I didn't think I could feel more humiliated than I did when trump kowtowed to Putin, red carpet and all. But he managed to do so with Xi Jinping. Tom Nichols has a piece in today's Atlantic, basically saying that we shouldn't have any more summits until trump is out of office. The preparation, the diplomacy, the groundwork for fruitful, face-to-face conversations are sadly lacking in all of trump's "summits." Nichols points out that trump gets all gooey eyed before the dictators and can only manage to bully our allies. This man is not only a psychiatric disaster, he is evil, truly evil. I doubt he'll be chastened by the mid-terms. He'll flail around for months that it was all rigged, etc., but he won't quit the corruption, the grift, the lawlessness, the mess until he is "dead and gone." I for one, can hardly wait for his exit, stage right.
It's been attributed to Mark Twain, but I think it was Clarence Darrow who said, "I have never wished ill of any man, but there are some obituaries I have read with considerable satisfaction." I can't think of anyone since Osama Bin Laden went to his reward whose obituary would satisfy more people.
But it will go on for two more years unless a benevolent Deity intervenes. A blue tsunami in November might help slow down our drain-circling, but the Executive Branch and its SCOTUS accomplices/enablers will still hold a lot of power in the meantime.
As is so often the case your composition artistry, master of vocabulary, and underneath it all a foundation of passion for illuminating Truth moves me emotionally…..These months I am often emotional.
I was stunned: The ignorant violent UN speech, so utterly contradictory to the UN mission of cooperation and problem solving, and then the madness of praising China’s state press, “whose freedom of the press ranks 178th in world” as you say, is even this moment affecting me.
He may be vile, but he wouldn't be getting away with this if Congress and the Supreme Court majority were doing their damn jobs. In bygone days, White House staff were sometimes able to restrain a president's worst impulses, but with Trump II they're all toadies.
We USians have long been too prone to make it all about individuals. When it comes to government, or any organization really, it's never entirely about one person.
Republicans benefit from payoffs. Also afraid to antagonize him. American democracy fizzling. Now Russian China style dictatorship wit h state controlled news. He makes a biooln or more per day using office for personal benefit.
Hating to point this out, but Congress, which is majority R, IS doing its job. Their job is to win. They are winning. WE are losing but they are in fact totally doing their job. It's taken this many decades to expose their job is NOT We, the People. It's oppressing and stealing us blind that is their job. They want our SS that we paid in. They want us dead without benefits. That is so obviously their job. Six SCOTUS are bought and docile. Three are independent brilliant unbuyable strong women. And this is also the Republican job. It sucks, Susanna, but they are very good at this job of taking our country away from us and pretending they are benevolent and "conservative."
Conservative - what a cringy lie that is. It means to them "All Mine, Not Yours."
I agree we can’t go on any longer and the voters must be the ones to make the change. I’m shocked that recent poll in Maine shows Collin’s still leading after the discovery of corruption? Or that Michigan senate race could even be close. Or that any Texan would vote for Ken Paxton. Who are these people?
About Maine -- it sounds as if the most recent poll didn't have time to catch up with the latest revelations about Collins. Many voters don't have their eyeballs glued to the headlines or the screen.
The racism and ignorance that have propelled Trump and the Republican Party this far didn't come out of nowhere. Even if the midterms turn out to be a Democratic landslide (here's hoping!), that's not going to fix much of anything unless the new Congress follows through. New leadership would be a good start, however.
The midterms aren't going to change the composition of the Supreme Court either.
According to Fox Network, 51% of voters will vote for Democrats and 43% will vote for Republicans. That is the problem. Trump's poll numbers may be bad, but people will still vote for the Republicans who will not support Democracy, enable Trump and are in the pockets of billionaires.
Thank you again for your honest essay. I am at the point where I may just cancel all my subscriptions to "newspapers". They have "no cards" - they report on inane silly stuff instead of writing about what's really going on with a tyrant, mad with disease, unable to do his job (he never WAS able to do a job, other than going bankrupt). I sure hope more great writers join the truth tellers who speak loudly, clearly about the vandal, crook with the mind of a psychopath. He's a clear and present danger to not just America, but to the world! Keep up the great work, we need to hear this every day. Even if the "congress, SCOTUS" refuse to do anything about it! I still wonder if Dems take Congress, then what? Will anything change?
Steven, this was good as always. Your ending: “It’s up to all of us—we, the people—to get this done.” I think it need these additional 6 words: “Because we won’t have another chance.”
Of course it will be worse. He keeps stealing more money. We know he steals secret documents. We know he charges hovt when ge hoes to resorts. We know he'll kill people he doesn't like, like Hispanics, black, poor, democrats, etc. The military is loyal only to him. Watch. He'll bomb Chicago. San Francisco. Sacramento.
“There is no kind of government more deformed than that in which the wealthiest are regarded as the noblest.” - Cicero
I didn't think I could feel more humiliated than I did when trump kowtowed to Putin, red carpet and all. But he managed to do so with Xi Jinping. Tom Nichols has a piece in today's Atlantic, basically saying that we shouldn't have any more summits until trump is out of office. The preparation, the diplomacy, the groundwork for fruitful, face-to-face conversations are sadly lacking in all of trump's "summits." Nichols points out that trump gets all gooey eyed before the dictators and can only manage to bully our allies. This man is not only a psychiatric disaster, he is evil, truly evil. I doubt he'll be chastened by the mid-terms. He'll flail around for months that it was all rigged, etc., but he won't quit the corruption, the grift, the lawlessness, the mess until he is "dead and gone." I for one, can hardly wait for his exit, stage right.
It's been attributed to Mark Twain, but I think it was Clarence Darrow who said, "I have never wished ill of any man, but there are some obituaries I have read with considerable satisfaction." I can't think of anyone since Osama Bin Laden went to his reward whose obituary would satisfy more people.
That is so well put! I second all of that!
But it will go on for two more years unless a benevolent Deity intervenes. A blue tsunami in November might help slow down our drain-circling, but the Executive Branch and its SCOTUS accomplices/enablers will still hold a lot of power in the meantime.
38 Days
As is so often the case your composition artistry, master of vocabulary, and underneath it all a foundation of passion for illuminating Truth moves me emotionally…..These months I am often emotional.
I was stunned: The ignorant violent UN speech, so utterly contradictory to the UN mission of cooperation and problem solving, and then the madness of praising China’s state press, “whose freedom of the press ranks 178th in world” as you say, is even this moment affecting me.
38 Days: We must succeed
King is not really derogatory enough. Dictator. Madman. Psychopath. Murderous tyrant. Etc.
I'd go with "Blundering baby with insufficient adult supervision."
Hes vile. Not baby. Hes a boat constructor.
He may be vile, but he wouldn't be getting away with this if Congress and the Supreme Court majority were doing their damn jobs. In bygone days, White House staff were sometimes able to restrain a president's worst impulses, but with Trump II they're all toadies.
We USians have long been too prone to make it all about individuals. When it comes to government, or any organization really, it's never entirely about one person.
Republicans benefit from payoffs. Also afraid to antagonize him. American democracy fizzling. Now Russian China style dictatorship wit h state controlled news. He makes a biooln or more per day using office for personal benefit.
Hating to point this out, but Congress, which is majority R, IS doing its job. Their job is to win. They are winning. WE are losing but they are in fact totally doing their job. It's taken this many decades to expose their job is NOT We, the People. It's oppressing and stealing us blind that is their job. They want our SS that we paid in. They want us dead without benefits. That is so obviously their job. Six SCOTUS are bought and docile. Three are independent brilliant unbuyable strong women. And this is also the Republican job. It sucks, Susanna, but they are very good at this job of taking our country away from us and pretending they are benevolent and "conservative."
Conservative - what a cringy lie that is. It means to them "All Mine, Not Yours."
Boa constrictor
Frankly, I loved "boat constructor" because all his boats would sink.
It’s a national tragedy brought on by the worst impulses in American culture. Trump’s psychiatric disorders have been visibile since the 1980s.
Thank you for this - of course am forwarding. Truth well 'spoken.'
Remember: VOTE as if USA depended on outcome because it does. God Bless America - please
Look for Democratic cheatsheets. For my area in Arizona. pimavote.com has Supreme advice, all in one place.
Grateful for the music you included - helped.
Yes “what a Heaven that day will be”
I agree we can’t go on any longer and the voters must be the ones to make the change. I’m shocked that recent poll in Maine shows Collin’s still leading after the discovery of corruption? Or that Michigan senate race could even be close. Or that any Texan would vote for Ken Paxton. Who are these people?
Are they all wealthy and just don’t give a damn?
About Maine -- it sounds as if the most recent poll didn't have time to catch up with the latest revelations about Collins. Many voters don't have their eyeballs glued to the headlines or the screen.
The racism and ignorance that have propelled Trump and the Republican Party this far didn't come out of nowhere. Even if the midterms turn out to be a Democratic landslide (here's hoping!), that's not going to fix much of anything unless the new Congress follows through. New leadership would be a good start, however.
The midterms aren't going to change the composition of the Supreme Court either.
According to Fox Network, 51% of voters will vote for Democrats and 43% will vote for Republicans. That is the problem. Trump's poll numbers may be bad, but people will still vote for the Republicans who will not support Democracy, enable Trump and are in the pockets of billionaires.
MAGAs are impervious to reason- same old responses. Low information refuting. I cannot help thinking they are too self interested
Thank you again for your honest essay. I am at the point where I may just cancel all my subscriptions to "newspapers". They have "no cards" - they report on inane silly stuff instead of writing about what's really going on with a tyrant, mad with disease, unable to do his job (he never WAS able to do a job, other than going bankrupt). I sure hope more great writers join the truth tellers who speak loudly, clearly about the vandal, crook with the mind of a psychopath. He's a clear and present danger to not just America, but to the world! Keep up the great work, we need to hear this every day. Even if the "congress, SCOTUS" refuse to do anything about it! I still wonder if Dems take Congress, then what? Will anything change?
Thank you, Babs. You’ve surely caught what I’m trying to do.
You and the other Substacks are most of my news, these days. With all of the mergers not sure of bias on media I used to follow.
Steven, this was good as always. Your ending: “It’s up to all of us—we, the people—to get this done.” I think it need these additional 6 words: “Because we won’t have another chance.”
Thank you for the musical interlude. It was just the break from the Mad Emperor that I needed. (202) 864-7113.
Thank you for the song!!! Yes so embarrassed by this fake president!!!
Thanks for that Irvin Berlin song….Spreading it wide and far!
Of course it will be worse. He keeps stealing more money. We know he steals secret documents. We know he charges hovt when ge hoes to resorts. We know he'll kill people he doesn't like, like Hispanics, black, poor, democrats, etc. The military is loyal only to him. Watch. He'll bomb Chicago. San Francisco. Sacramento.