Today, April 14, I am almost bowed down by my anger and my empathy. I ask the question ten times every day: How can he be allowed to do this? He's ripping up the Constitution, defying the timid Roberts Court, chopping the legs off every aspect of civil rights, justice, social values. Yes, I subscribe to The Contrarian and listen every day, join rallies, write to my supine Democratic senators, but it seems as though nothing can stop him in this climate. I desperately need hope, not just for me but for everyone his hate-filled eyes land on.
If you had ONE person to blame for this mess, it is Mitch McConnell. He could have made it so Trump couldn't run again, right after January 6th, but lost his "huevos," figuring it would never happen. Blatantly ignoring his obligation to vote on Merrick Garland's nomination is one of many, many shames. He isn't running now and is suddenly trying to do better but it is too little, too late for your legacy, Mitch. You are going to look VERY bad in future years. Every good thing you might have done with your power will be forgotten and rolling out the red carpet for THIS hot mess is your lasting legacy.
They're still stacking, alas. Project 2025, years in the making, is the total blueprint of what needs to be attacked to completely dissolve our democracy.
All they needed was a cognitively-challenged puppet with a valid Sharpie signature to effect it.
But they won't. They subscribe to the belief that are untouchable, have given trump the power, and several of them have indicated they're fine with the downfall of democracy, witness Alioto's upside down flag!
I still cannot fathom that they did that. There is no case law that would support such a thing in this country, and how these 6 out of 340 million who are supposed to know the law so well that they earned a lifetime appointment to the highest court could be so bloody shortsighted/corrupt/downright ignorant to their actions.
What if Joe Biden did something (which he never, ever would have!) in his final months like sending the jackals after the intended "King"...then shrugging and saying "Oops!" while being immune from murder? Would the court have said "Wait! We only meant it for the next President, not for you."
Roberts did seem to get a tad nervous when this POTUS stated that Judge Boasberg should be impeached - as though he never imagined that judges might come into the crosshairs of this chaos.
HE WILL NOT ALWAYS BE PRESIDENT and when that day comes, I hope they feel whatever Joseph Goebbels did when Hitler's regime fell.
I truly empathize with your feelings. I am seeing the regime plowing through judicial rulings. I don't see what can be done if the refusal continues except to vote out EVERY Republican in Congress whenever there's an election.
it’s a broad assumption that we’ll be able to vote. i fully expect him to “temporarily” suspend voting due to some manufactured emergency. and what will we do then?
It feels like a nightmare that I hope to wake up from. I just have to continue to stay informed, protest, gather locally and spread the word about news choices for people.
Thank you! I feel the same way, and had started writing a similar comment when I read yours, and I decided we both needed hope...not more sadness, anger, and disappointment. So, I looked up "hope quotes," and found two that I liked.
"Hope is the fuel that keeps us pressing forward, even in the face of challenges. Don’t let setbacks extinguish your light. Hold on to hope—it’s the foundation of courage, resilience, and progress." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
The next one is from Eleanor Roosevelt, and might be helpful, because she traveled throughout the country and the world during WWII because FDR couldn't. The following quote was from August 10, 1945.
“Person after person has said to me in these last few days that this new world we face terrifies them. I can understand how that feeling would arise unless one believes that men are capable of greatness beyond their past achievements. The time now calls for mankind as a whole to rise to great heights."
~Eleanor Roosevelt
Finally, I realized the most motivating and hopeful events happening now are the Bernie Sanders' and AOC Oligarchy Tours, (even though I don't agree with all of their policies). But, 35,000 people attended the one in Los Angeles on Saturday, and it was extraordinary. That night Sanders did a surprise visit at the Coachella music festival and there were thousands of people. Yesterday, they were in Salt Lake with 20,000 plus. And, today, they are in Idaho. It's just thrilling how excited people are. I hope you feel the same. Take care!
Thanks. I think we will ultimately need to be 2 or 3 million in Washington and hope our homegrown dictator doesn't call out our fellow Americans in uniform to shoot into the crowds like they do in other countries.
You're welcome. Actually, according to the Nonviolent Lab at Harvard, they say that in order to effect change, it requires that 3.5% of the total population participates in nonviolent demonstrations.
Since, there are 340.1 million people in the U.S., that would mean that 11.1 million would need to protest. But...the good news is that according to Alt National Park Services, 5.2 million people participated on April 5. Evidently 20,000 volunteers went to all the demonstration sites, and worked with local law enforcement to determine crowd numbers. I can't verify the number, but the link is below.
Yes Susan! … all of that and even more… stanching research, higher education, energy tech, environmental (and all! ) regulations. We are going into the dark ages. China will own the world economy and America will be ruined. They are clowns pretending to know what they are doing but running on greed and weird ideologies. I am praying that Americans will wake up. This little pep talk letter is good for us…. Even when we feel we are losing. We can’t let go! Keep going!
I don't shop at big stores except a few times a year at Costco. I have retreated to a great measure from FB, left Tw when musk bought it, and am stuck with Amazon not for buying stuff, which I never do if there's any alternative but which I have to keep because I recently got the rights back to one of my series and re-published them through Amazon. I'm nit much of a consumer these days.
"Today, April 14, I am almost bowed down by my anger and my empathy. I ask the question ten times every day: How can he be allowed to do this? He's ripping up the Constitution, defying the timid Roberts Court, chopping the legs off every aspect of civil rights, justice, social values."
With that level of rhetoric you should offer your services to Jen and Norm.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving all of us a place to get good information, which is why I subscribed in January.
I will not be intimidated and speak truth to those, people in my own family included, who believe the lies. I'm a finance professional and come at them with that angle and it seems to be helping them wake up to the fact that things went from an economy that was doing ok, with challenges with stubborn inflation, to a recession or on the cusp of a recession in less than 3 months. They cannot dispute my facts with alternative math or data as they see the impacts to their wallets too.
If anything will reach ears it is the economy and their wallets. Sadly the other problems of lack of truth , decency, rule of law or humanity doesn’t seem to matter to many people. We are sinking fast! I want to protest but am having trouble getting info on where one is near me and when. Congress has to act but massive protests will be the thing that gives them courage to act.
I’m thankful for both of you, Norm and Jen!!! It’s a Scary Dangerous Time but make sure everyone takes care of yourselves! I listened to Kenny G on Pandora this morning on my walk- I’ve always loved his music but had forgotten I did!! Just little things!! We must keep Joy within us- It allows us to soar- and we’ve got a Real Fight ahead of us!!! We’ve Got This!!!🇺🇸🇺🇦👍🙏🏼❤️
I listen to the Smooth Bossa Nova channel on jazzradio.com for about 30 minutes each night before going to bed, and it helps me sleep better. I forgot about Kenny G. Was a big fan back in the day. Thanks for the reminder.
Between the Robert's Supreme Court and the evisceration of Congress by senators and representatives who have proven to be dupes in the service of Trump, TWO branches of our government have been effectively "amputated" and put through a wood shredder by Trump and his thug cabinet and mega donors. Courage will require that the citizenry stand up to Trump in every way we can by letting the "Trump Regime" know that they are all cordially invited to the theological place of eternal damnation and our democracy WILL survive despite their reprehensible actions.
I NEED your measured response to the Republican Regime....I find that calling EVERYDAY to those elected officials who were supposed to protect our constitution makes be feel that I am part of the resistance that I admired during WWII.
Today, April 14, I am almost bowed down by my anger and my empathy. I ask the question ten times every day: How can he be allowed to do this? He's ripping up the Constitution, defying the timid Roberts Court, chopping the legs off every aspect of civil rights, justice, social values. Yes, I subscribe to The Contrarian and listen every day, join rallies, write to my supine Democratic senators, but it seems as though nothing can stop him in this climate. I desperately need hope, not just for me but for everyone his hate-filled eyes land on.
My only push back is The Robert’s court - conservatives - own this with their ruling last summer. They need to reverse it now
Remember when McConnell blocked Obama's superb Supreme Court nomination? That helped usher in the frat boys and evangelical wackos we now have.
Well, in hindsight I must say I hope Merrick Garland would have made a much better justice than he was an attorney general of the United States.
If you had ONE person to blame for this mess, it is Mitch McConnell. He could have made it so Trump couldn't run again, right after January 6th, but lost his "huevos," figuring it would never happen. Blatantly ignoring his obligation to vote on Merrick Garland's nomination is one of many, many shames. He isn't running now and is suddenly trying to do better but it is too little, too late for your legacy, Mitch. You are going to look VERY bad in future years. Every good thing you might have done with your power will be forgotten and rolling out the red carpet for THIS hot mess is your lasting legacy.
they stacked not just the Supreme Court but the Federal Courts and many of the others.
They're still stacking, alas. Project 2025, years in the making, is the total blueprint of what needs to be attacked to completely dissolve our democracy.
All they needed was a cognitively-challenged puppet with a valid Sharpie signature to effect it.
Don't forget Citizens United!
The courts have been paving the way for this since 2010. And that is another unfathomable ruling if basing decisions on the law.
But they won't. They subscribe to the belief that are untouchable, have given trump the power, and several of them have indicated they're fine with the downfall of democracy, witness Alioto's upside down flag!
I still cannot fathom that they did that. There is no case law that would support such a thing in this country, and how these 6 out of 340 million who are supposed to know the law so well that they earned a lifetime appointment to the highest court could be so bloody shortsighted/corrupt/downright ignorant to their actions.
What if Joe Biden did something (which he never, ever would have!) in his final months like sending the jackals after the intended "King"...then shrugging and saying "Oops!" while being immune from murder? Would the court have said "Wait! We only meant it for the next President, not for you."
Roberts did seem to get a tad nervous when this POTUS stated that Judge Boasberg should be impeached - as though he never imagined that judges might come into the crosshairs of this chaos.
HE WILL NOT ALWAYS BE PRESIDENT and when that day comes, I hope they feel whatever Joseph Goebbels did when Hitler's regime fell.
Bingo! Reversal is a great idea!
I truly empathize with your feelings. I am seeing the regime plowing through judicial rulings. I don't see what can be done if the refusal continues except to vote out EVERY Republican in Congress whenever there's an election.
it’s a broad assumption that we’ll be able to vote. i fully expect him to “temporarily” suspend voting due to some manufactured emergency. and what will we do then?
He is setting up the military to do his bidding. Keep watch! Red flags
all over the place.
It feels like a nightmare that I hope to wake up from. I just have to continue to stay informed, protest, gather locally and spread the word about news choices for people.
Thank you! I feel the same way, and had started writing a similar comment when I read yours, and I decided we both needed hope...not more sadness, anger, and disappointment. So, I looked up "hope quotes," and found two that I liked.
"Hope is the fuel that keeps us pressing forward, even in the face of challenges. Don’t let setbacks extinguish your light. Hold on to hope—it’s the foundation of courage, resilience, and progress." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
The next one is from Eleanor Roosevelt, and might be helpful, because she traveled throughout the country and the world during WWII because FDR couldn't. The following quote was from August 10, 1945.
“Person after person has said to me in these last few days that this new world we face terrifies them. I can understand how that feeling would arise unless one believes that men are capable of greatness beyond their past achievements. The time now calls for mankind as a whole to rise to great heights."
~Eleanor Roosevelt
Finally, I realized the most motivating and hopeful events happening now are the Bernie Sanders' and AOC Oligarchy Tours, (even though I don't agree with all of their policies). But, 35,000 people attended the one in Los Angeles on Saturday, and it was extraordinary. That night Sanders did a surprise visit at the Coachella music festival and there were thousands of people. Yesterday, they were in Salt Lake with 20,000 plus. And, today, they are in Idaho. It's just thrilling how excited people are. I hope you feel the same. Take care!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZubGdeTPQ
Thanks. I think we will ultimately need to be 2 or 3 million in Washington and hope our homegrown dictator doesn't call out our fellow Americans in uniform to shoot into the crowds like they do in other countries.
You're welcome. Actually, according to the Nonviolent Lab at Harvard, they say that in order to effect change, it requires that 3.5% of the total population participates in nonviolent demonstrations.
Since, there are 340.1 million people in the U.S., that would mean that 11.1 million would need to protest. But...the good news is that according to Alt National Park Services, 5.2 million people participated on April 5. Evidently 20,000 volunteers went to all the demonstration sites, and worked with local law enforcement to determine crowd numbers. I can't verify the number, but the link is below.
https://ash.harvard.edu/programs/nonviolent-action-lab/
https://bsky.app/profile/altnps.bsky.social/post/3lm5nnz5ook2q
Thank you! I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry, but I've decided to laugh!
Yes Susan! … all of that and even more… stanching research, higher education, energy tech, environmental (and all! ) regulations. We are going into the dark ages. China will own the world economy and America will be ruined. They are clowns pretending to know what they are doing but running on greed and weird ideologies. I am praying that Americans will wake up. This little pep talk letter is good for us…. Even when we feel we are losing. We can’t let go! Keep going!
Please take ACTION.
Here's one way: https://arthurbeckman.substack.com/p/we-must-go-to-the-root-of-this-political
I don't shop at big stores except a few times a year at Costco. I have retreated to a great measure from FB, left Tw when musk bought it, and am stuck with Amazon not for buying stuff, which I never do if there's any alternative but which I have to keep because I recently got the rights back to one of my series and re-published them through Amazon. I'm nit much of a consumer these days.
"Today, April 14, I am almost bowed down by my anger and my empathy. I ask the question ten times every day: How can he be allowed to do this? He's ripping up the Constitution, defying the timid Roberts Court, chopping the legs off every aspect of civil rights, justice, social values."
With that level of rhetoric you should offer your services to Jen and Norm.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving all of us a place to get good information, which is why I subscribed in January.
I will not be intimidated and speak truth to those, people in my own family included, who believe the lies. I'm a finance professional and come at them with that angle and it seems to be helping them wake up to the fact that things went from an economy that was doing ok, with challenges with stubborn inflation, to a recession or on the cusp of a recession in less than 3 months. They cannot dispute my facts with alternative math or data as they see the impacts to their wallets too.
Keep speaking out and speaking up.
If anything will reach ears it is the economy and their wallets. Sadly the other problems of lack of truth , decency, rule of law or humanity doesn’t seem to matter to many people. We are sinking fast! I want to protest but am having trouble getting info on where one is near me and when. Congress has to act but massive protests will be the thing that gives them courage to act.
I like the response of the President of Princeton University: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/podcasts/the-daily/princeton-university-trump.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
It is clear and fully nuanced. Well-stated, principled, robust.
This isn't about antisemitism; it's about asserting control of the universities.
You inspire me every day.
Thank you for this! It's exactly what I needed. The 99% are in this together!
You absolutely need to get paid spots all over the inter webs. And the DNC needs your content creators and video editors!
The DNC sure needs something....lordy....
They needed Ben Wikler. Not just more of the same with the old white guy Martin.
I’m thankful for both of you, Norm and Jen!!! It’s a Scary Dangerous Time but make sure everyone takes care of yourselves! I listened to Kenny G on Pandora this morning on my walk- I’ve always loved his music but had forgotten I did!! Just little things!! We must keep Joy within us- It allows us to soar- and we’ve got a Real Fight ahead of us!!! We’ve Got This!!!🇺🇸🇺🇦👍🙏🏼❤️
Bless you, Nancy! 💙🙏💙
I listen to the Smooth Bossa Nova channel on jazzradio.com for about 30 minutes each night before going to bed, and it helps me sleep better. I forgot about Kenny G. Was a big fan back in the day. Thanks for the reminder.
Between the Robert's Supreme Court and the evisceration of Congress by senators and representatives who have proven to be dupes in the service of Trump, TWO branches of our government have been effectively "amputated" and put through a wood shredder by Trump and his thug cabinet and mega donors. Courage will require that the citizenry stand up to Trump in every way we can by letting the "Trump Regime" know that they are all cordially invited to the theological place of eternal damnation and our democracy WILL survive despite their reprehensible actions.
New full subscriber. The combination of news, commentary, and actual legal action is great. Thank you Contrarians for your leadership.
Where’s this going to play? It’s great!
I NEED your measured response to the Republican Regime....I find that calling EVERYDAY to those elected officials who were supposed to protect our constitution makes be feel that I am part of the resistance that I admired during WWII.
Check out the 5 Calls app for help with this, everyone! :)
Fabulous ad!!!!
I needed that boost.
me too. yes yes yes.
Thank you!! I really needed this today!
Likewise
Love this! Hope it gets wide play somehow! Thanks for all you do!
This Bostonian heartily approves of the backing track.