Trump's intention to send military troops is about escalating conflict, creating a spectacle and distracting from his other problems—not about fighting crime
Having gone to college in Chicago, I will assure you that Chicago is not about to roll over for Trump. Not the residents, not the leaders, no one. Nor should they. It really is mind-blowing that ANYONE thinks this is okay. His swagger is sickening. Let's hope the Roberts (wimp) Court doesn't continue to further erode the Constitution.
Folks were warned, especially in regard to Project ‘25. 2024 was THE most consequential election in modern history and people simply didn’t care. Many still don’t. We’ve seen this movie before. It’s time to start calling this what it is. We officially have a tyrannical government that is actively staging a military coup. The Republican Party, aided by a corrupt and compromised president are engaging in a civil war against American states, cities and citizens that overwhelmingly do not support their authoritarian policies. They are now acting as a Neo-Confederacy. How does this play out during the midterms, or any other upcoming elections? This administration is granting military troops the authority to harass people. What happens in these states when folks start exercising their basic rights to free speech or to vote? Republicans no longer seem to be concerned with elections, beyond calculating ways to undermine them. The alarms should be blaring. Instead, they’re frighteningly silent and media outlets are trying desperately to normalize and downplay all of this. No network or outlet should’ve covering this as normal politics, a distraction, or the musings of one person. It is a well-calculated/documented, laser-precise attack on our democracy.
The lede says it all. And until the public begins to recognize this we’re in for a long haul fight against his lying and distraction. That the Republicans who enable him to continue his autocratic behavior is worse, because we need elected officials, who have sworn an oath to protect and defend The Constitution against all enemies, foreign AND domestic, to do their damned jobs.
“Trump’s planned invasion also comes at a time when there is a growing demand from House members to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
This will intensify after as many as 100 victims of Epstein are scheduled to speak out in a press conference today.
There are already some Republicans who have joined Democrats and signed a discharge petition to force a House vote on the full release of the files, a move that House Speaker Mike Johnson opposes in his effort to cover up for Trump.”
I think we have our very own Caligula. What is happening in this country is pure madness. It is like the country is Trump’s personal plaything to do whatever demented thing comes into his head. Shame on the numskulls who have sold their souls and grovel at his feet. Disgusting!!!
This is the beginning of a military takeover of our cities one-by-one. He is indeed prepping for a military invasion. We're thisclose to entering into a dictatorship.
In addition, the bombing of a ship in international waters without clear evidence of any illegal activity is an act of war. Third-world countries look down on us.
As a fellow native Chicagoan, all of us of a certain age know what 1968 means for Chicago. I warn all this is not an issue of rolling over anymore. I am afraid Chicagoans and protestors will take the bait.
Steven makes a compelling case against President Trump's proposed deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, drawing a stark contrast between his approach and that of past presidents. Steven is right to argue that Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson used federal authority to uphold civil rights and enforce the law, while Trump's plan is a "hostile invasion" that would violate the Posse Comitatus Act and further polarize the nation.
Steven and others should use their megaphones to highlight the defiance of Illinois leaders, Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson, who argue that Chicago does not need federal intervention and that Trump's plan is a political stunt.
But, the comparison to the 1968 Democratic National Convention is inevitable. That event, which saw violent clashes between police and anti-war protesters, left a lasting mark on Chicago and the nation.
Without some sort of city wide preparation, Trump's actions will lead to a similar situation, reigniting tensions and violence. This may be impossible because in today's age it is simple for Trump supporter to foment violence and Chicago and Trump opposition will be blamed.
Steven argues that this is a time for sanity and defiance, not for capitulation to a "weak and desperate man. I add that this is a time for extraordinary organization to prevent giving Trump one iota of a pretext to violently repress dissenters, use Chicago as an example/jumping off board to invade other blue cities, and to aggregate all opposition to violent leftists (as Mayor Daley did)
Preparing in advance is important. Pritzker did address the need not to play into trump’s hands while exercising their right to protest. For now, it looks like DJT has an invitation from the GOP governor in Louisiana to go into New Orleans & claims to prefer waiting for an invitation to Illinois. We’ll see.
Thanks Ann. I will try to promote what Pritzker said. I hope others besides Pritzker, including those in places like LA or New Orleans will heed his advice
“No, Governor, not all of us have lost our minds. This is a time for strong and clear defiance of the hostile plans of a weak and desperate man determined to further fuel conflict in our beloved country.”
Indeed. I am not a Chicagoan, but I love the city and know the people of that city are strong and proud and will not tolerate this assault. Regardless of where we are located, we must continue to stand up together in defiance.
As native Chicagoans, you and I know full well that, unlike the residents of certain other major U.S. cities, we will not tolerate being bullied. Chicagoans don’t look for fights with anyone, but if the goons and punks employed by the Trump regime are looking for one with us they will find one.
Chicago has always welcomed the “tired, poor, huddling masses yearning to breathe free,” and it is “The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down.”
Hence, I have supreme confidence that our 57th Mayor, Brandon Johnson, is not going to capitulate to the Trump regime like Washington, DC mayor, Muriel Bowser, did two weeks ago. And I believe the same to be true of the current and 43rd governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker.
But tragically, due to Trump growing increasingly desperate because of his sagging job approval ratings and because it is likely he is covering up for pedo pervs and probably is one, I predict that there is going to be a bloodbath in Chicago during the next No Kings protest on October 18.
And there may also be sporadic incidences of violence instigated and perpetrated by the Trump regime in Chicago and across the United States even before that. Maybe as soon as the Texas National Guard occupies Chicago in a few days.
But any act of unwarranted state sponsored violence ordered and directed by Trump and carried out by the fascist thugs in his regime against peaceful protesters in Chicago and/or against nonviolent demonstrators in other major U.S. cities in the near future would, far more than likely, massively backfire on Trump politically and harden the resolve of the residents of these cities to resist him, especially in Chicago.
And would also likely accelerate the inevitable demise of his regime. Much as the outrage among many Americans to the state sponsored violence during the Haymarket Incident in Chicago in 1886 and the Pullman Strike in 1894, which occurred partly in Chicago, helped the labor movement in the U.S. and elsewhere to succeed.
Does anyone know if the military can refuse an unconstitutional order? Not that these loyalists would but maybe if they truly believe in the oath they swore to defend and protect?
glad to hear this; the now retired Generals/Colonels etc if still active would have nothing to do with using 'our' troops for this kind of shenanigans. Those currently still active need to get a spine and stand up for our militarty.
It is completely ridiculous we are not hearing views from congress members. They need to speak up on issues and stop the actions that are being done and not voted for. They are paid to be the overseer of taxpayer dollars and they are failing miserably.
The militarization of cities is political, dangerous & illegal. He’s going to keep doing it to find the weak spots and get permissive court rulings. The GOP needs an election issue now that it will declare victory on abortion and immigration. Crime is their only other option with the economy & tariffs making the public unhappy.
Chicago ranks 29th in violent crime which shows this is not about crime. It’s not about gun violence / shootings because both Pritzker and Mayor Johnson talked about their collaborative efforts with the FBI and ATF - for instance on gun smuggling pipeline.
ATF is being gutted and its mission realigned away from gun trafficking. In DC, Pirro told prosecutors not to prosecute gun felonies for open carry (ex: rifles) under DC laws.
Trump's outrages are coming at us so hard and fast, with each one being so dangerous in terms of its grotesque implications, that we barely have the time to react to each one of them on an individual basis.
Of course, it is incumbent upon us to keep doing so: we need to keep compiling a list of his criminal acts (his announced intention of invading Chicago being the latest such example) so that they can be presented in a court of law - with Trump in the dock or posthumously, as the case may be - in order to hold him accountable as a first step in preventing this national madness from seizing us ever again.
However, let us not fall into the trap, while staying focused on each separate issue, of failing to look at the larger picture. And that is simply this: Trump is hellbent on destroying this country from within. To those who might think that this is hyperbole, please ask yourselves how any of his actions have served to unite us and move this nation forward.
It is high time to stop acting passively. It is time to take the battle to him by presenting an alternative to the evil that he is unleashing upon us. What we lack, though, is a united, if unofficial, body of leaders, from all walks of life, to save us from merely thrashing about while trying to stay afloat in the turbulence, and to present a way ahead that is founded on truth and morality.
To those who are still looking to the midterms late next year: those elections will either be called off entirely because we will be living under martial law - or, if "elections" are held, they will be a farce with a predetermined outcome. Take your choice.
So our dim witted president favors cosplay in, it seems, every aspect of his arrested development, what an anomaly of a man. He always makes the most destructive choices of his options. Spoiled, rotten at his core.
Pritzker needs to send the Illinois state police and his own National Guard to any entry point where Trump's goons attempt to enter Illinois and just flat tell them, "Stay the f*ck out of MY state"! It is time for tough actions as well as talk.
Having gone to college in Chicago, I will assure you that Chicago is not about to roll over for Trump. Not the residents, not the leaders, no one. Nor should they. It really is mind-blowing that ANYONE thinks this is okay. His swagger is sickening. Let's hope the Roberts (wimp) Court doesn't continue to further erode the Constitution.
Which they swore to uphold, and continue to use it to protect us from disgusting people like our President. Three equal parts? I think not.
We should start naming this regime for what it is: the MAGA Looting of America.
Folks were warned, especially in regard to Project ‘25. 2024 was THE most consequential election in modern history and people simply didn’t care. Many still don’t. We’ve seen this movie before. It’s time to start calling this what it is. We officially have a tyrannical government that is actively staging a military coup. The Republican Party, aided by a corrupt and compromised president are engaging in a civil war against American states, cities and citizens that overwhelmingly do not support their authoritarian policies. They are now acting as a Neo-Confederacy. How does this play out during the midterms, or any other upcoming elections? This administration is granting military troops the authority to harass people. What happens in these states when folks start exercising their basic rights to free speech or to vote? Republicans no longer seem to be concerned with elections, beyond calculating ways to undermine them. The alarms should be blaring. Instead, they’re frighteningly silent and media outlets are trying desperately to normalize and downplay all of this. No network or outlet should’ve covering this as normal politics, a distraction, or the musings of one person. It is a well-calculated/documented, laser-precise attack on our democracy.
The lede says it all. And until the public begins to recognize this we’re in for a long haul fight against his lying and distraction. That the Republicans who enable him to continue his autocratic behavior is worse, because we need elected officials, who have sworn an oath to protect and defend The Constitution against all enemies, foreign AND domestic, to do their damned jobs.
Excerpt:
“Trump’s planned invasion also comes at a time when there is a growing demand from House members to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
This will intensify after as many as 100 victims of Epstein are scheduled to speak out in a press conference today.
There are already some Republicans who have joined Democrats and signed a discharge petition to force a House vote on the full release of the files, a move that House Speaker Mike Johnson opposes in his effort to cover up for Trump.”
Thank you
I think we have our very own Caligula. What is happening in this country is pure madness. It is like the country is Trump’s personal plaything to do whatever demented thing comes into his head. Shame on the numskulls who have sold their souls and grovel at his feet. Disgusting!!!
This is the beginning of a military takeover of our cities one-by-one. He is indeed prepping for a military invasion. We're thisclose to entering into a dictatorship.
In addition, the bombing of a ship in international waters without clear evidence of any illegal activity is an act of war. Third-world countries look down on us.
As a fellow native Chicagoan, all of us of a certain age know what 1968 means for Chicago. I warn all this is not an issue of rolling over anymore. I am afraid Chicagoans and protestors will take the bait.
Steven makes a compelling case against President Trump's proposed deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, drawing a stark contrast between his approach and that of past presidents. Steven is right to argue that Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson used federal authority to uphold civil rights and enforce the law, while Trump's plan is a "hostile invasion" that would violate the Posse Comitatus Act and further polarize the nation.
Steven and others should use their megaphones to highlight the defiance of Illinois leaders, Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson, who argue that Chicago does not need federal intervention and that Trump's plan is a political stunt.
But, the comparison to the 1968 Democratic National Convention is inevitable. That event, which saw violent clashes between police and anti-war protesters, left a lasting mark on Chicago and the nation.
Without some sort of city wide preparation, Trump's actions will lead to a similar situation, reigniting tensions and violence. This may be impossible because in today's age it is simple for Trump supporter to foment violence and Chicago and Trump opposition will be blamed.
Steven argues that this is a time for sanity and defiance, not for capitulation to a "weak and desperate man. I add that this is a time for extraordinary organization to prevent giving Trump one iota of a pretext to violently repress dissenters, use Chicago as an example/jumping off board to invade other blue cities, and to aggregate all opposition to violent leftists (as Mayor Daley did)
Preparing in advance is important. Pritzker did address the need not to play into trump’s hands while exercising their right to protest. For now, it looks like DJT has an invitation from the GOP governor in Louisiana to go into New Orleans & claims to prefer waiting for an invitation to Illinois. We’ll see.
Thanks Ann. I will try to promote what Pritzker said. I hope others besides Pritzker, including those in places like LA or New Orleans will heed his advice
“No, Governor, not all of us have lost our minds. This is a time for strong and clear defiance of the hostile plans of a weak and desperate man determined to further fuel conflict in our beloved country.”
Indeed. I am not a Chicagoan, but I love the city and know the people of that city are strong and proud and will not tolerate this assault. Regardless of where we are located, we must continue to stand up together in defiance.
Steven,
As native Chicagoans, you and I know full well that, unlike the residents of certain other major U.S. cities, we will not tolerate being bullied. Chicagoans don’t look for fights with anyone, but if the goons and punks employed by the Trump regime are looking for one with us they will find one.
Chicago has always welcomed the “tired, poor, huddling masses yearning to breathe free,” and it is “The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down.”
Hence, I have supreme confidence that our 57th Mayor, Brandon Johnson, is not going to capitulate to the Trump regime like Washington, DC mayor, Muriel Bowser, did two weeks ago. And I believe the same to be true of the current and 43rd governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker.
But tragically, due to Trump growing increasingly desperate because of his sagging job approval ratings and because it is likely he is covering up for pedo pervs and probably is one, I predict that there is going to be a bloodbath in Chicago during the next No Kings protest on October 18.
And there may also be sporadic incidences of violence instigated and perpetrated by the Trump regime in Chicago and across the United States even before that. Maybe as soon as the Texas National Guard occupies Chicago in a few days.
But any act of unwarranted state sponsored violence ordered and directed by Trump and carried out by the fascist thugs in his regime against peaceful protesters in Chicago and/or against nonviolent demonstrators in other major U.S. cities in the near future would, far more than likely, massively backfire on Trump politically and harden the resolve of the residents of these cities to resist him, especially in Chicago.
And would also likely accelerate the inevitable demise of his regime. Much as the outrage among many Americans to the state sponsored violence during the Haymarket Incident in Chicago in 1886 and the Pullman Strike in 1894, which occurred partly in Chicago, helped the labor movement in the U.S. and elsewhere to succeed.
Does anyone know if the military can refuse an unconstitutional order? Not that these loyalists would but maybe if they truly believe in the oath they swore to defend and protect?
Yes, they can refuse.
glad to hear this; the now retired Generals/Colonels etc if still active would have nothing to do with using 'our' troops for this kind of shenanigans. Those currently still active need to get a spine and stand up for our militarty.
It is completely ridiculous we are not hearing views from congress members. They need to speak up on issues and stop the actions that are being done and not voted for. They are paid to be the overseer of taxpayer dollars and they are failing miserably.
The militarization of cities is political, dangerous & illegal. He’s going to keep doing it to find the weak spots and get permissive court rulings. The GOP needs an election issue now that it will declare victory on abortion and immigration. Crime is their only other option with the economy & tariffs making the public unhappy.
Chicago ranks 29th in violent crime which shows this is not about crime. It’s not about gun violence / shootings because both Pritzker and Mayor Johnson talked about their collaborative efforts with the FBI and ATF - for instance on gun smuggling pipeline.
ATF is being gutted and its mission realigned away from gun trafficking. In DC, Pirro told prosecutors not to prosecute gun felonies for open carry (ex: rifles) under DC laws.
https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/most-dangerous-places
Trump's outrages are coming at us so hard and fast, with each one being so dangerous in terms of its grotesque implications, that we barely have the time to react to each one of them on an individual basis.
Of course, it is incumbent upon us to keep doing so: we need to keep compiling a list of his criminal acts (his announced intention of invading Chicago being the latest such example) so that they can be presented in a court of law - with Trump in the dock or posthumously, as the case may be - in order to hold him accountable as a first step in preventing this national madness from seizing us ever again.
However, let us not fall into the trap, while staying focused on each separate issue, of failing to look at the larger picture. And that is simply this: Trump is hellbent on destroying this country from within. To those who might think that this is hyperbole, please ask yourselves how any of his actions have served to unite us and move this nation forward.
It is high time to stop acting passively. It is time to take the battle to him by presenting an alternative to the evil that he is unleashing upon us. What we lack, though, is a united, if unofficial, body of leaders, from all walks of life, to save us from merely thrashing about while trying to stay afloat in the turbulence, and to present a way ahead that is founded on truth and morality.
To those who are still looking to the midterms late next year: those elections will either be called off entirely because we will be living under martial law - or, if "elections" are held, they will be a farce with a predetermined outcome. Take your choice.
So our dim witted president favors cosplay in, it seems, every aspect of his arrested development, what an anomaly of a man. He always makes the most destructive choices of his options. Spoiled, rotten at his core.
Pritzker needs to send the Illinois state police and his own National Guard to any entry point where Trump's goons attempt to enter Illinois and just flat tell them, "Stay the f*ck out of MY state"! It is time for tough actions as well as talk.