Grassley today, saying that all Congress can do is complain about all of this is so galling. They could muster a spine and get everyone together and impeach Trump and get him out now. Of course that will not happen because a lot of the Republican attitude is completely disingenuous. They really don't care about Federal workers, Veterans, the working poor, the elderly, the disabled, and especially women in general, and those who voted them in office. The horror show continues on a daily basis and our country is being stripped of everything that makes it function. I don't know how bad things will get but if we continue at this pace, we are doomed. The Democrats need to get the real numbers of those who are now unemployed and make it public. They need to be in the news every night telling the stories of those who are adversely affected by this wave of Authoritarian corruption and malfeasance and how it will affect all of us as a country and as individuals. All we have at the moment is a voice and the courts. We need to use both effectively.
Grassley, hell--every one of our Democratic reps in Congress need to act as one, even if it's just to yell and put on a show as the Rs do when they are out of power. Their doing so resulted in mass maga delusion over the Bidens and minorities, which worked to get Trump elected this time. Lies, yes, but effective. What could Dems do with the loud truth?
We have been begging our elected officials to speak out for us during the past 4 weeks and received a few sound bites and photo ops far from where most of us live. Every one of those Dems needs to get on a single conference call and get a damn strategy together. A couple hundred different legislators with their own agendas are of zero use to us right now. Walk the talk, Dems, and unify. Then bring the rest of us into the fold. It is your job, right now, to make a plan and connect with all of us as one, not on Twitter, not on your Web page, but in a mass public event. A virtual event like the 2020 Democratic National Convention will allow us all to participate and all to get the same message.
We're scared out of our minds right now and want to work together. Use it.
I, for one, simply don't understand why drumpf and his minions are being allowed to commit so many crimes against humanity and not be called to task for it. None of us would have been able to do even 1/10th of what he has done to our country so far without winding up in a prison cell, on bread and water. This is definitely tyranny! This is definitely a coup! This is a totally illegal takeover of our country and if we all don't start shouting and marching against it, we will only have ourselves to blame. I am sick to death of what our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have to suffer under this absolute moron who thinks he can get away with anything. Remember his words, "You will never have to vote again". Chew on that for a bit.
Deep truth about the Dems needing to be in the news every night, telling the stories of those effected, and providing LEADERSHIP for those of us out here in the cheap seats who vote for them.
Instead, they are disorganized and utterly ineffectual.
What do we need to do to wake them up ??? Grrrrr . . . .
“President Trump’s slash-and-burn approach to shrinking the federal workforce—along with decisions to halt critical activities at numerous agencies—will not make America great again”
No, Trump is making American worse…..again. Much worse.
The only way out I can see: Democrats take the House and Senate in 2026, or, the Supreme Court. Either one is far from guaranteed.
The electorate….and electoral college, have really screwed us this time!
For the woman in southeast Asia who was the first casualty of Trump's war on America. When US AID was destroyed her oxygen was cut off and she died. How many more will die, of AIDS and starvation and Ebola and more?
For the many thousands of people who have lost their jobs, their careers. How many futures and careers will be destroyed?
For the trans man who was tortured for a month and then murdered. How many more will be murdered?
For our former allies, now adversaries. How many wars will Trump start?
It's an honor to read this piece by Max Stier, a central figure in my "required reading" book The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis.
All of the things Mr. Stier and his colleagues warned us about during the Fascist Felon's first presidency are now coming true.
And it's scary as hell.
We can only hope that these deranged decisions will cut quickly and sharply into the MAGA base, with enough pain to rouse them from their cultish fever.
They are being very effective in transforming the USA in a big banana republic: corruption, nothing works and few are the beneficiaries. Congress has no dignity, they see the destruction of the country and do nothing. And some people think that we will have normal future elections…yes ,,, in la la land.
Marta, you are right. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras in the late 90's/early aughts, one of the first things we noticed (and felt good about the U.S. for) was the wholesale turnover in government officials after an election, including the Post Office etc. Govt positions were clearly seen as spoils and a reward for loyalty, competence or a service mentality were irrelevant.
Every American should have access to this article by Max Stier. It is written thoughtfully, accurately and with precision. We need additional articles like this written by intelligent, informed individuals to hopefully awaken people’s senses as to what is really taking place daily as this administration and its ilk tear our government apart. Congress must act with courage to stop this madness!!!
This is many disasters waiting to happen. Big disasters!!! If I was a terrorist, and prepared, waiting for the perfect moment. I'd wait another week or so and kaboom Good bye USA.
I wouldn't hold my breath for right-wing congresspeople to suddenly show empathy for these mistreated civil servants or even stand up for Ukraine and keep our alliance with NATO.
It is obvious that trump and his right-wing co-conspirators in Congress are burning the whole nation down.
Only mass citizen action has a chance to preserve this once-great country. I fear it will be too late before most people realize what is happening.
The "sad irony" is that they are creating the very "deep state" (conspiracy) that they railed against. And this is true across the board... guilty of what they accuse. BUT they get out there first and prime the pump with accusations (lies) So when we wake up to their crimes it's just the opposing side accusing them... (he said, she said, ho hum)... and people tune out because they have not tuned in to begin with and because none of this hit yet...YET. Truth went out the window-- to the ethers.
Couldn't say it better than Anat Shenker-Osorio 2/21/25: "Trump & the billionaires who bought him, Musk...are coming for your life & your livelihood. He is coming for your freedom. He is coming for your privacy. He is coming for your information. And he is conducting a hostile takeover of our government so he can take our money.”
The way Musk’s DOGE is going about agency personnel cuts is the equivalent of thinking we all need to lose 30 pounds & deciding to saw off legs arbitrarily. What Trump & Musk are doing will hurt millions of people in ways that we’re only beginning to see.
Stop saying the government needs reform, this only plays to the hands of the fascist. Be proud of all the work that Federal Employees have done and how they have protected the country. We need to be aggressive in fighting this. Don't concede anything to these people!
Grassley today, saying that all Congress can do is complain about all of this is so galling. They could muster a spine and get everyone together and impeach Trump and get him out now. Of course that will not happen because a lot of the Republican attitude is completely disingenuous. They really don't care about Federal workers, Veterans, the working poor, the elderly, the disabled, and especially women in general, and those who voted them in office. The horror show continues on a daily basis and our country is being stripped of everything that makes it function. I don't know how bad things will get but if we continue at this pace, we are doomed. The Democrats need to get the real numbers of those who are now unemployed and make it public. They need to be in the news every night telling the stories of those who are adversely affected by this wave of Authoritarian corruption and malfeasance and how it will affect all of us as a country and as individuals. All we have at the moment is a voice and the courts. We need to use both effectively.
Grassley, hell--every one of our Democratic reps in Congress need to act as one, even if it's just to yell and put on a show as the Rs do when they are out of power. Their doing so resulted in mass maga delusion over the Bidens and minorities, which worked to get Trump elected this time. Lies, yes, but effective. What could Dems do with the loud truth?
We have been begging our elected officials to speak out for us during the past 4 weeks and received a few sound bites and photo ops far from where most of us live. Every one of those Dems needs to get on a single conference call and get a damn strategy together. A couple hundred different legislators with their own agendas are of zero use to us right now. Walk the talk, Dems, and unify. Then bring the rest of us into the fold. It is your job, right now, to make a plan and connect with all of us as one, not on Twitter, not on your Web page, but in a mass public event. A virtual event like the 2020 Democratic National Convention will allow us all to participate and all to get the same message.
We're scared out of our minds right now and want to work together. Use it.
And make it quick. America has little time left.
I, for one, simply don't understand why drumpf and his minions are being allowed to commit so many crimes against humanity and not be called to task for it. None of us would have been able to do even 1/10th of what he has done to our country so far without winding up in a prison cell, on bread and water. This is definitely tyranny! This is definitely a coup! This is a totally illegal takeover of our country and if we all don't start shouting and marching against it, we will only have ourselves to blame. I am sick to death of what our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have to suffer under this absolute moron who thinks he can get away with anything. Remember his words, "You will never have to vote again". Chew on that for a bit.
Much of the problem comes from our media with their horserace politics and their hands out for the money.
Everything in this country comes down to the bottom line, not its people.
Thank you, Contrarian, for calling out these Republicans and TDrump for exactly what they are, Autocratic Fascists!
“if we continue at this pace, we are doomed.”
Trudat!
The real question: how/why would Americans vote to destroy their own Country?! Does NOT make sense!
Deep truth about the Dems needing to be in the news every night, telling the stories of those effected, and providing LEADERSHIP for those of us out here in the cheap seats who vote for them.
Instead, they are disorganized and utterly ineffectual.
What do we need to do to wake them up ??? Grrrrr . . . .
“President Trump’s slash-and-burn approach to shrinking the federal workforce—along with decisions to halt critical activities at numerous agencies—will not make America great again”
No, Trump is making American worse…..again. Much worse.
The only way out I can see: Democrats take the House and Senate in 2026, or, the Supreme Court. Either one is far from guaranteed.
The electorate….and electoral college, have really screwed us this time!
So has major gerrymandering by the Rs screwed us.
The coup is pretty much complete.
I cried today for all that we've lost.
For the woman in southeast Asia who was the first casualty of Trump's war on America. When US AID was destroyed her oxygen was cut off and she died. How many more will die, of AIDS and starvation and Ebola and more?
For the many thousands of people who have lost their jobs, their careers. How many futures and careers will be destroyed?
For the trans man who was tortured for a month and then murdered. How many more will be murdered?
For our former allies, now adversaries. How many wars will Trump start?
Tomorrow I'll go in. But today I grieve.
It's an honor to read this piece by Max Stier, a central figure in my "required reading" book The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis.
All of the things Mr. Stier and his colleagues warned us about during the Fascist Felon's first presidency are now coming true.
And it's scary as hell.
We can only hope that these deranged decisions will cut quickly and sharply into the MAGA base, with enough pain to rouse them from their cultish fever.
As a 20+ year federal Civil Servant who swore an oath to protect the U.S./Constitution against all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC, here here!
They are being very effective in transforming the USA in a big banana republic: corruption, nothing works and few are the beneficiaries. Congress has no dignity, they see the destruction of the country and do nothing. And some people think that we will have normal future elections…yes ,,, in la la land.
It's all about owning the libs. All of it.
They are literally cutting off their own noses to spite their faces.
I suppose the anesthetic will wear off eventually and they'll figure out what they've really done.
Marta, you are right. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras in the late 90's/early aughts, one of the first things we noticed (and felt good about the U.S. for) was the wholesale turnover in government officials after an election, including the Post Office etc. Govt positions were clearly seen as spoils and a reward for loyalty, competence or a service mentality were irrelevant.
Every American should have access to this article by Max Stier. It is written thoughtfully, accurately and with precision. We need additional articles like this written by intelligent, informed individuals to hopefully awaken people’s senses as to what is really taking place daily as this administration and its ilk tear our government apart. Congress must act with courage to stop this madness!!!
This is many disasters waiting to happen. Big disasters!!! If I was a terrorist, and prepared, waiting for the perfect moment. I'd wait another week or so and kaboom Good bye USA.
I wouldn't hold my breath for right-wing congresspeople to suddenly show empathy for these mistreated civil servants or even stand up for Ukraine and keep our alliance with NATO.
It is obvious that trump and his right-wing co-conspirators in Congress are burning the whole nation down.
Only mass citizen action has a chance to preserve this once-great country. I fear it will be too late before most people realize what is happening.
🧨🧨🧨🧨These two posts contain a lot of good information about Trump's first Supreme Court case 🧨🧨🧨🧨
125. The Court's First Trump II Case Won't Be a Bellwether
https://www.stevevladeck.com/p/125-the-courts-first-trump-ii-case
https://kathleenweber.substack.com/p/we-did-something-dumb
The "sad irony" is that they are creating the very "deep state" (conspiracy) that they railed against. And this is true across the board... guilty of what they accuse. BUT they get out there first and prime the pump with accusations (lies) So when we wake up to their crimes it's just the opposing side accusing them... (he said, she said, ho hum)... and people tune out because they have not tuned in to begin with and because none of this hit yet...YET. Truth went out the window-- to the ethers.
Couldn't say it better than Anat Shenker-Osorio 2/21/25: "Trump & the billionaires who bought him, Musk...are coming for your life & your livelihood. He is coming for your freedom. He is coming for your privacy. He is coming for your information. And he is conducting a hostile takeover of our government so he can take our money.”
The way Musk’s DOGE is going about agency personnel cuts is the equivalent of thinking we all need to lose 30 pounds & deciding to saw off legs arbitrarily. What Trump & Musk are doing will hurt millions of people in ways that we’re only beginning to see.
https://www.commoncause.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FireMuskPoster_8.5x11.pdf
Musk’s Grok 3 AI: “it’s plausible that data DOGE accessed could have flowed to xAI projects like Grok 3.”
Stop saying the government needs reform, this only plays to the hands of the fascist. Be proud of all the work that Federal Employees have done and how they have protected the country. We need to be aggressive in fighting this. Don't concede anything to these people!
The "Sadistic Cruelty" is the point. It's not about winning an election or implementation of new policies.