Great article. The last three months have been brutal, when you have election deniers heading the FBI and DOJ - on top of the other incompetent cabinet secretaries - it's going to be a LONG, PAINFUL process to get through this. Obviously, the country we love is in crisis, I hope we have the wherewithal to keep up the resistance and will eventually rid the country of the MAGA cancer.
Kudos to the Big Ten for taking a preemptive stand against what is coming down the road.
There are more and more signs of hope every day. People who voted for the felon for the economy are learning that he didn’t have any idea of how to build on the already strong economy that was left by the Biden administration. He believes that he knows better than anyone, and he won’t listen to those with experience.
The protests against him are growing, and soon will reach the 3.5% of the population that it takes to effect change.
What's most sobering and scary to me is that all this capitulation, including SCOTUS's presidential immunity ruling, has happened in the context of the WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY. Sorry for shouting, but we the people need to pay serious attention to this.
We need to pay serious attention to the fact that this was set in motion before Trump came along. We could go back to the Lewis Powell memo of 1971, which wasn't made public till decades later, but more recently: Chief Justice Roberts was appointed to SCOTUS in 2005, Justice Alito in 2006. The Citizens United decision came down in 2010. Mitch McConnell and the Federalist Society orchestrated the appointment of Justices Gorsuch (2017), Kavanaugh (2018), and Barrett (2020).
We also need to pay serious attention to the fact that the Republican Party has been going off the democratic rails for decades, at least since the rise of Newt Gingrich and IMO since the Reagan administration. Most of the upper-level Democrats haven't taken this seriously enough, and they've often trashed those who did take it seriously as "far left."
And we need to pay serious attention to the rise of the white right, religious and otherwise, which is not unrelated to all of the above. Are we the people up to it? Do we have the courage to look our own collective past in the eye? We shall see, won't we.
@Susanna - I see polls showing approval down incl registered GOP voters on some issues. There seem to be many more “true believers” whose information still comes from Fox & the WH crowd. Are there that many paying no attention to the attempted dismantlement of all most of us need like schools with comprehensive education? healthcare? govt agencies like the IRS & Social Security? Is it possible to avoid all news?
I see those polls too, but most of them indicate an appalling percentage who continue to approve of Trump. That percentage should be in single digits. Instead it's in the low 40s or, at best, high 30s. A serious attack on Social Security benefits will probably (I hope) knock it down further, but my #1 point is that IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GET THAT BAD. In a sane country it would be in single digits already.
This is your best post. Hard hitting, succinct and to the point. We have arrived at the end of democracy. It is now on us to stop the tyranny and restore our nation.
I am so discouraged at the numbness of people in the public square, even though I attended a protest that attested to a full-throated opposition to Trump’s abuse of power in every sector. His ill-conceived cabinet and department heads have sabotaged every principle we know to be right and true as enshrined in the Constitution. He has sworn to protect this precious document, but is shredding it with every Executive Order, an impeachable offense. He has placed a crowbar in every legal principle and opening in order to slither in and destroy our individual freedoms and rights. He is the proverbial tarantula wasp, laying eggs of terror and tyranny in the powerful body of United States of America, a body that seeks only to have its rightful place in the web of the international community of friends and allies.
What is needed now is ongoing, fearless and CEASELESS opposition…not the occasional protest, although I find solidarity and solace in those. We need EVERYONE to speak out and speak out and speak out. Now is not the time for a dissidence of convenience. It’s time for all the time, every day, water cooler insurgency. Somebody better sound the alarm for all Americans NOW, before as the recent Appeals Court judge implied, it’s too late. What other warning do we need?
What, @Ellen, is it that isn’t done or is it that MAGA voters aren’t speaking out? In my professional sphere, there is public silence even tho the acts done are harming my industry. As Lisa Murkowski was quoted - they are in fear. How does one help protect those who fear to speak up?
Joan, there is safety in numbers. I have said from the beginning of this, when Republicans began to support the MAGA lies, that all they had to do was to hold hands and jump together from a platform of lies into the truth that is waiting to receive and support them. I will never understand why they did not do that. Instead, they let themselves be picked off, one by one.
Yes. Mitt Romney was one of the greatest surprises. He crawled into a shell (or cave) saying fear for his family was his concern and why he’d not speak up and out.
Will those who, for re-election reasons say they’ll oppose the budget if Medicaid is cut, do so AND band together?
What is the future you want to live in? If it’s not out of Orwell, there is no choice but to stand up, speak up, and act up against these illegal and immoral activities.
How do these people not know how to deal with bullies? Bullies are weak and insecure, so if you are afraid of them, what does that make you? Even weaker and more insecure than the bully!
I'm female, short, and was the first kid in my elementary school class to get glasses and classic, all-metal braces. Some kids would try to bully me, but they only tried once, and it stopped pretty darn fast, altogether. I wouldn't tolerate bullying then, and I won't tolerate it now.
Kudos to the Big Ten. Meanwhile, the SEC doesn't even have an academic alliance, because all these pea brains are interested in is winning a "Natty," a national championship in college football. Georgia's universities are sitting quietly in the bushes, hoping no one finds them....even though international students have had their visas revoked and NSF money has vanished from some grants. Hiding and acquiescing has never stopped a bully from extortion.
And now the Felon-in-Chief’s sycophantic mouthpiece, Little Marco, signals that Ukraine may have to go it alone - or at least without the U.S. So much for “ending the war on Day One.” We learn also that the Supremes will hear the Marmalade Mussolini’s case for ending birthright citizenship. Can we find an attorney with Supreme Court privileges to initiate a rehearing of their Presidential Immunity declaration? I know that I live in a country that doesn’t do military coups or overthrows elected governments. But it should be abundantly clear to most Americans that Trump must be removed NOW. And I don’t care how it happens.
We have a protest on Saturday. Nonviolent. Take deep breaths, but be loud. Remember President Eisenhower was a patriot and demonstrably supported the Supreme Court’s order Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (May 17, 1954). I covered what he did in Little Rock, AR, in my post below. Eisenhower ordered the elite 101st Airborne to restore order. The picture of those troop driving from Fort Campbell in the dark of night sticks in my mind. Regular Army troops activated to restore order is a rare occurrence. We should not forget why: the cause of anti-racism. The racism that prevailed in my youth is disgusting to me, and has been not only unleashed, but also promoted by a lawless administration. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/forking-roads?r=3m1bs
Here is one more thought bouncing around in my head : What confuses me is the entire administration's attack on Vets & active Soldiers. Doesn't he want an army to strong arm his lies and take over? He's loosing them left and right. No women in the army? No funding for proper housing? And Vets he's letting just die?...My dear friend is a doctor here at the VA hospital. He was given orders yesterday to list all of Harvard's support in his research and to remove any DEI hires... what a travesty ... I guess on the bright side dump & muck , I hope , are loosing support
Fight on and relish every refusal to kowtow or submit to the insanity of the bully. A lesson for every American and any person who is adversely impacted by this craziness. Thank you, Steven for your powerful words and wisdom.
Though some have said that forestalling a Constitutional crisis for as long as possible was in the best interest of maintaining our democracy, I've felt from the beginning that the only way to reveal the magnitude of the danger was to have that crisis occur sooner rather than later, and in full public view. Tariffs are overly abstract and opaque, but the kidnapping and exile of Kilmar Ábrego García, and the other kidnappings and visa revocations, are vivid and transparent. They clearly manifest violations of our constitutional democracy, followed by the all-important Executive branch defiance of multiple Court orders. I think the protest tomorrow will be double the size of April 5th. If we can double that one more time, we've more than reached the 3.5% critical mass. Let's go.
It is an excellent time to ratchet up vocal dissent. “Democracy” was “abstract” to many during the campaign. Now people are seeing the danger for themselves. He helped it along by openly asking Bukele to build (5) facilities to hold American citizens.
From Forbes: [April 14th] Trump received his worst approval rating of six issues the poll asked about on inflation (33%), followed by trade (36%), civil rights (36%), jobs (38%), foreign affairs (39%) and immigration (50%).
This reflects more understanding of tariffs. As they get less ‘abstract and opaque’ vendors are sending out notices they will be raising prices. The market has lost 10% since he took office. Consumers are not optimistic. There is an economic cost to the cruelty and attacks on democracy. Neither tourists nor companies want to come here.
Steve, this is an exceptionally crisp, clear, and brilliant statement. You are describing his sadism and the malignant narcissism that grows and grows and grows until somebody stops him. Every word you wrote was crucial to be written. If you have time, you might want to read Erich Fromm’s “The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness.“ It’s an old book, but one that has stuck with me since I first read it 30 years ago.
Those who kneel to Trump will next have their faces smashed into the ground by him. They will also live in infamy when future generations remember the other institutions and people who stood up and pushed back and saved democracy.
Great post, Steven. Thank you for your words in this harrowing time. It’s shit out there, but your presence and contributions to keeping us sane are appreciated.
Great article. The last three months have been brutal, when you have election deniers heading the FBI and DOJ - on top of the other incompetent cabinet secretaries - it's going to be a LONG, PAINFUL process to get through this. Obviously, the country we love is in crisis, I hope we have the wherewithal to keep up the resistance and will eventually rid the country of the MAGA cancer.
Kudos to the Big Ten for taking a preemptive stand against what is coming down the road.
There are more and more signs of hope every day. People who voted for the felon for the economy are learning that he didn’t have any idea of how to build on the already strong economy that was left by the Biden administration. He believes that he knows better than anyone, and he won’t listen to those with experience.
The protests against him are growing, and soon will reach the 3.5% of the population that it takes to effect change.
The greatest thing was the town hall with Chuck Grassly. When people in Iowa are shouting about "that guy in El Salvador," change is a-comin'.
I find 3.5% hopeful.
What's most sobering and scary to me is that all this capitulation, including SCOTUS's presidential immunity ruling, has happened in the context of the WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY. Sorry for shouting, but we the people need to pay serious attention to this.
We need to pay serious attention to the fact that this was set in motion before Trump came along. We could go back to the Lewis Powell memo of 1971, which wasn't made public till decades later, but more recently: Chief Justice Roberts was appointed to SCOTUS in 2005, Justice Alito in 2006. The Citizens United decision came down in 2010. Mitch McConnell and the Federalist Society orchestrated the appointment of Justices Gorsuch (2017), Kavanaugh (2018), and Barrett (2020).
We also need to pay serious attention to the fact that the Republican Party has been going off the democratic rails for decades, at least since the rise of Newt Gingrich and IMO since the Reagan administration. Most of the upper-level Democrats haven't taken this seriously enough, and they've often trashed those who did take it seriously as "far left."
And we need to pay serious attention to the rise of the white right, religious and otherwise, which is not unrelated to all of the above. Are we the people up to it? Do we have the courage to look our own collective past in the eye? We shall see, won't we.
A good book is "The Violent Take it by Force," by Matthew Taylor. Don't read it in the evening or you won't sleep.
@Susanna - I see polls showing approval down incl registered GOP voters on some issues. There seem to be many more “true believers” whose information still comes from Fox & the WH crowd. Are there that many paying no attention to the attempted dismantlement of all most of us need like schools with comprehensive education? healthcare? govt agencies like the IRS & Social Security? Is it possible to avoid all news?
I see those polls too, but most of them indicate an appalling percentage who continue to approve of Trump. That percentage should be in single digits. Instead it's in the low 40s or, at best, high 30s. A serious attack on Social Security benefits will probably (I hope) knock it down further, but my #1 point is that IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GET THAT BAD. In a sane country it would be in single digits already.
This is your best post. Hard hitting, succinct and to the point. We have arrived at the end of democracy. It is now on us to stop the tyranny and restore our nation.
I am so discouraged at the numbness of people in the public square, even though I attended a protest that attested to a full-throated opposition to Trump’s abuse of power in every sector. His ill-conceived cabinet and department heads have sabotaged every principle we know to be right and true as enshrined in the Constitution. He has sworn to protect this precious document, but is shredding it with every Executive Order, an impeachable offense. He has placed a crowbar in every legal principle and opening in order to slither in and destroy our individual freedoms and rights. He is the proverbial tarantula wasp, laying eggs of terror and tyranny in the powerful body of United States of America, a body that seeks only to have its rightful place in the web of the international community of friends and allies.
What is needed now is ongoing, fearless and CEASELESS opposition…not the occasional protest, although I find solidarity and solace in those. We need EVERYONE to speak out and speak out and speak out. Now is not the time for a dissidence of convenience. It’s time for all the time, every day, water cooler insurgency. Somebody better sound the alarm for all Americans NOW, before as the recent Appeals Court judge implied, it’s too late. What other warning do we need?
What, @Ellen, is it that isn’t done or is it that MAGA voters aren’t speaking out? In my professional sphere, there is public silence even tho the acts done are harming my industry. As Lisa Murkowski was quoted - they are in fear. How does one help protect those who fear to speak up?
Joan, there is safety in numbers. I have said from the beginning of this, when Republicans began to support the MAGA lies, that all they had to do was to hold hands and jump together from a platform of lies into the truth that is waiting to receive and support them. I will never understand why they did not do that. Instead, they let themselves be picked off, one by one.
Thank you, Ellen.
Yes. Mitt Romney was one of the greatest surprises. He crawled into a shell (or cave) saying fear for his family was his concern and why he’d not speak up and out.
Will those who, for re-election reasons say they’ll oppose the budget if Medicaid is cut, do so AND band together?
I observe in fascination & wonder.
What is the future you want to live in? If it’s not out of Orwell, there is no choice but to stand up, speak up, and act up against these illegal and immoral activities.
Let’s rise: https://open.substack.com/pub/albellenchia/p/all-rise?r=7wk5d&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
How do these people not know how to deal with bullies? Bullies are weak and insecure, so if you are afraid of them, what does that make you? Even weaker and more insecure than the bully!
I'm female, short, and was the first kid in my elementary school class to get glasses and classic, all-metal braces. Some kids would try to bully me, but they only tried once, and it stopped pretty darn fast, altogether. I wouldn't tolerate bullying then, and I won't tolerate it now.
There is one difference. Elementary school bullies don’t have the cloak of immunity.
Kudos to the Big Ten. Meanwhile, the SEC doesn't even have an academic alliance, because all these pea brains are interested in is winning a "Natty," a national championship in college football. Georgia's universities are sitting quietly in the bushes, hoping no one finds them....even though international students have had their visas revoked and NSF money has vanished from some grants. Hiding and acquiescing has never stopped a bully from extortion.
And now the Felon-in-Chief’s sycophantic mouthpiece, Little Marco, signals that Ukraine may have to go it alone - or at least without the U.S. So much for “ending the war on Day One.” We learn also that the Supremes will hear the Marmalade Mussolini’s case for ending birthright citizenship. Can we find an attorney with Supreme Court privileges to initiate a rehearing of their Presidential Immunity declaration? I know that I live in a country that doesn’t do military coups or overthrows elected governments. But it should be abundantly clear to most Americans that Trump must be removed NOW. And I don’t care how it happens.
We have a protest on Saturday. Nonviolent. Take deep breaths, but be loud. Remember President Eisenhower was a patriot and demonstrably supported the Supreme Court’s order Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (May 17, 1954). I covered what he did in Little Rock, AR, in my post below. Eisenhower ordered the elite 101st Airborne to restore order. The picture of those troop driving from Fort Campbell in the dark of night sticks in my mind. Regular Army troops activated to restore order is a rare occurrence. We should not forget why: the cause of anti-racism. The racism that prevailed in my youth is disgusting to me, and has been not only unleashed, but also promoted by a lawless administration. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/forking-roads?r=3m1bs
Here is one more thought bouncing around in my head : What confuses me is the entire administration's attack on Vets & active Soldiers. Doesn't he want an army to strong arm his lies and take over? He's loosing them left and right. No women in the army? No funding for proper housing? And Vets he's letting just die?...My dear friend is a doctor here at the VA hospital. He was given orders yesterday to list all of Harvard's support in his research and to remove any DEI hires... what a travesty ... I guess on the bright side dump & muck , I hope , are loosing support
Fight on and relish every refusal to kowtow or submit to the insanity of the bully. A lesson for every American and any person who is adversely impacted by this craziness. Thank you, Steven for your powerful words and wisdom.
Though some have said that forestalling a Constitutional crisis for as long as possible was in the best interest of maintaining our democracy, I've felt from the beginning that the only way to reveal the magnitude of the danger was to have that crisis occur sooner rather than later, and in full public view. Tariffs are overly abstract and opaque, but the kidnapping and exile of Kilmar Ábrego García, and the other kidnappings and visa revocations, are vivid and transparent. They clearly manifest violations of our constitutional democracy, followed by the all-important Executive branch defiance of multiple Court orders. I think the protest tomorrow will be double the size of April 5th. If we can double that one more time, we've more than reached the 3.5% critical mass. Let's go.
Time for a change in the leadership of the Senate, Mr. Schumer. Also, James Carville, please go way.
It is an excellent time to ratchet up vocal dissent. “Democracy” was “abstract” to many during the campaign. Now people are seeing the danger for themselves. He helped it along by openly asking Bukele to build (5) facilities to hold American citizens.
From Forbes: [April 14th] Trump received his worst approval rating of six issues the poll asked about on inflation (33%), followed by trade (36%), civil rights (36%), jobs (38%), foreign affairs (39%) and immigration (50%).
This reflects more understanding of tariffs. As they get less ‘abstract and opaque’ vendors are sending out notices they will be raising prices. The market has lost 10% since he took office. Consumers are not optimistic. There is an economic cost to the cruelty and attacks on democracy. Neither tourists nor companies want to come here.
Steve, this is an exceptionally crisp, clear, and brilliant statement. You are describing his sadism and the malignant narcissism that grows and grows and grows until somebody stops him. Every word you wrote was crucial to be written. If you have time, you might want to read Erich Fromm’s “The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness.“ It’s an old book, but one that has stuck with me since I first read it 30 years ago.
Thanks. I will check it.
Those who kneel to Trump will next have their faces smashed into the ground by him. They will also live in infamy when future generations remember the other institutions and people who stood up and pushed back and saved democracy.
Great post, Steven. Thank you for your words in this harrowing time. It’s shit out there, but your presence and contributions to keeping us sane are appreciated.