Welcome back to Lucid, and hello to all new subscribers! There will be no Q&A this week because I will be traveling to England to visit my mother. We'll gather on Jan. 12, 1-2pmET and our guest will be Mohamad Bazzi. A former Middle East bureau chief at
Trump definitely seeks to attain absolute power! By appointing family and close supporters to positions of power, he maintains control. He’d like nothing more than to ride in a military parade as top dog. All this feeds his narcissism and ego. Adding punishing his enemies as another authoritarian goal, he surely fits the mold! He must be defeated in November or we lose our independence!
Ruth, you paint a very clear and true picture of our predicament. Now, it’s up to all who believe in our Constitution and democracy to rise to the occasion!
How fascinating. I'm very aware of all the horrid business of Kushner while Trump was in office but I had no idea it was part of the plan for authoritarians. Of course, it makes absolute sense as you describe it. I do hope that Kushner and Trump publicly turn on each other at some point. Karma.
inner emptiness that no amount of stuff can fill; how to transform the dread of dissatisfaction, lack, suffering into something that comes with the territory of being alive and as such, to be at least tolerated if not embraced simply as that which is?
Quite the trade (as you know, risa!) —- waste your life trying to fill the emptiness with stuff and never feel satisfied, whatever you grasp from the world
… or embrace the emptiness as a vessel for the Universe to fill with joy, no matter what you receive from the world
Risa, once this personality structure is constructed in early childhood due to emotional neglect and severely shame-producing home life environments, nothing can be done to effectively alter that personality style.
Our attention needs to shift to prevention, noticing the way we neglect and shame little boys who need attention and affection just like little girls do.
Of note: I read an article in the last week or so stating that an insider said Barron being included in the public Christmas picture put out was a signal that he was being rolled out in the family business, too. Poor Barron 🤷🏻♀️🤦♀️
Excellent…thank you for noting that many of the top secret documents retained by Trump are beneficial to the Saudis. There’s a natural link there and Kushner is a public quid pro quo that accompanies and covers the exchange of top secrets with the Saudis.
It's the same system as organized crime. The boss sets up his capos with their rackets. They all kick to the boss. Jared thinks that he's out?? Doesn't work that way.
Exactly Charlie! Many people knew well of the Trump family’s money laundering and Concrete Cartel affiliation before his ride down the golden escalator. His presidency was right out of mob boss rule, so why are so many confused?
Exceptional historical documentation of the events that led us to today’s reality!
I didn't think Trump would ever fool enough people to win: Trump also thought he'd lose! But Limbaugh types and Fox had been making millions stupid for decades and that was all Trump needed.
Another type of stupidity useful to the MAGA-GOP fascists … many of us who’d never vote for Trump … feel hopeless and despairing in response to the flood of falsehoods saturating so much of media .. bless Ruth for reminding us we can keep these greedy mobsters away from governmental power, if we cease believing in our feelings of powerlessness, and instead, focus on the histories of activism’s success, resulting from the collective actions of people like … US!!
Yes, but also the fact that there is a sizable section of the population that is angry about things. Having "communist" China producing a majority of product and people fed up with immigration issues. The "big boys" saw this coming and are taking advantage of it to further their agendas. To me, Trump is just a stooge with grifting his main objective. America would be the big prize in the Fascist playbook.
Everything with Trump is a business deal! He only respects BIG money which to him reflects POWER.
Kushner accepted a White House position with Trump’s “favorite child” along side. Trump set them up, and the family pair made Trump look attractive. The Trump/Kushner worldly connections turned out very well, continuing immediately after leaving Washington. Jared has made a haul, cutting Trump in with LIV golf tournaments. Scratch my back dad and Jared will scratch his back. Such a simple plan? You use me, and I will use you?
Terrific essay, Ruth, with so much to think about involving historical events and how various family connections actually played roles in these events and our understanding and their occurrence ..........also thanks especially for the photo of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano, and British PM Neville Chamberlain, Munich Sept. 29, 1938 ..........as I remember well from my history classes discussing Neville Chamberlain, Sudetenland, “firm talks with Herr Hitler,” Munich Agreement, Hitler undeterred by appeasement, Hitler violates Munich Agreement takes the rest of Czechoslovakia, Sept 1939 Germany invades Poland & Britain is at war!
What I find is that these autocrats and autocrat wannabes are backed by big money/power/elites. Some of these people are absolutely ruthless, and always want more. Trumps coup attempt was planned and backed by these people. That's why the whole republican party, basically ,backed the plan. Democracy is an encumbrance to these "elites." Thank you Ruth for your important work. You are one of my new heroes.
Fascism has become easier to install in our nation because after WWII, we criticized Communism, while very little negativity was aimed at fascism. Fascism was not seen as the boogyman. Its ascendancy now seems to be partly due to our national ambivalence toward it. Of course, many of our business titans favored fascism, so that could be one of the reasons why fascism was not poo pooed in our media. Our CIA was very much in favor of fascism as well. They had a direct influence on our media.
I would add, we not only indulge in ‘ambivalence’ towards fascism we often proactively support, help install and maintain fascist regimes when they’re perceived as friendly to our elite; capitalists, fascist oligarchs, and commit to satisfying our insatiable ‘need’ to plunder the Earth’s resources, both human and natural and hegemony.
Some examples: Zionist Israel and its fascist wannabe dictator, ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu and his fascist cabal; now seemingly protégées of Pres. Joe Biden. The despicable bromance was evidenced by their
infamous embrace. It devolved into our complicity in Israel’s genocidal policies, euphemistically referred to as ethnic cleaning, as well as Apartheid; recognized as war crimes by ICJ and ICC. Biden penchant for sycophancy was also demonstrated by his willingness to rationalize, defend and minimize the war crimes and dubious right of Israel to defend Itself, disproportionately and indiscriminately. We’re not only complicit, we are providing the weapons and the wherewithal to purchase them; monies that wind up in the pockets of our oligarchs in the military industrial complex.
Let’s not forget Biden’s sudden rapport with Saudi Arabia’s MBS and the nauseating fist-bumping.
We may need to remind ourselves of Chile’s Pinochet.
Our smug penchant for Orwellian euphemisms to cover-up the deadly fascist epidemic and pandemic is obvious to anyone who reads the press; largely owned by oligarchs. We have also seldom connected American fascism to the crimes of genocide and apartheid against against the Indigenous people in the U.S. and acquiescence to it in the Americas and elsewhere, including but not limited to occupied Palestiniane.
What about slavery and Jim Crow. Fascism is in our DNA. Let’s recall the venom Biden’s reserve for So Africa’s courageous filing of charges for genocide against fascist Israel in the ICJ.
We aught to express support for a cease-fire, permanent and unconditional and add Apartheid So Africa to the long sordid list of fascist regimes the U.S. has embraced to perpetuate its Apartheid and White supremacist settler neocolonialism scheme so dear to de facto supporters of eurocentrism regardless of the costs paid by Indigenous populations.
To overcome the pandemics of narcism, psychopathy and sociopathy—mental conditions that includes lack of empathy for (interestingly) the Hated Others—we must be honestly address our fascist proclivities as opposed to maintaining denial and the code of silence.
Netanyahu is a sociopath, and this is always dangerous in leadership. He has a low approval rating in Israel.... no surprise. I recall all of the demonstrations in the streets over there, attempting to oust him.
Yes our "power elites" have fascism in their DNA, as seen in big business, the Council on Foreign Relations and the CIA. The CIA hired many NAZI spies after WWII, as our CIA was a fascist leaning agency. Of course Allen Dulles, the long time director was a fascist loving sociopath. Our installation of fascism in other countries was almost always driven by resources, (Copper in Chile; Bananas in Guatemala, oil in Iran, minerals in the Congo). Our elites loved fascism abroad and dreamed of having it here as well. The trick was to use propaganda here to convince Americans that it was better than democracy. Our elites could care less about democracy but they wanted the electorate to accept fascism willingly; not by force, like we did in foreign lands. I believe that tRump was their ticket to the promised land of fascism. The battle is still ongoing.
When it comes to Orange Mussolini, Javanka et al., the trademark of their corruption is that it's done at very high volume and in plain sight, daring our justice system to respond. There are no subtleties or nuances to their criminality whatsoever. For their purposes, the more brazen, the better. Which, as this election year gets underway, poses a crucial question: What are We the People going to do about it?
Trump definitely seeks to attain absolute power! By appointing family and close supporters to positions of power, he maintains control. He’d like nothing more than to ride in a military parade as top dog. All this feeds his narcissism and ego. Adding punishing his enemies as another authoritarian goal, he surely fits the mold! He must be defeated in November or we lose our independence!
Ruth, you paint a very clear and true picture of our predicament. Now, it’s up to all who believe in our Constitution and democracy to rise to the occasion!
How fascinating. I'm very aware of all the horrid business of Kushner while Trump was in office but I had no idea it was part of the plan for authoritarians. Of course, it makes absolute sense as you describe it. I do hope that Kushner and Trump publicly turn on each other at some point. Karma.
always a game of chess
inner emptiness that no amount of stuff can fill; how to transform the dread of dissatisfaction, lack, suffering into something that comes with the territory of being alive and as such, to be at least tolerated if not embraced simply as that which is?
Quite the trade (as you know, risa!) —- waste your life trying to fill the emptiness with stuff and never feel satisfied, whatever you grasp from the world
… or embrace the emptiness as a vessel for the Universe to fill with joy, no matter what you receive from the world
the essence of it all !! Human-ness, not avoidance is the way to fulfillment.
Risa, once this personality structure is constructed in early childhood due to emotional neglect and severely shame-producing home life environments, nothing can be done to effectively alter that personality style.
Our attention needs to shift to prevention, noticing the way we neglect and shame little boys who need attention and affection just like little girls do.
Of note: I read an article in the last week or so stating that an insider said Barron being included in the public Christmas picture put out was a signal that he was being rolled out in the family business, too. Poor Barron 🤷🏻♀️🤦♀️
Excellent…thank you for noting that many of the top secret documents retained by Trump are beneficial to the Saudis. There’s a natural link there and Kushner is a public quid pro quo that accompanies and covers the exchange of top secrets with the Saudis.
I predict that the Saudis will be nuclear-capable in 5-10 years as a result of what they got from Jared.
😱
Your last sentence sums up autocracy.
yes sadly
Yes, that emptiness in autocrats is also seen in sociopaths/psychopaths, probably because most autocratic leaders have been sociopaths/psychopaths.
It's the same system as organized crime. The boss sets up his capos with their rackets. They all kick to the boss. Jared thinks that he's out?? Doesn't work that way.
Be safe in your travels, Ruth. See you when you get back.
Exactly Charlie! Many people knew well of the Trump family’s money laundering and Concrete Cartel affiliation before his ride down the golden escalator. His presidency was right out of mob boss rule, so why are so many confused?
Exceptional historical documentation of the events that led us to today’s reality!
Fred did business with the Sicillians, Donald with the Russians and the Israelis.
Organized crime 2.0
I didn't think Trump would ever fool enough people to win: Trump also thought he'd lose! But Limbaugh types and Fox had been making millions stupid for decades and that was all Trump needed.
Another type of stupidity useful to the MAGA-GOP fascists … many of us who’d never vote for Trump … feel hopeless and despairing in response to the flood of falsehoods saturating so much of media .. bless Ruth for reminding us we can keep these greedy mobsters away from governmental power, if we cease believing in our feelings of powerlessness, and instead, focus on the histories of activism’s success, resulting from the collective actions of people like … US!!
True, sadly.
Yes, but also the fact that there is a sizable section of the population that is angry about things. Having "communist" China producing a majority of product and people fed up with immigration issues. The "big boys" saw this coming and are taking advantage of it to further their agendas. To me, Trump is just a stooge with grifting his main objective. America would be the big prize in the Fascist playbook.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UneS2Uwc6xw&t=3s
Thank you.
It helps that SIL's also have different last names. The up side and the downside, two-fold are the benefits.
Safe travel and I look forward to your next guest!
Everything with Trump is a business deal! He only respects BIG money which to him reflects POWER.
Kushner accepted a White House position with Trump’s “favorite child” along side. Trump set them up, and the family pair made Trump look attractive. The Trump/Kushner worldly connections turned out very well, continuing immediately after leaving Washington. Jared has made a haul, cutting Trump in with LIV golf tournaments. Scratch my back dad and Jared will scratch his back. Such a simple plan? You use me, and I will use you?
Jared and Ivanka made 640 million in outside income while serving in the Trump administration! And no laws were broken?
Terrific essay, Ruth, with so much to think about involving historical events and how various family connections actually played roles in these events and our understanding and their occurrence ..........also thanks especially for the photo of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano, and British PM Neville Chamberlain, Munich Sept. 29, 1938 ..........as I remember well from my history classes discussing Neville Chamberlain, Sudetenland, “firm talks with Herr Hitler,” Munich Agreement, Hitler undeterred by appeasement, Hitler violates Munich Agreement takes the rest of Czechoslovakia, Sept 1939 Germany invades Poland & Britain is at war!
I remember Guernica from my Art History class =]
Yes. They ALL seek CONTROL WITHOUT REINS!
What I find is that these autocrats and autocrat wannabes are backed by big money/power/elites. Some of these people are absolutely ruthless, and always want more. Trumps coup attempt was planned and backed by these people. That's why the whole republican party, basically ,backed the plan. Democracy is an encumbrance to these "elites." Thank you Ruth for your important work. You are one of my new heroes.
ditto =]
Fascism has become easier to install in our nation because after WWII, we criticized Communism, while very little negativity was aimed at fascism. Fascism was not seen as the boogyman. Its ascendancy now seems to be partly due to our national ambivalence toward it. Of course, many of our business titans favored fascism, so that could be one of the reasons why fascism was not poo pooed in our media. Our CIA was very much in favor of fascism as well. They had a direct influence on our media.
Steve, well said.
I would add, we not only indulge in ‘ambivalence’ towards fascism we often proactively support, help install and maintain fascist regimes when they’re perceived as friendly to our elite; capitalists, fascist oligarchs, and commit to satisfying our insatiable ‘need’ to plunder the Earth’s resources, both human and natural and hegemony.
Some examples: Zionist Israel and its fascist wannabe dictator, ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu and his fascist cabal; now seemingly protégées of Pres. Joe Biden. The despicable bromance was evidenced by their
infamous embrace. It devolved into our complicity in Israel’s genocidal policies, euphemistically referred to as ethnic cleaning, as well as Apartheid; recognized as war crimes by ICJ and ICC. Biden penchant for sycophancy was also demonstrated by his willingness to rationalize, defend and minimize the war crimes and dubious right of Israel to defend Itself, disproportionately and indiscriminately. We’re not only complicit, we are providing the weapons and the wherewithal to purchase them; monies that wind up in the pockets of our oligarchs in the military industrial complex.
Let’s not forget Biden’s sudden rapport with Saudi Arabia’s MBS and the nauseating fist-bumping.
We may need to remind ourselves of Chile’s Pinochet.
Our smug penchant for Orwellian euphemisms to cover-up the deadly fascist epidemic and pandemic is obvious to anyone who reads the press; largely owned by oligarchs. We have also seldom connected American fascism to the crimes of genocide and apartheid against against the Indigenous people in the U.S. and acquiescence to it in the Americas and elsewhere, including but not limited to occupied Palestiniane.
What about slavery and Jim Crow. Fascism is in our DNA. Let’s recall the venom Biden’s reserve for So Africa’s courageous filing of charges for genocide against fascist Israel in the ICJ.
We aught to express support for a cease-fire, permanent and unconditional and add Apartheid So Africa to the long sordid list of fascist regimes the U.S. has embraced to perpetuate its Apartheid and White supremacist settler neocolonialism scheme so dear to de facto supporters of eurocentrism regardless of the costs paid by Indigenous populations.
To overcome the pandemics of narcism, psychopathy and sociopathy—mental conditions that includes lack of empathy for (interestingly) the Hated Others—we must be honestly address our fascist proclivities as opposed to maintaining denial and the code of silence.
Robert C. Leyland Monefeldt
Netanyahu is a sociopath, and this is always dangerous in leadership. He has a low approval rating in Israel.... no surprise. I recall all of the demonstrations in the streets over there, attempting to oust him.
Yes our "power elites" have fascism in their DNA, as seen in big business, the Council on Foreign Relations and the CIA. The CIA hired many NAZI spies after WWII, as our CIA was a fascist leaning agency. Of course Allen Dulles, the long time director was a fascist loving sociopath. Our installation of fascism in other countries was almost always driven by resources, (Copper in Chile; Bananas in Guatemala, oil in Iran, minerals in the Congo). Our elites loved fascism abroad and dreamed of having it here as well. The trick was to use propaganda here to convince Americans that it was better than democracy. Our elites could care less about democracy but they wanted the electorate to accept fascism willingly; not by force, like we did in foreign lands. I believe that tRump was their ticket to the promised land of fascism. The battle is still ongoing.
When it comes to Orange Mussolini, Javanka et al., the trademark of their corruption is that it's done at very high volume and in plain sight, daring our justice system to respond. There are no subtleties or nuances to their criminality whatsoever. For their purposes, the more brazen, the better. Which, as this election year gets underway, poses a crucial question: What are We the People going to do about it?
They seem to intentionally probe and test every law and norm in civil society. It has a very damaging effect in the end =/