We can feel grateful for democracy and free and fair trials, while feeling sad that a convicted felon and adjudicated rapist is on the ballot for president
Barring a miracle, (Trump elected and canceling the Federal cases or the SC ruling that Trump in fact have immunity for illegal acts as president) Trump is guilty and will be convicted. Both J6 and the classified documents case should result in jail time.
Jail. Prison. Incarceration. Yes, yes, & yes! tRump "richly" deserves a stiff sentence (or rather, several, to run consecutively) & to serve hard time for his crimes, in the slammer!
Ruth Thank you for continuing to articulate and edify. There are many ways to take action today in this time in our country, to make the choices, small acts of courage. Appreciate your examples and articles — meaningful and poignant. With gratitude
It blows my mind how Putinized our fellow Americans are from his agitprop program. Coexistence, imagine. It seems I have vague memories of such a time decades ago. Thank you for your insight on Fascism.
As long as there's that MAGA judge in Florida and a MAGA supermajority on the Supreme Court, our democracy remains at serious risk. At crunch time, we might learn that Bush v. Gore wasn't a one-off.
That has been my worry. I see Alito and Thomas if not others placed on the court to do just that, hand the election to Trump even if he does not win it. They are already establishing that there is nothing that we can do about them not recusing themselves.
Lifetime appointments for the high court are not mentioned in the Constitution. It says justices serve during good behavior. That has traditionally been assumed to mean for life. It was thought that a lifetime appointment would lift a person above the fray of politics. The Thomas-Alito court has turned that assumption on its head. (Assume-makes an ass of u and me.) The actions of Thomas and Alito do demonstrate that high court justices can be guilty of bribery and be supportive of a coup attempt, which is traitorous. I am so tired of the MAGA fascists trying to gaslight everyone by lying on camera to our collective faces saying things like trump was persecuted, not prosecuted. If anything, he was given kid glove treatment because his sorry ass was not put in jail.
Ruth is correct in suggesting that lawlessness is one of the most powerful pillars of authoritarianism and that Trump's conviction represents a small victory for a just and ethically attentive judicial system. However, it is crucial to recognize that the core of the resistance to fascism lies in educating the public not only about the dangers of fascism but also about the broader issues of democracy and its fragility, and how its destruction will impact everyday life. The most dangerous force for authoritarianism today resides in a far-right disimagination machine that aims to create manufactured ignorance, crushing any viable notion of individual and social agency. This is not merely a repressive political project; it is also a reactionary educational project. See my https://www.laprogressive.com/law-and-justice/disimagination-machines
An excerpt from "How Mainstream Media's Disimagination Machines Normalize Trump's Authoritarian":
"The educational force of U.S. society is now dominated by cultural and political institutions such as Fox News and conservative talk shows that erode any sense of shared citizenship, historical consciousness and common vision."
What does "educational force of U.S. society" mean in that context? In Portland, where I live, public K-12 is firmly in the hands of progressive administrators and educators who have successfully embedded ant-racism, DEI, gender identity ideology and other progressive causes and ideologies in the curriculum. The Portland teachers' union is engaging or seeks to engage in radical anti-Israel activism. The finalists for the job of Portland's school superintendent are people of color. Minorities are greatly overrepresented on the Oregon Board of Education. That body recently suspended the requirement that students pass proficiency tests in order to graduate after finding that such tests are harmful to blacks.
Except for the Catholic University of Portland, George Fox University and the sketchy institutions known as "Bible colleges," higher education in Oregon as elsewhere has a leftward bent. The recently retired president of Portland State University went so far as to make "equity and racial justice his top strategic priority for the university, calling on other white leaders like himself to educate themselves in order to create real change and work toward eliminating structural racism." https://www.pdx.edu/magazine/news/stephen-percys-legacy
I wish this were the norm rather than the exception. But, at the same time, it does offer us some hope for resistance and progress while pushing against the reactionary cultural apparatuses now driving the educational forces of hate, bigotry, and authoritarianism.
Yes. Germany had only had 15 years of a "democratic government" known as the Weimar Republic, before Hitler took over. He wanted the glory of imperialism in a post Monarchic point in history. These people are all looking to be kings without being royalty. Like the Saudi Prince, who is another person Trump admires. While we have had a much longer democracy, it appears that many do not value that. I have been wondering how much of this is from people immigrating from places where they lived under a repressive government. They admire their cultures, and therefore do not want the USA to be different from what they left other than to have certain freedoms. They do not understand that those freedoms will make the US unlike the places they left behind. And, they don't have a deep seated understanding of democracy. I would say that Red states are currently less democratic than Blue states. I also feel concerned that Trump is preparing us for a radical program regarding "immigrants." We already see Abbott getting away with killing people trying to get to the US, without any legal consequences. He should be tried as a murderer as far as I am concerned. Instead he has normalized our accepting this treatment of human beings because they have been othered. Trump has also been extremely inhumane in his treatment of immigrants with separating families, even babies from their parents. There has been no real consequence for that. I see Trump othering immigrants as Hitler othered Jews and laid societies problems at their feet, and making it slowly acceptable to be undemocratic. His immigrant wife and his immigrant father-in-law who it appears was a former criminal in Yugoslavia. https://www.thedailybeast.com/melanias-dad-a-new-american-citizen-with-a-record-in-yugoslavias-secret-police-files
But he has already gotten his US citizenship. Does that make him any less an immigrant? I am curious how many former immigrants are going to vote for Trump. Is it widely known that he plans to put immigrants in camps? He is normalizing so many fascist things I just feel afraid, because it all adds up to Not Democracy.
While I agree with most of your points, I disagree that all immigrants from foreign countries are susceptible to fascist -MAGA tendencies. While I understand that families of Cuban refugees lean right for fear of communism, I believe this cult is more related to inadequate education in the US, news and social media silos and some extreme religious mantra of reliance on a unearthly male figure to solve one’s problems. Mind-numbing and tragic.
Hi Elizabeth, I am not saying they are, but I know a lot of Eastern Europeans who are Republicans, who came from former Soviet Union countries. The Cubans I know are in Chicago and not so much Republicans as is more common in Miami. I think you make a good point about inadequate education in the US, and I know the Russian, Chinese, Iranian, North Korean bots get those who are vulnerable. But, what makes people vulnerable to disinformation?
Thx for responding. As to your question, In no particular order, Disassociation from society and religion (father-figure deity) without education. Inner sadness. Lack of empathy. Fear of the unknown. So many possibilities.
Rape and forced pregnancy (being forced to carry an unwanted or an unviable pregnancy to term) are two ways I can think of. And, of course, outlawing abortion and birth control.
Ollie, Trump partly decriminalized domestic violence while he was president, and authoritarian states often see increases in sex trafficking, violence against women, etc.
Thank you so much Ruth. This information is so important. It was indeed a Victory for the Rule of Law but judging by the comments from my fellow citizens here in Indiana I'm pretty disheartened. We are headed for dark times I'm afraid. And voter intimidation tactics have begun in Texas. But I will continue to fight with everything I have!! Thanks for all you Do. ❤️🇺🇸💙
trump wanting to feel safe is exactly why I think he needs some prison time. He needs to learn that he is not safe as long as he keeps up the lawless activities he's engaged in for his whole life.
To both Henry Giroux, my friend, and Ruth. Than you both for your complementary insights, beautiful writing, and activism. I'm going to repeat something I've said a lot. Drawing on abstractions like authoritarianism, fascism and the like won't reach our apathetic, last-minute voting deciders. Simple language is needed. What we are seeing is much simpler to describe: We are witnessing a rapid-fire hurl toward dictatorship. Led no less by the Dictator awaiting sentencing.
So true, Luis. If the left and other progressives cannot speak in a discourse in which people can both recognize themselves and the possibility of thinking beyond commonsense assumptions, politics becomes an empty abstraction. Matters of consciousness, subjectivity, identity and identification are the material substance of politics, not some out of the box concern.
Speaking of the jurors, this from The Atlantic's always excellent Adam Serwer:
"In a Manhattan courtroom, facing 12 ordinary American citizens, Trump could not count on right-wing legal elites to skew the proceeding in his favor. Trump is not angry because the Manhattan trial that convicted him was rigged; he is angry because it wasn’t."
Gene, thank you; so true! “… [convicted felon & former President] Trump … is angry [because trial] wasn’t [rigged.]” Initially, I thought it was hilarious, until it dawned on me it wasn’t. Generally, warnings and/or threats aren’t funny. They should be taken seriously.
So well expressed, but sadly, frightening to think there are forces within our own country linking arms to move away from the democracy we nurtured for 248 years and defended with the blood of young men and women. We need your continued knowledge and warnings about this evolution in our politics.
Ruth, thank you for sharing not only your Substack notes but the video. Your contribution to the press conference is essential for the media to grasp so the public can be more well-informed.
Thank you for continuing to bring us truth. Your brilliance is appreciated! Cheers!
We have established that no one is above New York state law. Not so sure about federal law.
Barring a miracle, (Trump elected and canceling the Federal cases or the SC ruling that Trump in fact have immunity for illegal acts as president) Trump is guilty and will be convicted. Both J6 and the classified documents case should result in jail time.
Jail. Prison. Incarceration. Yes, yes, & yes! tRump "richly" deserves a stiff sentence (or rather, several, to run consecutively) & to serve hard time for his crimes, in the slammer!
Ruth Thank you for continuing to articulate and edify. There are many ways to take action today in this time in our country, to make the choices, small acts of courage. Appreciate your examples and articles — meaningful and poignant. With gratitude
It blows my mind how Putinized our fellow Americans are from his agitprop program. Coexistence, imagine. It seems I have vague memories of such a time decades ago. Thank you for your insight on Fascism.
As long as there's that MAGA judge in Florida and a MAGA supermajority on the Supreme Court, our democracy remains at serious risk. At crunch time, we might learn that Bush v. Gore wasn't a one-off.
That has been my worry. I see Alito and Thomas if not others placed on the court to do just that, hand the election to Trump even if he does not win it. They are already establishing that there is nothing that we can do about them not recusing themselves.
Yep. No accountability. Defiance of Congress. Lifetime appointments. A recipe for abuse.
Lifetime appointments for the high court are not mentioned in the Constitution. It says justices serve during good behavior. That has traditionally been assumed to mean for life. It was thought that a lifetime appointment would lift a person above the fray of politics. The Thomas-Alito court has turned that assumption on its head. (Assume-makes an ass of u and me.) The actions of Thomas and Alito do demonstrate that high court justices can be guilty of bribery and be supportive of a coup attempt, which is traitorous. I am so tired of the MAGA fascists trying to gaslight everyone by lying on camera to our collective faces saying things like trump was persecuted, not prosecuted. If anything, he was given kid glove treatment because his sorry ass was not put in jail.
Amen Gene. 🙏
This is brilliant.
Ruth is correct in suggesting that lawlessness is one of the most powerful pillars of authoritarianism and that Trump's conviction represents a small victory for a just and ethically attentive judicial system. However, it is crucial to recognize that the core of the resistance to fascism lies in educating the public not only about the dangers of fascism but also about the broader issues of democracy and its fragility, and how its destruction will impact everyday life. The most dangerous force for authoritarianism today resides in a far-right disimagination machine that aims to create manufactured ignorance, crushing any viable notion of individual and social agency. This is not merely a repressive political project; it is also a reactionary educational project. See my https://www.laprogressive.com/law-and-justice/disimagination-machines
An excerpt from "How Mainstream Media's Disimagination Machines Normalize Trump's Authoritarian":
"The educational force of U.S. society is now dominated by cultural and political institutions such as Fox News and conservative talk shows that erode any sense of shared citizenship, historical consciousness and common vision."
What does "educational force of U.S. society" mean in that context? In Portland, where I live, public K-12 is firmly in the hands of progressive administrators and educators who have successfully embedded ant-racism, DEI, gender identity ideology and other progressive causes and ideologies in the curriculum. The Portland teachers' union is engaging or seeks to engage in radical anti-Israel activism. The finalists for the job of Portland's school superintendent are people of color. Minorities are greatly overrepresented on the Oregon Board of Education. That body recently suspended the requirement that students pass proficiency tests in order to graduate after finding that such tests are harmful to blacks.
Except for the Catholic University of Portland, George Fox University and the sketchy institutions known as "Bible colleges," higher education in Oregon as elsewhere has a leftward bent. The recently retired president of Portland State University went so far as to make "equity and racial justice his top strategic priority for the university, calling on other white leaders like himself to educate themselves in order to create real change and work toward eliminating structural racism." https://www.pdx.edu/magazine/news/stephen-percys-legacy
I wish this were the norm rather than the exception. But, at the same time, it does offer us some hope for resistance and progress while pushing against the reactionary cultural apparatuses now driving the educational forces of hate, bigotry, and authoritarianism.
Enjoyed your book!
Thanks, Tom.
Everyone should read Henry's books!
What an honor coming from one of the bravest voices in the United States. Actually a national treasure.
Yes. Germany had only had 15 years of a "democratic government" known as the Weimar Republic, before Hitler took over. He wanted the glory of imperialism in a post Monarchic point in history. These people are all looking to be kings without being royalty. Like the Saudi Prince, who is another person Trump admires. While we have had a much longer democracy, it appears that many do not value that. I have been wondering how much of this is from people immigrating from places where they lived under a repressive government. They admire their cultures, and therefore do not want the USA to be different from what they left other than to have certain freedoms. They do not understand that those freedoms will make the US unlike the places they left behind. And, they don't have a deep seated understanding of democracy. I would say that Red states are currently less democratic than Blue states. I also feel concerned that Trump is preparing us for a radical program regarding "immigrants." We already see Abbott getting away with killing people trying to get to the US, without any legal consequences. He should be tried as a murderer as far as I am concerned. Instead he has normalized our accepting this treatment of human beings because they have been othered. Trump has also been extremely inhumane in his treatment of immigrants with separating families, even babies from their parents. There has been no real consequence for that. I see Trump othering immigrants as Hitler othered Jews and laid societies problems at their feet, and making it slowly acceptable to be undemocratic. His immigrant wife and his immigrant father-in-law who it appears was a former criminal in Yugoslavia. https://www.thedailybeast.com/melanias-dad-a-new-american-citizen-with-a-record-in-yugoslavias-secret-police-files
But he has already gotten his US citizenship. Does that make him any less an immigrant? I am curious how many former immigrants are going to vote for Trump. Is it widely known that he plans to put immigrants in camps? He is normalizing so many fascist things I just feel afraid, because it all adds up to Not Democracy.
While I agree with most of your points, I disagree that all immigrants from foreign countries are susceptible to fascist -MAGA tendencies. While I understand that families of Cuban refugees lean right for fear of communism, I believe this cult is more related to inadequate education in the US, news and social media silos and some extreme religious mantra of reliance on a unearthly male figure to solve one’s problems. Mind-numbing and tragic.
Hi Elizabeth, I am not saying they are, but I know a lot of Eastern Europeans who are Republicans, who came from former Soviet Union countries. The Cubans I know are in Chicago and not so much Republicans as is more common in Miami. I think you make a good point about inadequate education in the US, and I know the Russian, Chinese, Iranian, North Korean bots get those who are vulnerable. But, what makes people vulnerable to disinformation?
Thx for responding. As to your question, In no particular order, Disassociation from society and religion (father-figure deity) without education. Inner sadness. Lack of empathy. Fear of the unknown. So many possibilities.
"[P]lunder womens’ bodies . . ." Please elaborate.
Rape and forced pregnancy (being forced to carry an unwanted or an unviable pregnancy to term) are two ways I can think of. And, of course, outlawing abortion and birth control.
Alito would agree, except his wife is allowed to control their flags.
Ollie, Trump partly decriminalized domestic violence while he was president, and authoritarian states often see increases in sex trafficking, violence against women, etc.
Thank you!
Thank you so much Ruth. This information is so important. It was indeed a Victory for the Rule of Law but judging by the comments from my fellow citizens here in Indiana I'm pretty disheartened. We are headed for dark times I'm afraid. And voter intimidation tactics have begun in Texas. But I will continue to fight with everything I have!! Thanks for all you Do. ❤️🇺🇸💙
https://www.yahoo.com/news/flyer-warns-texas-voters-don-225732806.html
I had no idea this was happening. It makes me grateful that I live in one of the few sane areas of the state.
I'm glad you do too Susan!! Stay safe. ❤️🇺🇸
Thank you, Lisa!
trump wanting to feel safe is exactly why I think he needs some prison time. He needs to learn that he is not safe as long as he keeps up the lawless activities he's engaged in for his whole life.
To both Henry Giroux, my friend, and Ruth. Than you both for your complementary insights, beautiful writing, and activism. I'm going to repeat something I've said a lot. Drawing on abstractions like authoritarianism, fascism and the like won't reach our apathetic, last-minute voting deciders. Simple language is needed. What we are seeing is much simpler to describe: We are witnessing a rapid-fire hurl toward dictatorship. Led no less by the Dictator awaiting sentencing.
So true, Luis. If the left and other progressives cannot speak in a discourse in which people can both recognize themselves and the possibility of thinking beyond commonsense assumptions, politics becomes an empty abstraction. Matters of consciousness, subjectivity, identity and identification are the material substance of politics, not some out of the box concern.
Yes Donald, it could happen to anyone: because they broke the law.
Excellent. Ruth!
As Alvin Bragg said: ‘I was just doing my job!’
Bravo to Marchan, Bragg and especially the Jurors!
Speaking of the jurors, this from The Atlantic's always excellent Adam Serwer:
"In a Manhattan courtroom, facing 12 ordinary American citizens, Trump could not count on right-wing legal elites to skew the proceeding in his favor. Trump is not angry because the Manhattan trial that convicted him was rigged; he is angry because it wasn’t."
Gene, thank you; so true! “… [convicted felon & former President] Trump … is angry [because trial] wasn’t [rigged.]” Initially, I thought it was hilarious, until it dawned on me it wasn’t. Generally, warnings and/or threats aren’t funny. They should be taken seriously.
Those 12 patriots refused to be intimidated and browbeaten by, let's face it, a monster.
Gene, very well said.
So well expressed, but sadly, frightening to think there are forces within our own country linking arms to move away from the democracy we nurtured for 248 years and defended with the blood of young men and women. We need your continued knowledge and warnings about this evolution in our politics.
The choice in November is simple - Will we be a nation of laws and not of men, or the reverse.
Ruth, thank you for sharing not only your Substack notes but the video. Your contribution to the press conference is essential for the media to grasp so the public can be more well-informed.