 Republicans joined with Democraats on extending ACA subsidies for three years, thus depriving the Democrats of a campaign issue, they are also the 17 most vulnerable Republicans, but not without assurances that the bill wouldn't pass the Republican controllled Senate.
If you want to see those 17 Congressmen as hopeful cross overs, be my guest, but they knew that the Senate would not pass the bill, and they have deprived Democrats of an issue in their re election campaign.
I would thionk that a man as wise, experience, mature as you would not take things at face value.
You got to be shitting me, asking me such a question. I've been arguing for positive action of resistance, not your effete, ineffectual law suit bullslhit.
The walk out is a start, but it has to be for more than a day. The Iranian protests have petered out and the mullahs are back in charge, only 5,000 dead Irans for nothing.
The only way to bring down this fascistic regime is by sustained resistance, and the only thing that can make a dent in the Techbros and fascistg is money,
A one day protest is nothing, Protests are pressure relief valves, nothing changes unless you make them hurt.
Does that sound like Trump's agent. I will tell you what a Trump agent wants, and that is to spin the wheels, in ineffectual activities, like law suits, and marches.
Evil can only be defeated when it is met on it's own terms.
We didn't storm the shores of Normandy, with open arms, flowers,and professions of love, nor did we file law suits, or pen strongly worded letters.
Not just me but Michael Sellers, and millions of others,
But back to your idea.
Which congress can hold hearings? The congress controlled by Republicans.
Which congress is going to defund him? The Republican Congress, and I am sure (sarcasm) that Trump will sign a bill that defunds him, and I am quite sure that a Republican controlled senate won't overturn his veto..
So tell us Daniel, about hearings and defunding.
nd contempt of congress? Who is going to enforce the contempt, or even subpoena's, Pam Bondi? Give me a break.
I live in the real world, what world do you live in?
Only going to quibble that it is NOT off-topic. Everything Thom wrote about is being done to pave the way for TRump, Musk, and the Tech Bros to grift and control the Western Hemisphere, a billion people, and to get all the wealth they can. Everybody that joins is looking for a cut of that.
I teach part-time at a university and am involved in rewriting one of its courses. During the orientation I was told not to add as a student resource any site with ".gov". Material from the federal government is no longer considered to be either stable or trustworthy. And that's pretty darn sad.
I'll answer for Putin/Kremlin. Y-E-S! That's exactly what Reagan did to them, and they deserved it for locking all those people behind an Iron Curtain and a Berlin Wall. Otherwise, I despised him and all his liars.
Some economic hit jobs are better than others. We paid then and we are paying right now. Vote, legislate, regulate and tax. No more wars---cold or hot.
Reagan had nothing to do with the iron curtain coming down, on the other hand his administration knew it was in process.
The USSR was a failed economic experiment and had to be restructured, All that really happened was that instead of the state owning the means of production, the trusts that controlled the resources (mining,timber, transportation, petroleum, human (KGB), were sold off to favored and connected men, we now call oligarchs. The KGB changed it's name to FSB,
He knew the Cold War was going to kill their economy and he ramped it up. Saw what we were doing in West Germany first hand.
Can agree that "economic experiment" probably would fail, but don't think for a minute that we didn't help it along. I even believe we did the lesser of two evils, but it cost us here at home just like Ike told us it would.
And now, if we let TRump and his psychos increase the military budget to 1.5 trillion $$$$$, we will never have affordable housing, health care, and education for people that have to work their ass off. Just like Ike said. BUT, if other countries can do it, so can we.
i see a future that I won't have to live in. Yesterday I checked google for a friend, who had also been my team chief at one time. He was a couple of weeks younger than me. he won't have to endure the trying times ahead
Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I am 86 and have some issues, but otherwise I feel good.
You said: "if we let Trump and his psycho's"..
For the life of me I don't see how we can stop him. he has just declared war on everyone that doesn't kiss his ass
I would take heart from the occasional lower court ruling that goes against him, but invariably it is negated on appeal, either to the district court or to the supreme courts
I don't know any way to stop him outside of a mass uprising
At the moment he has the 11th Airborne Div in Alaska on stand by to deploy into Minnesota and he doesn't need the Insurrection Act,
President Eisenhower deployed the 101st Airborne into Little Rock, after he federalized the Arkansas National Guard and had them stand down., as Faubus was using them to thwart integration of Little Rock High.
The Mother fucker is going to do what he wants to do, regardless of public opinion or court rulings under the theory might makes right, Justice for us, law for the rest. "One of us, all of yours" (Noem and Goebbels)
Get control of the House and the budget a year from now. Some could die or quit---it's razor thin so that could happen sooner. Every poll has him downing, he is so underwater. Same when we have had special elections.
No denying his power, intentions, and the fact that We The People do not have an army to fight back with, but Europe and Canada do with 795 million people to pick from. They don't care about his f-ing tariffs anymore---they are saying out loud that he works for Putin.
I wonder how many people in the 11th are Minnesotans. They are programed to be nice to civilians. Maybe some are researching unlawful orders. They are the Arctic crew, will they get diverted to Greenland and that story is just VERY stupid disinformation?
The possibilities are mind-boggling minute to minute with him.
First issue: Getting full control of the Congress, not just the House, but the Senate as well. Budgets start in the House and must be passed by the Senate, and signed by the President (guess how that will go)>
Second Polls: He could care less about polls, in his mind everyone loves him
Third elections: We need a 100% turnout by avery Democrat,liberal, progressive, black, hispanic, Asian,queer, pro choice female, because of voter interference, suppression, laws, caging,Republican control of voting machines.
Fourth Military. As a retired regular officer take my word for it. the troops obey orders. And the generals and officers on active duty, have bowed to Trump, one exception, Rear Adm Holsey who retired. The 799 others who stayed in the auditorium to be berated by Trump and Hegseth, showed us who they were. Careerist, more interest in themselves, then the oath to the Constitution.
William,agree 100%. It is absolutely disgusting that in a country of 320 million,there seems to be noome who can design an effeective strategy for fighting back.
Oh they can, but it is dicomforting and frightening, it involves sacrfice and risk.
Americans are soft and spoiled even our poor, the closest we come to those who would fight are the homeless, but they are psychologically beat down.
To quote Kris Kristofferson in Me and Bobby McGee,
"Freedom is when there is nothing left to lose"
Americans get on their cell phones, and access a social media forum and complain that they can't afford to buy food or medicine.
Think about that.. priorities.
I can afford it, but don't have a cell phone, no social media presence at all, but when I access a web site they want my cell number, and for a while I couldn't even access my pay pal because I don't have a cell.
Saw the disinformation op story. At least they proved it, I would have cut us off LAST January. TRump's idiots were out there on the shows today claiming they will give him Greenland. He's going to be that boy/girlfriend that keeps calling when you are already engaged to someone else.
Cohen screwed himself. I watched that Palmeri piece and stopped listening to him back then. He was covering for TRump or what he did for him.
Lev Parnas was on the phone with Meidas's Ben last night---bet they dump Cohen. Hope so.
Our allies are no longer our allies, Trump has made sure of that. In the end he doesn’t know what’s doing; he is Like a windsock, following whatever blows his way. People talk about his cronies but I think the most effectively vicious people, like Stephen Miller, are puppet masters who know how to play on his narcissism
During my 45-year career in federal service (uniformed and civilian), I observed that it takes about 7 years to master most civil service jobs. That is due in part to the complex regulations and laws that affect one's duties, as well as the complex interactions between your office and that of other federal agency offices to promote mutual mission achievement - teamwork. It is self-validating when you see a policy or practice recommendation you made appear on the cover of the Washington Post or NY Times later in the week. Of course, Trump refers to this as the evil "deep state" or the "DC swamp."
Because federal service is always underpaid, maintaining a competent workforce depends on attracting aspirational staff who stay on the job, not because of high pay, but because of the gratification derived from their work. When I hear citizens challenge my assertion that Feds are underpaid, my only counter is pointing out that during my career, I was periodically offered private-sector jobs at more than double my salary. The reaction to my offer rejection was always dismay. That is because the private sector measures achievement in money and power, rather than simply making life better for everybody.
When a clueless billionaire, who hates being told what to do, is gifted a chainsaw to tear down the government that he loathes, restoring competent government is almost never an overnight affair. The chainsaw method of organizational change creates unintended negative consequences - like increased climate-related injuries and deaths, disease spread, or entire industries disappearing. As Nobelist Paul Krugman said this morning, it is nearly impossible to repair the damage when you have an administration made up entirely of unqualified baboons who find it hard to listen over their own hooting, and even if they did hear you, they would be clueless as to how to implement restoration.
Before Trump, the DC swamp was regulatory capture, and there was a swamp, because the regulating agencies, were perennially staffed and managed by representatives, CEO's and lobbyist of the industry they are suppose to regulate. In both Democratic and Republican administrations, Payback for campaign contributions.
That is, unfortunately, an unfair, overgeneralized stereotype common among voters. Not once did I have a lobbyist or ex-employee of a regulated organization in my office at Navy, FAA, or NIH. Nor was it common among members of the many steering committees I sat on across federal agencies. Our biggest hurdle was Congress, most of whom are indeed enjoying lobbyist-funded perks, including being gifted new legislation to promote. Of course, most departments are led by appointees with gobs of conflicts of interest. That is what the "Deep State" is for. We foot-drag, leak to the press, alert opposition legislators, etc. to derail policy and practice dictates at odds with the constitution and legislation.
Lobbying was why I found myself on Capitol Hill now and then explaining to legislators the unintended negative consequences of industry-drafted laws and regs. I usually succeeded in pointing out how shortcuts could come back and bite them in the political ass, thereby eliminating safety risks and wasted tax dollars.
My colleagues (military officers, scientists, lawyers, etc. were normally lifers, as we used to call "careerists" - and so were most of my subordinates.
Why would a lobbyist be in your office at Navy, FAA or NIH. First you probablly weren't high enough in the food chain to affect policy .
However with the FDA, FEC, SEC, that is a different story., And in fact a lot of agencies were actually run by people from the industry they were supervising, then and now. A prime example is the Agriculture Dept
Talk of careerist, how many generals have landed cushy jobs with defense industries on retirement.. I actually know a Senior NCO who was recrutied by Motorala, in particlur Ed Meese, because Meese thought that he had contacts and influence, and indeed he did, as the troops involved in the aborted Operation Eagle claw were equipped with Motoral Satellite Coms.
But once he served his usefulness he and his staff of service buddies were let go and he removed from Phoenix back to Virginia.
As regards being a careerist, I put in 26 years so could be called one as well, except I wouldn't do anything for my career.
HAHAHA! Assumptions and stereotypes are so frequently wrong.
At Navy, I only worked for the Commander, Rung Sat Special zone in 1971, then was DESRON 1 flagship navigator. After grad school, I oversaw career development policy for the Surgeon General before joing the personal staff of the Chief of Naval Personnel, plus doing odd projects for CINCPACFLEET, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CNO was my mentor). None of those guys had any influence on policy and practice, did they?
In 1990, I ran a lab for CNO, JCS, and the FAA Administrator for 9 years, surveying the workforce annually, setting criteria for air traffic control specialist job applicants, evaluating training, and I regularly met with the FAA Administrator and his board on other personnel policies and practices to avoid another walkout - no influence there either, right?
My last 6 years at Navy and FAA (2 hats), I worked for Bill Clinton's national security advisor and one of his staff, everybody just called "The Veep." I did the first government-wide employee survey for Mr Gore. I also did short projects for a number of other agency heads in the 1990s. Then I did another 12 years as an NIH National Research Program Official. I was Francis Collin's liaison with the EU, among other miscellaneous collaterals.
Final irony, my late dad was a friend of Bob Galvin since WWII.
Interesting and honorable career Tom, but I caution against personalizing.
It is a natural tendency to identify with one's occupation, and thus become protective of what is perceived as an attack on said occupation.
The "one a Marine" syndrome, all special operators have that, having gone through hell (the initiation rite), that becomes part of your identity and one becomes protective. Same is true of any club, Masons, Fraternities, like Skull and Bones., lawyers. it is what we do
Take cops for instance, While there are people who probably became cops, to serve and protect (I doubt it though, not all of them are corrupt bullies, but there are enough rotten apples to contaminate the barrel, and I can say that there are no good cops, because of the thin blue line, the culture of coverup and protection. In fact there is an us vs them mentality, us being blue, and them being everyone else.
As regards careerists, 26 years and I've seen my fair share. I've also seen and been subject to the ritual humiliation, of upper ranks on lower ranks, within the ranks not across the ranks.
Finally, there were 800 generals and flag officers sitting in an auditorium at Quantico, sitting there while a failed phony of an 0-4 and a cowardly draft dodger who called them suckers and losers, berated, ridiculed and emasculated them, and when given the opportunity by the coward to get up and walk out, put in their retirement papers. They chose to sit and there and have their dignity stripped from them.
Well one, Rear Adm Holsey, did finally throw in the towel, refusing to follow illegal orders, but still he was too late.
Every one of those 0-7-0-9;s are as complicit as the General Staff of the Wehrhmacht, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe in 1933.
Bill, what you just posted sounds like yet more stereotyping. It is not an entirely baseless generalization, but when attributing that to justify a previous assumptive stereotype, it seems to validate that your characterizations of my career were based upon assumptions, not my résumé.
Granted, my career was not typical in your experience. Keeping a low profile was essential to my work - even as an O-2. I retired to avoid promotion to flag in order to keep my low public profile and still be young enough to have a 2nd career. That amplified my trustworthiness as I moved over to new civil service roles full-time where I already had an established rep.
Move fast and break stuff is the mantra the Tech Bros choose. They have a plan for us/US and the Western Hemisphere to fill the vacuum left by our government they plan to destroy. It doesn't include democracy. It is a system that promises Utopia, but delivers one big corporation run by them for them. As a bonus, Musk & TRump don't get put in jail where they belong.
They would give you The Technate of America. Greenland/Canada down through Venezuela/Columbia. Please read the notes under this map that is in the archives of Cornell University:
The RICHEST man in the world is a Technocrat-White Supremacist-Nazi. So was his grandfather, who was involved in the Technocracy movement of the 1930s. Joshua N. Haldeman was his name-WIKI that. Trump, Musk, the Tech Bros and Crypto Creeps are criminals and psychopaths. They like hurting people. They are keeping score and having fun---WHILE WE PAY THEM WITH CONTRACTS. See you in the streets.
Musk had both criminal and civil exposure as long as the Dems were in control. There is not enough money in the world to pay for his exposure. That's most probably why he supported Trump.
IMHO the model for how to deal with this is Fox. Dominion filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox over false on-air claims that its voting machines were used to steal the election. Fox settled the case for $787.5 million on April 18, 2023, just as the jury trial was set to begin in Delaware.
Smartmatic sued Fox News and its parent corporation in February 2021 for $2.7 billion, alleging that the network engaged in a "disinformation campaign" by repeatedly airing false claims that its technology rigged the 2020 election.
A major Fox shareholder derivative lawsuit, led by NYC pension funds and Oregon, accuses Fox Corp. directors and officers (including Rupert & Lachlan Murdoch) of breaching fiduciary duties by allowing Fox News to spread false 2020 election claims, leading to the massive Dominion settlement, and failing to implement proper risk controls for defamation. The case argues the board prioritized profit and ratings over truth, knowingly risking massive liability, and a Delaware court recently ruled the suit can proceed, finding potential director lack of independence from Rupert Murdoch.
AI As of January 2026, Elon Musk is involved in several high-stakes legal battles, with the most significant being a massive lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft heading to a jury trial.
Key Litigation Against Musk (as of Jan 18, 2026)
OpenAI/Microsoft Fraud Lawsuit (Jury Trial): A U.S. federal judge in Northern California has allowed Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and Microsoft to proceed to a jury trial, currently set for April 27, 2026.
Claims: Musk alleges OpenAI abandoned its original non-profit mission to become a for-profit entity heavily tied to Microsoft, defrauding him of his initial $38 million+ investment.
Damages: Musk is seeking between $79 billion and $134 billion in damages, arguing he is entitled to a portion of OpenAI's estimated $500 billion valuation.
Status: The court denied requests to dismiss the case, with the judge noting "plenty of evidence" of misleading assurances.
X (Twitter) Advertiser Lawsuit: In August 2024, Musk's X filed a lawsuit against the World Federation of Advertisers and several companies (including Unilever, Mars, and CVS), alleging an unlawful advertising boycott that reduced revenue.
Government Efficiency (DOGE) Lawsuits: Following the 2024 U.S. election, Musk’s role in the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) triggered numerous lawsuits in early 2025.
1. USAID Suit: A federal judge ruled that efforts by Musk and DOGE to shut down USAID were likely unconstitutional.
2. Data Access Block: A judge partially blocked DOGE from accessing a Treasury Department payment system, citing risks to confidential information.
Shareholder and SEC Litigation:
SEC Lawsuit: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is continuing a $150 million lawsuit against Musk related to his 2022 Twitter acquisition and disclosure failures.
Tesla Compensation: While a Delaware court previously rescinded a massive 2018 compensation package, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed this in late 2025.
Other Legal Disputes:
xAI/Grok Lawsuit: In January 2026, a mother of one of Musk's children sued xAI, alleging that the Grok chatbot produced sexually explicit deepfake images of her.
Severance Lawsuit: A former Twitter executive sued Musk in 2024 for "cheating" employees out of $200 million in severance.
Law suits have not caused Fox to moderate or change their behavior. Payouts are simply the cost of doing business and tax deductions.
, A corporation can generally take a tax deduction for lawsuit payments and legal fees if they are ordinary and necessary business expenses related to generating income, such as for contract disputes or employment claims, but punitive damages and payments for fines/penalties to a government entity are typically not deductible, and certain expenses might need to be capitalized. The key is that the payment must relate to the company's profit-seeking activities and not be a personal expense.
What have all of these "massive" lawsuits amounted to? I guess I read all the above but missed where the losing entity actually paid up. Aside, did Giuliani ever pay those two women who won in court against him? Did E Jean Carroll ever get paid by Trump? All these court cases seem to amount to - so "we" lost, who cares, we're not paying anyone - so bring it on. And if any entity actually "paid up" has that stopped them?
Litigation, make me laugh Daniel. If there is any judgement against him, he will appeal, and apeal until SCOTUS overrules for him, and in the meanwhile almost all judgements have been temporary, given him time to appeal, and of course he will win on appeal.
You still think, because it is the only tool in your kit, that the law will work, and justice will prevail. You must be blind to see that there is no justice. ask any black, that isn't a Quisling, or any immigrant.
Displaying your ignorance. Trump has had to pay numerous times, starting with stuff like fines for using illegal workers, Trump University, Trump Family Charity, many real estyat cases, penaties, etc.
I did reply but I'm not so great at the substack usage. My main question now to you is has any judgement or 'eventual judgement" enforcement (by whom?) stopped or impaired his momentum? I don't think so. I still hold to the idea of "so "we" lost, who cares, we're not paying (or abiding) anyone - so bring it on."
We end up dividing ourselves with minutia of language when we need cohesion of purpose.
Trump has been ordered to pay numerous fines, but what fines has he actually paid?
Anyway, that is all history, before he become president. Let's talk about the present, what he consequences he has met as President, how much money he has paid out.
Ignorance, you say. Me thinks that you are the ignorant one,or purposefully misleading us. You sure you aren't a Trump shill.
Feldman,I have asked the same question repeatedly. The courts awards these judgements,they never get paid. The most egegious is Sandy Hook after the 2012 shooting,.The ct award was 1.4 billion,so Jones goes bankrupt in 2022 so as of 1/18/26 he has paid nothing,14 yrs after the incident. Sorry,I don't believe the courts are the solution,since the defendants laugh @ them.There is a way to deal with people like Jones,bit I will not post it here.
This dilemma seems to have no answer. Whether it's a monetary judgement or a court judgement or possibly even congressional judgement. There seems to be no enforcing entity to make a difference. So what difference does anything make if there's no "peaceful" solution.?
One of my worries is that there is a bit too much infighting in some of these comments when we should all be coalescing with cohesion of purpose.
There was an end run of this in the agency I worked for in 2008. We had no idea when the new director was hired what his ideology was. It soon became apparent. Everything Musk did had its precursor in how this guy worked over our non-profit, then gaslit me and my past work to justify my firing. It is selfish but in some ways I finally feel some comfort over being able to relate to those that have suddenly lost their jobs. Now I am no longer alone in the trauma. Of course none of this should have happened. and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But it was clear to me then and ever more clear to me now, this was never about cost savings or for the good of the agency, which folded a few years later. Again, in a selfish way I feel vindicated. This was about ideology and exploiting a functioning and vital non profit to enforce this ideology against people who were not interested, and in a way that would never work. They were doing a practice run.
I was gaslit too as a private citizen. My former in-laws wanted me to (go away). I’m not getting specific because there is no “need to know here”. It is documented elsewhere.
That was in the past. But the experience taught me a great deal.
It’s not that difficult to see through what they are doing, especially with the assistance of others on Substack.
Attorney General, Pam Bondi’s move announcing that the Justice Department doesn’t have to comply with the Epstein Transparency Act, which Donald Trump signed, (for some abstract nonsense reason), can be used as a sledgehammer against the Administration.
75% of the Americans want those files released.
Epstein catered to the rich and powerful.
There were those who were willing to use Epstein for connections and those who were not.
The Epstein Transparency Act was signed into law.
The Department of Justice clearly said that law only applies to us not to them.
Even when 75% of the voting population want those files released.
Yep. As said above, unless we are willing to fight, to resist, to put ourselves in sustained physical danger, we will lose everything. Unfortunately we love our comfort so, at least af this point, our actions are going to be gratuitous.
The US federal beauracracy has been replaced by the tRump KAKISTOCRACY.
Two thoughts. First, while the notion of "bureacracy" has a bad rap and can be overbearing at times, it is the best defense a government has against the dysfunction and chicanery of ever-changing political miscreants. It is the only real option for stability in government, as described by Max Weber a hundred years ago.
Second is a plug for the science fiction writer Paolo Bacigalupi. He has a series of books imagining what the world will look like in a hundred or so years, using projections of the dire effects of global warming as a base. In "The Water Knife" he describes a battle between California, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado over the remaining trickle of water in the Colorado River as the Southwest has dried up and LA has become a dune desert. But the battle isn't between government agencies, it is between private water corporations, as the federal government has dwindled to a caretaker organization.
In the "Tool" trilogy, he describes a world where governments everywhere have been neutered, a small number of giant corporations have near-total control of the world's economy, and battle each other for wealth and control of resources. The common people are left to govern themselves via gangs and warlords. Needless to say, life is hell for most people in that world.
These visions are not that far-fetched. The dismantling of the US government, other than military functions, is conceivably a step toward that world. IMHO, it isn't just democratic goernance we are losing, but the idea of civilization itself.
Captain my Captain this is really heartbreaking to hear these stories of peoples lives have been turned upside down by a Billionaire, Thom. These, people also have heart and soul for what they do for us the people as a functioning government. Turns out we need these people, Thom. Shame, on them Thom, only they don’t have shame at all. People’s lives were turned into chaos we all seem to be living with now everyday. This, is all so wrong.
Ungoverned? I believe the U.S. is ungovernable thanks to the Electoral College and the antiquated and anti-democratic Senate that was put in the foundational document to appease the southern slave holders.
Without our recognising that the Constitution is the highest and ultimate law of the land a strong argument can be made that this is no longer the United States of America, Trump’s demonization of half the population (hi, fellow vile subhumans!) demonstrates that we certainly are not united. I know it won’t happen but isn’t it time we considered reconstituting?
Jeffery Epstein didn't kill himself - BUT - Minneapolis, Greenland, Venezuela and all of the above listed in Thom's article are working TO KILL HIM AGAIN AND BURY HIM FOREVER. Silently and preferably in some foreign country. Is Venezuela far enough or maybe the farthest northern tip of Greenland?
I sincerely appreciate your diligence on this, William. I hope you watched that military assessment of Greenland by Malcolm Nance. Half way through he started talking about the Technate of America. He knows they are serious, and he knows they are Nazi psychos.
In your research, have you found the reason why, for centuries, men have oppressed women, relegating them to kirk/kitchen/kindergarten and why wife-abuse and sexual abuse of women and girls is such a big thing?
Seattle. When the chaos clears it would be nice if Dems insure that fundamentalist so called conservatives do not get any funding for staff and millions to investigate fake offenses of the oppositional party. I tire of the fakery.
Sorry Folks, but got to go off topic again to something very hot and relevant
From Salty Politics: https://saltypolitics.substack.com/p/trumps-latest-shakedown
Trump has created a Board of Peace, with himself as Chair, Kushner, Major donors, even Tony Blair, and foreign nations can join if they pay up $1 billion, which of course will go into his Qatar account. This is real mafia shit
Like I said yesterday, most of the Trump major donors fared poorly in the fourth quarter. Tesla, Meta, Microsoft and even Nividia were down.
Contrast that with Canada, which increased 5 .95. % . Trump is making Canada great again.
Meta lost almost 8%, Tesla almost 7%.
Trump and his family and close associates may be benefitting from extortion, but by now it's obvious that he's losing support.
Whether that transfers into political support is up to us. Greenland may be one step too far.
In just the past 10 days Trump and his minions invaded Venezuela, killed and covered up the killing of Renee Good, refused to comply with the Epstein transparency law, threatened to invade Greenland and destroy NATO, carried out retaliatory, political and military actions against citizens exercising their freedom of speech, and commit committed FRAUD, FRAUD, FRAUD.
Republican politicians, congress people and Supreme Court “Conservative” Justices: what will it take to get you to defend the sacred oath you swore to on your Bibles to defend the US Constitution?
Have you read Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter for today.
Here is the problem, with all of the bad news, with his polls sliding, with 65% of the country against him, he is not remediating his behavior, he is actually doubling down and getting worse.
And SCOTUS is putting off ruling on his tariffs. And odds are he will ignore the ruling if, and that is a big if, SCOTUS rules against him.
META and Tesla are going to have to lose more than 8 and 7% for them to take notice, they will need to go bankrupt, And at that Musk won't listen he has SpaceX with all of it's heft government contracts and Starlink, which evidently the world can't do without now.
The real question is what will it take to have Trump's base, rise up against him, that is the base of his power, they maybe be a minority, but as you know an organized minority can control a disorganized and fragmented majority.
The REAL issue is Congress.
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Saturday slammed President Trump’s new 10 percent tariffs on Denmark and European allies, saying the tariffs will hurt the U.S. and divide NATO if the president takes Greenland by military force.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5694271-tillis-murkowski-trump-tariffs-greenland/
GOP congressman splits with Trump over Greenland, calls it 'buffoonery'
Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/15/don-bacon-trump-greenland-impeachment/88195826007/
It only takes 3 Republican House members to stop this cold.
So you have a couple of Repblicans that slam or deviate from Trump, Until you have a majority of Republicans doing the same, you have nothing
A Repuglican congressman or Senator here and there, does not affect what Trump is going to do
What is needed is Democratic control of House and a 60 vote majority in the senate, without that there is nothing.
17 Republicans joined with Democraats on extending ACA subsidies for three years, thus depriving the Democrats of a campaign issue, they are also the 17 most vulnerable Republicans, but not without assurances that the bill wouldn't pass the Republican controllled Senate.
If you want to see those 17 Congressmen as hopeful cross overs, be my guest, but they knew that the Senate would not pass the bill, and they have deprived Democrats of an issue in their re election campaign.
I would thionk that a man as wise, experience, mature as you would not take things at face value.
Are you Trump's agent? I'm just reporting.
January 20, 2026 FREE AMERICA WALKOUT
2:00 PM- 3:00 PM
https://action.womensmarch.com/calendars/free-america-weekend
You got to be shitting me, asking me such a question. I've been arguing for positive action of resistance, not your effete, ineffectual law suit bullslhit.
The walk out is a start, but it has to be for more than a day. The Iranian protests have petered out and the mullahs are back in charge, only 5,000 dead Irans for nothing.
The only way to bring down this fascistic regime is by sustained resistance, and the only thing that can make a dent in the Techbros and fascistg is money,
A one day protest is nothing, Protests are pressure relief valves, nothing changes unless you make them hurt.
Does that sound like Trump's agent. I will tell you what a Trump agent wants, and that is to spin the wheels, in ineffectual activities, like law suits, and marches.
Evil can only be defeated when it is met on it's own terms.
We didn't storm the shores of Normandy, with open arms, flowers,and professions of love, nor did we file law suits, or pen strongly worded letters.
Change of subject, but none the less relevant
It seems that HR 4505, the EFTA or Epstein Files Transparency Act will net no results, and Bondi will not release the files
Read this for explanation' Massie and Ro will have to amend the legislation and this time I doubt that it will pass.
https://michaeldsellers.substack.com/p/doj-filing-claims-courts-cant-enforce
You are sooooo negative. Congress can hold hearings defund him ...and what this guy misses is inherent contempt power of Congress.
Not just me but Michael Sellers, and millions of others,
But back to your idea.
Which congress can hold hearings? The congress controlled by Republicans.
Which congress is going to defund him? The Republican Congress, and I am sure (sarcasm) that Trump will sign a bill that defunds him, and I am quite sure that a Republican controlled senate won't overturn his veto..
So tell us Daniel, about hearings and defunding.
nd contempt of congress? Who is going to enforce the contempt, or even subpoena's, Pam Bondi? Give me a break.
I live in the real world, what world do you live in?
Only going to quibble that it is NOT off-topic. Everything Thom wrote about is being done to pave the way for TRump, Musk, and the Tech Bros to grift and control the Western Hemisphere, a billion people, and to get all the wealth they can. Everybody that joins is looking for a cut of that.
I teach part-time at a university and am involved in rewriting one of its courses. During the orientation I was told not to add as a student resource any site with ".gov". Material from the federal government is no longer considered to be either stable or trustworthy. And that's pretty darn sad.
The Real query I have for the effing Kremlin is just:
WHY are you doing this [i.e., Krasnov's antics] to US? . . .
Did we ever do this to YOU?
Jesus!!!
Vote these Red Tools, these Commie Pinko Rats off The Hill and outta the WH !!!
I'll answer for Putin/Kremlin. Y-E-S! That's exactly what Reagan did to them, and they deserved it for locking all those people behind an Iron Curtain and a Berlin Wall. Otherwise, I despised him and all his liars.
Some economic hit jobs are better than others. We paid then and we are paying right now. Vote, legislate, regulate and tax. No more wars---cold or hot.
Reagan had nothing to do with the iron curtain coming down, on the other hand his administration knew it was in process.
The USSR was a failed economic experiment and had to be restructured, All that really happened was that instead of the state owning the means of production, the trusts that controlled the resources (mining,timber, transportation, petroleum, human (KGB), were sold off to favored and connected men, we now call oligarchs. The KGB changed it's name to FSB,
Nuanced issue, William.
He knew the Cold War was going to kill their economy and he ramped it up. Saw what we were doing in West Germany first hand.
Can agree that "economic experiment" probably would fail, but don't think for a minute that we didn't help it along. I even believe we did the lesser of two evils, but it cost us here at home just like Ike told us it would.
And now, if we let TRump and his psychos increase the military budget to 1.5 trillion $$$$$, we will never have affordable housing, health care, and education for people that have to work their ass off. Just like Ike said. BUT, if other countries can do it, so can we.
i see a future that I won't have to live in. Yesterday I checked google for a friend, who had also been my team chief at one time. He was a couple of weeks younger than me. he won't have to endure the trying times ahead
Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I am 86 and have some issues, but otherwise I feel good.
You said: "if we let Trump and his psycho's"..
For the life of me I don't see how we can stop him. he has just declared war on everyone that doesn't kiss his ass
I would take heart from the occasional lower court ruling that goes against him, but invariably it is negated on appeal, either to the district court or to the supreme courts
I don't know any way to stop him outside of a mass uprising
At the moment he has the 11th Airborne Div in Alaska on stand by to deploy into Minnesota and he doesn't need the Insurrection Act,
President Eisenhower deployed the 101st Airborne into Little Rock, after he federalized the Arkansas National Guard and had them stand down., as Faubus was using them to thwart integration of Little Rock High.
The Mother fucker is going to do what he wants to do, regardless of public opinion or court rulings under the theory might makes right, Justice for us, law for the rest. "One of us, all of yours" (Noem and Goebbels)
Get control of the House and the budget a year from now. Some could die or quit---it's razor thin so that could happen sooner. Every poll has him downing, he is so underwater. Same when we have had special elections.
No denying his power, intentions, and the fact that We The People do not have an army to fight back with, but Europe and Canada do with 795 million people to pick from. They don't care about his f-ing tariffs anymore---they are saying out loud that he works for Putin.
I wonder how many people in the 11th are Minnesotans. They are programed to be nice to civilians. Maybe some are researching unlawful orders. They are the Arctic crew, will they get diverted to Greenland and that story is just VERY stupid disinformation?
The possibilities are mind-boggling minute to minute with him.
First issue: Getting full control of the Congress, not just the House, but the Senate as well. Budgets start in the House and must be passed by the Senate, and signed by the President (guess how that will go)>
Second Polls: He could care less about polls, in his mind everyone loves him
Third elections: We need a 100% turnout by avery Democrat,liberal, progressive, black, hispanic, Asian,queer, pro choice female, because of voter interference, suppression, laws, caging,Republican control of voting machines.
Fourth Military. As a retired regular officer take my word for it. the troops obey orders. And the generals and officers on active duty, have bowed to Trump, one exception, Rear Adm Holsey who retired. The 799 others who stayed in the auditorium to be berated by Trump and Hegseth, showed us who they were. Careerist, more interest in themselves, then the oath to the Constitution.
William,agree 100%. It is absolutely disgusting that in a country of 320 million,there seems to be noome who can design an effeective strategy for fighting back.
Oh they can, but it is dicomforting and frightening, it involves sacrfice and risk.
Americans are soft and spoiled even our poor, the closest we come to those who would fight are the homeless, but they are psychologically beat down.
To quote Kris Kristofferson in Me and Bobby McGee,
"Freedom is when there is nothing left to lose"
Americans get on their cell phones, and access a social media forum and complain that they can't afford to buy food or medicine.
Think about that.. priorities.
I can afford it, but don't have a cell phone, no social media presence at all, but when I access a web site they want my cell number, and for a while I couldn't even access my pay pal because I don't have a cell.
The French and Ukraine gov'ts planted some FALSE info into the US government.
Magically, that deliberately planted strategic battlefield info turned up in RUSSIAN hands.
My earlier point was that Russia is the brains of this USA-Russia relationship.
We are the demented brawn. The Kremlin is calling the shots.
My other comment, "Did we ever do this to YOU?" That was a rhetorical question.
We, my friends, are a proven Frigging Client State of the Kremlin.
Our allies are no longer sharing intelligence, making us as stupid as Michael Cohen.
Same as Cuba. And soon to be as decrepit in many places.
Thought that question might be sarcasm.
Saw the disinformation op story. At least they proved it, I would have cut us off LAST January. TRump's idiots were out there on the shows today claiming they will give him Greenland. He's going to be that boy/girlfriend that keeps calling when you are already engaged to someone else.
Cohen screwed himself. I watched that Palmeri piece and stopped listening to him back then. He was covering for TRump or what he did for him.
Lev Parnas was on the phone with Meidas's Ben last night---bet they dump Cohen. Hope so.
Meidas already dropped him like third-period French.
Yay! Thanks, Sir.
I knew they were stand-up people.
Our allies are no longer our allies, Trump has made sure of that. In the end he doesn’t know what’s doing; he is Like a windsock, following whatever blows his way. People talk about his cronies but I think the most effectively vicious people, like Stephen Miller, are puppet masters who know how to play on his narcissism
During my 45-year career in federal service (uniformed and civilian), I observed that it takes about 7 years to master most civil service jobs. That is due in part to the complex regulations and laws that affect one's duties, as well as the complex interactions between your office and that of other federal agency offices to promote mutual mission achievement - teamwork. It is self-validating when you see a policy or practice recommendation you made appear on the cover of the Washington Post or NY Times later in the week. Of course, Trump refers to this as the evil "deep state" or the "DC swamp."
Because federal service is always underpaid, maintaining a competent workforce depends on attracting aspirational staff who stay on the job, not because of high pay, but because of the gratification derived from their work. When I hear citizens challenge my assertion that Feds are underpaid, my only counter is pointing out that during my career, I was periodically offered private-sector jobs at more than double my salary. The reaction to my offer rejection was always dismay. That is because the private sector measures achievement in money and power, rather than simply making life better for everybody.
When a clueless billionaire, who hates being told what to do, is gifted a chainsaw to tear down the government that he loathes, restoring competent government is almost never an overnight affair. The chainsaw method of organizational change creates unintended negative consequences - like increased climate-related injuries and deaths, disease spread, or entire industries disappearing. As Nobelist Paul Krugman said this morning, it is nearly impossible to repair the damage when you have an administration made up entirely of unqualified baboons who find it hard to listen over their own hooting, and even if they did hear you, they would be clueless as to how to implement restoration.
Before Trump, the DC swamp was regulatory capture, and there was a swamp, because the regulating agencies, were perennially staffed and managed by representatives, CEO's and lobbyist of the industry they are suppose to regulate. In both Democratic and Republican administrations, Payback for campaign contributions.
That is, unfortunately, an unfair, overgeneralized stereotype common among voters. Not once did I have a lobbyist or ex-employee of a regulated organization in my office at Navy, FAA, or NIH. Nor was it common among members of the many steering committees I sat on across federal agencies. Our biggest hurdle was Congress, most of whom are indeed enjoying lobbyist-funded perks, including being gifted new legislation to promote. Of course, most departments are led by appointees with gobs of conflicts of interest. That is what the "Deep State" is for. We foot-drag, leak to the press, alert opposition legislators, etc. to derail policy and practice dictates at odds with the constitution and legislation.
Lobbying was why I found myself on Capitol Hill now and then explaining to legislators the unintended negative consequences of industry-drafted laws and regs. I usually succeeded in pointing out how shortcuts could come back and bite them in the political ass, thereby eliminating safety risks and wasted tax dollars.
My colleagues (military officers, scientists, lawyers, etc. were normally lifers, as we used to call "careerists" - and so were most of my subordinates.
Why would a lobbyist be in your office at Navy, FAA or NIH. First you probablly weren't high enough in the food chain to affect policy .
However with the FDA, FEC, SEC, that is a different story., And in fact a lot of agencies were actually run by people from the industry they were supervising, then and now. A prime example is the Agriculture Dept
Talk of careerist, how many generals have landed cushy jobs with defense industries on retirement.. I actually know a Senior NCO who was recrutied by Motorala, in particlur Ed Meese, because Meese thought that he had contacts and influence, and indeed he did, as the troops involved in the aborted Operation Eagle claw were equipped with Motoral Satellite Coms.
But once he served his usefulness he and his staff of service buddies were let go and he removed from Phoenix back to Virginia.
As regards being a careerist, I put in 26 years so could be called one as well, except I wouldn't do anything for my career.
HAHAHA! Assumptions and stereotypes are so frequently wrong.
At Navy, I only worked for the Commander, Rung Sat Special zone in 1971, then was DESRON 1 flagship navigator. After grad school, I oversaw career development policy for the Surgeon General before joing the personal staff of the Chief of Naval Personnel, plus doing odd projects for CINCPACFLEET, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CNO was my mentor). None of those guys had any influence on policy and practice, did they?
In 1990, I ran a lab for CNO, JCS, and the FAA Administrator for 9 years, surveying the workforce annually, setting criteria for air traffic control specialist job applicants, evaluating training, and I regularly met with the FAA Administrator and his board on other personnel policies and practices to avoid another walkout - no influence there either, right?
My last 6 years at Navy and FAA (2 hats), I worked for Bill Clinton's national security advisor and one of his staff, everybody just called "The Veep." I did the first government-wide employee survey for Mr Gore. I also did short projects for a number of other agency heads in the 1990s. Then I did another 12 years as an NIH National Research Program Official. I was Francis Collin's liaison with the EU, among other miscellaneous collaterals.
Final irony, my late dad was a friend of Bob Galvin since WWII.
Interesting and honorable career Tom, but I caution against personalizing.
It is a natural tendency to identify with one's occupation, and thus become protective of what is perceived as an attack on said occupation.
The "one a Marine" syndrome, all special operators have that, having gone through hell (the initiation rite), that becomes part of your identity and one becomes protective. Same is true of any club, Masons, Fraternities, like Skull and Bones., lawyers. it is what we do
Take cops for instance, While there are people who probably became cops, to serve and protect (I doubt it though, not all of them are corrupt bullies, but there are enough rotten apples to contaminate the barrel, and I can say that there are no good cops, because of the thin blue line, the culture of coverup and protection. In fact there is an us vs them mentality, us being blue, and them being everyone else.
As regards careerists, 26 years and I've seen my fair share. I've also seen and been subject to the ritual humiliation, of upper ranks on lower ranks, within the ranks not across the ranks.
Finally, there were 800 generals and flag officers sitting in an auditorium at Quantico, sitting there while a failed phony of an 0-4 and a cowardly draft dodger who called them suckers and losers, berated, ridiculed and emasculated them, and when given the opportunity by the coward to get up and walk out, put in their retirement papers. They chose to sit and there and have their dignity stripped from them.
Well one, Rear Adm Holsey, did finally throw in the towel, refusing to follow illegal orders, but still he was too late.
Every one of those 0-7-0-9;s are as complicit as the General Staff of the Wehrhmacht, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe in 1933.
That is careerism.
Bill, what you just posted sounds like yet more stereotyping. It is not an entirely baseless generalization, but when attributing that to justify a previous assumptive stereotype, it seems to validate that your characterizations of my career were based upon assumptions, not my résumé.
Granted, my career was not typical in your experience. Keeping a low profile was essential to my work - even as an O-2. I retired to avoid promotion to flag in order to keep my low public profile and still be young enough to have a 2nd career. That amplified my trustworthiness as I moved over to new civil service roles full-time where I already had an established rep.
The war on windmills, people, and efficiency.....
Move fast and break stuff is the mantra the Tech Bros choose. They have a plan for us/US and the Western Hemisphere to fill the vacuum left by our government they plan to destroy. It doesn't include democracy. It is a system that promises Utopia, but delivers one big corporation run by them for them. As a bonus, Musk & TRump don't get put in jail where they belong.
They would give you The Technate of America. Greenland/Canada down through Venezuela/Columbia. Please read the notes under this map that is in the archives of Cornell University:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/ss:34227574
The RICHEST man in the world is a Technocrat-White Supremacist-Nazi. So was his grandfather, who was involved in the Technocracy movement of the 1930s. Joshua N. Haldeman was his name-WIKI that. Trump, Musk, the Tech Bros and Crypto Creeps are criminals and psychopaths. They like hurting people. They are keeping score and having fun---WHILE WE PAY THEM WITH CONTRACTS. See you in the streets.
Musk had both criminal and civil exposure as long as the Dems were in control. There is not enough money in the world to pay for his exposure. That's most probably why he supported Trump.
IMHO the model for how to deal with this is Fox. Dominion filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox over false on-air claims that its voting machines were used to steal the election. Fox settled the case for $787.5 million on April 18, 2023, just as the jury trial was set to begin in Delaware.
Smartmatic sued Fox News and its parent corporation in February 2021 for $2.7 billion, alleging that the network engaged in a "disinformation campaign" by repeatedly airing false claims that its technology rigged the 2020 election.
A major Fox shareholder derivative lawsuit, led by NYC pension funds and Oregon, accuses Fox Corp. directors and officers (including Rupert & Lachlan Murdoch) of breaching fiduciary duties by allowing Fox News to spread false 2020 election claims, leading to the massive Dominion settlement, and failing to implement proper risk controls for defamation. The case argues the board prioritized profit and ratings over truth, knowingly risking massive liability, and a Delaware court recently ruled the suit can proceed, finding potential director lack of independence from Rupert Murdoch.
Key Details of the Lawsuit
Musk is highly litigious. He has exposure internationally. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_affairs_of_Elon_Musk
AI As of January 2026, Elon Musk is involved in several high-stakes legal battles, with the most significant being a massive lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft heading to a jury trial.
Key Litigation Against Musk (as of Jan 18, 2026)
OpenAI/Microsoft Fraud Lawsuit (Jury Trial): A U.S. federal judge in Northern California has allowed Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and Microsoft to proceed to a jury trial, currently set for April 27, 2026.
Claims: Musk alleges OpenAI abandoned its original non-profit mission to become a for-profit entity heavily tied to Microsoft, defrauding him of his initial $38 million+ investment.
Damages: Musk is seeking between $79 billion and $134 billion in damages, arguing he is entitled to a portion of OpenAI's estimated $500 billion valuation.
Status: The court denied requests to dismiss the case, with the judge noting "plenty of evidence" of misleading assurances.
X (Twitter) Advertiser Lawsuit: In August 2024, Musk's X filed a lawsuit against the World Federation of Advertisers and several companies (including Unilever, Mars, and CVS), alleging an unlawful advertising boycott that reduced revenue.
Government Efficiency (DOGE) Lawsuits: Following the 2024 U.S. election, Musk’s role in the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) triggered numerous lawsuits in early 2025.
1. USAID Suit: A federal judge ruled that efforts by Musk and DOGE to shut down USAID were likely unconstitutional.
2. Data Access Block: A judge partially blocked DOGE from accessing a Treasury Department payment system, citing risks to confidential information.
Shareholder and SEC Litigation:
SEC Lawsuit: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is continuing a $150 million lawsuit against Musk related to his 2022 Twitter acquisition and disclosure failures.
Tesla Compensation: While a Delaware court previously rescinded a massive 2018 compensation package, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed this in late 2025.
Other Legal Disputes:
xAI/Grok Lawsuit: In January 2026, a mother of one of Musk's children sued xAI, alleging that the Grok chatbot produced sexually explicit deepfake images of her.
Severance Lawsuit: A former Twitter executive sued Musk in 2024 for "cheating" employees out of $200 million in severance.
Agreed. That's quite a pathetic list.
Have to add that all the money in the world apparently doesn't make you happy or healthy. Hope we show folks it doesn't keep you out of jail either.
Law suits have not caused Fox to moderate or change their behavior. Payouts are simply the cost of doing business and tax deductions.
, A corporation can generally take a tax deduction for lawsuit payments and legal fees if they are ordinary and necessary business expenses related to generating income, such as for contract disputes or employment claims, but punitive damages and payments for fines/penalties to a government entity are typically not deductible, and certain expenses might need to be capitalized. The key is that the payment must relate to the company's profit-seeking activities and not be a personal expense.
What have all of these "massive" lawsuits amounted to? I guess I read all the above but missed where the losing entity actually paid up. Aside, did Giuliani ever pay those two women who won in court against him? Did E Jean Carroll ever get paid by Trump? All these court cases seem to amount to - so "we" lost, who cares, we're not paying anyone - so bring it on. And if any entity actually "paid up" has that stopped them?
See my response to Daniel immediately above yours.
This hasn't played out...still in litigation....
Litigation, make me laugh Daniel. If there is any judgement against him, he will appeal, and apeal until SCOTUS overrules for him, and in the meanwhile almost all judgements have been temporary, given him time to appeal, and of course he will win on appeal.
You still think, because it is the only tool in your kit, that the law will work, and justice will prevail. You must be blind to see that there is no justice. ask any black, that isn't a Quisling, or any immigrant.
Displaying your ignorance. Trump has had to pay numerous times, starting with stuff like fines for using illegal workers, Trump University, Trump Family Charity, many real estyat cases, penaties, etc.
Eventually alll judgmnents will get enforced.
I did reply but I'm not so great at the substack usage. My main question now to you is has any judgement or 'eventual judgement" enforcement (by whom?) stopped or impaired his momentum? I don't think so. I still hold to the idea of "so "we" lost, who cares, we're not paying (or abiding) anyone - so bring it on."
We end up dividing ourselves with minutia of language when we need cohesion of purpose.
Daniel,did Trump actually pay out or was there some compromise made in terms of the amt.Did payment actually get made to the the plaintiffs.?
Trump has been ordered to pay numerous fines, but what fines has he actually paid?
Anyway, that is all history, before he become president. Let's talk about the present, what he consequences he has met as President, how much money he has paid out.
Ignorance, you say. Me thinks that you are the ignorant one,or purposefully misleading us. You sure you aren't a Trump shill.
Feldman,I have asked the same question repeatedly. The courts awards these judgements,they never get paid. The most egegious is Sandy Hook after the 2012 shooting,.The ct award was 1.4 billion,so Jones goes bankrupt in 2022 so as of 1/18/26 he has paid nothing,14 yrs after the incident. Sorry,I don't believe the courts are the solution,since the defendants laugh @ them.There is a way to deal with people like Jones,bit I will not post it here.
This dilemma seems to have no answer. Whether it's a monetary judgement or a court judgement or possibly even congressional judgement. There seems to be no enforcing entity to make a difference. So what difference does anything make if there's no "peaceful" solution.?
One of my worries is that there is a bit too much infighting in some of these comments when we should all be coalescing with cohesion of purpose.
There was an end run of this in the agency I worked for in 2008. We had no idea when the new director was hired what his ideology was. It soon became apparent. Everything Musk did had its precursor in how this guy worked over our non-profit, then gaslit me and my past work to justify my firing. It is selfish but in some ways I finally feel some comfort over being able to relate to those that have suddenly lost their jobs. Now I am no longer alone in the trauma. Of course none of this should have happened. and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But it was clear to me then and ever more clear to me now, this was never about cost savings or for the good of the agency, which folded a few years later. Again, in a selfish way I feel vindicated. This was about ideology and exploiting a functioning and vital non profit to enforce this ideology against people who were not interested, and in a way that would never work. They were doing a practice run.
I was gaslit too as a private citizen. My former in-laws wanted me to (go away). I’m not getting specific because there is no “need to know here”. It is documented elsewhere.
That was in the past. But the experience taught me a great deal.
It’s not that difficult to see through what they are doing, especially with the assistance of others on Substack.
Attorney General, Pam Bondi’s move announcing that the Justice Department doesn’t have to comply with the Epstein Transparency Act, which Donald Trump signed, (for some abstract nonsense reason), can be used as a sledgehammer against the Administration.
75% of the Americans want those files released.
Epstein catered to the rich and powerful.
There were those who were willing to use Epstein for connections and those who were not.
The Epstein Transparency Act was signed into law.
The Department of Justice clearly said that law only applies to us not to them.
Even when 75% of the voting population want those files released.
Don't resist - Respond.
So long as resistance is passive, confined to hooting, hollering and marching, the tide of authoritarianism moves on.
Trump gives not one shit about public opinion, only power, domination and control.
Yep. As said above, unless we are willing to fight, to resist, to put ourselves in sustained physical danger, we will lose everything. Unfortunately we love our comfort so, at least af this point, our actions are going to be gratuitous.
The US federal beauracracy has been replaced by the tRump KAKISTOCRACY.
Two thoughts. First, while the notion of "bureacracy" has a bad rap and can be overbearing at times, it is the best defense a government has against the dysfunction and chicanery of ever-changing political miscreants. It is the only real option for stability in government, as described by Max Weber a hundred years ago.
Second is a plug for the science fiction writer Paolo Bacigalupi. He has a series of books imagining what the world will look like in a hundred or so years, using projections of the dire effects of global warming as a base. In "The Water Knife" he describes a battle between California, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado over the remaining trickle of water in the Colorado River as the Southwest has dried up and LA has become a dune desert. But the battle isn't between government agencies, it is between private water corporations, as the federal government has dwindled to a caretaker organization.
In the "Tool" trilogy, he describes a world where governments everywhere have been neutered, a small number of giant corporations have near-total control of the world's economy, and battle each other for wealth and control of resources. The common people are left to govern themselves via gangs and warlords. Needless to say, life is hell for most people in that world.
These visions are not that far-fetched. The dismantling of the US government, other than military functions, is conceivably a step toward that world. IMHO, it isn't just democratic goernance we are losing, but the idea of civilization itself.
Captain my Captain this is really heartbreaking to hear these stories of peoples lives have been turned upside down by a Billionaire, Thom. These, people also have heart and soul for what they do for us the people as a functioning government. Turns out we need these people, Thom. Shame, on them Thom, only they don’t have shame at all. People’s lives were turned into chaos we all seem to be living with now everyday. This, is all so wrong.
Ungoverned? I believe the U.S. is ungovernable thanks to the Electoral College and the antiquated and anti-democratic Senate that was put in the foundational document to appease the southern slave holders.
Without our recognising that the Constitution is the highest and ultimate law of the land a strong argument can be made that this is no longer the United States of America, Trump’s demonization of half the population (hi, fellow vile subhumans!) demonstrates that we certainly are not united. I know it won’t happen but isn’t it time we considered reconstituting?
The French and Ukraine gov'ts planted some FALSE info into the US government.
Magically, that deliberately planted strategic battlefield info turned up in RUSSIAN hands.
My earlier point was that Russia is the brains of this USA-Russia relationship.
We are the demented brawn. The Kremlin is calling the shots.
My other comment, "Did we ever do this to YOU?" That was a rhetorical question.
We, my friends, are a proven Frigging Client State of the Kremlin.
Our allies are no longer sharing intelligence, making us as stupid as Michael Cohen.
Same as Cuba. And soon to be as decrepit in many places.
My new thought -
Jeffery Epstein didn't kill himself - BUT - Minneapolis, Greenland, Venezuela and all of the above listed in Thom's article are working TO KILL HIM AGAIN AND BURY HIM FOREVER. Silently and preferably in some foreign country. Is Venezuela far enough or maybe the farthest northern tip of Greenland?
Tis the entire western hemisphere; Map here: https://digital.library.cornell.edu/catalog/ss:34227574
I sincerely appreciate your diligence on this, William. I hope you watched that military assessment of Greenland by Malcolm Nance. Half way through he started talking about the Technate of America. He knows they are serious, and he knows they are Nazi psychos.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DRrp3fHrUEDA
In your research, have you found the reason why, for centuries, men have oppressed women, relegating them to kirk/kitchen/kindergarten and why wife-abuse and sexual abuse of women and girls is such a big thing?
“Will no one rid us of this turbulent priest?”
Seattle. When the chaos clears it would be nice if Dems insure that fundamentalist so called conservatives do not get any funding for staff and millions to investigate fake offenses of the oppositional party. I tire of the fakery.