What a wonderful summary of the deeds of our feckless president. (Lack of a capital P is intended) There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (2 Jan 1920-1992)
As democracy is perfected, the office [of president] represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move towards a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron
That quote actually misses the point! During his lifetime, it may have been relevant, but today it should be considered misinformation. The problem was once a general issue describing citizens' lack of interest and intellect. However, today, it is far more and issue of corporate, religious, and elitist propaganda! Certainly, those supporting Trump do so for their heart's desire, but that desire is inoculated into them from birth, then promoted by the media and the churches and synagogues of our country.
The issues we face are not just "ignorance" but of a white man's fear of being a minority in America. Therefore, we need to reintroduce segregation and eliminate the immigrants. Since its birth, Christianity has been forcing itself into control of American lives. So much so that our founders had to put an amendment into the Constitution to prevent it from assuming its desire to control our government and citizens! Yet, after all these years, through lax and possibly agreeable support, organized religion has now reached its goal.
Finally, corporations and the elitist community, presenting themselves as vehicles for economic and educational growth, have finally reached their goals to control all of the finances of government and what can, and cannot be taught, even to the point of having the government become shareholders in corporations using taxpayer funds as a handout!
So, possibly we need to expand Mencken's experience and include what is actually going on, rather than merely attributing our new government to idle-minded voters!
I refuse to use the word ' president' and his name in the same sentence. Also since day 1 of his first regime, I have typed his name as 'tRump'. I will do or say nothing to dignify that corrupt orange charlatan.
I too always have used tRump, though there are a few more scatological terms with which I've alternated it. I cannot wait for the time when we never have to reference it at all.
He has been attaching his name everywhere he can, but I see him being stricken from the public sphere when sanity returns. His name will be at best an imprecation.
Yes, and I cannot wait for him and his name to be erased from our government, buildings, programs, and lives. I'd travel to D.C. with a crowbar to take down his ballroom.
Well, I recognize that if you're trying to convince someone to change their mind then calling them stupid (even if they really ARE stupid) probably is not the most effective way to do it. Still, the truth is the truth.
I called no one "stupid." "There is a cult of ignorance." That's an observation made by Isaac Asimov, whose B'Day today is. I quoted him. I think that puts me 2 steps back from calling anyone "stupid."
Your point is correct and well taken. The cult of ignorance dates back centuries (I'm a little too young to remember the "Know-Nothing Party," but I've read about it.
And, your lack of a capital P is correct grammatically. The word is capitalized only when it's a title with a particular individual's name attached. (I'm an old-fashioned editor.)
President Obama, President Bill Clinton
The president has ...
A president is ...
No president may ...
Same with other political titles like governor, senator, representative, etc. (But "the Senate" is always capitalized.
As for this particular "president," I prefer what he was called in 2017, when he attained the White House office not by the voters but by the electors: the "resident" or "pResident tRump." :-)
The Trump regime has not done anything to benefit any American, with the exception of the one percent. The Trump regime has done everything possible to screw our (now former?) allies and kowtow to dictators and bullies around the world. The Trump regime has done everything possible to negatively impact the health of everybody in the world.
It really would not take much to stall Trump in his tracks, if only our Republican elected officials would stand up to Trump. Trump is a lame duck. Why are Republicans so scared?
“ , if only our Republican elected officials would stand up to Trump. Trump is a lame duck. Why are Republicans so scared?”
1. He still commands the MAGA faithful, and some of them are a violent mob. Representatives do not want that mob turned against them; they are afraid of it.
2. Many of Trump‘s goals are their goals as well; not all, but enough.
3. Worst of all, the MAGA faithful are accurately represented by their Republican representatives. Exceptions like the broad opposition to the hiding the Epstein files prove the rule.
There is one individual who is really reaping great benefits from this regime. Guess who. And I expect that he uses threats of violence to keep his lackeys in line, just like a mafia boss does. We need to raise our voices even higher if we are ever to be free of this monstrous cabal.
I don’t think we will ever fully recover from Trumpism, especially on the world stage. Our allies will always remember this era and will not completely trust us again. Why would they when they realize that this same approach is only an election away. They already have scaled back intelligence sharing, set up military purchases from Canada and France.
If Americans were fighting back, America could recover. But the large % of Republicans who still support Trump (68%) and the lack of protest suggest the true America has been revealed. Sadly, I agree it is over for trust in the USA.
The enduring support for Trump by so many - even some close to me - is the most disheartening part of this dystopian nightmare. I find those who support Trump to be either stunningly ill-informed or blithely impervious to facts and reason. That’s the real Trump derangement syndrome. His supporters either gleefully cheer on his hateful and destructive policies and perceived enemy vengeance campaigns, or they disassociate and keep repeating the mantra “what about Biden?!” As if that’s even a serious question. This means that the billionaires and complicit politicians are not solely to blame for enabling Trump’s campaign of corruption and destruction, but certain of our fellow Americans as well. How can so many be so callous and short-sighted?
The reason the state of Mississippi is at the bottom is because most of their decisions were based on whether Blacks would also benefit from. John Stennis and James Eastland were notorious for voting against things and only supporting things that excluded the majority of Black people like Social Security. When it was first established farm workers and maids were excluded. That mindset is still prevalent among so many! It took the South more than a hundred years, but the South has risen again!
Ms. Rubin perfectly sums up the shithole that Trump-MAGA are working hard to turn America into. What ignorant, greedy, racist, misogynistic, moronic, vindictive, power hungry, theocratic heathens, Constitution violating, law breaking, cowardly, little men the current Executive and Congressional branch power holder’s these scumbags are. They are gleefully doing the opposite of making America great again. We haven’t been this weak and vulnerable in close to two hundred years.
So Sayeth the Commander-in-Chief of Our Armed Forces
CBS News reported this morning that Trump is threatening to go to war with Iran if Iran "violently kills peaceful protesters" who are protesting the economic conditions in Iran."The United States will come to their rescue...We are locked and loaded and ready to go" said Trump on January 1.
While a normal person might believe that this is all bluster, given Trump's unstable and volatile mental condition and his motive to distract the American people from the wave of his ongoing slaughters on the high seas, further massive Epstein disclosures and his plummeting approval ratings in the polls, the prospects of attacking Iran from the air and on the ground appear to loom large on the horizon.
Given that we have a rogue President and a spineless groveling Republican majority in Congress, we cannot dismiss this threat as merely the hallucinations of a madman.
So they will protect peaceful protesters in Iran, but arrest and persecute peaceful protesters in the US? I guess that makes as much sense as anything else this administration does.
And, don't forget, a "Secretary of War" who appears to actively enjoy blowing shit up, as if it were all a video game, and explicitly praises unbounded violence.
"We also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for warfighters."
Hegseth, our tattoo covered former Fox News celebrity who is now starring as our nation's Secretary of War, has undoubtedly seen too many Hollywood style war movies which he's been using as scripts to play the Best Supporting Actor role in our President's crusade to free the world of peace and humanitarian causes. With the Oscar's coming up in a few months, both Trump and Hegseth, upon threat of closing down the ceremony, will attempt to coerce the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to confer special awards upon both of them for their performances in the service of our country.
A straightforward summary that needs to be printed out and hung in place of his mugshot that serves as an official presidential portrait around the world.
As always you hit every nail on the head. Welcome to 2026, and may it be a better year on every front. Thank you for your concise and intelligent reporting.
This is a sobering summary of America’s fall from Grace in 2025 and a handy list of the many things we will need to repair (if possible) when we regain power. We are fortunate to have your seasoned appraisal of this kleptocracy at hand, Jen—well worth saving.
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It’s quick, free, and valid for all elections in 2026. Need help? Write to help@votefromabroad.org.
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Thank you for this sobering, clarifying and dreadful list of what this very mentally ill man has done to our country. In the name of American Democracy, please, ALL Americans get out and demonstrate, talk to your neighbors, write editorials and VOTE. This is the year to get this sick and very dangerous "administration" (if we can call it that) impeached and out of there!!!!!!!!!
Not just one “very mentally ill man”. It took a village of racist, christian national, greedy Republicans working many decades and aided and abetted by the media, corporations, foreign countries hostile to the U.S., and the broligarchs to achieve this. Yes, trump is at the visible top of a deplorable heap but, like an iceberg, much of the destructive forces lie below the surface. Getting rid of trump/vance is a huge first step but never forget all the others who have participated into bringing us down and how long and difficult it will be to remove the rot. So yes, voting is very important, making sure the votes count, and voting in those who understand the norms of politics have changed and they need to ( legally) fight, undo, hold accountable, and destroy the entire ice berg. No more Garland-style “accountability”, no more “ our Republican friends across the isle”. They are by and large enemies of the state.
Why does our government not have minimum requirements (ie experience, education, references in the field) for hiring people in Cabinet positions? Like any job on any level in any corporation or industry has? Perameters that set conditions for the position, and as long as the candidate meets the qualifications, they can be selected by the President.
There’s supposed to be. That’s why Congressional approval is required. The problem in this instance is that the GOP members of Congress didn’t care who Trump appointed; they gladly rubber stamped the hateful incompetents currently in Trump’s cabinet because their goal was to serve Trump rather than the American people. They put their self-interests ahead of doing their jobs.
That's a good and valid question. It's likely that all those applying for citizenship in this country know more about civics, history, and leadership than those currently in the administration and Congress.
No argument here. Thank you for this scathing blast. Happy New Year.
Mr. Trump is playing a zero sum game against the American voters. In that sense, he is quite consistent.
Happy New Year Contrarians!
Thanks for this report on the atrocities committed by this evil regime. They are getting weaker and more inept daily. The incompetence is staggering.
Agreed! I love this quote from the article “Far from a “meritocracy,” this is affirmative action for irresponsible, ignorant, and mediocre suck-ups.”
Kakistocracy.
And so dangerous
It is matched by their simply awful evil intent!
What a wonderful summary of the deeds of our feckless president. (Lack of a capital P is intended) There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (2 Jan 1920-1992)
H. L. Mencken put it best:
As democracy is perfected, the office [of president] represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move towards a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron
It appears that we have indeed reached this pinacle of non-performance.
That quote actually misses the point! During his lifetime, it may have been relevant, but today it should be considered misinformation. The problem was once a general issue describing citizens' lack of interest and intellect. However, today, it is far more and issue of corporate, religious, and elitist propaganda! Certainly, those supporting Trump do so for their heart's desire, but that desire is inoculated into them from birth, then promoted by the media and the churches and synagogues of our country.
The issues we face are not just "ignorance" but of a white man's fear of being a minority in America. Therefore, we need to reintroduce segregation and eliminate the immigrants. Since its birth, Christianity has been forcing itself into control of American lives. So much so that our founders had to put an amendment into the Constitution to prevent it from assuming its desire to control our government and citizens! Yet, after all these years, through lax and possibly agreeable support, organized religion has now reached its goal.
Finally, corporations and the elitist community, presenting themselves as vehicles for economic and educational growth, have finally reached their goals to control all of the finances of government and what can, and cannot be taught, even to the point of having the government become shareholders in corporations using taxpayer funds as a handout!
So, possibly we need to expand Mencken's experience and include what is actually going on, rather than merely attributing our new government to idle-minded voters!
I refuse to use the word ' president' and his name in the same sentence. Also since day 1 of his first regime, I have typed his name as 'tRump'. I will do or say nothing to dignify that corrupt orange charlatan.
I use Felon47 myself.
🍊 A$$. Because $$$$ is all he's about.
Right!
I hae, in the past, reffered to him as "Your Assholiness."
I’m with you! I’ve used T——p instead.
I too always have used tRump, though there are a few more scatological terms with which I've alternated it. I cannot wait for the time when we never have to reference it at all.
He has been attaching his name everywhere he can, but I see him being stricken from the public sphere when sanity returns. His name will be at best an imprecation.
Yes, and I cannot wait for him and his name to be erased from our government, buildings, programs, and lives. I'd travel to D.C. with a crowbar to take down his ballroom.
Same. I use either that or Tя☭mp. (Can't take credit for that; I saw it somewhere and saved it with a keyboard shortcut.)
Well, I recognize that if you're trying to convince someone to change their mind then calling them stupid (even if they really ARE stupid) probably is not the most effective way to do it. Still, the truth is the truth.
I called no one "stupid." "There is a cult of ignorance." That's an observation made by Isaac Asimov, whose B'Day today is. I quoted him. I think that puts me 2 steps back from calling anyone "stupid."
americans are stupid idiots actually...
As grumpy cat said: I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, I thought you knew you were stupid.
I capitalize nothing when it comes to trump or his presidency.
Well maybe but there is Capital and Capitol offense both of which accrue to this president.
As his former first Secretary of State so aptly put it: he's a "fucking moron."
Agreed, and as you don't capitalize the p in president, I follow The Guardian, that no longer capitalizes the supreme court.
As it should be Steve218-there's nothing supreme about that court.
There's some faint hope. They ruled the Nationl Guard out of Chicago. It sets a precedent for the Guard's presence in other cities.
If I refer to the incompetent, criminal liar who rules our government regime, I type in the emoji for poop. That is all there is to say - a POS.
Truer words have never been spoken!
Your point is correct and well taken. The cult of ignorance dates back centuries (I'm a little too young to remember the "Know-Nothing Party," but I've read about it.
And, your lack of a capital P is correct grammatically. The word is capitalized only when it's a title with a particular individual's name attached. (I'm an old-fashioned editor.)
President Obama, President Bill Clinton
The president has ...
A president is ...
No president may ...
Same with other political titles like governor, senator, representative, etc. (But "the Senate" is always capitalized.
As for this particular "president," I prefer what he was called in 2017, when he attained the White House office not by the voters but by the electors: the "resident" or "pResident tRump." :-)
The Trump regime has not done anything to benefit any American, with the exception of the one percent. The Trump regime has done everything possible to screw our (now former?) allies and kowtow to dictators and bullies around the world. The Trump regime has done everything possible to negatively impact the health of everybody in the world.
It really would not take much to stall Trump in his tracks, if only our Republican elected officials would stand up to Trump. Trump is a lame duck. Why are Republicans so scared?
Yes Alan, as he told MTG releasing the Epstein files would "Hurt his friends." Presumably they are among the 1%.
“ , if only our Republican elected officials would stand up to Trump. Trump is a lame duck. Why are Republicans so scared?”
1. He still commands the MAGA faithful, and some of them are a violent mob. Representatives do not want that mob turned against them; they are afraid of it.
2. Many of Trump‘s goals are their goals as well; not all, but enough.
3. Worst of all, the MAGA faithful are accurately represented by their Republican representatives. Exceptions like the broad opposition to the hiding the Epstein files prove the rule.
There is one individual who is really reaping great benefits from this regime. Guess who. And I expect that he uses threats of violence to keep his lackeys in line, just like a mafia boss does. We need to raise our voices even higher if we are ever to be free of this monstrous cabal.
I don’t think we will ever fully recover from Trumpism, especially on the world stage. Our allies will always remember this era and will not completely trust us again. Why would they when they realize that this same approach is only an election away. They already have scaled back intelligence sharing, set up military purchases from Canada and France.
If Americans were fighting back, America could recover. But the large % of Republicans who still support Trump (68%) and the lack of protest suggest the true America has been revealed. Sadly, I agree it is over for trust in the USA.
The enduring support for Trump by so many - even some close to me - is the most disheartening part of this dystopian nightmare. I find those who support Trump to be either stunningly ill-informed or blithely impervious to facts and reason. That’s the real Trump derangement syndrome. His supporters either gleefully cheer on his hateful and destructive policies and perceived enemy vengeance campaigns, or they disassociate and keep repeating the mantra “what about Biden?!” As if that’s even a serious question. This means that the billionaires and complicit politicians are not solely to blame for enabling Trump’s campaign of corruption and destruction, but certain of our fellow Americans as well. How can so many be so callous and short-sighted?
racism is a powerful vice
The reason the state of Mississippi is at the bottom is because most of their decisions were based on whether Blacks would also benefit from. John Stennis and James Eastland were notorious for voting against things and only supporting things that excluded the majority of Black people like Social Security. When it was first established farm workers and maids were excluded. That mindset is still prevalent among so many! It took the South more than a hundred years, but the South has risen again!
It is shocking Elizabeth, especially regretful is his support among women.
Let's not overlook dismantling the Voice of America and losing our soft power
100% Own Goal
Ms. Rubin perfectly sums up the shithole that Trump-MAGA are working hard to turn America into. What ignorant, greedy, racist, misogynistic, moronic, vindictive, power hungry, theocratic heathens, Constitution violating, law breaking, cowardly, little men the current Executive and Congressional branch power holder’s these scumbags are. They are gleefully doing the opposite of making America great again. We haven’t been this weak and vulnerable in close to two hundred years.
"WE ARE LOCKED AND LOADED AND READY TO GO"
So Sayeth the Commander-in-Chief of Our Armed Forces
CBS News reported this morning that Trump is threatening to go to war with Iran if Iran "violently kills peaceful protesters" who are protesting the economic conditions in Iran."The United States will come to their rescue...We are locked and loaded and ready to go" said Trump on January 1.
While a normal person might believe that this is all bluster, given Trump's unstable and volatile mental condition and his motive to distract the American people from the wave of his ongoing slaughters on the high seas, further massive Epstein disclosures and his plummeting approval ratings in the polls, the prospects of attacking Iran from the air and on the ground appear to loom large on the horizon.
Given that we have a rogue President and a spineless groveling Republican majority in Congress, we cannot dismiss this threat as merely the hallucinations of a madman.
The American people need to speak up.
So they will protect peaceful protesters in Iran, but arrest and persecute peaceful protesters in the US? I guess that makes as much sense as anything else this administration does.
Irony is certainly not dead!
And, don't forget, a "Secretary of War" who appears to actively enjoy blowing shit up, as if it were all a video game, and explicitly praises unbounded violence.
"We also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for warfighters."
Hegseth, our tattoo covered former Fox News celebrity who is now starring as our nation's Secretary of War, has undoubtedly seen too many Hollywood style war movies which he's been using as scripts to play the Best Supporting Actor role in our President's crusade to free the world of peace and humanitarian causes. With the Oscar's coming up in a few months, both Trump and Hegseth, upon threat of closing down the ceremony, will attempt to coerce the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to confer special awards upon both of them for their performances in the service of our country.
Well stated!
Putin didn’t have to expend any ammunition defeating the United States, all he needed was Trump, The Claremont Institute and the Heritage Foundation.
And I’d add to that - a complicit GOP and ignorant voters who decided that character fitness for office no longer matters.
and america's racism
Racism is behind everything thing and until this is acknowledged it will forever be America’s cross.
On the other hand…
A straightforward summary that needs to be printed out and hung in place of his mugshot that serves as an official presidential portrait around the world.
As always you hit every nail on the head. Welcome to 2026, and may it be a better year on every front. Thank you for your concise and intelligent reporting.
This is a sobering summary of America’s fall from Grace in 2025 and a handy list of the many things we will need to repair (if possible) when we regain power. We are fortunate to have your seasoned appraisal of this kleptocracy at hand, Jen—well worth saving.
This sentence sums it up. “He always puts America Last.”
And he always puts his wallet first.
U.S. citizens living, serving, or studying abroad—you can vote from wherever you are! 🌍 Visit https://votefromabroad.org to register and request your overseas ballot.
It’s quick, free, and valid for all elections in 2026. Need help? Write to help@votefromabroad.org.
Vote from Abroad volunteers are ready to assist you with any questions about requesting or returning your ballot. Don’t wait! Request your ballot today and make your voice heard! 🗳️
Thank you for this sobering, clarifying and dreadful list of what this very mentally ill man has done to our country. In the name of American Democracy, please, ALL Americans get out and demonstrate, talk to your neighbors, write editorials and VOTE. This is the year to get this sick and very dangerous "administration" (if we can call it that) impeached and out of there!!!!!!!!!
Not just one “very mentally ill man”. It took a village of racist, christian national, greedy Republicans working many decades and aided and abetted by the media, corporations, foreign countries hostile to the U.S., and the broligarchs to achieve this. Yes, trump is at the visible top of a deplorable heap but, like an iceberg, much of the destructive forces lie below the surface. Getting rid of trump/vance is a huge first step but never forget all the others who have participated into bringing us down and how long and difficult it will be to remove the rot. So yes, voting is very important, making sure the votes count, and voting in those who understand the norms of politics have changed and they need to ( legally) fight, undo, hold accountable, and destroy the entire ice berg. No more Garland-style “accountability”, no more “ our Republican friends across the isle”. They are by and large enemies of the state.
Why does our government not have minimum requirements (ie experience, education, references in the field) for hiring people in Cabinet positions? Like any job on any level in any corporation or industry has? Perameters that set conditions for the position, and as long as the candidate meets the qualifications, they can be selected by the President.
A good start would be checking a candidate's mental sanity and rap sheet before he or she can be voted into the highest office of the U.S.
There’s supposed to be. That’s why Congressional approval is required. The problem in this instance is that the GOP members of Congress didn’t care who Trump appointed; they gladly rubber stamped the hateful incompetents currently in Trump’s cabinet because their goal was to serve Trump rather than the American people. They put their self-interests ahead of doing their jobs.
That's a good and valid question. It's likely that all those applying for citizenship in this country know more about civics, history, and leadership than those currently in the administration and Congress.