This country voted into office -- twice -- a man who bragged about sexually assaulting women, bragged that he could shoot someone and not be held accountable, who proudly appointed a heartless woman who murdered her own puppy and a goat who annoyed her, murders people in small boats that are thousands of miles away without proven cause, all while pardoning a known, wealthy drug dealer who contributed money to his campaign, who tears families apart without due process, who childishly calls people names, and who lies with impunity.
I would wish that this is not who we are, but after this monster was voted into office a second time, I fear that it is, whether through willful choice or by indifference.
The US has been thoroughly and perhaps irreconciliably damaged and shamed by the action and inaction of its citizens. It will never be trusted again.
It is hard for the average American to understand just how Americans are perceived in other parts to the world. Especially if one has never traveled abroad. Once, in my experience, it was advised that I state I’m Canadian, not American, in order to avoid any possible confrontation or harm. It became evident to me that such a lie was due to the fact that Americans are perceived to be loud, obnoxious, arrogant, certainly ignorant, and disrespectful of another’s culture and heritage. And somehow, proud of it. Not that this is true everywhere, NO, but it does cause one to pause and come to grips with just how ignorant and indifferent this population is. And, what population is not reflected in its chosen leadership? If “choosing” is part of their systemic governance? I can only be Hopeful that this dismal time will be an experience for those who chose it, who persist in validating the leadership we all now must endure, and will finally come to their senses. The sense that Truth matters. What one says, or does, matters. Our Honor as a Country is tarnished now. Reconciling to the World, in order to earn that Trust you mention, will, sadly, have to engage a Conversion the likes this Country has yet to experience. May Wisdom prevail.
Americans must turn it around. We must think not only of ourselves but of Europe, Australia, all other democracies and especially Ukraine. We must take full advantage of every one of their weaknesses and get new voters, lots of them. We can not give an inch. We can not give up.
So well said and a reminder that this same article and argument could have been written every three months (with almost carbon copy updated facts) from the start of the Trump regime. So much wasted time dealing with this nonsense instead of actually making America and the world better.
I don’t think it has been wasted. We have been forced to come face to face with the misogyny, racism, greed, etc. that plague this country. Without trump we could have gone on longer hiding this secret, but it would have been revealed sooner or later. And fascism is growing all around the world. This time we are on the wrong side of history but I see so many signs of hope. Maybe we have a real chance to change people’s hearts and minds this time. Americans really want freedom. After watching what our ancestors went through fighting for independence from Great Britain, I think we owe it to ourselves to fight like hell. I see people doing this and it is working!
And mine left Russia in 1907 (Volga Germans) to escape a genocide of starvation, killings of families and deportations. Russia has done the same over the generations since the 1850s and will do t againto anne they take over.
No one can destroy the goodness of the Thanksgiving holiday more than a sadistic man who is both self-obsessed and self-loathing, and thinks criticizing others boosts his own image. While most Americans are showing expressions of gratitude, Trump was once again hateful toward others. His topic this Thanksgiving was Rahamanullah Lakanwal, a 29 year-old Afghan who served in the Afghan army under American leadership against the Taliban. Now in the US, he shot two members of the National Guard deployed by Mr. Trump in Washington, D.C. Over 176,000 Afghans lives were lost in the American "War on Terrorism". These men were friends and relatives of his. Americans led these men to believe that they were fighting a war to end the Taliban rule in their country.
In 2018, prior to the Helsinki Summit, Mr. Putin met with the Taliban leaders of Afghanistan and promised they would soon rule their country again.
At the 2018 Helsinki Summit, the entire world watched Trump bow genuflect to Mr. Putin and embarass the US intelligence service by saying he believes the Russians did not interfere in the 2016 election. One year later, the Russians openly admitted to this election involvement Not long after that Summit, Mr. Trump traveled to Afghanistan, met with Taliban leaders, and signed an agreement to withdraw all American troops. He even invited the Taliban leader, Muliah Baradar to visit him at Camp David. When Biden honored that agreement and ended the war, the Taliban was poised to overrun the government. The legally-elected President fled for his life, rendering two decades, 2641 American lives lost, and $2.3 trillion spent irrelevant.
Mr. Baradar told the world and all Afghans to not fear the Taliban. Only a few weeks later, a beheaded body of a police officer was hanging in a town square near Kandahar.
The conclusion of the American involvement in the Afghan war has been attributed by some to the actions of Mr. Putin, who played a significant role in influencing the overall situation. Russia quickly filled the power vacuum in Afghanistan, but it was Trump's ignorance and actions that overthrew the elected government and handed it to Taliban leaders.
Rahamanullah Lakanwal spent his entire life fighting Taliban brutality. He was among those who personally witnessed how Trump betrayed the Afghan people.
Excellent article as usual, Steven. One thing that I’d like to add and suggest that all writers add something similar as they comment on MAGA: The role of Fox News and other far right-wing media portrays itself as news, but is actually propaganda designed to gaslight Americans. I don’t know if things would have been as bad without this media and the gradual destruction of our educational system. We need to create a law that is much more powerful than the Fairness Doctrine was. We need to vastly improve American education. And we must get money out of politics completely. And that’s just for starters.
If you elect a convicted criminal to lead the government and then in addition, SCOTUS puts him above the law, don't be surprised you get a government that commits crimes, even if it is just to show that they can and get away with it.............and in the meantime, (trying to) prosecute political opponents using the same laws they breach.....It is so blatantly obvious that it is hard to believe it is true for most...
Right on every count, Steven. The sycophants in government who aid and abet this lawless behavior are complicit in each and every crime against the nation. Our own Nuremberg trials cannot come fast enough so that the country and world can see the full extent of the crimes committed…and be deeply ashamed of their silence/complicity. When they elected Trump, they thought they’d washed their hands of any responsibility toward their fellow citizens to maintain the norms and guardrails that have been respected in all other administrations by holding this man’s feet to the fire when he disregards his Constitutional oath. Some were furious at the price of eggs. Some were furious at everything and everyone else. The country had a collective temper tantrum and put this guy in power.
Do they now see the error of his ways and thus, theirs? Is the Constitution a living document that guides our path as Americans, or just another set of ‘rules’ that he does not intend to follow? “Who’s gonna make me”, his actions indicate. Who, indeed. I long for the day when the vote is as mighty as the sword.
Thank you for this article Steven. You tell the truth so eloquently. Glad you are on the side of truth and not afraid to express the horror of what is happening with the Trump regime since 2016, the GOP, and the voters and non- voters who elected him twice.
Reminder to boycott today, cyber Monday, especially Amazon, Home Depot and Walmart, Target. Stop giving billionaires your hard earned money.
And wow Steven, this is one of the most strongly worded essays I've read from you! I think I understand people's frustration with both parties but I will never understand why the Orange Felon was ever in office let alone twice. I fear too that this really is what America is. If we survive this fascist coup by the Heritage Foundation, we have to have an immediate better, progressive plan to replace it or I don't think the US will recover. People's basic needs have to be met and corporations need to be regulated and taxed, monopolies have to be prevented, a sane immigration policy has to be in place. I don't know if I will see it in my lifetime.
Steven, two people were shot and killed in my neighborhood yesterday while standing in their garage. It was a drive-by. The police are looking for the stepson. This is an affluent suburb of Los Angeles and the murder weapon was an automatic revolver or similar. As far as I'm concerned, Trump and the NRA are accessories to murder. They should all be in jail.
I'm certain the rage and disgust that I feel after reading this, is shared by all of us. What has happened to our Democracy and country at the hands and words of this man, has fractured the moral foundation of our society. BUT, I will not loose hope that we will survive these times and rebuild a free and just country. I've always believed in and fought for our Democracy. We The People must do this!
Some who voted for Trump did not want a WOMAN as Commander in Chief. Some did not want a BLACK WOMAN as President. Some voted for Trump because of FOX Network lies. Some voted for Trump because they are Republicans. Some voted for Trump because of robo-calls from Foreign Call Centers. And some did not vote for the very same reason. Again - do not blame the non-voters. Blame the ones who knew exactly who and what Trump is and voted for him anyway - the misogynists, Republicans and Racists. Had they not voted or voted anti-Trump, we would not have the Regime we have today.
I’m sorry, Mary, but the non-voters have to share the blame. No matter how much anti voting or other propaganda was out there, the current occupant of the White House has form and shouldn’t have even been allowed to run. That he was so allowed should have brought more voters to polls. That they chose to sit out the election should bring them shame for the remainders of their lives.
Steven, you are so correct that there is a culture of violence in this country! I believe social media can be very toxic, especially with the rampant disinformation out there. Sadly, many people have believed Trump’s rambling lies and pronouncements about how he’s going to make our lives better. Hard not to despair some days but we have to keep fighting the fight! I appreciate you!
(Those who experience the trauma of violence often act out violently later, keeping the cycle going. Many programs aimed at disrupting that cycle were defunded.)
78% of Americans want politicians to tone down the rhetoric & be mindful that their words can stoke violence. This administration seems incapable. Americans are in a bad mood and very dissatisfied with how every issue is being handled. When MTG knows ugly talk is going out of fashion you’d think a few others would have noticed.
I heard reporting today that DJT is in what amounts to a positive feedback loop — what he sees on his phone, what people tell him & of course what is on ‘truth’ social. None of it contain criticism so bad news is fake news. The WH response is to launch a the “media offender website and attack reports of facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
This country voted into office -- twice -- a man who bragged about sexually assaulting women, bragged that he could shoot someone and not be held accountable, who proudly appointed a heartless woman who murdered her own puppy and a goat who annoyed her, murders people in small boats that are thousands of miles away without proven cause, all while pardoning a known, wealthy drug dealer who contributed money to his campaign, who tears families apart without due process, who childishly calls people names, and who lies with impunity.
I would wish that this is not who we are, but after this monster was voted into office a second time, I fear that it is, whether through willful choice or by indifference.
The US has been thoroughly and perhaps irreconciliably damaged and shamed by the action and inaction of its citizens. It will never be trusted again.
I agree with you Martha Franklin. My heart is being broken again and again since 2016.
It is hard for the average American to understand just how Americans are perceived in other parts to the world. Especially if one has never traveled abroad. Once, in my experience, it was advised that I state I’m Canadian, not American, in order to avoid any possible confrontation or harm. It became evident to me that such a lie was due to the fact that Americans are perceived to be loud, obnoxious, arrogant, certainly ignorant, and disrespectful of another’s culture and heritage. And somehow, proud of it. Not that this is true everywhere, NO, but it does cause one to pause and come to grips with just how ignorant and indifferent this population is. And, what population is not reflected in its chosen leadership? If “choosing” is part of their systemic governance? I can only be Hopeful that this dismal time will be an experience for those who chose it, who persist in validating the leadership we all now must endure, and will finally come to their senses. The sense that Truth matters. What one says, or does, matters. Our Honor as a Country is tarnished now. Reconciling to the World, in order to earn that Trust you mention, will, sadly, have to engage a Conversion the likes this Country has yet to experience. May Wisdom prevail.
Thank you, Martha.
Americans must turn it around. We must think not only of ourselves but of Europe, Australia, all other democracies and especially Ukraine. We must take full advantage of every one of their weaknesses and get new voters, lots of them. We can not give an inch. We can not give up.
So well said and a reminder that this same article and argument could have been written every three months (with almost carbon copy updated facts) from the start of the Trump regime. So much wasted time dealing with this nonsense instead of actually making America and the world better.
Not only a total waste of our time, but a waste of the average American's hard earned money! All of it is GROSS beyond words!!
I don’t think it has been wasted. We have been forced to come face to face with the misogyny, racism, greed, etc. that plague this country. Without trump we could have gone on longer hiding this secret, but it would have been revealed sooner or later. And fascism is growing all around the world. This time we are on the wrong side of history but I see so many signs of hope. Maybe we have a real chance to change people’s hearts and minds this time. Americans really want freedom. After watching what our ancestors went through fighting for independence from Great Britain, I think we owe it to ourselves to fight like hell. I see people doing this and it is working!
And mine left Russia in 1907 (Volga Germans) to escape a genocide of starvation, killings of families and deportations. Russia has done the same over the generations since the 1850s and will do t againto anne they take over.
No one can destroy the goodness of the Thanksgiving holiday more than a sadistic man who is both self-obsessed and self-loathing, and thinks criticizing others boosts his own image. While most Americans are showing expressions of gratitude, Trump was once again hateful toward others. His topic this Thanksgiving was Rahamanullah Lakanwal, a 29 year-old Afghan who served in the Afghan army under American leadership against the Taliban. Now in the US, he shot two members of the National Guard deployed by Mr. Trump in Washington, D.C. Over 176,000 Afghans lives were lost in the American "War on Terrorism". These men were friends and relatives of his. Americans led these men to believe that they were fighting a war to end the Taliban rule in their country.
In 2018, prior to the Helsinki Summit, Mr. Putin met with the Taliban leaders of Afghanistan and promised they would soon rule their country again.
At the 2018 Helsinki Summit, the entire world watched Trump bow genuflect to Mr. Putin and embarass the US intelligence service by saying he believes the Russians did not interfere in the 2016 election. One year later, the Russians openly admitted to this election involvement Not long after that Summit, Mr. Trump traveled to Afghanistan, met with Taliban leaders, and signed an agreement to withdraw all American troops. He even invited the Taliban leader, Muliah Baradar to visit him at Camp David. When Biden honored that agreement and ended the war, the Taliban was poised to overrun the government. The legally-elected President fled for his life, rendering two decades, 2641 American lives lost, and $2.3 trillion spent irrelevant.
Mr. Baradar told the world and all Afghans to not fear the Taliban. Only a few weeks later, a beheaded body of a police officer was hanging in a town square near Kandahar.
The conclusion of the American involvement in the Afghan war has been attributed by some to the actions of Mr. Putin, who played a significant role in influencing the overall situation. Russia quickly filled the power vacuum in Afghanistan, but it was Trump's ignorance and actions that overthrew the elected government and handed it to Taliban leaders.
Rahamanullah Lakanwal spent his entire life fighting Taliban brutality. He was among those who personally witnessed how Trump betrayed the Afghan people.
Excellent article as usual, Steven. One thing that I’d like to add and suggest that all writers add something similar as they comment on MAGA: The role of Fox News and other far right-wing media portrays itself as news, but is actually propaganda designed to gaslight Americans. I don’t know if things would have been as bad without this media and the gradual destruction of our educational system. We need to create a law that is much more powerful than the Fairness Doctrine was. We need to vastly improve American education. And we must get money out of politics completely. And that’s just for starters.
Thx. Agree re Fox. A poison.
I wish more Americans knew this history
If you elect a convicted criminal to lead the government and then in addition, SCOTUS puts him above the law, don't be surprised you get a government that commits crimes, even if it is just to show that they can and get away with it.............and in the meantime, (trying to) prosecute political opponents using the same laws they breach.....It is so blatantly obvious that it is hard to believe it is true for most...
Brilliant! Average American likewise terrified
“We are living in a universe really of willing slaves, which makes the concept of liberty and the concept of freedom so dangerous.” - James Baldwin
Right on every count, Steven. The sycophants in government who aid and abet this lawless behavior are complicit in each and every crime against the nation. Our own Nuremberg trials cannot come fast enough so that the country and world can see the full extent of the crimes committed…and be deeply ashamed of their silence/complicity. When they elected Trump, they thought they’d washed their hands of any responsibility toward their fellow citizens to maintain the norms and guardrails that have been respected in all other administrations by holding this man’s feet to the fire when he disregards his Constitutional oath. Some were furious at the price of eggs. Some were furious at everything and everyone else. The country had a collective temper tantrum and put this guy in power.
Do they now see the error of his ways and thus, theirs? Is the Constitution a living document that guides our path as Americans, or just another set of ‘rules’ that he does not intend to follow? “Who’s gonna make me”, his actions indicate. Who, indeed. I long for the day when the vote is as mighty as the sword.
Brilliant. Perfect on every count. Thank you for your great evaluation.
Thank you, Richard!
Thank you for this article Steven. You tell the truth so eloquently. Glad you are on the side of truth and not afraid to express the horror of what is happening with the Trump regime since 2016, the GOP, and the voters and non- voters who elected him twice.
Was that the Oval Office they were in? I thought it was a junk closet.
You say junk closet, I say bordello. 😁
That’s exactly what the Oval Office looks like with all the tacky gold everywhere you look. Bordello is the perfect description.
Reminder to boycott today, cyber Monday, especially Amazon, Home Depot and Walmart, Target. Stop giving billionaires your hard earned money.
And wow Steven, this is one of the most strongly worded essays I've read from you! I think I understand people's frustration with both parties but I will never understand why the Orange Felon was ever in office let alone twice. I fear too that this really is what America is. If we survive this fascist coup by the Heritage Foundation, we have to have an immediate better, progressive plan to replace it or I don't think the US will recover. People's basic needs have to be met and corporations need to be regulated and taxed, monopolies have to be prevented, a sane immigration policy has to be in place. I don't know if I will see it in my lifetime.
Steven, two people were shot and killed in my neighborhood yesterday while standing in their garage. It was a drive-by. The police are looking for the stepson. This is an affluent suburb of Los Angeles and the murder weapon was an automatic revolver or similar. As far as I'm concerned, Trump and the NRA are accessories to murder. They should all be in jail.
I'm sorry to hear this, Paula. And...I agree with you.
I'm certain the rage and disgust that I feel after reading this, is shared by all of us. What has happened to our Democracy and country at the hands and words of this man, has fractured the moral foundation of our society. BUT, I will not loose hope that we will survive these times and rebuild a free and just country. I've always believed in and fought for our Democracy. We The People must do this!
Some who voted for Trump did not want a WOMAN as Commander in Chief. Some did not want a BLACK WOMAN as President. Some voted for Trump because of FOX Network lies. Some voted for Trump because they are Republicans. Some voted for Trump because of robo-calls from Foreign Call Centers. And some did not vote for the very same reason. Again - do not blame the non-voters. Blame the ones who knew exactly who and what Trump is and voted for him anyway - the misogynists, Republicans and Racists. Had they not voted or voted anti-Trump, we would not have the Regime we have today.
I’m sorry, Mary, but the non-voters have to share the blame. No matter how much anti voting or other propaganda was out there, the current occupant of the White House has form and shouldn’t have even been allowed to run. That he was so allowed should have brought more voters to polls. That they chose to sit out the election should bring them shame for the remainders of their lives.
Steven, you are so correct that there is a culture of violence in this country! I believe social media can be very toxic, especially with the rampant disinformation out there. Sadly, many people have believed Trump’s rambling lies and pronouncements about how he’s going to make our lives better. Hard not to despair some days but we have to keep fighting the fight! I appreciate you!
Thank you for this brilliant essay, Steven. I couldn’t agree more!
Thank you, Karen.
Your presentation is a Rock Solid sophisticated stab at the “Culture of Violence” stifling our “Body Politic”
This violence is gleefully supported by off the wall Hegseth and encouraged by the vengeful hate of Trump.
Days are a challenge waiting in dread for the next horrendous revelation of another atrocity by this regime.
Many paragraphs struck me as deservedly potent but I chose to include this excerpt of yours:⬇️
“i have written before about America’s culture of violence, most tragically exemplified by the number of gun deaths that plague our nation every year.
(It’s already over 13,456 this year, including 380 mass shootings, terrible numbers that are sure to be higher by the time you read this.)
Changing this culture requires electing leaders who don’t glory in death or pride themselves by the magnitude of their sadism.”
//-
It’s up to us
💙🇺🇸💙
Ann
Thank you for this.
I was unaware.
I visited the link
It offers no opportunity for rebuttal of course and only a link to request they email you their lies.
Honestly: This is just terrible.
(Those who experience the trauma of violence often act out violently later, keeping the cycle going. Many programs aimed at disrupting that cycle were defunded.)
78% of Americans want politicians to tone down the rhetoric & be mindful that their words can stoke violence. This administration seems incapable. Americans are in a bad mood and very dissatisfied with how every issue is being handled. When MTG knows ugly talk is going out of fashion you’d think a few others would have noticed.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/11/25/nearly-8-in-10-americans-say-politicians-should-avoid-heated-or-aggressive-speech/
I heard reporting today that DJT is in what amounts to a positive feedback loop — what he sees on his phone, what people tell him & of course what is on ‘truth’ social. None of it contain criticism so bad news is fake news. The WH response is to launch a the “media offender website and attack reports of facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/