I think it is clear what it will take for people to notice, particularly those who have voted for Trump. Instead of just waiting for the Red States governments and folks to wake up, Robert Hubbell has been suggesting not just a general strike, but also a tax strike, what do you think of that latter? Not funding the government at least in Blue states, could be harmful to the Musk/Trump agenda. What could they do to go after millions of people refusing to pay taxes when they are getting rid of everyone who knows how to collect them?
Beautifully written as always. Ruth: what do you see as the role of former American leaders, and their spouses given the terrible turn of events? Yes, I mean Presidents, but other leaders — political, military, economic, etc. f
Five former Treasury secretaries wrote an op ed in the NYT. But there is surely more to be done by leaders no longer bound by elections or appointments. Are they scared? Waiting for a more opportune time? Why aren’t we hearing outrage?
I have this same question. I would like to hear from Democrats but also particularly from former Republican leaders -- George W. Bush, his brother Jeb, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, etc. They could join Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and get loud. It upsets me that they, like the Congressional Republicans, media, Wall Street, and corporate leaders are cowering in front of Trump's threats, trying to fly under the radar. I hope I have the courage my uncle and family friends had on D-Day and my other family members had both in WWII and later wars and at home to stand up and save democracy. I believe there are many of us who will. It would help to see some of our so-called "leaders" step up as well.
Debra, thank you for saying this and for your courage. I wonder about all the millions of military, past and present, who swore an oath to defend the Constitition against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. They have risked their lives overseas to a much greater extent than they would be risking their lives by speaking up and acting up now. Its hard to believe the military is silent in these critical days in the existential threat of our democratic republic.
GW Bush is pretty close to a Trumper with his policies, and isn't he a Christian Nationalist? They are all so racist and misogynist they cannot get beyond themselves. They are supporting screwing the planet their grandchildren inherit.
GWB has stayed in his corner less one moment when he supported Collins for Senate and state funerals. Romney has made it carefully clear to me and he's obviously scared and Rand Paul ... yuck ... he remains the same to me. Jeb just seems scared.
I don't know about a cowering WS. I haven't seen it and murdoch's WSJ (which I loathe) is still being delivered to people around my neighborhood (and my bro-in-law who worked for Price Waterhouse Cooper as a corp lawyer still reads the paper and enjoys it and hates Mump).
It would help if magas stepped up and no one else, in my opinion. The lie has taken the oxygen out of life. orban and putin and other autocracies have taught his real handlers well - make gaza into a resort make me want to throw up on a large red tie.
Thank you! We need answers! I’m currently on an Airlift call where Robert Hubble is a guest. Airlift is joining with Movement Voters Project (MVP). Does anyone have more information about Feb 17 protest?
I keep wondering why we are not hearing more from Barack Obama. I believe he decided to lay low during the first Trump administration, thinking he would be a convenient distraction for them if he got too vocal, but there is nothing to lose at this point. He could get on any news show he wanted, and would make news with his comments. He is good at explaining things. Where is he???
AOC is not given the leadership she should be getting from the Democratic party, but she is speaking truth to power. She has dealt with Bully White Boys all her life, and recognizes who they are, what they do that appeals to people and what to point out to their voters to get them to connect to the actions of Trump and Musk to their own harm.
Change probably to definitely and I will whole heartedly agree. We should also be writing to the new chair and co-chair of the DNC and tell them we want to see her given more leadership her own way.
The Democrats and any citizens who wish to help need to rapidly build a levee before there is a Noah.s flood that washes away our republic. Bertrand Russell stated it very succinctly when he wrote on how Fascism starts: first they fascinate the fools, then they muzzle the intelligent.
I’m also worried about how colleges and universities decided to muzzle themselves by supporting Institutional neutrality and institutional restraint. In doing so, they have also given up fighting for institutional autonomy.
This is the start up of a Mao style cultural revolution.
Ruth- I laid in bed this afternoon after walking dogs, house cleaning, walking dogs some more and turned on Deadline WH (Nicole Wallace) to the news of Kath Patel (traitor) and Elon Musk, his son, and Trump at the sacred resolute desk. In the title of his book Rick Wilson, "Everything Trump Touches Dies".
OMG Ruth. What a horrifying picture you paint. Thank you thank you for your bravery in teaching us what is happening and what it means for everyone. We hang on your every word. We are with you and will resist. Bless you. Stay safe and strong.♥️
I will protest on the 17th, called my representatives today and will attend a town hall with Valerie Foushee tomorrow night online. What is increasingly concerning me, is the people I follow are like that giant puzzle we use to give as gifts at Christmas. We turn the box over with all the pieces (Youtube, BlueSky, Substack, Instagram, TikTok, MSM) and all the smaller pieces that will take me, at least, years to complete. Everyone is asking for money. USAID is bankrupt, because of Trump. The VP or President, Elon Musk is targeting agencies that provide valuable and life saving services to constituents. And then there are the agencies (Red Cross, HAIS and others) asking for money to support their emergency efforts. This puzzle is so scattered that we, Americans, are a mirror image of the disjointedness of an uncompleted puzzle sitting on our table. What do we do? Where do we start? I follow the declining gorilla population in the Congo and the wars that are increasingly threatening these populations. What do we do? Where do we start?
A coming moral reckoning? Optimistic … but I doubt it. In the Fifties, when those who (quietly) protested were called “eggheads,” and they were mocked; today those who protest are not just mocked but threatened. And we all see before us, in Congress where the people are supposed to have a voice, the lack of spine is everywhere. Daddy is tucking in his baby boys.
Steven Levitsky, in an article for The Atlantic titled "The New Authoritarianism," writes:
"Democracy is not yet lost. The Trump administration will be politically vulnerable. Unlike successful elected authoritarians such as Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, and Vladimir Putin in Russia, Trump lacks broad popular support. His approval rating has almost never surpassed 50 percent, and incompetence, overreach, and unpopular policies will almost certainly dampen public support for the new administration. An autocratic president with an approval rating below 50 percent is still dangerous, but far less so than one with 80 percent support. The new administration’s political weakness will open up opportunities for opposition in the courtroom, on the streets, and at the ballot box.
"Still, the opposition can win only if it stays in the game. Worn down by defeat, and fearing harassment and lost opportunities, many civic leaders and activists will be tempted to pull back into their private lives. It’s already happening. But a retreat to the sidelines could be fatal for democracy. When fear, exhaustion, or resignation eclipses our commitment to democracy, competitive authoritarianism succeeds."
I believe that most, if not all of those surrounding tRump are sociopaths/psychopaths or have narcissistic personality disorder. These seem to be a prerequisite for fascism, not to mention sadism and Machiavellianism.
There are three huge factors that make this move into authoritarianism more dangerous than any other in history: the degree of surveillance now possible, the percentage of the population dependent on a vast transportation network for their access to food, and the vast armament held by individual citizens.
Are others finding resources/authors that speak to mitigating these factors?
The courts have been having some success in stifling tRump's agenda, however, enforcing the edicts can be a problem when tRump refuses to comply. The courts can use the US Marshalls Service to enforce their standing but the problem with this is that the Marshalls Service is a part of DOJ and tRump has control of them. tRump has said that he will honor the courts' decisions but I don't trust him at all to honor his word. He has no honor or any other virtue. I believe his disregarding the courts will cause a huge crisis, and will be the tipping point for our democracy. At that point, we will pull this mess out of the fire or go down in flames.
Best. Article. I've. Seen. On the coming reckoning. It couldn't have been easy to write and it sure wasn't easy to read. But easy isn't the highest value. Thank you, Ruth. Thank you.
Ruth, we have to evolve from the personal obsession of threats to our lives to the collective threat to our lives and I don't know if we have it in us to do so. We are so entrenched in death denial and death anxiety that we are paralyzed.
Hope comes from action. Action in solidarity with others helps us to move from fearing for our own safety to fighting for the safety of our communities.
Great article we have to Stand up see something say something
I think it is clear what it will take for people to notice, particularly those who have voted for Trump. Instead of just waiting for the Red States governments and folks to wake up, Robert Hubbell has been suggesting not just a general strike, but also a tax strike, what do you think of that latter? Not funding the government at least in Blue states, could be harmful to the Musk/Trump agenda. What could they do to go after millions of people refusing to pay taxes when they are getting rid of everyone who knows how to collect them?
Beautifully written as always. Ruth: what do you see as the role of former American leaders, and their spouses given the terrible turn of events? Yes, I mean Presidents, but other leaders — political, military, economic, etc. f
Five former Treasury secretaries wrote an op ed in the NYT. But there is surely more to be done by leaders no longer bound by elections or appointments. Are they scared? Waiting for a more opportune time? Why aren’t we hearing outrage?
I have this same question. I would like to hear from Democrats but also particularly from former Republican leaders -- George W. Bush, his brother Jeb, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, etc. They could join Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and get loud. It upsets me that they, like the Congressional Republicans, media, Wall Street, and corporate leaders are cowering in front of Trump's threats, trying to fly under the radar. I hope I have the courage my uncle and family friends had on D-Day and my other family members had both in WWII and later wars and at home to stand up and save democracy. I believe there are many of us who will. It would help to see some of our so-called "leaders" step up as well.
Debra, thank you for saying this and for your courage. I wonder about all the millions of military, past and present, who swore an oath to defend the Constitition against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. They have risked their lives overseas to a much greater extent than they would be risking their lives by speaking up and acting up now. Its hard to believe the military is silent in these critical days in the existential threat of our democratic republic.
GW Bush is pretty close to a Trumper with his policies, and isn't he a Christian Nationalist? They are all so racist and misogynist they cannot get beyond themselves. They are supporting screwing the planet their grandchildren inherit.
GWB has stayed in his corner less one moment when he supported Collins for Senate and state funerals. Romney has made it carefully clear to me and he's obviously scared and Rand Paul ... yuck ... he remains the same to me. Jeb just seems scared.
I don't know about a cowering WS. I haven't seen it and murdoch's WSJ (which I loathe) is still being delivered to people around my neighborhood (and my bro-in-law who worked for Price Waterhouse Cooper as a corp lawyer still reads the paper and enjoys it and hates Mump).
It would help if magas stepped up and no one else, in my opinion. The lie has taken the oxygen out of life. orban and putin and other autocracies have taught his real handlers well - make gaza into a resort make me want to throw up on a large red tie.
Thank you! We need answers! I’m currently on an Airlift call where Robert Hubble is a guest. Airlift is joining with Movement Voters Project (MVP). Does anyone have more information about Feb 17 protest?
None. Need more 411.
I keep wondering why we are not hearing more from Barack Obama. I believe he decided to lay low during the first Trump administration, thinking he would be a convenient distraction for them if he got too vocal, but there is nothing to lose at this point. He could get on any news show he wanted, and would make news with his comments. He is good at explaining things. Where is he???
Go to Indivisible.org and enter your zip code for places you can go on Feb 17 (Monday) to peacefully protest. State Capitol. City Hall. You name it.
EDIT Note: Indivisible.com is not not the same thing as Indivisible.org. Our Indivisible is Indivisible.org. Indivisible.com is a commercial firm for investing in securities.
I am SO sorry. You are absolutely right David!! I just edited my previous post.
Thank you Ruth.
AOC is not given the leadership she should be getting from the Democratic party, but she is speaking truth to power. She has dealt with Bully White Boys all her life, and recognizes who they are, what they do that appeals to people and what to point out to their voters to get them to connect to the actions of Trump and Musk to their own harm.
We should definitely tell her she's doing a great job and that she deserves more power in the Democratic party!
Change probably to definitely and I will whole heartedly agree. We should also be writing to the new chair and co-chair of the DNC and tell them we want to see her given more leadership her own way.
Thanks. Done!
The Democrats and any citizens who wish to help need to rapidly build a levee before there is a Noah.s flood that washes away our republic. Bertrand Russell stated it very succinctly when he wrote on how Fascism starts: first they fascinate the fools, then they muzzle the intelligent.
I’m also worried about how colleges and universities decided to muzzle themselves by supporting Institutional neutrality and institutional restraint. In doing so, they have also given up fighting for institutional autonomy.
This is the start up of a Mao style cultural revolution.
You are one brilliant woman, and one great American. You are a true anchor in this storm. Thank you for your dedication to the cause, thank you.
Ruth- I laid in bed this afternoon after walking dogs, house cleaning, walking dogs some more and turned on Deadline WH (Nicole Wallace) to the news of Kath Patel (traitor) and Elon Musk, his son, and Trump at the sacred resolute desk. In the title of his book Rick Wilson, "Everything Trump Touches Dies".
Thank you for this.
OMG Ruth. What a horrifying picture you paint. Thank you thank you for your bravery in teaching us what is happening and what it means for everyone. We hang on your every word. We are with you and will resist. Bless you. Stay safe and strong.♥️
I will protest on the 17th, called my representatives today and will attend a town hall with Valerie Foushee tomorrow night online. What is increasingly concerning me, is the people I follow are like that giant puzzle we use to give as gifts at Christmas. We turn the box over with all the pieces (Youtube, BlueSky, Substack, Instagram, TikTok, MSM) and all the smaller pieces that will take me, at least, years to complete. Everyone is asking for money. USAID is bankrupt, because of Trump. The VP or President, Elon Musk is targeting agencies that provide valuable and life saving services to constituents. And then there are the agencies (Red Cross, HAIS and others) asking for money to support their emergency efforts. This puzzle is so scattered that we, Americans, are a mirror image of the disjointedness of an uncompleted puzzle sitting on our table. What do we do? Where do we start? I follow the declining gorilla population in the Congo and the wars that are increasingly threatening these populations. What do we do? Where do we start?
A coming moral reckoning? Optimistic … but I doubt it. In the Fifties, when those who (quietly) protested were called “eggheads,” and they were mocked; today those who protest are not just mocked but threatened. And we all see before us, in Congress where the people are supposed to have a voice, the lack of spine is everywhere. Daddy is tucking in his baby boys.
Mate violence against protestors is nothing new. Ask any black person.
Violence against more mainstream white protestors is returning. And it sucks. But twas ever thus.
Living for belief in the reckoning.
Steven Levitsky, in an article for The Atlantic titled "The New Authoritarianism," writes:
"Democracy is not yet lost. The Trump administration will be politically vulnerable. Unlike successful elected authoritarians such as Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, and Vladimir Putin in Russia, Trump lacks broad popular support. His approval rating has almost never surpassed 50 percent, and incompetence, overreach, and unpopular policies will almost certainly dampen public support for the new administration. An autocratic president with an approval rating below 50 percent is still dangerous, but far less so than one with 80 percent support. The new administration’s political weakness will open up opportunities for opposition in the courtroom, on the streets, and at the ballot box.
"Still, the opposition can win only if it stays in the game. Worn down by defeat, and fearing harassment and lost opportunities, many civic leaders and activists will be tempted to pull back into their private lives. It’s already happening. But a retreat to the sidelines could be fatal for democracy. When fear, exhaustion, or resignation eclipses our commitment to democracy, competitive authoritarianism succeeds."
***
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/trump-competitive-authoritarian/681609/
***
(Orange Duce is known for doubling down. Those of us who love democracy must double down, too.)
And he has a megalomaniacal billionaire whose special K use is altering his sense of reality.
I believe that most, if not all of those surrounding tRump are sociopaths/psychopaths or have narcissistic personality disorder. These seem to be a prerequisite for fascism, not to mention sadism and Machiavellianism.
There are three huge factors that make this move into authoritarianism more dangerous than any other in history: the degree of surveillance now possible, the percentage of the population dependent on a vast transportation network for their access to food, and the vast armament held by individual citizens.
Are others finding resources/authors that speak to mitigating these factors?
The courts have been having some success in stifling tRump's agenda, however, enforcing the edicts can be a problem when tRump refuses to comply. The courts can use the US Marshalls Service to enforce their standing but the problem with this is that the Marshalls Service is a part of DOJ and tRump has control of them. tRump has said that he will honor the courts' decisions but I don't trust him at all to honor his word. He has no honor or any other virtue. I believe his disregarding the courts will cause a huge crisis, and will be the tipping point for our democracy. At that point, we will pull this mess out of the fire or go down in flames.
Best. Article. I've. Seen. On the coming reckoning. It couldn't have been easy to write and it sure wasn't easy to read. But easy isn't the highest value. Thank you, Ruth. Thank you.
Thanks
New rights for the few and limited or no rights for the many sounds like what is happening now. Everything you say makes perfect sense.
Ruth, we have to evolve from the personal obsession of threats to our lives to the collective threat to our lives and I don't know if we have it in us to do so. We are so entrenched in death denial and death anxiety that we are paralyzed.
Hope comes from action. Action in solidarity with others helps us to move from fearing for our own safety to fighting for the safety of our communities.
We need to think about all the people who will depend on us to lead the way, and then we need to do it.
Thanks