Mu brother was in Chile as a peace corps kid when the fallout of Kissingers slimy action was taking place. A disaster of course especially for the poor farmers he was sent to assist. Same with another peace corps brother when he was in Guatemala suffering from Reagan foreign policy which was never corrected.
We all hope our institutions and the majority of citizens who hate Trumpism and its cohorts are strong enough and aware enough to "not let it happen here" as my dear friend of decades ago warned me about dictatorships. He'd escaped from Stalin's gulag in the 1930's.....
Perhaps this is justice. There are too many of us, too complacent, too indifferent, and yes, too powerless. The great cull may lie ahead, nuclear or otherwise. But with regret and concern for our beloved grandson, I think we will go all too willingly into the abyss, or numbly so. Not many will exercise the Mangione option, in part because to do so admits that our system doesn’t work. Guess what, though? It no longer does. It has been thoroughly gamed by the morbidly rich. Having done the best to provide for our grandson, for very different reasons my wife and I yearn for the peace of the grave. I utterly loathe what this country and much of the world have become, and history shows that given a choice, our species takes the toxic alternative far more often than not. Dr. King’s arc is not bending favorably anymore. It is lying broken, unlikely ever to revive. Happy New Year indeed, Undeserving Satraps of America. We will not be celebrating.
Every so often, something reminds me of the horrifying feeling I had at the end of "The Sixth Sense" with Bruce Willis. He is a child psychologist with a child client who says, "I see dead people." The Willis character realizes at the film's end that he has been dead for a while. I remember the sensation but not all of the plot.
Thom's newsletter reminds me because I'm afraid we have already lost our democracy. In Noam Chomsky's speech of 13 years ago, the "Class War" speech, he discusses countries with a form of democracy with elections, such as the U.S., which doesn't really have democracy. Thom is correct that we need grassroots movements to reverse the oligarchy's power back to the people. We may need several movements that eventually unite. We must think of "class war" instead of "culture war."
Yes Ms. Maloney, as usual you are correct. "Culture war" is an intentional distraction which allows Democratic politicians to claim they are battling for the little people; all the while refusing to take on the wealthy donor class who supports them. It is no doubt noble-appearing to fight for the well being of disadvantaged minorities. But those minorities are only a fraction of all of us who are suffering. It is furthermore easy for the haters to use the tactic of divide and conquer as a response to "culture war." The reification of "cancel culture" proclaimed by the Right is a beautiful example.
Mr Shults, you sound much like Thomas Hobbs. I never have agreed with his universal claim that "the life of man is solitary, nasty, brutish and short." Things do currently look dark. I too fear for the future my children and grandchildren face. But I still believe in The Mahatma Gandhi and our own Martin Luther King Jr.
Hopefully we have plan, first Democrats have stop referring to Republicans as friends. They are out to destroy America, if we stand by to watch the corrupt take over of our Country, then maybe we deserve to have a dictatorship. They are coming for you too.
You echo my thoughts as a historian. All of this is coming. I expect that the militia groups will be deputized and given military style uniforms but not ones worn by any branch of the U.S. military. They will be Trump’s Brownshirts who staff the “detention” centers and private prisons. They will also be used to bolster Tom Homen’s border patrol but be used in U.S. cities and towns. Until the House funds them they will be paid from other Federal appropriations and by the oligarchs. It’s going to get very bad.
All the best and stay safe in the new year. As we say in the military that I served in, watch your six.
I was in Chile a month before the coup and got out fast. Things definitely were not normal as inflation had gone to the moon and everyone was extremely nervous and angry. (Actually when Allende was elected in 1970 I predicted that Nixon would kill him. None of the older generation I talked to believed it, saying that "America doesn't do that" when actually we had been for decades.)
But I do agree about how fast things can change. It is entirely possible that the January 6th Beer Hall Putsch will be touted as a heroic stand for democracy. After all, history is written by the victors of the moment. I keep thinking about that line in the excellent book you recommended Thom, "They Thought They Were Free". The German who saw what was happening in the Third Reich said something like, "Nothing had changed but everything was different". The trappings of the nation remained but it no longer was the country he had known. And almost everybody pretended not to notice.
Constitutional scholars agree. In spite of the ruling in Trump v. Anderson, Donald Trump remains Constitutionally disqualified from holding office.
“The upshot is that Donald Trump remains constitutionally disqualified from the presidency and may not lawfully serve in that office or any other unless Congress removes the disqualification by two-thirds majorities of both houses. Nothing in Trump v. Anderson changes that legal reality.”
William Baude and Michael Paulsen, Harvard Law Review, Sweeping Section Three under the Rug: A Comment on Trump v. Anderson
As usual Mr. Solomon, you go right to the legal heart of the matter for those of us who are not versed in law. I thank you for that and I hold unto the hope that we are still a nation governed by laws and not personalities. Could you please tell us once again the name of the young woman who started the "14th NOW"movement.
No need to look for the reason Trump is doing this. No need to figure out what Putin "has on him"---it is the EVIDENCE that they colluded to do this.
Putin has the tape recordings of their meetings and phone calls. He has the documents Trump either stole or copied for him. It's proof of treason beyond all doubt.
Trump will do as he is told, all while trying to make it look like it is the other way around.
Putin will spend the next four years deciding our fate. He will spend the next four years pondering if it is more DESTRUCTIVE if we are not shown his proof or if he can DESTROY US by revealing it.
The only ones who thought this last election was a "normal fight" were the media, in particular, the main stream media. If the MSM had done its job, and reported honestly about the candidates, instead of normalizing Trump's craziness and vilifying everything about Harris, Trump would not have been elected. Makes me wonder how in-the-pocket they are with Trump and his planned oligarchy.
Likely, yes. Take a look at Malcolm Gladwell's recent book "Revenge of the Tipping Point" especially Chapters 7 and 8 about how "overstories" appear suddenly. We are likely at such a tipping point and it is likely that no one in D.C. can see it just as almost no one was tuned into the pending collapse of the USSR in 1990.
It can be either a great time to start new nations rooted in democracy or a dystopian future of a Handmaiden's tale. Readers of this Substack likely prefer the former not the latter.
Mr. Gilbert, your comparison with the downfall of USSR is something I have been thinking about for a few years. There are numerous economic and political similarities between the USSR and the USA.
Where is Antifa when we need them? Why are armed militia always right wing extremists? At some point, sane people must defend themselves against real violence from the nutcases. Just saying...
Mr. Hartmann, I do not disagree with your metaphor of a sudden explosion after a gradual build up of pressure. However, I think you left out an important part of the story. The Republican's accomplices: The Democratic Party.
Beginning with the recently deceased Carter; the Democratic Party turned itself into "Neoliberals" who sold out their natural, historical constituency., working people. Reagan was only building on the process begun by "The Great Deregulator," Jimmy Carter. Then came that Great Phony Bill Clinton [the KryptoDemocrat] who expanded voluminously on Reagan. Then the feckless do-nothing Obama who went back on his campaign promise of a "public option" for health care. The democratic party continued for decades to nominate extremely conservative presidential candidates and conservative congressmen and senators to support these essentially right wing politicians, who called themselves Democrats. The Party continued this process right up to the most recent nullity Kamala Harris. The wealthy Nancy Pelosi is still doing her best to undermine the brilliant, courageous young Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. The Party is still ignoring Bernie Sanders. The real Democrats, the Progressives, are ignored and silenced by their own party.
You have done a great job of describing half the problem.
Thank you for the progression preview. Scary stuff….but instead of laying out how we will be overcome, how about some thoughts on just what actions “We, the People” might consider that could possibly lead to a stifling of this apparent progression towards the end of our experiment!?
Everyone expects Drump's incoming to be a non event. No doubt that photo's of different events of the past will be used to inform the public that the start to cover up the fact of low attendance. As to actions the boy will use the media to create nonsense but what that causes is more wave than bite. At least most expect that but what else the boy intends is not all that hard to figure. Expect events in March and before & after July when incompetent Drump authorities walk out due to lightworkers taking over positions of power.
The America I knew most of my life is already dead, has been terminal, but faking it, since the mid 70s. rRump is just a symptom of a more debilitating disease. People are clinging to any ray of hope they can find, but it is futile.
I hope you are wrong but I greatly fear not. And now Canada is in his sights too. It is hard to be positive about anything, other than I am positive there will not be an election in 2026
Mu brother was in Chile as a peace corps kid when the fallout of Kissingers slimy action was taking place. A disaster of course especially for the poor farmers he was sent to assist. Same with another peace corps brother when he was in Guatemala suffering from Reagan foreign policy which was never corrected.
We all hope our institutions and the majority of citizens who hate Trumpism and its cohorts are strong enough and aware enough to "not let it happen here" as my dear friend of decades ago warned me about dictatorships. He'd escaped from Stalin's gulag in the 1930's.....
Perhaps this is justice. There are too many of us, too complacent, too indifferent, and yes, too powerless. The great cull may lie ahead, nuclear or otherwise. But with regret and concern for our beloved grandson, I think we will go all too willingly into the abyss, or numbly so. Not many will exercise the Mangione option, in part because to do so admits that our system doesn’t work. Guess what, though? It no longer does. It has been thoroughly gamed by the morbidly rich. Having done the best to provide for our grandson, for very different reasons my wife and I yearn for the peace of the grave. I utterly loathe what this country and much of the world have become, and history shows that given a choice, our species takes the toxic alternative far more often than not. Dr. King’s arc is not bending favorably anymore. It is lying broken, unlikely ever to revive. Happy New Year indeed, Undeserving Satraps of America. We will not be celebrating.
Every so often, something reminds me of the horrifying feeling I had at the end of "The Sixth Sense" with Bruce Willis. He is a child psychologist with a child client who says, "I see dead people." The Willis character realizes at the film's end that he has been dead for a while. I remember the sensation but not all of the plot.
Thom's newsletter reminds me because I'm afraid we have already lost our democracy. In Noam Chomsky's speech of 13 years ago, the "Class War" speech, he discusses countries with a form of democracy with elections, such as the U.S., which doesn't really have democracy. Thom is correct that we need grassroots movements to reverse the oligarchy's power back to the people. We may need several movements that eventually unite. We must think of "class war" instead of "culture war."
Yes Ms. Maloney, as usual you are correct. "Culture war" is an intentional distraction which allows Democratic politicians to claim they are battling for the little people; all the while refusing to take on the wealthy donor class who supports them. It is no doubt noble-appearing to fight for the well being of disadvantaged minorities. But those minorities are only a fraction of all of us who are suffering. It is furthermore easy for the haters to use the tactic of divide and conquer as a response to "culture war." The reification of "cancel culture" proclaimed by the Right is a beautiful example.
Try Canada. Not being sarcastic.
What is truly mind boggling is WHY people are allowing Trump anywhere near the White House.
Given that everyone knows what he is and that the election was probably tampered with WHY would people just go ahead because someone said he "won."
Pretending a democratic election is madness.
He should have never be allowed to stay on the ballot. Watching Republicans set this up for years is truly insane.
The reality is VP Harris should have contested the results.
Why are people so anxious to obey in advance?
The President of the United States does not
(should not) come with license to any damn thing they want. Take care, and go somewhere somewhere else if you can.💕
😡😠🗽🇺🇲🇺🇦
Mr Shults, you sound much like Thomas Hobbs. I never have agreed with his universal claim that "the life of man is solitary, nasty, brutish and short." Things do currently look dark. I too fear for the future my children and grandchildren face. But I still believe in The Mahatma Gandhi and our own Martin Luther King Jr.
Hopefully we have plan, first Democrats have stop referring to Republicans as friends. They are out to destroy America, if we stand by to watch the corrupt take over of our Country, then maybe we deserve to have a dictatorship. They are coming for you too.
Thom,
You echo my thoughts as a historian. All of this is coming. I expect that the militia groups will be deputized and given military style uniforms but not ones worn by any branch of the U.S. military. They will be Trump’s Brownshirts who staff the “detention” centers and private prisons. They will also be used to bolster Tom Homen’s border patrol but be used in U.S. cities and towns. Until the House funds them they will be paid from other Federal appropriations and by the oligarchs. It’s going to get very bad.
All the best and stay safe in the new year. As we say in the military that I served in, watch your six.
Peace
Steve Dundas
I was in Chile a month before the coup and got out fast. Things definitely were not normal as inflation had gone to the moon and everyone was extremely nervous and angry. (Actually when Allende was elected in 1970 I predicted that Nixon would kill him. None of the older generation I talked to believed it, saying that "America doesn't do that" when actually we had been for decades.)
But I do agree about how fast things can change. It is entirely possible that the January 6th Beer Hall Putsch will be touted as a heroic stand for democracy. After all, history is written by the victors of the moment. I keep thinking about that line in the excellent book you recommended Thom, "They Thought They Were Free". The German who saw what was happening in the Third Reich said something like, "Nothing had changed but everything was different". The trappings of the nation remained but it no longer was the country he had known. And almost everybody pretended not to notice.
Based on Thom’s recommendation, I got that book. We are so there already.
Once Trump is inaugurated, he can take over. https://truthout.org/articles/trump-is-using-unitary-executive-theory-in-his-bid-to-amass-supreme-power/
Dictator on day 1 unless we stand up.
January 3-5, Washington, D.C. Details coming soon
https://nowmarch.org/join-the-movement/ts the burden
https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/5055171-constitution-insurrection-trump-disqualification/
Constitutional scholars agree. In spite of the ruling in Trump v. Anderson, Donald Trump remains Constitutionally disqualified from holding office.
“The upshot is that Donald Trump remains constitutionally disqualified from the presidency and may not lawfully serve in that office or any other unless Congress removes the disqualification by two-thirds majorities of both houses. Nothing in Trump v. Anderson changes that legal reality.”
William Baude and Michael Paulsen, Harvard Law Review, Sweeping Section Three under the Rug: A Comment on Trump v. Anderson
As usual Mr. Solomon, you go right to the legal heart of the matter for those of us who are not versed in law. I thank you for that and I hold unto the hope that we are still a nation governed by laws and not personalities. Could you please tell us once again the name of the young woman who started the "14th NOW"movement.
Jessica Denson. Many famous lawyers and ex 4th Cir Judge Michael Luttig have been advocating it. https://www.youtube.com/@JessicaDenson07
PUTIN!
No need to look for the reason Trump is doing this. No need to figure out what Putin "has on him"---it is the EVIDENCE that they colluded to do this.
Putin has the tape recordings of their meetings and phone calls. He has the documents Trump either stole or copied for him. It's proof of treason beyond all doubt.
Trump will do as he is told, all while trying to make it look like it is the other way around.
Putin will spend the next four years deciding our fate. He will spend the next four years pondering if it is more DESTRUCTIVE if we are not shown his proof or if he can DESTROY US by revealing it.
There is your all of a sudden moment!
The good news? Trump is a real simp, a "big dummy," a fortune hunter.
One who's semi-puppeteered by his mob Godfather, the Russian — Vladdie P.
The bad news? DJT is surrounded by smart, sinister William Casey / Ollie North types.
I think that Joe, Obama, Holder and the Ds thought that Nov 5, '24 was a normal fight.
Little did they know there was a shapeshifter, a traitor, Trump's ace-in-the-hole in the DOJ . . . Garland.
The only ones who thought this last election was a "normal fight" were the media, in particular, the main stream media. If the MSM had done its job, and reported honestly about the candidates, instead of normalizing Trump's craziness and vilifying everything about Harris, Trump would not have been elected. Makes me wonder how in-the-pocket they are with Trump and his planned oligarchy.
Likely, yes. Take a look at Malcolm Gladwell's recent book "Revenge of the Tipping Point" especially Chapters 7 and 8 about how "overstories" appear suddenly. We are likely at such a tipping point and it is likely that no one in D.C. can see it just as almost no one was tuned into the pending collapse of the USSR in 1990.
It can be either a great time to start new nations rooted in democracy or a dystopian future of a Handmaiden's tale. Readers of this Substack likely prefer the former not the latter.
Perhaps the speech writers for 47 should take a look at the text of Gorbi's speech on Christmas Day in 1991. https://youtu.be/WnIRTbmKdrU?si=wZilBv68K5NnoS3C Ghosts of Christmas past?
Lots of opportunity in Greenland.
Mr. Gilbert, your comparison with the downfall of USSR is something I have been thinking about for a few years. There are numerous economic and political similarities between the USSR and the USA.
Where is Antifa when we need them? Why are armed militia always right wing extremists? At some point, sane people must defend themselves against real violence from the nutcases. Just saying...
Antifa is everywhere, but spread thin and not able to do everything you might want. Where are you?
Deep red Appalachia - western North Carolina.
Maybe this can help. I'm not sure.
https://socialistra.org/chapters/
thanks, I'll look into it.
Mr. Hartmann, I do not disagree with your metaphor of a sudden explosion after a gradual build up of pressure. However, I think you left out an important part of the story. The Republican's accomplices: The Democratic Party.
Beginning with the recently deceased Carter; the Democratic Party turned itself into "Neoliberals" who sold out their natural, historical constituency., working people. Reagan was only building on the process begun by "The Great Deregulator," Jimmy Carter. Then came that Great Phony Bill Clinton [the KryptoDemocrat] who expanded voluminously on Reagan. Then the feckless do-nothing Obama who went back on his campaign promise of a "public option" for health care. The democratic party continued for decades to nominate extremely conservative presidential candidates and conservative congressmen and senators to support these essentially right wing politicians, who called themselves Democrats. The Party continued this process right up to the most recent nullity Kamala Harris. The wealthy Nancy Pelosi is still doing her best to undermine the brilliant, courageous young Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. The Party is still ignoring Bernie Sanders. The real Democrats, the Progressives, are ignored and silenced by their own party.
You have done a great job of describing half the problem.
Thank you for the progression preview. Scary stuff….but instead of laying out how we will be overcome, how about some thoughts on just what actions “We, the People” might consider that could possibly lead to a stifling of this apparent progression towards the end of our experiment!?
I personally refuse to surrender in advance…..
Everyone expects Drump's incoming to be a non event. No doubt that photo's of different events of the past will be used to inform the public that the start to cover up the fact of low attendance. As to actions the boy will use the media to create nonsense but what that causes is more wave than bite. At least most expect that but what else the boy intends is not all that hard to figure. Expect events in March and before & after July when incompetent Drump authorities walk out due to lightworkers taking over positions of power.
The America I knew most of my life is already dead, has been terminal, but faking it, since the mid 70s. rRump is just a symptom of a more debilitating disease. People are clinging to any ray of hope they can find, but it is futile.
I hope you are wrong but I greatly fear not. And now Canada is in his sights too. It is hard to be positive about anything, other than I am positive there will not be an election in 2026
again I lived this in Brazil but till now had no idea which faction helped.....I thought it was ALL AMERIANS!
Also very few know Carter's role in helping Latin America back to Democracy!!!
How can we help spreading this article?
Sonia Obermeyer Imaizumi
Thanks Peggy.....
However I afraid we are doomed!!!!!read Roy's below....agree!!!!!
Suddenly happened on Nov 5, 2024 - the realization has not yet occurred.