I am driving myself crazy not understanding how so many people don’t remember his previous 4 years in office. Put aside for the moment the indictments. Just his time in office. How can so many not remember what he said and did!
Then there’s all the things President Biden has accomplished. Inflation way down from its high of 9%. Record low unemployment. Billion upon billions of dollars in student loans forgiven. The legislative bills passed that are improving our country. People are upset with the high prices, guess what, the President doesn’t control them. The free market does, big business does. The Fed has more to do with inflation than he does.
I know I’m preaching to the choir, but I am my wits end.
By the way, during Liz Cheney’s interview with Rachael Maddow, when Rachael brought up the lesser of two evils, Cheney responded that it’s not the lesser of two evils.
True and Biden’s economic policy / legislation that went against convention wisdom is what kept us from going down the same road as our peer nations while US prognosticators were screaming a recession, no wait a depression, was coming. Some of us remember the 70’s and 80’s with the roller coaster of unemployment, inflation and interest rates which reached flirted with 19% (October 1981, 18.63%, according to the Freddie Mac data). Going into the 1990s mortgage rates were still 10%.
People don’t care about what didn’t happen. Strange they don’t care about jobs, jobs, jobs - the same jobs keeping the economy going.
We have a really uninformed or misinformed voting public. However, if not for the youth, the POC, and the women voters, we would already have a dictatorship. The right-wing rags are doing a good job on the credulous sheep.
And we agree with you and have the same fears... You just keep on venting... we have to get through this.... Hang in there Mike. At least now the Supreme Court is going to “consider” Jack Smiths request, tfg has until next Wednesday at 4 P.M. 🇺🇸
Just watched Ken Burns US and the Holocaust. Chilling and very clearly shows how Trump/MAGA is following the propaganda machine of the Third Reich in it’s rise to power, while showing the history of WW2, and not 2023.
Historical ignorance abounds. We are losing important knowledge with each generation. I fear the effects of attacking education and particularly the value of history.
For instance a PEW survey in 2020 showed only 43% knew Hitler was elected through a democratic process.
— Most U.S. adults know what the Holocaust was and approximately when it happened, but fewer than half can correctly answer multiple-choice questions about the number of Jews who were murdered or the way Adolf Hitler came to power, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
When asked to describe in their own words what the Holocaust was, more than eight-in-ten Americans mention the attempted annihilation of the Jewish people or other related topics, such as concentration or death camps, Hitler, or the Nazis. Seven-in-ten know that the Holocaust happened between 1930 and 1950. And close to two-thirds know that Nazi-created ghettos were parts of a city or town where Jews were forced to live. —
There is also this study of Millennial also done in 2020.
True. Hitler used lies, lies and lies to attain power. The Third Reich had a functioning political machine here in the states; America First with Charles Lindbergh as a mouth piece. The German embassy found Republican congressman fertile ground for bribes. This is documented by William Shirer in the "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich".
I certainly agree with this premise. However, one drawback which may reveal itself is that those who do not want to be moved may claim that most of these people you have named are saying this now to damage Trump's opportunity to retaliate against themselves. I know that on this forum I may take some flak for the following suggestion since there are many who will not forgive W. Bush. But I believe there may be measurable impact from a teaming of Bush and Michelle Obama (who have an unlikely friendship) in widely distributed ads and even personal appearances at large venues. We need to pull out all the stops here, guys.
It is just like during the 3rd Reich...if you do not speak out and do not take a stand it is easy to perpetrate the horrors of Nazism in plain view with everyone watching.
It is not only Donald Trump who is unfit to lead this nation, it is the entire Republican Party. Those who continue to support and those who decline to disavow Trump reveal themself as enemies of freedom and democracy. At this point, I think that anyone who votes for a candidate labeled Republican is voting to destroy the foundations of our government and our society.
If Trump wins he will silence dissent. He will gobble up power with ribald gluttony. As such, there is no moral or situational equivalent to the current crisis of democracy that we face. Lewis Carroll wrote about greed and the abuse of power. Oy(ster) Vey!...
-Excerpted from “The Walrus and the Carpenter” , by Lewis Carroll
Richard III, as he stands over Henry, who he has just stabbed:
"I have no brother, I am myself alone. "
He, the tyrant has no loyalty to anyone. His ambition is all that matters.
"Why do otherwise proud and self-respecting people submit to the shear effrontery of the tyrant, that he can get away with saying and doing anything he likes, his spectacular indecency?"
Stephen Greenblatt
Shakespeare on Politics
I suppose that with a little effort we could make a list of all the men and women whose careers, and maybe their lives have been destroyed by their association with Trump since 2015. I wonder why none of them have gone public with what they know, at least to get revenge. Remember Buckingham on the way to get his head cut off? "Is it so? Rewards he my true service with such contempt?" Loyalty nor any iota of compassion can exist in that despot. It's hard to understand those people who came on, after they had seen what happened to their predecessor.
When I read Bob Woodward's "Fear," I wondered why he didn't go public with some of the interviews. Then I realized that if he did, he would never get another one, and Trump would sue.
I would not have Bill Barr on that list. He was one of the enablers. I think that if he had not meddled with the Muller report, the GOP Senators could not have refused to remove him from office.
It would be a good thing if those people would make a long-running expose' for public awareness. I read somewhere that,"You cannot spill the blood of a tyrant without spilling the blood of Patriots." They may not have to literally give blood, but they need to make that sacrifice.
I'm sort of down on Republicans, in general, but what Liz Chenney is doing is what we need. She is selling a book, but it is a book we need to read, along with Hutchinson's 'Enough' and Maddow's 'Prelude.'
We still have people in the GOP Legislature who took part in the effort to overthrow the government. we have a Supreme Court that will on the side of right-wing legislators and Christian Evangelicals. We are in trouble. Somebody needs to get the attention of the electorate and make them understand the precarious situation our Republic is in.
There are others who spoke out when he ran the first time. Not enough people listen. He has sued most of them - even comedians, authors, reporters - a big deterrent. I can’t remember if Cohen or a contractor said the MO was for trump attorneys to tell whoever wanted their bill paid to take what they were offered or it would cost more to go to court than they’d collect.
His debts to cities all across the country for his public events that remained unpaid were reported and mostly ignored. $7M in DC, 2019 for additional security costs that weren’t reimbursed by the WH. He has lost or settled multiple cases for wrongdoing, particularly fraud in recent years and was found to be liable for sexual assault. None of this moves the needle for hardcore trumpies.
It is important to show how his corrupt business practices mirror his corrupt practices in office where he had even greater authority. His time in the WH was like training wheels for a second term. For dedicated followers, presenting facts is like spitting in the wind. I think we need to motivate weak kneed Dems and persuadable independent / unaffiliated voters.
finitely need get busy and serious about their message. You are right. It's not likely those MAGA fanatics can be reached, but it may be possible that others may be moved to vote to save democracy.
Well said.. I think we also really need the courts to “step up” it is so obvious what he is doing. And if they don’t... well, I’m not well versed on how that would be done.. but, I do think Jack Smith does. OK... so I pray he does. For all of us. This is crazy hard to watch.
Well, there is Michael Cohen, probably one of the smartest ex-Trumper. He admitted it, served his time and is testifying as to what happened. The rest, like Lindsay Graham, Jim Jordan and several others from my state (Arizona) await karma. Slow moving process to backtrack, for sure.
There were 127 members of the GOP House and 7 members of the GOP Senate who voted to reject the electoral college results and who continue to serve Trump as a shadow government. The Democrats in each house should be calling them out in their respective houses every day they are in session.
"Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant."
James Madison
The chaos in the House of Representatives is a manufactured situation, and I have no doubt it is orchestrated by Trump , just as the insurrection. The intention is to control the narrative and only pursue the things that please Trump. What to do? I don't know, but I would like to see some effort by the Democrats to interrupt the cycle.
The MAGA troglodytes cannot be embarrassed or shamed. They have no higher angel to appeal to. I hope that what Liz Cheney is doing will encourage some of them to speak out. Republicans standing up to Trump would go a long way in moving the needle.
Above all, have faith in the American voters to step up as they did in2022.
I can’t make these people speak up. Trump‘s threats of violence are obviously standing in the way his plan is working to perfection. It will take true courage for people to speak their peace. I don’t know that we have enough people with something to say that have that kind of courage I understand that but it is very frustrating. I feel helpless I can’t control what these people do and I will have to suffer the consequences it’s maddening I fear the worst I hope somehow this can be turned around obviously the 14th amendment has not had any effect on keeping Trump off the ballot, so all we can do is hope that the efforts of Trump’s former allies and the Democratic Party can get on the stick and prevent this from happening. I guess I just have to wait and see.
Thank you, Mr. Beschloss, for being among the courageous people in the public eye who are writing regularly about the danger Trump presents to the country. I support your effort and in other smaller ways I'm committed to doing my part to stop him. None of us wants to look back when our country is losing its democracy and say we wish we'd done more.
Yes, that. And, the Democrats need to launch a campaign of paid media that will appeal to the masses to promote the party's values and achievements in a way that will touch emotions. It's always about emotions...
So I’m at Ramming interview he’s already backtracking talking about how we must have people with character in office and stated that he would vote for Trump and he lied about Biden‘s accomplishments blaming Biden for the cost of bread. Republicans are in the main- untrustworthy. They have no character they only care about power power power, especially if that power destroys women. ie: see Texas
I am driving myself crazy not understanding how so many people don’t remember his previous 4 years in office. Put aside for the moment the indictments. Just his time in office. How can so many not remember what he said and did!
Then there’s all the things President Biden has accomplished. Inflation way down from its high of 9%. Record low unemployment. Billion upon billions of dollars in student loans forgiven. The legislative bills passed that are improving our country. People are upset with the high prices, guess what, the President doesn’t control them. The free market does, big business does. The Fed has more to do with inflation than he does.
I know I’m preaching to the choir, but I am my wits end.
It is hard to understand, Mike.
By the way, during Liz Cheney’s interview with Rachael Maddow, when Rachael brought up the lesser of two evils, Cheney responded that it’s not the lesser of two evils.
True and Biden’s economic policy / legislation that went against convention wisdom is what kept us from going down the same road as our peer nations while US prognosticators were screaming a recession, no wait a depression, was coming. Some of us remember the 70’s and 80’s with the roller coaster of unemployment, inflation and interest rates which reached flirted with 19% (October 1981, 18.63%, according to the Freddie Mac data). Going into the 1990s mortgage rates were still 10%.
People don’t care about what didn’t happen. Strange they don’t care about jobs, jobs, jobs - the same jobs keeping the economy going.
We have a really uninformed or misinformed voting public. However, if not for the youth, the POC, and the women voters, we would already have a dictatorship. The right-wing rags are doing a good job on the credulous sheep.
And we agree with you and have the same fears... You just keep on venting... we have to get through this.... Hang in there Mike. At least now the Supreme Court is going to “consider” Jack Smiths request, tfg has until next Wednesday at 4 P.M. 🇺🇸
Just watched Ken Burns US and the Holocaust. Chilling and very clearly shows how Trump/MAGA is following the propaganda machine of the Third Reich in it’s rise to power, while showing the history of WW2, and not 2023.
Historical ignorance abounds. We are losing important knowledge with each generation. I fear the effects of attacking education and particularly the value of history.
For instance a PEW survey in 2020 showed only 43% knew Hitler was elected through a democratic process.
— Most U.S. adults know what the Holocaust was and approximately when it happened, but fewer than half can correctly answer multiple-choice questions about the number of Jews who were murdered or the way Adolf Hitler came to power, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
When asked to describe in their own words what the Holocaust was, more than eight-in-ten Americans mention the attempted annihilation of the Jewish people or other related topics, such as concentration or death camps, Hitler, or the Nazis. Seven-in-ten know that the Holocaust happened between 1930 and 1950. And close to two-thirds know that Nazi-created ghettos were parts of a city or town where Jews were forced to live. —
There is also this study of Millennial also done in 2020.
https://www.claimscon.org/millennial-study/
True. Hitler used lies, lies and lies to attain power. The Third Reich had a functioning political machine here in the states; America First with Charles Lindbergh as a mouth piece. The German embassy found Republican congressman fertile ground for bribes. This is documented by William Shirer in the "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich".
I certainly agree with this premise. However, one drawback which may reveal itself is that those who do not want to be moved may claim that most of these people you have named are saying this now to damage Trump's opportunity to retaliate against themselves. I know that on this forum I may take some flak for the following suggestion since there are many who will not forgive W. Bush. But I believe there may be measurable impact from a teaming of Bush and Michelle Obama (who have an unlikely friendship) in widely distributed ads and even personal appearances at large venues. We need to pull out all the stops here, guys.
Agreed!
It is just like during the 3rd Reich...if you do not speak out and do not take a stand it is easy to perpetrate the horrors of Nazism in plain view with everyone watching.
Steven, you're absolutely right on! Critics of DJT unite, speak clearly and continuously! Thank you!
It is not only Donald Trump who is unfit to lead this nation, it is the entire Republican Party. Those who continue to support and those who decline to disavow Trump reveal themself as enemies of freedom and democracy. At this point, I think that anyone who votes for a candidate labeled Republican is voting to destroy the foundations of our government and our society.
Yes, that too. Lack of empathy is the most damning, to me.
Another bullseye hit. Thank you, Steven!
If Trump wins he will silence dissent. He will gobble up power with ribald gluttony. As such, there is no moral or situational equivalent to the current crisis of democracy that we face. Lewis Carroll wrote about greed and the abuse of power. Oy(ster) Vey!...
-Excerpted from “The Walrus and the Carpenter” , by Lewis Carroll
“The time has come,' the Walrus said,
To talk of many things:
Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —
Of cabbages — and kings —
And why the sea is boiling hot —
And whether pigs have wings.'
But wait a bit,' the Oysters cried,
Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!'
No hurry!' said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said,
Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed —
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed.'
But not on us!' the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue….
It seems a shame,' the Walrus said,
To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!'
The Carpenter said nothing but
The butter's spread too thick!'
I weep for you,' the Walrus said:
I deeply sympathize.'
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
O Oysters,' said the Carpenter,
You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none —
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one."
This! It’s happening, but organically and largely unorganized. It needs to be a well-designed, sustained campaign.
I will keep saying it..."Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”, MKL
Beschloss
Richard III, as he stands over Henry, who he has just stabbed:
"I have no brother, I am myself alone. "
He, the tyrant has no loyalty to anyone. His ambition is all that matters.
"Why do otherwise proud and self-respecting people submit to the shear effrontery of the tyrant, that he can get away with saying and doing anything he likes, his spectacular indecency?"
Stephen Greenblatt
Shakespeare on Politics
I suppose that with a little effort we could make a list of all the men and women whose careers, and maybe their lives have been destroyed by their association with Trump since 2015. I wonder why none of them have gone public with what they know, at least to get revenge. Remember Buckingham on the way to get his head cut off? "Is it so? Rewards he my true service with such contempt?" Loyalty nor any iota of compassion can exist in that despot. It's hard to understand those people who came on, after they had seen what happened to their predecessor.
When I read Bob Woodward's "Fear," I wondered why he didn't go public with some of the interviews. Then I realized that if he did, he would never get another one, and Trump would sue.
I would not have Bill Barr on that list. He was one of the enablers. I think that if he had not meddled with the Muller report, the GOP Senators could not have refused to remove him from office.
It would be a good thing if those people would make a long-running expose' for public awareness. I read somewhere that,"You cannot spill the blood of a tyrant without spilling the blood of Patriots." They may not have to literally give blood, but they need to make that sacrifice.
I'm sort of down on Republicans, in general, but what Liz Chenney is doing is what we need. She is selling a book, but it is a book we need to read, along with Hutchinson's 'Enough' and Maddow's 'Prelude.'
We still have people in the GOP Legislature who took part in the effort to overthrow the government. we have a Supreme Court that will on the side of right-wing legislators and Christian Evangelicals. We are in trouble. Somebody needs to get the attention of the electorate and make them understand the precarious situation our Republic is in.
I'm sorry I'm such a long-winded old fart.
There are others who spoke out when he ran the first time. Not enough people listen. He has sued most of them - even comedians, authors, reporters - a big deterrent. I can’t remember if Cohen or a contractor said the MO was for trump attorneys to tell whoever wanted their bill paid to take what they were offered or it would cost more to go to court than they’d collect.
His debts to cities all across the country for his public events that remained unpaid were reported and mostly ignored. $7M in DC, 2019 for additional security costs that weren’t reimbursed by the WH. He has lost or settled multiple cases for wrongdoing, particularly fraud in recent years and was found to be liable for sexual assault. None of this moves the needle for hardcore trumpies.
It is important to show how his corrupt business practices mirror his corrupt practices in office where he had even greater authority. His time in the WH was like training wheels for a second term. For dedicated followers, presenting facts is like spitting in the wind. I think we need to motivate weak kneed Dems and persuadable independent / unaffiliated voters.
The Democrats de
finitely need get busy and serious about their message. You are right. It's not likely those MAGA fanatics can be reached, but it may be possible that others may be moved to vote to save democracy.
Well said.. I think we also really need the courts to “step up” it is so obvious what he is doing. And if they don’t... well, I’m not well versed on how that would be done.. but, I do think Jack Smith does. OK... so I pray he does. For all of us. This is crazy hard to watch.
Well, there is Michael Cohen, probably one of the smartest ex-Trumper. He admitted it, served his time and is testifying as to what happened. The rest, like Lindsay Graham, Jim Jordan and several others from my state (Arizona) await karma. Slow moving process to backtrack, for sure.
There were 127 members of the GOP House and 7 members of the GOP Senate who voted to reject the electoral college results and who continue to serve Trump as a shadow government. The Democrats in each house should be calling them out in their respective houses every day they are in session.
"Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant."
James Madison
The chaos in the House of Representatives is a manufactured situation, and I have no doubt it is orchestrated by Trump , just as the insurrection. The intention is to control the narrative and only pursue the things that please Trump. What to do? I don't know, but I would like to see some effort by the Democrats to interrupt the cycle.
The MAGA troglodytes cannot be embarrassed or shamed. They have no higher angel to appeal to. I hope that what Liz Cheney is doing will encourage some of them to speak out. Republicans standing up to Trump would go a long way in moving the needle.
Above all, have faith in the American voters to step up as they did in2022.
I think so, too.
From canada.
I don't like what I'm seeing down in the USA.
The bots from Russia and China and North Korea are working on your population through social media to give Trump a very good chance of winning
I can't believe I'm saying that
Just like Brexit should never have gone through if he gets elected everyone will wake up to a horrible USA thinking they were sticking it to the man
In the end, sticking it to themselves
The negativity that they're pumping into social media and the way they're phrasing things is 100% why Trump is leading in the polls
And with people like Elon musk taking away all safeguards this is a reality right through your election
I can’t make these people speak up. Trump‘s threats of violence are obviously standing in the way his plan is working to perfection. It will take true courage for people to speak their peace. I don’t know that we have enough people with something to say that have that kind of courage I understand that but it is very frustrating. I feel helpless I can’t control what these people do and I will have to suffer the consequences it’s maddening I fear the worst I hope somehow this can be turned around obviously the 14th amendment has not had any effect on keeping Trump off the ballot, so all we can do is hope that the efforts of Trump’s former allies and the Democratic Party can get on the stick and prevent this from happening. I guess I just have to wait and see.
Thank you, Mr. Beschloss, for being among the courageous people in the public eye who are writing regularly about the danger Trump presents to the country. I support your effort and in other smaller ways I'm committed to doing my part to stop him. None of us wants to look back when our country is losing its democracy and say we wish we'd done more.
Yes, that. And, the Democrats need to launch a campaign of paid media that will appeal to the masses to promote the party's values and achievements in a way that will touch emotions. It's always about emotions...
And..they need to start NOW. Have any of you seen the ad that tfg has... with “he never let the Veterans down. It is all lies.
I always think of the Bernie Sanders ad from 2016 - "They've all come to look for America." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nwRiuh1Cug
So I’m at Ramming interview he’s already backtracking talking about how we must have people with character in office and stated that he would vote for Trump and he lied about Biden‘s accomplishments blaming Biden for the cost of bread. Republicans are in the main- untrustworthy. They have no character they only care about power power power, especially if that power destroys women. ie: see Texas