I listened to Jen's interview of Professor Mirasola. Took a nap. And woke up to nihilocracy.
Earlier today, before these body blows, I called my R Senators. Finished writing and mailed my postcards. Tomorrow I meet with local Democrats to write more postcards. Thursday night I meet with local Democrats to make posters. To paraphrase Professor Mirasola, seems small beans measured against a police state.
And next Saturday - will we be galvanized and overwhelm the public spaces with our outrage???
This isn't who we are or have ever been -- and in no way do I believe, in the final analysis, it's who any of us will agree to be.
I miss the America of promise and hope and constant attention and work on its errors and shortcomings that I was born to -- and you know what? The likes of Donald Trump (whom I've held in disinterest since he started operating in the 70's-80's -- and in the NY area was considered the spoiled & headline-hungry son of a guy who got things done, albeit not particularly ethically; the son was a bust otherwise, and as noisy as he is, he's one of the most boring people alive) isn't allowed to take that America away from us.
It's not the place I've raised my kids to live in or expect, or respect.
OK, when all the shit hits the fan, how can we make this stick to Don because, of course, he never accepts blame for any of his atrocities? Oh, and his Republican enablers equally deserve to be tarred and feathered with the inevitable bad outcomes. But seriously, I have my doubts that these people will ever see any consequences for their egregious actions (or lack thereof in the case of congressional Republicans).
I don't know about the sycophants, but there's one thing I'm certain of: When this is over, whatever the story is, the two people who are never, ever going to be blamed for it in the minds of Trump supporters are Trump himself, and the Trump MAGA voter.
Characteristically brilliant essay by Norm Ornstein. More than two months ago, I made the case that Trump should be impeached and removed from office. Tomorrow I will update the argument why only impeachment and removal can save our country. Wednesday, I will describe how to do it.
Reading this litany of destruction is overwhelming to put it mildly. I’m beginning to lose my ability to describe the indescribable, largely because I’m drawing on it daily…
The photo of a conference table filled with his imbecile cabinet, mindlessly clapping (and I expect smiling,too), at the top of this article, made me fearful about reading the text beneath it. I wholeheartedly NEEDED this information, but cannot say I welcomed it. For me, it’s akin to averting your eyes from an impending train wreck, which is on repeat every single day. But I’m looking forward to participating in a No Kings rally- and that will buoy my spirits again ♥️
He sent in the Marines to LA. The military must resist this unlawful command. It is very hard to stay calm while our country devolves into 1930's Germany.
You failed to answer my first question ("What, exactly, is the Marines' mission?") and automatically assumed that the deployment would violate Posse Comitatus. In the current environment, their only mission would be to protect federal property and federal agents, which is exactly what the federalized National Guard troops are doing. It would have noting to do with law enforcement. That mission would only occur if the President invoked the Insurrection Act, as was the case in 1992.
To attack their fellow citizens on the basis of an over reaction and overreach of the Traitor-in-chief would seem to be an unlawful command. It was a peaceful protest until he made damn sure it wasn't.
"To attack their fellow citizens on the basis of an over reaction and overreach..."
California passed a law (SB 54, "California Values Act") that limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration activities. The only reason they finally got involved was when the violence broke out, and that violence was perpetrated by the "fellow citizens", more likely agitators whose sole purpose was to provoke a violent confrontation.. The National Guard's mission was and is simply to protect the federal building and the ICE agents. And that would be the Marines' mission unless the Insurrection Act is invoked.
The one & only reason they finally got involved was Traitor-in-chief is sorely testing the limits of the Constitution in relation to the powers of the Presidency. Notice that his aggressive tactics are solely directed at blue states. The local police were monitoring a peaceful protest and he went over the head of the Governor of the state. Traitor is all about states' rights until it doesn't suit his needs. And, his interference was meant to create chaos and violence, which it did.
"The one & only reason they finally got involved was Traitor-in-chief is sorely testing the limits of the Constitution in relation to the powers of the Presidency."
Uh, no:
"What really happened outside the Paramount Home Depot? The reality on the ground vs. the rhetoric"
"Notice that his aggressive tactics are solely directed at blue states."
Notice that some of these "blue states" are also "sanctuary states" that have "sanctuary cities". California is one of them and it has passed legislation to make it as difficult as possible for federal agencies to perform their duties by deliberately limiting what local law enforcement agencies can do to assist.
From Ruy Teixeira (definitely no conservative) in The Free Press:
"Americans don’t trust Democrats on immigration or law-and-order matters, and the party’s response to the disorder in LA isn’t helping."
"Democrats do not have to cheer on every ICE raid, but they have to be seen to prioritize law and order and not deny the reality on the ground of violent protests."
"The local police were monitoring a peaceful protest..."
The police were monitoring a growing mob around the ICE facility and the agents, unable to legally assist until violence erupted. Then the "peaceful protesters" turned on the police.
From the local NBC affiliate:
"Dozens arrested for attempted murder, looting, arson and other crimes in LA violence"
Look at all those kumquats, standing up and applauding "stormily" as Dear Idiot Leader walks into the room. Will it end up like the Soviet Party Congress that kept applauding and applauding and applauding as Stalin entered the assembly, terrified of being the first to stop, knowing the penalty that awaited?
The fruits of idiocracy are simply death -- in body, mind, spirit. The darkest day for America in many lifetimes.
Great article- but to complete the analysis, please consider the unmentioned but most threatening and literal consequence of the new nihilocracy- the devastating impact to our planet due to the gutting of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
I would refer you to the real time study of the Third Reich by Ernst Fraenkel on what he observed in Germany after Hitler took power: a "dual state" where the usual "civil state" of bureaucratic offices and agencies conducted ordinary business to sustain the economy and a "prerogative state" of national police and coercive agencies which answered only to the whims of the Fuhrer. What you see now is a similar bifurcation occurring in the Trump regime, where authoritarian power is concentrated in
ICE, FBI, US Marshals and private military contractors to arrest, detain, and deport 11M " aliens" summarily without warrants, habeas corpus, and to escalate use of the military to quell dissent with eliminationism of a class of people. Ironically, Hitler estimated the population of European Jews at 11M, and he first wanted to deport them to Madagascar. When that proved impossible, Heydrich and the prerogative state came up with the final solution. Trump is provoking coercive suppression of peaceful protest to escalate to use of armed units against unarmed protesters. It is a fascist strategy.
Agree, THIS! "Trump is provoking coercive suppression of peaceful protest to escalate to use of armed units against unarmed protesters. It is a fascist strategy."
When will the American public at large wake up to realize what they are losing, or worse have already lost? The willing acceptance by large swaths of the America public of sadistic cruelty to non MAGAts has been astounding to me. Don the Con will always be looking for new groups to terrorize - that is a staple activity for these kinds of dictators. Those who celebrate him now will have nothing to stand on when he comes for them and their families, friends and neighbors. Voted for the GOP crowd last November and lost your house and crops to (fill in any natural catastrophe here) and wonder where FEMA is to help? Now you become an enemy. Lose your child to a preventable childhood disease and ask why? Now you become an enemy. Question why your child is being drafted to go fight to take over Iceland/Gaza/Canada/(fill in the blank with any potential geographic target that strikes his Conships fancy)? Now you become an enemy. PT Barnum (I think it was him) once quipped, "There's a sucker born every minute". I can't help wondering whether over recent decades the new born sucker ratio hasn't risen exponentially.
I worried about what this administration is doing, and Mr Ornstein just confirmed it. The question we, and I are asking is, why? What is the endgame? Does p47 even know?
Wow!
The blows just keep coming today.
I listened to Jen's interview of Professor Mirasola. Took a nap. And woke up to nihilocracy.
Earlier today, before these body blows, I called my R Senators. Finished writing and mailed my postcards. Tomorrow I meet with local Democrats to write more postcards. Thursday night I meet with local Democrats to make posters. To paraphrase Professor Mirasola, seems small beans measured against a police state.
And next Saturday - will we be galvanized and overwhelm the public spaces with our outrage???
Will we resist the fear and hopelessness???
I'm a tough old optimist. So I say YES!
You are one of great patriots that America appreciates. Thank you and God bless your work.
We are grateful for tough old birds like you…!
So am I.
This isn't who we are or have ever been -- and in no way do I believe, in the final analysis, it's who any of us will agree to be.
I miss the America of promise and hope and constant attention and work on its errors and shortcomings that I was born to -- and you know what? The likes of Donald Trump (whom I've held in disinterest since he started operating in the 70's-80's -- and in the NY area was considered the spoiled & headline-hungry son of a guy who got things done, albeit not particularly ethically; the son was a bust otherwise, and as noisy as he is, he's one of the most boring people alive) isn't allowed to take that America away from us.
It's not the place I've raised my kids to live in or expect, or respect.
And they'll survive him. WE'LL survive him.
June 16 is a go! We're not backing down.
OK, when all the shit hits the fan, how can we make this stick to Don because, of course, he never accepts blame for any of his atrocities? Oh, and his Republican enablers equally deserve to be tarred and feathered with the inevitable bad outcomes. But seriously, I have my doubts that these people will ever see any consequences for their egregious actions (or lack thereof in the case of congressional Republicans).
I wish I could say you are wrong, but I can’t. Don the Con’s damage to our country will take decades to repair if it can be repaired at all
No
I don't know about the sycophants, but there's one thing I'm certain of: When this is over, whatever the story is, the two people who are never, ever going to be blamed for it in the minds of Trump supporters are Trump himself, and the Trump MAGA voter.
Characteristically brilliant essay by Norm Ornstein. More than two months ago, I made the case that Trump should be impeached and removed from office. Tomorrow I will update the argument why only impeachment and removal can save our country. Wednesday, I will describe how to do it.
“ This is no ordinary autocracy in the making. It is far worse: a nihilocracy”
But…..Why? Why do these Americans want to destroy their OWN country? Doesn’t make sense!
Maybe it’s because GQP supporters are an effin’ stupid bunch of morons who gleefully vote for their own screwing
Unchecked Power & Greed.
Reading this litany of destruction is overwhelming to put it mildly. I’m beginning to lose my ability to describe the indescribable, largely because I’m drawing on it daily…
The photo of a conference table filled with his imbecile cabinet, mindlessly clapping (and I expect smiling,too), at the top of this article, made me fearful about reading the text beneath it. I wholeheartedly NEEDED this information, but cannot say I welcomed it. For me, it’s akin to averting your eyes from an impending train wreck, which is on repeat every single day. But I’m looking forward to participating in a No Kings rally- and that will buoy my spirits again ♥️
Mine too, Patricia - on the day of the donnie birthday parade, we will be out there in force, coast to coast, peacefully saying NO KINGS!!!
Not sure if it works for anyone else, but I’m referring to 6/14 as Donnie’s UNBIRTHDAY.
Hope all rally goers can at least enjoy the company of like-minded folks…
He sent in the Marines to LA. The military must resist this unlawful command. It is very hard to stay calm while our country devolves into 1930's Germany.
"He sent in the Marines to LA."
What, exactly, is the Marines' mission? And what makes you think that Trump issued an unlawful command?
Seriously? Everything that felon does is illegal. In this case, the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits law enforcement by the military.
You failed to answer my first question ("What, exactly, is the Marines' mission?") and automatically assumed that the deployment would violate Posse Comitatus. In the current environment, their only mission would be to protect federal property and federal agents, which is exactly what the federalized National Guard troops are doing. It would have noting to do with law enforcement. That mission would only occur if the President invoked the Insurrection Act, as was the case in 1992.
To attack their fellow citizens on the basis of an over reaction and overreach of the Traitor-in-chief would seem to be an unlawful command. It was a peaceful protest until he made damn sure it wasn't.
"To attack their fellow citizens on the basis of an over reaction and overreach..."
California passed a law (SB 54, "California Values Act") that limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration activities. The only reason they finally got involved was when the violence broke out, and that violence was perpetrated by the "fellow citizens", more likely agitators whose sole purpose was to provoke a violent confrontation.. The National Guard's mission was and is simply to protect the federal building and the ICE agents. And that would be the Marines' mission unless the Insurrection Act is invoked.
The one & only reason they finally got involved was Traitor-in-chief is sorely testing the limits of the Constitution in relation to the powers of the Presidency. Notice that his aggressive tactics are solely directed at blue states. The local police were monitoring a peaceful protest and he went over the head of the Governor of the state. Traitor is all about states' rights until it doesn't suit his needs. And, his interference was meant to create chaos and violence, which it did.
"The one & only reason they finally got involved was Traitor-in-chief is sorely testing the limits of the Constitution in relation to the powers of the Presidency."
Uh, no:
"What really happened outside the Paramount Home Depot? The reality on the ground vs. the rhetoric"
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-08/what-actually-happened-at-the-paramount-home-depot
"L.A. Police Chief Admits Officers ‘Overwhelmed’ as Thousands of Rioters Block Freeway, Torch Cars"
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/trump-deploys-national-guard-to-los-angeles-as-immigration-riots-rage/
"Notice that his aggressive tactics are solely directed at blue states."
Notice that some of these "blue states" are also "sanctuary states" that have "sanctuary cities". California is one of them and it has passed legislation to make it as difficult as possible for federal agencies to perform their duties by deliberately limiting what local law enforcement agencies can do to assist.
From Ruy Teixeira (definitely no conservative) in The Free Press:
"Americans don’t trust Democrats on immigration or law-and-order matters, and the party’s response to the disorder in LA isn’t helping."
"Democrats do not have to cheer on every ICE raid, but they have to be seen to prioritize law and order and not deny the reality on the ground of violent protests."
https://www.thefp.com/p/la-riots-trump-immigration-democrats
"The local police were monitoring a peaceful protest..."
The police were monitoring a growing mob around the ICE facility and the agents, unable to legally assist until violence erupted. Then the "peaceful protesters" turned on the police.
From the local NBC affiliate:
"Dozens arrested for attempted murder, looting, arson and other crimes in LA violence"
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/la-protests-arrests/3718945/
So much for "peaceful protesters".
Here's a "Supercut" showing how badly the media is playing this:
https://x.com/tomselliott/status/1932145609919832262
So continue to live in your liberal bubble, denying what is actually happening on the ground.
Look at all those kumquats, standing up and applauding "stormily" as Dear Idiot Leader walks into the room. Will it end up like the Soviet Party Congress that kept applauding and applauding and applauding as Stalin entered the assembly, terrified of being the first to stop, knowing the penalty that awaited?
The fruits of idiocracy are simply death -- in body, mind, spirit. The darkest day for America in many lifetimes.
Perfect summary of everything we are worried about
The GOP is a death cult masquerading as a political party.
Great article- but to complete the analysis, please consider the unmentioned but most threatening and literal consequence of the new nihilocracy- the devastating impact to our planet due to the gutting of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
I would refer you to the real time study of the Third Reich by Ernst Fraenkel on what he observed in Germany after Hitler took power: a "dual state" where the usual "civil state" of bureaucratic offices and agencies conducted ordinary business to sustain the economy and a "prerogative state" of national police and coercive agencies which answered only to the whims of the Fuhrer. What you see now is a similar bifurcation occurring in the Trump regime, where authoritarian power is concentrated in
ICE, FBI, US Marshals and private military contractors to arrest, detain, and deport 11M " aliens" summarily without warrants, habeas corpus, and to escalate use of the military to quell dissent with eliminationism of a class of people. Ironically, Hitler estimated the population of European Jews at 11M, and he first wanted to deport them to Madagascar. When that proved impossible, Heydrich and the prerogative state came up with the final solution. Trump is provoking coercive suppression of peaceful protest to escalate to use of armed units against unarmed protesters. It is a fascist strategy.
p47 doesn’t want a duel state, he wants what Kim Jong Un has. Total control of his nation, damn to the people.
You agree. Pls reread the post.
Agree, THIS! "Trump is provoking coercive suppression of peaceful protest to escalate to use of armed units against unarmed protesters. It is a fascist strategy."
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKsAo4kRBNk/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Norm,
I fear that the National Guard in LA is just a forecast of what is coming on the 14th, the bozo's birthday.
Those of us demonstrating will be called "insurrectionists". How dare we oppose dear leader?
When will the American public at large wake up to realize what they are losing, or worse have already lost? The willing acceptance by large swaths of the America public of sadistic cruelty to non MAGAts has been astounding to me. Don the Con will always be looking for new groups to terrorize - that is a staple activity for these kinds of dictators. Those who celebrate him now will have nothing to stand on when he comes for them and their families, friends and neighbors. Voted for the GOP crowd last November and lost your house and crops to (fill in any natural catastrophe here) and wonder where FEMA is to help? Now you become an enemy. Lose your child to a preventable childhood disease and ask why? Now you become an enemy. Question why your child is being drafted to go fight to take over Iceland/Gaza/Canada/(fill in the blank with any potential geographic target that strikes his Conships fancy)? Now you become an enemy. PT Barnum (I think it was him) once quipped, "There's a sucker born every minute". I can't help wondering whether over recent decades the new born sucker ratio hasn't risen exponentially.
I worried about what this administration is doing, and Mr Ornstein just confirmed it. The question we, and I are asking is, why? What is the endgame? Does p47 even know?
Well said, Norm. Here's a look at the nihilistic coalition behind Trump by Katherine Stewart:
"Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy"
(Of course, he would like to destroy much more as well - the international trading system, and European democracies.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/books/review/money-lies-and-god-katherine-stewart.html
And a masterly book by Professor Quinn Slobodian, which looks at the ideological origins of the coalition:
" Hayek's Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnhmHpuIZzE