The United States has always had two energies in its history - idealism and equality on one side, oppression and opportunism on the other - good America and bad America, it seems to me.
demulcents
Trying to counter the inflammations of extremist forces in America
Friday, March 14, 2025
American authoritarian oppression - a long history
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Do we need to become a Parliamentary Country?
Sunday, March 9, 2025
Trump joins Putin in attacking Ukraine
Friday, February 28, 2025
Trump AND Vance - pledge their fealty to Putin in front of the world
Thursday, February 27, 2025
What fraud and waste?
- First, only 3% of the federal budget pays for civilian federal employees. This is a drop in the bucket. If you cut it in half you save about 1.5%. Big f'ing deal.
- Second, 50 years ago the federal workforce was about 2.8 million and today it is about 2.9 million per ChatGPT, and the U.S population has grown from 215 million to 330 million over that same 50 years. So the workforce has been essentially constant while the population grew 50%.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Is the Orange Fool actually Russian Asset Krasnov?
There is no proof, but it would certainly explain pretty much everything about the current president if indeed he was recruited as a Russian (Soviet) asset in 1987 - as former Head of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee, Alnur Mussayev claims, and given the codename "Krasnov".
Apparently, in 1987 the failing real estate developer was about one BILLION dollars in debt, went to the Soviet Union, and came back to New York and took $130,000 full page ads saying the U.S. should pull out of NATO. Really? And there was lots and lots of dirty Russian money given to him via a money laundering scheme into his properties over the years.
Then, as we know all too well, during his first presidency he claimed that he "might not" honor article 5 of the NATO treaty to use the U.S. military to defend a NATO country if they were to be attacked by Russia.
Of course, we have seen him praise and defend Putin over and over. And, indeed, it was shown decisively in the Mueller Report that Russia aided in his 2016 successful presidential victory, although there was no evidence that he actively coordinated with nor collaborated in that attempt, he just welcomed it. Therefore, there was not enough to impeach and convict him on that count.
And he extorted Ukraine early in his first presidency, only to be impeached but acquitted by his subservient Republican Senate.
Don't forget that he withdrew U.S troops from Syria and invited Putin's Russia to take over, prompting the resignation of Jim Mattis, his Defense Secretary - and Russia did all it could to help the war criminal Assad to slaughter and stay in power. And to expand Russian control of the region.
Dan Coats, hard core conservative Republican who served as Director of National Intelligence in his first term, was deeply suspicious that Putin "had something" on the president, as there was really no other explanation as to why he would just do whatever Putin demanded of him.
And now, what we see in his second term is horrifying to me. He has committed the U.S. to be an ALLY of Russia in its attempted takeover of Ukrainian territory with its illegal invasion of three years ago.
And he is attacking U.S. allies - Canada, Mexico, Panama, Denmark. He is unconstitutionally destroying government agency after government agency - notably the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, the FBI, the IRS. Obliterating the Constitutional Separation of Powers.
It might not seem all that important, but he is destroying USAID, which provides charitable help around the world with food, medicine, and economic support to people and regions in dire need. There are two forms of U.S. power - hard power (military - and he is gutting the military leadership) and soft power (USAID - that shows the goodness of the U.S to the world). The total budget of USAID is less than 1% of the U.S. budget, so I do not believe for a moment that cost cutting is the reason. It is about destroying U.S. soft power.
Is he really the Russian Asset Krasnov? Or is he just a stupid, easily manipulated by Putin dumbass? It was nice to think he was only a psychopathic ignorant avaricious toxic narcissist (and he is), but now I think he actually is under the control of Putin, whose passionate goal is to destroy democracy and the rule of law in all of the world so that his corrupt regime and enormous graft and riches are not threatened. And, oh yes, so that Putin will go down in history as the greatest Russian ruler since Peter the Great as he reconquers the territory the Soviets lost in 1990.
So, why don't the Republican Congress and Senate fight him, refuse him, and say no? Well, some agree with him. Most do not but only say so in private. Maybe some are also under threat from Russia, but most certainly many of them have been given credible death threats to themselves and their families - from MAGA and maybe Russia as well. So, in addition to the threat of being primaried in the next election and losing their careers, they are under threat of death or violent harm. Just Mafioso stuff? or maybe Putin the killer threat? It is no mystery why those who oppose Putin die in obviously Putin ways - "falling off" balconies, being poisoned by openly Russian radioactive poisons - it's a blatant, "Yep it was me, Putin who ordered this" death. Over and over. In Russia, and in OTHER COUNTRIES as well.
It has been said many times that if you understand that his job is to destroy the U.S. as demanded by his boss, Putin, then everything he has done, and will do, makes total sense. He is Putin's puppet. And as long as he becomes richer and more famous, he thinks he is "a winner". Dumbass.
By the way, how on earth did the Russian KGB think that this nitwit would become president? It appears that what they did, and I imagine they still do, is find younger people that might have political ambitions, or have media persuasion, or who have possible military influence, and who are vulnerable to the many tools of Russian Kompromat (bribery, blackmail, entrapment, philosophical agreement, etc.) and recruit them hoping that some of them could help Russia in the future. They struck oil with Trump, but I would strongly suspect that there are at least a few in the MAGA leaders and influencers are also compromised, perhaps some are in the Congress or Senate.
Russia is not good at many things, but they are masters at disinformation, propaganda, lies, "alternative realities" - and blackmail, extortion, threats, force. They’ve been doing it for a century. We are seeing fascism in action. Right here in "River City".
Ugly ugly ugly.
But I believe America is waking up and smelling the stench of this putrid president and his corrupt band of MAGA shock troops, and perhaps the enemy behind them as well.
Sunday, February 23, 2025
Reincarnation?
Trump always looked to me like a parody imitation of Mussolini with his jutting chin and pompous posturing…well…
Mussolini - died April 28, 1945
Trump - born June 24, 1946
If the orange menace actually is a quick reincarnation of Mussolini, he didn’t seem to learn anything between lifetimes. Mussolini was executed and hung upside down along with other fascists in public display. And, by the way, he was subservient to the bigger monster, Hitler.
So, is the orange one Mussolini redux? Thinking he just won’t make any mistakes of weakness this time? I don’t predict a happy future for this wanna be king. I do not expect he will trigger a war and be killed in retribution. I expect his attempted autocratic takeover and destruction of American democracy will fail.
He thinks he was elected king of America. America has something to say about that.
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Putin, Netanyahu, and a Dope walk into a bar…
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Rabid vengeful Kash Patel confirmed as FBI Director
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
All Hail The King…
People try to convince themselves that this doesn’t mean what it obviously says. But I take it very seriously indeed.
Monday, February 17, 2025
Welcome to Potterville USA 2025
Welcome to Potterville USA 2025:
The purpose of Potterville is making the super-rich bigger and everyone else smaller.
Constitution? They don’t need no stinkin’ Constitution….
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Honorable courageous real Americans
In this disgraceful chapter of American history, with the Republic party overrun by white supremacist, theocratic, oligarchic autocrats, I pause to honor the dignity and courage of two of the greatest Americans - Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. It is an honor to be part of the same nation where these two fierce giants rose up.
They brought the light, so can we.
Monday, February 10, 2025
Don’t let him confuse you
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Time to wake up
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
The worship of power
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Welcome to Jim Crow America
Friday, January 31, 2025
Putin gets his American Secretary of Defense - Hegseth
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Bow down?
Please don’t be confused and think that Donald Trump is a politician that has been elected to be president. In his mind he has been granted his God Given Right to be an autocrat for life. Screw the Congress, screw the courts, screw the Constitution, screw the media, screw the citizens, he sees himself doing “whatever the hell he wants” until he dies in office.
America:
Friday, January 24, 2025
He targets those he hates
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Why the pardons?
- Black Shirts in Mussolini’s Italy
- Blue Shirts in Franco’s Spain
- Brown Shirts in Hitler’s Germany
- Silver Shirts in America’s American First Nazis in the 1930s
Monday, January 20, 2025
America - sold!
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Russia calls Trump the American Gorbachev
Monday, January 6, 2025
Are we in a democracy or an autocracy?
It is clear to me that Trump thinks he WON and has been anointed as king, and he gets to do whatever the hell he wants - punish his "enemies", extort billions, and have everyone kiss his ring.
It is clear to me that theocrats think they WON and they have successfully overturned democracy and get to enforce their theocracy, and they get to do whatever the hell they want - control the sex lives of all of us.
It is clear to me that oligarchs think they WON and have captured the country to rule as an oligarchy, and they get to do whatever the hell they want - eliminate all regulations and constraints on their endless greed.
It is clear to me that white supremacists think they WON and have finally put white men back in charge of America, and they get to do whatever the hell they want - crush the freedoms and powers of women and all non-white races.
I think the rest of us think that we still live in a democracy where public opinion polls, midterm elections, helpful government programs, persuasive debates, attractive candidates, elections, the legal system and the Rule of Law still mean something.
Trump will act like a king, theocrats will act like the Taliban, oligarchs will act like Musks, white supremacists will act like it’s Jim Crow. Looks like there will be a lot of combat between those convinced that the world has changed to be dominated by THEM, but not their rivals. If we’re lucky, it will be amusing. But it could get very violent.
And the rest of us? Not sure, but I think the political and legal systems are likely to be ignored, at least for a while
Monday, December 30, 2024
They don’t play well together
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Musk proudly declares his white supremacy
“Elon Musk claims ‘only AfD can save Germany’…
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
The shakedowns begin
From the article:
“Stephanopoulos said in the interview that Trump "has been found liable for rape by a jury." Trump, however, was found liable in a civil case for sexually abusing Carroll, not liable for alleged rape”
Interpretation - he raped her with his fingers, not his penis, so technically the statement was slightly misleading. The presiding judge had earlier clarified
“…Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape,’ ” Kaplan wrote.
ABC could easily have simply defended their journalist with the claim that the distinction between finger rape and penis rape was no real distinction at all, that she had been forcibly penetrated against her will which is commonly understood to be a violent sexual rape. And they could have negotiated some settlement like paying for Trump’s legal fees.
But ABC did something very different, they Obeyed in Advance, which is to say they submitted to the autocrat ahead of time. Was it to preclude long legal fees? Was it to get the difficulty behind them and move forward? These will be the public rationales, I suppose, but that is not what it really is, it seems to me.
What it really is the victim of a shakedown making a payoff to the Mob Boss – the Mob Boss says, you know it would really be a shame if you had to go through a bunch of pain and suffering that I would inflict upon you when you don’t have to…just give me $15,000,000 and we’ll call it even – OK little bitty subservient victim? And the little bitty subservient victim says OK Boss, whatever you say boss, is this enough boss?
Let the shakedowns continue.
And we see the real purpose of the orange one’s “presidency” -$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
And, of course, the purpose is vengeance. Make them all grovel. Make them all sorry. I just saw the brilliant portrayal of “The Penguin” string Collin Farrell - a good example of a tiny man who makes himself feel big by hurting others and making them grovel. Sick…
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Run for your stinking life, Assad…
Anne Applebaum is always a mandatory read, for me. Is Syria a precursor of other authoritarian tyrannies being overthrown? Is there an actual reason for hope? Even a fall of Putin? From her article:
“Then, after a well-organized, highly motivated set of armed opponents took the city of Aleppo on November 29, many of the regime’s defenders abruptly stopped fighting. Assad vanished. The scenes that followed today in Damascus—the toppling of statues, the people taking selfies at the dictator’s palace—are the same ones that will unfold in Caracas, Tehran, or Moscow on the day the soldiers of those regimes lose their faith in the leadership, and the public loses their fear of those soldiers too”. …
Russia has deliberately backed or created regimes that have not merely sought to repress opponents but have also gone out of their way to demonstrate flagrant disregard for human rights and the rule of law, ideas that Putin claims belong to the past. When Putin talks about a new world order or a “multipolar world,” as he did again last month, this is what he means: He wants to build a world in which his cruelty cannot be limited, in which he and his fellow dictators enjoy impunity, and in which no universal values exist, not even as aspirations. ….
Nevertheless, the end of the Assad regime creates something new, and not only in Syria. There is nothing worse than hopelessness, nothing more soul-destroying than pessimism, grief, and despair. The fall of a Russian- and Iranian-backed regime offers, suddenly, the possibility of change. The future might be different. And that possibility will inspire hope all around the world”
Autocracy is violence, force, domination, fear. But once the tyrant no longer looks invincible, once the enforcers discover that they themselves are being harmed by the brute on top, bye bye tyrant…run for your stinking life.
Monday, December 9, 2024
He thinks he’s King Henry VIII
Once again, Trump threatens prison for Liz Cheney, unconstitutional and a lie. Liz responds with the truth....
"This morning, President-elect Trump again lied about the January 6th Select Committee, and said members of the Committee 'should go to jail' for carrying out our constitutional responsibilities. Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power. He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol, where they attacked police officers, invaded the building, and halted the official counting of electoral votes. Trump watched on television as police officers were brutally beaten and the Capitol was assaulted, refusing for hours to tell the mob to leave. This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation’s history. Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.
"Donald Trump knows his claims about the select committee are ridiculous and false, as has been detailed extensively, including by Chairman Thompson in this July 2023 letter.
“There is no conceivably appropriate factual or constitutional basis for what Donald Trump is suggesting – a Justice Department investigation of the work of a congressional committee – and any lawyer who attempts to pursue that course would quickly find themselves engaged in sanctionable conduct.
“What the public now deserves to see is the evidence and grand jury material assembled by Special Counsel Smith, including the grand jury testimony of Vice President Pence and members of Donald Trump’s former White House and campaign staff.
“The Justice Department should ensure that all that material is preserved and cannot be destroyed. As much of that information as possible should be disclosed in the Special Counsel’s upcoming report. Ultimately, Congress should require that all that material be publicly released so all Americans can see Donald Trump for who he genuinely is and fully understand his role in this terrible period in our nation’s history.'...
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Autocratic playbook
Just shining a light on what Trump and MAGA are planning, the standard autocratic playbook:
Get rid of an independent press.
Get rid of an independent legal system.
Get rid of an independent constitution.
Get rid of an independent military.
Get rid of independent political parties.
Make billions and billions and billions of dollars. For you and for the oligarchy.
Did I mention make BILLION$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$?
But… I don’t expect America to just roll over and obey these thugs. I am hoping the Trump election is the beginning of the end of right wing theocratic and oligarchic autocracy, not the beginning of autocratic rule. I think a great American awakening is about to happen. We said no to the slavery oligarchs. We said no to the Jim Crow savagery. We said no to the Joe McCarthy attempted extremist takeover. It is taking time, but I trust America is going to say no to this band of extremist thugs as well .
Friday, November 29, 2024
Substitute manhood - fear
I believe so much of the damage that Trump and MAGA are doing comes from not knowing what makes a man. One much wiser than I said some years ago that for some who want to be a man, a “real man”, and don’t know how to be a man seize upon a substitute - the way to be a man is to make people fear you. And millions of males wanting to be “real men” latch on to this pretend manliness, and we all suffer the consequences.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
How Trump’s racism will cause inflation and food shortages
The president elect seems to be hell bent on delivering his economically suicidal campaign promises.