Ruth.. thanks for including clips of live stuff; seems many of you are now doing live pieces and its becoming harder for some of us to access them. I feel like im missing a lot by not being able to see them live with my schedule
Ruth, Your political insights, analysis and clear writing style are much appreciated. With the likely worsening electoral college conundrum, do you see winning bicameral majorities in the congress and state legislatures as the more likely achievable political response and goal?
"how the Trump-Musk administration is innovating the global authoritarian playbook,....new form of authoritarian techno-governance that requires the wrecking of democracy."
I read an article about the crypto scams being waged among Donnie, Elum, and suspected with Putin and Russian Intelligence Services to remake the global money supply. It's beyond just making these billionaires more billions. It is about totally capturing and controlling the money supply to control all states. The scale of it makes George Soros shorting the British Pound look like a lemonade stand.
on point - they want to end fiat money as they hate all external [read: governmental] regulation - they're like newborns in adult bodies who lack self-regulation, who in turn oppress, that is, over-regulate others. a nice combination of pathetic and dangerous.
I had someone talking to me about how crypto was the best possible investment for old people, which I did not believe. I did not reach my age and my financial status by believing scams. Around that time someone pointed out to me that the purpose of crypto is to undermine the American dollar. Looks like that person was correct. Sadly.
Old people should be in bonds, bond income funds, municipal bonds bonds ( I think, but I’m not a financial advisor but I know enough that no one should be playing crypto.) I am a business owner and I can say everyone feels the economic uncertainty.
Elon is very much over simplifying an economic policy concerning inflation, the national debt, and the money supply. Nobel Laureate Economist Paul Krugman is now on Substack and his posts are very enlightening and highly critical. He thinks we are headed for stagflation like the mid 1970’s.
March 14th is a big March on the National mall in protest. Stop the coup. Spread the word. I’ll find that link and be back to post it.
Nothing like a few million pissed off Americans marching from the mall and surround the WH to put the fear of god in that Orange mf’er.
Thanks for the reference to Paul Krugman’s Substack. Will follow more closely. I’m not a Financial Advisor either although I’m well educated in the subject and I’m in my sixties. Your bond advice is classic and mainstream. The problem is our democracy is no longer classic and mainstream. That effects our economy which, for me, effects my thinking about “how should I invest my retirement savings? Do I change the asset allocation of my low cost ETF’s? Do I get an offshore account denominated in euros? Do I hold more money in cash?” The freebie advisors at my financial institutions don’t have the answers either.
There was a time one could just invest in the CDs and money markets to achieve a sustainable retirement income, then came the zero rates for money borrowing and tanked that investment vehicle.
Ted, if you look at the critical indicators in 2020-2021, what is happening now was ready to happen then. Biden's win held that off, but the time it took to bring down inflation was too long even though it was the right way to do it. It is not stagflation that is on the cusp of happening, but more like the 1929 Republican caused depression.
I agree that the purpose of crypto is to undermine the American dollar and the world banking system. In that case, for those of us understandably leery of crypto, can we sleep much better if we leave our investments in dollars or even Swiss Franks? I spoke to a wise old friend who said she prefers keeping her money in real estate. Even in a down market there is some intrinsic value in land and buildings.
Hasn’t every Republican President basically crashed the economy on the middle class? They can buy back more stock cheap. Making a windfall in the recovery.
Now add crypto and they can make billions that they don’t have to report who with. ( smells like Putin).
Diversity your investments and the property you live in is an investment if you (and your mortgage holder) own it. Real estate funds, gold, cash accounts in other currencies than the USD may make sense in your portfolio in addition to the classic stocks, bonds and cash and cash-equivalent holdings. I am searching for financial advisors and thinkers who understand what is happening to our democracy and recognize we need new thinking for our savings and investment accounts for the majority of Americans who are middle class people not the wealthy elite.
We will. All politics is personal. My little Illinois town of 50,000 is active in strengthening local democracy and building communities and infrastructure. We may be small but we are committed to long-term resistance.
Yes! My father grew up in Illinois before moving west to Oregon. March 15th is "postcard day". Everyone I know is sending postcards to the president with statements like "We know you have had 6 bankruptcies. Do you intend to bankrupt our country too?
Great insight. My question is, what do we as a collective group do to push back! The Supreme Court slapped him down last week. Very important decision for federal lawyers like myself. It is something we can use, the court’s actual opinion, to push back. He does not have carte Blanche with the Supreme Court. He thinks it’s another crony in NYC he’s going to pay off. He is in over his head and most of us know it. He tried a violent overthrow on Jan 6, and the schmucks let him back in. I see a greater America coming out of this current battle. He cannot erase 248 years of institutional knowledge. He cannot erase 248 years of gallantry by our men and women in the armed services. They live in lala land. We don’t. We stick to our guns and protect democracy. Our country battled true dictators in WWII. We pushed them back over 80 years ago in WWII. And, we will do it again. It’s tough to fight a real battle with 2 wimps who make shit up. They are not ready for us and never will be.
I love your brave talk, William, and as much as I want to hope you're correct, I'm seeing little evidence that many of our fellow citizens, especially business people and Big Law are equipped with spines and/or backbones. Rather than standing up to the wannabe tyrants, everybody seems to be running for cover. If this is who we've become, then we deserve to be treated and ruled like the sheep we are.
Great point. I wouldn’t consider it brave talk though, just an observation. As to everyone else who’s currently backing down, figuratively or actually, that’s their choice. Big Business and Big Law are a part of the problem, I believe. Their golden calf has been destroyed. O my God, what do they do now? I personally don’t care what they do! My humble suggestion, having served the country as Special Counsel from 2004-2007 under President Bush, is that we man up! I don’t see most generals backing down from Trump’s tough BS talk. Do you? DOD is ready to 🎸. We leave the talk to the talkers. My buddies serve the country regardless of the monetary interests. Dad was a cuban dissident. He lived this country like you can’t imagine. He would have said if he were alive, “Los Que no tienen Cogenes ahorra, si son hombres, nunca lo tendrán.” For those who are men, if they don’t have balls now, they’ll never have them.” So, let’s stop playing up to the “poor timid souls” who don’t have the cogenes. Let’s start highlighting the recent successes of the men and women in service, who serve our country bravely every day. BTW. They’re not looking for followers in Instagram!!
I don’t think a single Bond movie ever came close to portray what’s happening now, besides the fact of course, that this is all REAL and happening! What you’ve described Ruth is indeed accurate, - and it’s the perfect storm for the takedown of our Democracy and the realignment of our World Order, posturing the U. S as another ‘dictatorship’, aka: one of the “bad guys”. Trump’s team has choreographed their takedown impeccably. Besides a good therapist, many of us may require a good travel agent to direct us to a safe-haven. And he’s only just begun!
are working to turn the USA into a democradura, with the help of the Great Old Party (!) the Supreme Court and (Joe Biden warned us) an emerging oligarchy of infinite wealth, power and influence
Europe must go all in supporting Ukraine with money, equipment munitions - and soldiers. If the US allows Russia to take Ukraine they will slaughter, torture and rape the women children. Then in a couple of years they will start picking off NATO countries that were previously part of the USSR. The US won't help you - in fact they will probably try to prove their fealty to Russia and attach the target country. Now is your best time to try to destroy Russia and make Ukraine whole. So such it up. You and the willing countries of NATO must firmly commit now!
I would love to know what makes Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid enemy government entities. I can see that trump is fine with musk as part of his administration because musk will do all the work and trump can play golf. For someone who wants a lot of power, trump sure is lazy.
I believe the purpose is to gut the average citizen in every way-a desperate population trying to survive is much easier to control. Keep them sick, poor, gaslit and uneducated.
Many of the largely overlooked streams of influence, coagulating into the unique “strong-buddies” partnership ransacking the US now, are revealed in the history linked here:
I find it interesting that both of these men's rise would not have been possible without wealth privilege. Born wealthy, and protected by wealth privilege to the point they are seemingly above the law. I administrated and interpreted the MMPI and did profiling in a maximum security prison, amoung other duties. It's like, I don't know everything, but I know bullshit when I see it. In my experience, this is my opinion, there are two types of narcissistic psychopaths who elevate the MMPI scales. Those who literally had the humanity beat out of them by abuse and neglect, and those who were literally spoiled rotten.
Mark Kelly’s comments were perfect. But what strikes me is Musk calling Kelly a traitor. To me it seems that Musk is doing exactly what Trump does - reflect onto an opponent a label that actually belongs to himself. If one looks at the whole picture, one would be led to think that the most logical explanation for Trump’s numerous actions against US interests would be that he is compromised by foreign actors. Fulfilling Putin’s wish list, weakening alliances, restructuring our democratic government to be more aligned with non-democratic adversaries, and on and on - is that not the definition of treason? Will there be anyone, ANYONE, who will have the balls (or ovaries) to call it out and say the T word? I dare you to say it! I will! Trump and Project 2025 are TREASONOUS!
Thank you, Dr. Ben-Ghiat. Terrific insights of a situation that is right in front of our respective noses. No voodoo, no magic - just tried and proven methods of government coups, this time internal. In my estimation, very similar to the Chile/Pinochet/Chicago "boys" situation of "shock and awe" - tank the economy, privatize the administration with your cronies, and scare the living hell out of the population. I'm amazed how in such a short time the US economy has moved from "the envy of the world" to disaster economics. Dark days, indeed. Continue fighting.
Ruth.. thanks for including clips of live stuff; seems many of you are now doing live pieces and its becoming harder for some of us to access them. I feel like im missing a lot by not being able to see them live with my schedule
Ruth, Your political insights, analysis and clear writing style are much appreciated. With the likely worsening electoral college conundrum, do you see winning bicameral majorities in the congress and state legislatures as the more likely achievable political response and goal?
"how the Trump-Musk administration is innovating the global authoritarian playbook,....new form of authoritarian techno-governance that requires the wrecking of democracy."
I read an article about the crypto scams being waged among Donnie, Elum, and suspected with Putin and Russian Intelligence Services to remake the global money supply. It's beyond just making these billionaires more billions. It is about totally capturing and controlling the money supply to control all states. The scale of it makes George Soros shorting the British Pound look like a lemonade stand.
on point - they want to end fiat money as they hate all external [read: governmental] regulation - they're like newborns in adult bodies who lack self-regulation, who in turn oppress, that is, over-regulate others. a nice combination of pathetic and dangerous.
Margaret Atwood has been nothing short of a sage these past few months.
as was George Orwell
and add Naomi Klein and Sarah Kenzdior
I had someone talking to me about how crypto was the best possible investment for old people, which I did not believe. I did not reach my age and my financial status by believing scams. Around that time someone pointed out to me that the purpose of crypto is to undermine the American dollar. Looks like that person was correct. Sadly.
Old people should be in bonds, bond income funds, municipal bonds bonds ( I think, but I’m not a financial advisor but I know enough that no one should be playing crypto.) I am a business owner and I can say everyone feels the economic uncertainty.
Elon is very much over simplifying an economic policy concerning inflation, the national debt, and the money supply. Nobel Laureate Economist Paul Krugman is now on Substack and his posts are very enlightening and highly critical. He thinks we are headed for stagflation like the mid 1970’s.
March 14th is a big March on the National mall in protest. Stop the coup. Spread the word. I’ll find that link and be back to post it.
Nothing like a few million pissed off Americans marching from the mall and surround the WH to put the fear of god in that Orange mf’er.
03.14.2025
CLAIM YOUR POWER. STOP THE COUP!
National Mall March
NOWMARCH.ORG
Thanks for the reference to Paul Krugman’s Substack. Will follow more closely. I’m not a Financial Advisor either although I’m well educated in the subject and I’m in my sixties. Your bond advice is classic and mainstream. The problem is our democracy is no longer classic and mainstream. That effects our economy which, for me, effects my thinking about “how should I invest my retirement savings? Do I change the asset allocation of my low cost ETF’s? Do I get an offshore account denominated in euros? Do I hold more money in cash?” The freebie advisors at my financial institutions don’t have the answers either.
There was a time one could just invest in the CDs and money markets to achieve a sustainable retirement income, then came the zero rates for money borrowing and tanked that investment vehicle.
Ted, if you look at the critical indicators in 2020-2021, what is happening now was ready to happen then. Biden's win held that off, but the time it took to bring down inflation was too long even though it was the right way to do it. It is not stagflation that is on the cusp of happening, but more like the 1929 Republican caused depression.
03.14.2025
CLAIM YOUR POWER. STOP THE COUP!
National Mall March
NOWMARCH.ORG
I agree that the purpose of crypto is to undermine the American dollar and the world banking system. In that case, for those of us understandably leery of crypto, can we sleep much better if we leave our investments in dollars or even Swiss Franks? I spoke to a wise old friend who said she prefers keeping her money in real estate. Even in a down market there is some intrinsic value in land and buildings.
“ well u know what they say?”
“ when there’s blood in the streets…
But real estate.”
Gaza.
Soon America.
Hasn’t every Republican President basically crashed the economy on the middle class? They can buy back more stock cheap. Making a windfall in the recovery.
Now add crypto and they can make billions that they don’t have to report who with. ( smells like Putin).
Since Reagan.
Diversity your investments and the property you live in is an investment if you (and your mortgage holder) own it. Real estate funds, gold, cash accounts in other currencies than the USD may make sense in your portfolio in addition to the classic stocks, bonds and cash and cash-equivalent holdings. I am searching for financial advisors and thinkers who understand what is happening to our democracy and recognize we need new thinking for our savings and investment accounts for the majority of Americans who are middle class people not the wealthy elite.
There’s a good podcast about crypto, kind of like a big picture tutorial. It’s fairly recent. On Chris Hayes’ “Why Is This Happening?” I recommend it
Chris does great stuff. One of the most underrated journalists out there.
Old Sage- Warren Buffet is worth the listen.
And who will stop them?
We will. All politics is personal. My little Illinois town of 50,000 is active in strengthening local democracy and building communities and infrastructure. We may be small but we are committed to long-term resistance.
Yes! My father grew up in Illinois before moving west to Oregon. March 15th is "postcard day". Everyone I know is sending postcards to the president with statements like "We know you have had 6 bankruptcies. Do you intend to bankrupt our country too?
(from people who count)
It is yet another way to take action.
Great insight. My question is, what do we as a collective group do to push back! The Supreme Court slapped him down last week. Very important decision for federal lawyers like myself. It is something we can use, the court’s actual opinion, to push back. He does not have carte Blanche with the Supreme Court. He thinks it’s another crony in NYC he’s going to pay off. He is in over his head and most of us know it. He tried a violent overthrow on Jan 6, and the schmucks let him back in. I see a greater America coming out of this current battle. He cannot erase 248 years of institutional knowledge. He cannot erase 248 years of gallantry by our men and women in the armed services. They live in lala land. We don’t. We stick to our guns and protect democracy. Our country battled true dictators in WWII. We pushed them back over 80 years ago in WWII. And, we will do it again. It’s tough to fight a real battle with 2 wimps who make shit up. They are not ready for us and never will be.
I love your brave talk, William, and as much as I want to hope you're correct, I'm seeing little evidence that many of our fellow citizens, especially business people and Big Law are equipped with spines and/or backbones. Rather than standing up to the wannabe tyrants, everybody seems to be running for cover. If this is who we've become, then we deserve to be treated and ruled like the sheep we are.
Great point. I wouldn’t consider it brave talk though, just an observation. As to everyone else who’s currently backing down, figuratively or actually, that’s their choice. Big Business and Big Law are a part of the problem, I believe. Their golden calf has been destroyed. O my God, what do they do now? I personally don’t care what they do! My humble suggestion, having served the country as Special Counsel from 2004-2007 under President Bush, is that we man up! I don’t see most generals backing down from Trump’s tough BS talk. Do you? DOD is ready to 🎸. We leave the talk to the talkers. My buddies serve the country regardless of the monetary interests. Dad was a cuban dissident. He lived this country like you can’t imagine. He would have said if he were alive, “Los Que no tienen Cogenes ahorra, si son hombres, nunca lo tendrán.” For those who are men, if they don’t have balls now, they’ll never have them.” So, let’s stop playing up to the “poor timid souls” who don’t have the cogenes. Let’s start highlighting the recent successes of the men and women in service, who serve our country bravely every day. BTW. They’re not looking for followers in Instagram!!
I don’t think a single Bond movie ever came close to portray what’s happening now, besides the fact of course, that this is all REAL and happening! What you’ve described Ruth is indeed accurate, - and it’s the perfect storm for the takedown of our Democracy and the realignment of our World Order, posturing the U. S as another ‘dictatorship’, aka: one of the “bad guys”. Trump’s team has choreographed their takedown impeccably. Besides a good therapist, many of us may require a good travel agent to direct us to a safe-haven. And he’s only just begun!
Musk - the Bond villain come to life.
For those really interested in the battle I humbly recommend my dear former Professor Madelyn Albright book.
https://images.audiobookstore.com/c/a/cajx/cajx-square-400.webp
Juan Linz had a term for the authoritarian turn of endangered democracies:
Democraduras
See his book on authoritarian and totalitarian regimes
Trump and Musk (an avowed neonazi)
are working to turn the USA into a democradura, with the help of the Great Old Party (!) the Supreme Court and (Joe Biden warned us) an emerging oligarchy of infinite wealth, power and influence
Europe must go all in supporting Ukraine with money, equipment munitions - and soldiers. If the US allows Russia to take Ukraine they will slaughter, torture and rape the women children. Then in a couple of years they will start picking off NATO countries that were previously part of the USSR. The US won't help you - in fact they will probably try to prove their fealty to Russia and attach the target country. Now is your best time to try to destroy Russia and make Ukraine whole. So such it up. You and the willing countries of NATO must firmly commit now!
I would love to know what makes Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid enemy government entities. I can see that trump is fine with musk as part of his administration because musk will do all the work and trump can play golf. For someone who wants a lot of power, trump sure is lazy.
I believe the purpose is to gut the average citizen in every way-a desperate population trying to survive is much easier to control. Keep them sick, poor, gaslit and uneducated.
Many of the largely overlooked streams of influence, coagulating into the unique “strong-buddies” partnership ransacking the US now, are revealed in the history linked here:
https://www.notesfromthecircus.com/p/the-plot-against-america?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I find it interesting that both of these men's rise would not have been possible without wealth privilege. Born wealthy, and protected by wealth privilege to the point they are seemingly above the law. I administrated and interpreted the MMPI and did profiling in a maximum security prison, amoung other duties. It's like, I don't know everything, but I know bullshit when I see it. In my experience, this is my opinion, there are two types of narcissistic psychopaths who elevate the MMPI scales. Those who literally had the humanity beat out of them by abuse and neglect, and those who were literally spoiled rotten.
Mark Kelly’s comments were perfect. But what strikes me is Musk calling Kelly a traitor. To me it seems that Musk is doing exactly what Trump does - reflect onto an opponent a label that actually belongs to himself. If one looks at the whole picture, one would be led to think that the most logical explanation for Trump’s numerous actions against US interests would be that he is compromised by foreign actors. Fulfilling Putin’s wish list, weakening alliances, restructuring our democratic government to be more aligned with non-democratic adversaries, and on and on - is that not the definition of treason? Will there be anyone, ANYONE, who will have the balls (or ovaries) to call it out and say the T word? I dare you to say it! I will! Trump and Project 2025 are TREASONOUS!
Thank you, Dr. Ben-Ghiat. Terrific insights of a situation that is right in front of our respective noses. No voodoo, no magic - just tried and proven methods of government coups, this time internal. In my estimation, very similar to the Chile/Pinochet/Chicago "boys" situation of "shock and awe" - tank the economy, privatize the administration with your cronies, and scare the living hell out of the population. I'm amazed how in such a short time the US economy has moved from "the envy of the world" to disaster economics. Dark days, indeed. Continue fighting.
I just lack words anymore. They're burning the whole world down around us. We must burn THEIR world down.