This idea that crimes committed in public office should just be allowed to slip by unpunished goes back to the country club nature of inside Washington. I am so done with the likes of Jeffries, Schumer, Johnson and Thune standing around with their hands in their pockets while presidents, justices, and cabinet officers routinely abuse and defecate on the law and the Constitution.
The Civil War, the theft of Hawaii, and 100 years of Jim Crow pretty much proved that there are never consequences for the worst behavior, esp. treason toward the Homeland, stealing a 2nd/3rd world nation-state from a female. Or, excluding US citizens based on their race.
Rebellion/overthrow/lynching, no problem.
We've been kissing the worst criminals' asses ever since before 1865. As long as they are not women, Jewish, or a member of a minority.
A recent example.
Jonathan Ross [ICE] shot and killed Renée Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old American woman.
Shot her in the face. Attempts to bring him to justice have failed miserably, while the US Gov't moves the bloodthirsty Gov't hitman around like the Catholic Church moves pedo-Priests, i.e., from parish to parish in a twisted shell game. Hide and Reek.
Trump pardoned a homicidal US Navy SEAL who slaughtered an Iraqi teen who was handcuffed.
Now the Administration has up and fired all 22 members of the National Science Board.
So, perversely, killers walk, but no member of the Science intelligentsia on the NSF board goes unpunished. . . . China, you've got a clear path, enjoy your century.
Go Fund Me has at least one page dedicated to raising money for Jonathan Ross, cold blooded murderer. This is supposed to be against their own rules. I complained and was ignored.
Thom, thank you so much for this. Much as I admire Barack Obama, I believe his failure to litigate the damage of the war mongers and banksters who preceded him leaves an indelible stain on his presidency. (His and Michell’s subsequent chumminess with Bush is salt in the wound). We’ve been relentlessly normalizing unaddressed corruption since Gerald Ford let Nixon walk, encouraging it to metastasize into what we face today. Contemporary corporate Democrats of the Schumer/Jeffries ilk are all too willing to stay that course. We reinforce the notion that corruption is merely business as usual at our fatal peril.
Soooo good!!! This nation rejected a king as a founding principle and yet here we are with a king. There's a great deal of complaining and name calling but little progress towards accountability. Democratic leaders just sit back while we, the base, are out crying for affordability and accountability.
Thanks again Thom, yes I'm all for accountability for trump, his cabinet and the rest of the high profile republicans who have aided and abetted his criminal presidency. However, we have to have free and fair midterms to gain majorities in both the house and senate. If only the house goes majority dems and not the senate - what's the point of impeaching him again if he won't be convicted by the senate? Hopefully he will die of natural causes or choke to death on a big mac. Another 2 years and 8 months of him and them would be a slow motion lobotomy.
The following is from the final draft (hopefully) of the piece I expect to post on my Substack newsletter within the next 24 hours, subject to further revision:
Our Democratic Party leadership has been far too willing to give concessions and has shown little willingness to move ahead with boldness and vigor. Some of our leaders have sold us out for personal advantage or to hold on to power. But could it be that the Democratic base has been MIA, withdrawn, or lacking a sense of vision or a fighting spirit?
Have we all compartmentalized our thoughts somehow to artificially separate politics, social complexities, economics, religion, philosophy, etc., into domains and divisions which are never distinctly separable and always parts of a comprehensive whole? If we the people have been too cozy with our counterparts and our own leaders or too satisfied with being treated like second-class citizens and not demanding more decisive action, maybe we are responsible for the retarded and inept responses on the part of most leaders.
Regrettably, in twelve years of school and four years of college, it was possible to avoid any serious study of Shakespeare and to barely become familiar enough to recall part of the line from Cassius where he said, “Men at some time are masters of their fates; and the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.”
The lesson to be learned from that, is that it is foolish to ever assume that we are forced to allow external factors to prevent us all from finding the will and the power to take proactive steps to have some agency in what happens in our future. Unfortunately, school for most of us has worked very effectively to rob us of the sense that we invariably have opportunities at various points, and more importantly, an obligation to act in ways which place some control over our “fates” to prevent someone like Caesar or Trump or Republican (or Democratic) leaders from getting and keeping us under their thumb.
The tentative title of my article is: Democrats, Liberals & Progressives, Must Fight for Fundamental Values Instead of Fighting Proxy Battles.
The subtitle is: The War for Democracy & Against Fascism Will be Won or Lost in Schools.
“We the people” are the problem, I’m afraid. Too many of us have been clinging to the superstitious mythology from our past and we are trained to place ourselves in the hands of external others with greater power and agency than ourselves, who we hope will take us where we need or wish to go. This is not purely accidental.
Sometimes, when you know how you could make a significant change, you have to ask, "Do I want to be a martyr?" And even if you are willing, you must ask, "Do I want to sacrifice my family, who may not have chosen this path?"
If the choice is becoming a martyr or shirking one's responsibility, we have already gone past a dangerous milestone. The point is that 'we the people' have not progressed and even most Democrats and liberal progressives have not been able to leave certain ideas, beliefs, and mythology behind, resulting in indecisiveness and inertia, as well as power and influence being wielded against us. When we are sure of what we believe and are willing to stand up for our values as a cohesive group, we are a bulwark against fascist and authoritarian elements. Our schools are designed to keep us from overcoming ignorance, fear, and hubris and we are programmed there and elsewhere for passivity, cynicism, and apathy. At the very least, we have to become active and do more than vote or to just be a "good" citizen.
Obviously, some progressive Democrats, Like Bernie, AOL, Warren or Newsom (and others) are willing to be those martyrs, but the majority Democratic centrists are not about to let that happen for fear that public support would not be there. It was there for FDR, and it would be there for Democratic progressives who are willing (and not afraid) to give the people what they want.
I do not disagree. However, betrayal, I would argue started very long ago and preceded our current leadership and a compromised corporate or social media. The 'we' you are talking about are the people who have no power because they have been led to accept the fact that they must rely on people with authority and influence. We betray ourselves when we are too busy or too timid or intimidated to call out the hypocrisy, pseudo-science, and pure idiocy of the people who bulldoze us with religiosity, self-righteousness, and privilege.
Thom's post surely reminds us of the character flaws in most US presidents. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," said Lord Acton.
But what does it say about a nation that keeps electing these egotistical politicians and tolerates their abuses of power? Americans rationalize their infatuation with national power. For example, we still brag that we won WWII. Yet, even a cursory analysis indicates that we came to the war late, profited greatly from it from Day 1, and all we did was create a 2nd front so the Russians could close in on Germany and wipe them out. We then decided to declare ourselves a superpower by nuking Japan into surrender. In so doing, we took over the Philippine Islands, Guam, and the Hawaiian Islands, eventually annexing Hawaii and Alaska. In that sense, we did win WWII. To the victor go the spoils.
Greed seems to motivate our nation's politics, not just our leaders. However, greedy as we all may be to some extent, it is only the super wealthy who actually get more. The majority of Americans are left with just wanting to have more. "Maybe next election, "we keep telling ourselves.
MAGA was not about making America great again; it was about conning voters into thinking they were finally gonna get their share of the spoils. Of course, as Reagan asserted, all voters ever get are the crumbs that trickle down from the oligarchs' orgies of excess. Nevertheless, we Americans still cling to the myth of our greatness as we re-don our white hats and thump our macho chests. Just you wait! - and wait, and wait...
It has succeeded. The only questions are how badly we are damaged and whether we can recover to attain anything like the stature we once had in the world. Faced with a rabid, mangy POS POTUS whose main goal in life seems to be marking everything as his "territory" by defacing as much as he can with his hideous name and likeness and the cowardice and cooptation of both Democrats and Republicans by the great god money, betting on anything else is a fool's choice. Brutal, I know. But we live in the worst era for this country in my 78 years, the worst since our Civil War. I don't think the good guys will win this time. The corruption, ignorance and bigotry are too wide and deep. I am utterly ashamed to be an American, and my first ancestors came here in 1620.
Roy,I think you are posting what so many of us feel. The cowardice of Democrats is obvious,the Repubicans have become the : Neo Nazi"party and their aim is to bring the country into a " White Christian Nation" and there seems to be an acceptance of that by so many apathetic americans. What will wake them up? I don't think the will wake up.
I agree that we are in a dark place. Just read from Mark Ellis that the fascist Supreme Court just destroyed the voting rights act today. I still feel that we must fight this destruction of our constitution. Stand and be counted among the truth sayers!
Support independent media! I reject Jeffries statement and Schumer lack of not pursuing every tool in democracy tool box to hold POTUS and his regime in check. It is their job. IMO crimes are piling up and the cover-up of Epstein Class Sex Crimes "the don" and "expectant widow" connections piling up. Why a bunker/ballroom? I say "requires an investigation" IMHO a place built where he can't be removed...gas lighting Tax payers. Hard to imagine FLOTUS wants it. There is no lack of evidence, everybody knows. Shout out Rep.Ro Khanna Roundtable for elevating the Epstein Survivors and advocates.
I disagree. On the surface he may seem to be winning, but the total history, the court cases which will ensue, the judgement of future courts and legislatures, these histories are yet to be written. He has taken no care to avoid being remembered as the most evil of men ever elected to high public office in the United States of America. The best platform the Democratic Party will be able to run on in 2028 will be restoration of the country.
Nelson,I agree but I think we need to do is remind everyone we meet what DEMS have done as noted by Thom yesterday and should be reminding people Dems are responsible for Medicare and Social Security without which people would not live as long.
Congress only you can stop King Trump. You have to take back your authority. If you do not want to use your Article I powers, you should not be in Congress. The Supreme Court’s Presidential Immunity ruling set up this power grab. Trump imposed unilateral tariffs, taxes on Americans, which took away Congress’s power of the purse. Yesterday he authorized the payments to TSA agents without an appropriation bill. He authorized his Justice Department to make settlement payments to General Flynn, and he is likely to have them settle and pay his Jan. 6th thugs.
But the most dangerous situation is Trump launching the US into a War with Iran without going to Congress. This is one thing the Founders made clear: Declaration of War was only by Congress not the President alone. They did not want the President to act like a King who would declare war to grab foreign territory because of a family feud. Now I think it is clear that Trump sold the use of the US military to the Gulf State Arabs and Israel to attack Iran.
This was not an imminent threat to the US, but Iran was a target of opportunity. The Administration set a trap for the Iranian leadership and they walked right into it. Mossad discovered the locations and time of the meetings that Iranian leadership were going to hold to discuss the US proposal. This was confirmed by US intel that it could be our only chance to kill the top leaders. The Gulf State Arabs provided the incentive to Trump, a pay off to his family.
I am totally opposed to a ground war because this is the only way Iran can win a better negotiated settlement by blooding US forces. It was the Gulf State Arabs and Israel who wanted this war. So they should have to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. Their forces should have to take the Iranian Islands in the Strait. The US can provide all the sea lift they need.
I have a way to test my hypothesis. If Gulf State Arabs and Israel refuse the mission to take these Iranian islands, then we have the proof that they hired the US military for this mission. We would only be taking on this mission because Trump was paid off. Congress needs to investigate the causes of this War. If the Republican Congress refuses to investigate, then every Republican has to be voted out to end the reign of King Trump.
In the American Revolution, King George hired 30,000 German Hessian troops to put down the American revolt. Trump has turned the US military into a mercenary army. As in the past, it was the King that collected payment and not the soldiers to fight wars. The Gulf State Arabs are now demanding America finish the job that they paid Trump. Voters, is it okay with you if Trump sold the use of the US Military to the Gulf State Arabs and Israel to attack Iran for his personal financial benefits?
Truman committed US troops under a UN authorized response to the surprise attack by North Korea on South Korea, sim liar to what Poppy Bush did in response to Saddam's surprise attack on Kuwait. Not comparable to the wars of aggression based on lies: Vietnam, Iraq 2, Iran.
It was today when I realized that the offal trail was worse than I thought. God help us all to wake up and set the autocrats back where they came from - and, oh, by the way, leave some of the loot your representatives and senators took on the side once the USSCt said it was OK in numerous rulings on politics and money. See you next No Kings session with the appropriate signage, I hope...
This idea that crimes committed in public office should just be allowed to slip by unpunished goes back to the country club nature of inside Washington. I am so done with the likes of Jeffries, Schumer, Johnson and Thune standing around with their hands in their pockets while presidents, justices, and cabinet officers routinely abuse and defecate on the law and the Constitution.
Well said, Jeffrey.
Jeffrey,great response.
The Civil War, the theft of Hawaii, and 100 years of Jim Crow pretty much proved that there are never consequences for the worst behavior, esp. treason toward the Homeland, stealing a 2nd/3rd world nation-state from a female. Or, excluding US citizens based on their race.
Rebellion/overthrow/lynching, no problem.
We've been kissing the worst criminals' asses ever since before 1865. As long as they are not women, Jewish, or a member of a minority.
A recent example.
Jonathan Ross [ICE] shot and killed Renée Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old American woman.
Shot her in the face. Attempts to bring him to justice have failed miserably, while the US Gov't moves the bloodthirsty Gov't hitman around like the Catholic Church moves pedo-Priests, i.e., from parish to parish in a twisted shell game. Hide and Reek.
Trump pardoned a homicidal US Navy SEAL who slaughtered an Iraqi teen who was handcuffed.
Now the Administration has up and fired all 22 members of the National Science Board.
So, perversely, killers walk, but no member of the Science intelligentsia on the NSF board goes unpunished. . . . China, you've got a clear path, enjoy your century.
#VOTE for intelligence. #Send Barron to Iran.
Go Fund Me has at least one page dedicated to raising money for Jonathan Ross, cold blooded murderer. This is supposed to be against their own rules. I complained and was ignored.
Thom, thank you so much for this. Much as I admire Barack Obama, I believe his failure to litigate the damage of the war mongers and banksters who preceded him leaves an indelible stain on his presidency. (His and Michell’s subsequent chumminess with Bush is salt in the wound). We’ve been relentlessly normalizing unaddressed corruption since Gerald Ford let Nixon walk, encouraging it to metastasize into what we face today. Contemporary corporate Democrats of the Schumer/Jeffries ilk are all too willing to stay that course. We reinforce the notion that corruption is merely business as usual at our fatal peril.
There's a good reason that many called him Martin Luther Obama. He talked a good talk but when it came time for action he let many things slide.
Soooo good!!! This nation rejected a king as a founding principle and yet here we are with a king. There's a great deal of complaining and name calling but little progress towards accountability. Democratic leaders just sit back while we, the base, are out crying for affordability and accountability.
Thanks again Thom, yes I'm all for accountability for trump, his cabinet and the rest of the high profile republicans who have aided and abetted his criminal presidency. However, we have to have free and fair midterms to gain majorities in both the house and senate. If only the house goes majority dems and not the senate - what's the point of impeaching him again if he won't be convicted by the senate? Hopefully he will die of natural causes or choke to death on a big mac. Another 2 years and 8 months of him and them would be a slow motion lobotomy.
The following is from the final draft (hopefully) of the piece I expect to post on my Substack newsletter within the next 24 hours, subject to further revision:
Our Democratic Party leadership has been far too willing to give concessions and has shown little willingness to move ahead with boldness and vigor. Some of our leaders have sold us out for personal advantage or to hold on to power. But could it be that the Democratic base has been MIA, withdrawn, or lacking a sense of vision or a fighting spirit?
Have we all compartmentalized our thoughts somehow to artificially separate politics, social complexities, economics, religion, philosophy, etc., into domains and divisions which are never distinctly separable and always parts of a comprehensive whole? If we the people have been too cozy with our counterparts and our own leaders or too satisfied with being treated like second-class citizens and not demanding more decisive action, maybe we are responsible for the retarded and inept responses on the part of most leaders.
Regrettably, in twelve years of school and four years of college, it was possible to avoid any serious study of Shakespeare and to barely become familiar enough to recall part of the line from Cassius where he said, “Men at some time are masters of their fates; and the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.”
The lesson to be learned from that, is that it is foolish to ever assume that we are forced to allow external factors to prevent us all from finding the will and the power to take proactive steps to have some agency in what happens in our future. Unfortunately, school for most of us has worked very effectively to rob us of the sense that we invariably have opportunities at various points, and more importantly, an obligation to act in ways which place some control over our “fates” to prevent someone like Caesar or Trump or Republican (or Democratic) leaders from getting and keeping us under their thumb.
The tentative title of my article is: Democrats, Liberals & Progressives, Must Fight for Fundamental Values Instead of Fighting Proxy Battles.
The subtitle is: The War for Democracy & Against Fascism Will be Won or Lost in Schools.
“We the people” are the problem, I’m afraid. Too many of us have been clinging to the superstitious mythology from our past and we are trained to place ourselves in the hands of external others with greater power and agency than ourselves, who we hope will take us where we need or wish to go. This is not purely accidental.
Sometimes, when you know how you could make a significant change, you have to ask, "Do I want to be a martyr?" And even if you are willing, you must ask, "Do I want to sacrifice my family, who may not have chosen this path?"
If the choice is becoming a martyr or shirking one's responsibility, we have already gone past a dangerous milestone. The point is that 'we the people' have not progressed and even most Democrats and liberal progressives have not been able to leave certain ideas, beliefs, and mythology behind, resulting in indecisiveness and inertia, as well as power and influence being wielded against us. When we are sure of what we believe and are willing to stand up for our values as a cohesive group, we are a bulwark against fascist and authoritarian elements. Our schools are designed to keep us from overcoming ignorance, fear, and hubris and we are programmed there and elsewhere for passivity, cynicism, and apathy. At the very least, we have to become active and do more than vote or to just be a "good" citizen.
Obviously, some progressive Democrats, Like Bernie, AOL, Warren or Newsom (and others) are willing to be those martyrs, but the majority Democratic centrists are not about to let that happen for fear that public support would not be there. It was there for FDR, and it would be there for Democratic progressives who are willing (and not afraid) to give the people what they want.
Between Democratic “leadership” and a corporate fourth estate, we’ve been betrayed nearly to death.
I do not disagree. However, betrayal, I would argue started very long ago and preceded our current leadership and a compromised corporate or social media. The 'we' you are talking about are the people who have no power because they have been led to accept the fact that they must rely on people with authority and influence. We betray ourselves when we are too busy or too timid or intimidated to call out the hypocrisy, pseudo-science, and pure idiocy of the people who bulldoze us with religiosity, self-righteousness, and privilege.
Excellent post today. Thank you. I just increased my subscription in support. It’s encouraging to read such clear, sane writing.
Make him accountable!
Thom's post surely reminds us of the character flaws in most US presidents. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," said Lord Acton.
But what does it say about a nation that keeps electing these egotistical politicians and tolerates their abuses of power? Americans rationalize their infatuation with national power. For example, we still brag that we won WWII. Yet, even a cursory analysis indicates that we came to the war late, profited greatly from it from Day 1, and all we did was create a 2nd front so the Russians could close in on Germany and wipe them out. We then decided to declare ourselves a superpower by nuking Japan into surrender. In so doing, we took over the Philippine Islands, Guam, and the Hawaiian Islands, eventually annexing Hawaii and Alaska. In that sense, we did win WWII. To the victor go the spoils.
Greed seems to motivate our nation's politics, not just our leaders. However, greedy as we all may be to some extent, it is only the super wealthy who actually get more. The majority of Americans are left with just wanting to have more. "Maybe next election, "we keep telling ourselves.
MAGA was not about making America great again; it was about conning voters into thinking they were finally gonna get their share of the spoils. Of course, as Reagan asserted, all voters ever get are the crumbs that trickle down from the oligarchs' orgies of excess. Nevertheless, we Americans still cling to the myth of our greatness as we re-don our white hats and thump our macho chests. Just you wait! - and wait, and wait...
It has succeeded. The only questions are how badly we are damaged and whether we can recover to attain anything like the stature we once had in the world. Faced with a rabid, mangy POS POTUS whose main goal in life seems to be marking everything as his "territory" by defacing as much as he can with his hideous name and likeness and the cowardice and cooptation of both Democrats and Republicans by the great god money, betting on anything else is a fool's choice. Brutal, I know. But we live in the worst era for this country in my 78 years, the worst since our Civil War. I don't think the good guys will win this time. The corruption, ignorance and bigotry are too wide and deep. I am utterly ashamed to be an American, and my first ancestors came here in 1620.
Roy,I think you are posting what so many of us feel. The cowardice of Democrats is obvious,the Repubicans have become the : Neo Nazi"party and their aim is to bring the country into a " White Christian Nation" and there seems to be an acceptance of that by so many apathetic americans. What will wake them up? I don't think the will wake up.
I agree that we are in a dark place. Just read from Mark Ellis that the fascist Supreme Court just destroyed the voting rights act today. I still feel that we must fight this destruction of our constitution. Stand and be counted among the truth sayers!
Support independent media! I reject Jeffries statement and Schumer lack of not pursuing every tool in democracy tool box to hold POTUS and his regime in check. It is their job. IMO crimes are piling up and the cover-up of Epstein Class Sex Crimes "the don" and "expectant widow" connections piling up. Why a bunker/ballroom? I say "requires an investigation" IMHO a place built where he can't be removed...gas lighting Tax payers. Hard to imagine FLOTUS wants it. There is no lack of evidence, everybody knows. Shout out Rep.Ro Khanna Roundtable for elevating the Epstein Survivors and advocates.
He's daring and double dog daring. And R are retiring rather than stand up and protect the country. Cowards.
I disagree. On the surface he may seem to be winning, but the total history, the court cases which will ensue, the judgement of future courts and legislatures, these histories are yet to be written. He has taken no care to avoid being remembered as the most evil of men ever elected to high public office in the United States of America. The best platform the Democratic Party will be able to run on in 2028 will be restoration of the country.
Nelson,I agree but I think we need to do is remind everyone we meet what DEMS have done as noted by Thom yesterday and should be reminding people Dems are responsible for Medicare and Social Security without which people would not live as long.
Congress Stop King Trump
Congress only you can stop King Trump. You have to take back your authority. If you do not want to use your Article I powers, you should not be in Congress. The Supreme Court’s Presidential Immunity ruling set up this power grab. Trump imposed unilateral tariffs, taxes on Americans, which took away Congress’s power of the purse. Yesterday he authorized the payments to TSA agents without an appropriation bill. He authorized his Justice Department to make settlement payments to General Flynn, and he is likely to have them settle and pay his Jan. 6th thugs.
But the most dangerous situation is Trump launching the US into a War with Iran without going to Congress. This is one thing the Founders made clear: Declaration of War was only by Congress not the President alone. They did not want the President to act like a King who would declare war to grab foreign territory because of a family feud. Now I think it is clear that Trump sold the use of the US military to the Gulf State Arabs and Israel to attack Iran.
This was not an imminent threat to the US, but Iran was a target of opportunity. The Administration set a trap for the Iranian leadership and they walked right into it. Mossad discovered the locations and time of the meetings that Iranian leadership were going to hold to discuss the US proposal. This was confirmed by US intel that it could be our only chance to kill the top leaders. The Gulf State Arabs provided the incentive to Trump, a pay off to his family.
I am totally opposed to a ground war because this is the only way Iran can win a better negotiated settlement by blooding US forces. It was the Gulf State Arabs and Israel who wanted this war. So they should have to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. Their forces should have to take the Iranian Islands in the Strait. The US can provide all the sea lift they need.
I have a way to test my hypothesis. If Gulf State Arabs and Israel refuse the mission to take these Iranian islands, then we have the proof that they hired the US military for this mission. We would only be taking on this mission because Trump was paid off. Congress needs to investigate the causes of this War. If the Republican Congress refuses to investigate, then every Republican has to be voted out to end the reign of King Trump.
In the American Revolution, King George hired 30,000 German Hessian troops to put down the American revolt. Trump has turned the US military into a mercenary army. As in the past, it was the King that collected payment and not the soldiers to fight wars. The Gulf State Arabs are now demanding America finish the job that they paid Trump. Voters, is it okay with you if Trump sold the use of the US Military to the Gulf State Arabs and Israel to attack Iran for his personal financial benefits?
Truman committed US troops under a UN authorized response to the surprise attack by North Korea on South Korea, sim liar to what Poppy Bush did in response to Saddam's surprise attack on Kuwait. Not comparable to the wars of aggression based on lies: Vietnam, Iraq 2, Iran.
It was today when I realized that the offal trail was worse than I thought. God help us all to wake up and set the autocrats back where they came from - and, oh, by the way, leave some of the loot your representatives and senators took on the side once the USSCt said it was OK in numerous rulings on politics and money. See you next No Kings session with the appropriate signage, I hope...