People like AOC, Sanders (Indep) and Green Party leaders need to meet and form a new party based on bolstering democracy and the rejection of corporate rule and the corporate love of fascism. This will not be easy since corporate power will attempt to stop this. Anyone backing democracy will be invited, including Steve Schmidt, Liz Cheney, Joe Walsh and pro labor folks like Rick Smith. It has to be a pro union movement, as this is one of the best ways to thwart our current fascist movement.
This is exactly why I think the Democrats should not be talking just about healthcare. What does it matter if shut down ends and we're still left with all this thuggery and lawlessness?
And Dems should only talk vaguely of "democracy". They need to be explicit this is about corruption and the accumulation of oligarchic power AT THE EXPENSE of everyone else
The Trump and MAGA authoritarian war on Americans has moved to a new level with Trump preparing to invoke the Insurrection Act and implement martial law with military in the streets attacking civilians redefined as enemy combatants. The war is a criminal felony insurrection defined in Federal law (18 U.S. Code § 2383).
Trump, Republicans, and six justices on the Supreme Court are conducting a criminal insurrection that began on January 6, 2021, and continues in 2025. The existential threat to democracy and the rule of law emerged in 2025 and the root cause of the threat is the weak legal system which includes the federal legal system. The weak federal legal system includes the Supreme Court which is now controlled by Trump and the wealthy. The weak federal legal system enabled Trump to install a fascist autocracy and cover up the Epstein sex crimes including those involved.
Will the weak federal legal system stop Trump? No. The states controlled by Democrats must act to stop Trump using the legal system in the states which is protected and given authorization by the Constitution.
From January 6, 2021, through 2024, the weak federal legal system enabled the illegal election of Trump who should have been convicted of the felony crime of insurrection and imprisoned. Trump should have been prevented from being on the ballot in 2024, but Section 3 of the 14th Amendment that prohibited him from holding office was not enforced by the corrupt Supreme Court. In 2025, Trump is exploiting the weak legal system to engage in his many illegal actions such as illegally ignoring court orders, illegally canceling funding authorized and directed for specific purpose by Congress, illegally creating and collecting tariffs, and illegally putting military into city streets with false claims of “fighting crime”. Trump has renamed the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of War, and is raging war against Democrat controlled states and cities.
Don’t listen to the news media to understand what happened to America, why democracy is not working, and how “we the people” can save democracy, read my Post #4 in the series, Creating Solutions to Core Problems in America, The Weak Legal System Destroys Democracy.
I believe this is the best analysis of what’s going on here. I believe your perspective is exactly correct. I thank you for it, sad and painful though it is. I will fight this to the full extent of my ability.
I was planning to write to my senators this morning, and will send the link to them also. My rep in the house is a good one, who gets this stuff, but given the fact that she sent out something saying it's time for bipartisan talks, I might send it to her, too, given that nothing will come of bipartisan talks unless some of the republicans change drastically.
Since when did Trump have a mandate to declare war on citizens? No one gave him any such mandate, and you can be certain that the raids on poorer residents’ homes is only a start. They will raid other people’s homes too, unless they know for certain the home is one of a MAGA backer.
This is scary stuff, Ruth. Thank you for being a witness for peace. Damn the department of war and the editor author of 2025 Doug vaught and the Nazi cruel man Steven Miller.
While Trump & Co shut down government, fire tens of thousands of federal workers, prosecute critics, & peddle more dangerous health propaganda & BS, Trump is sending federal troops "to protect War ravaged Portland...I am also authorizing Full Force if necessary” against phantom "terrorists”.
Get up stand up & resist the fraudster authoritarians.
The Chicago incident detaining American citizens and zip ties on children, our families didn't die in wars for this to be happening in the United States of America just heartbreaking
We need to stop wasting time thinking about what the Democrats should do! They were more than complicit in corrupting our government for the benefit of the billionaires, they were and still are active participants. And stop waiting for a heroic leader to show up! If we really want democracy then it is up to us to shoulder the load together! Resist. Disobey. Fight back.
Yes, well, that’s all very well but I’m paying attention to the people who are planning the next steps. Resistance is clearly essential but we need to be ready to recreate our country as soon as possible. Please check out Marc Elias’ posting on this subject. There are others who are grappling with this as well. See Rep. Landsmen from Ohio for example. But we’ll need to build back anew and better because what we had will be gone, for good and for ill.
I was confused at first when you said "state forces" were responsible for for the raid in Chicago. It took me a couple of minutes to realized that you were referring to federal sources, specifically ICE. Apparently a General who was on MSNBC's Weekend show said that ICE is now the Gestapo. That is frightening, even on an apparently small scale. I think that what made me realize the state forces weren't the National Guard, is that at least so far, going back to destroy apartments and steal furniture and electronics is not the MO of our National Guard. So far. I hate to think what will happen to my city, which is 85% Hispanic, and a low income city, when ICE starts doing raids here. Based on what ICE went after in Chicago, and what you said about Pinochet in Chile, I fear we are in for some horror.
You've created a good image in my brain. If they were all sitting there with disguised AR-15s or the like, and rushed the stage weapons forward, they could have achieved something great for us.
It has been obvious that ICE is the gestapo, which is why I have recommended a defunding of the federal government, sort of placing sanctions on them by perhaps placing our taxes in escrow. Someone who knows a lot about tax laws might figure this out for us.
I see a civil war, or complacency with horror following. While I was in Chicago, none of my friends seemed to have much awareness of anything other than business as usual. Go to work, talk about your job, your kids, how they are doing in school, where they are going to college. Although when I ran into the parents and sister of a former student and they learned my daughter is going to university in Germany, they said, we should consider sending our daughter abroad. I agree. They are Aztec and one of the many wonderful families I have had the pleasure to know.
An Aztec family would be wise to send their daughter abroad, given that anybody of a culture other than white European is the enemy. It sounds like you left Chicago before the attack, which I'm glad of. I rather envy you getting to know an Aztec family. There are so many things one can learn from indigenous people, no matter where they are from.
When her daughter was in my room she said I was the first teacher that taught about Indigenous Peoples where her daughter could see herself in the curriculum. That was the intention.
They would be wise to look abroad and I will give them my advice. The father was in the US marines and yet having fought for his country does not feel it is going to be safe for his child.
We always had a Veterans Day assembly and went and sang songs and brought cards to the VA hospital. In our assembly we would honor the veterans in our school community, and put their pictures up and children would interview the vets in their families. In the assembly they would teach about different groups in the military and the history of the holiday.
I would love to help children from vulnerable groups to go to university abroad.
Linda, if anyone can help children from vulnerable groups go to university abroad, it's you. You are an amazing activist.
I wish our culture didn't look down on indigenous peoples. They understand our planet better than we do, and we would do much better if we would choose to learn from them rather than look down on them.
Do you have any documentation (links, video) for this statement: "That is why naked children were tied up and placed on public display for hours in Chicago." Your essay is important and upsetting....but you also need to be careful that you are accurate in your reporting. Thank you.
None of this reports that naked children were tied up and put on public display for hours. It’s especially important when the other side is spewing lies and propaganda that the sane ones be accurate in their reports and retain credibility.
Rodrick Johnson, 67, is one of many residents who were detained by federal agents during the South Shore raid. A U.S. citizen, he said agents broke through his door and dragged him out in zip ties.
Johnson said he was left tied up outside the building for nearly three hours before agents finally let him go.
“I asked [agents] why they were holding me if I was an American citizen, and they said I had to wait until they looked me up,” Johnson said. “I asked if they had a warrant, and I asked for a lawyer. They never brought one.”
"Neighbor Eboni Watson, who witnessed the raid, also told the ABC station that the children were zip-tied—some of them were without clothes—when they were taken out of the residential building by federal agents. “Where’s the morality?” Watson said she kept asking during the raid."
I have read so many versions of the story, and just having been in Chicago and hearing first hand ICE stories from my contractor each day, it is all believable to me. I am so traumatized from having been there just from the atmosphere for the people around me.
This was shared in one of the Indivisible Abroad Signal Chats. "This is a follow-up to the text that [name withheld] sent earlier about the middle-of-the-night raid by ICE agents on Tuesday (Sept 30) on an apartment building in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago.
Ed Yohnka, ACLU of Illinois (ACLU-IL) Communications & Public Policy Director, was on "Deadline White House" (MSNBC) yesterday speaking about the raid.
Ed revealed that four children of U.S. citizens were taken into custody by ICE agents with no information on their whereabouts. The ACLU-IL has been interviewing the building's residents as well as trying to ascertain where ICE has the four children in detention.
I understand the nakedness. Chicago has been really hot of late, and many people are sleeping naked because of it. I know in my household they were. Being inside a too hot apartment that does not cool down at night, is different from being outside where it is cooler.
A friend was pointing out we don't know who works for ICE, they could be sex traffickers or child traffickers, or pedophiles. That children stolen from US citizens have disappeared is like Russians stealing Ukrainian children. I consider this an enemy government.
What is happening right now is the reality of a full fascist overthrow of the United State. It is happening in real time with no real opposition except for an outcry by some American citizens. For the most part our government leaders are looking at this as business as usual, and we will get through it. It is not business as usual when a fascist regime is waging war against the civilian population. They have overthrown a political party, overthrown the judicial system and are working to overthrow what is left of the military that was put in place to defend us. We the people have no say at this point. They have effectively won the war and now it is going to be a battle for anyone who disagrees with this takeover to survive or as in 1930s Germany find a democracy to run to.
Can anyone help on accessing Ruth’s videos on her website? As instructed I click on Videos in the menu but the page continually reloads and never displays playable videos. I’m a paid subscriber.
I do t think that evolution will occur. Replacement.
A Progressive Party should form and be populated by the free thinkers of the Dem Party and Green Party folks. Corporate Dems, not welcome.
Let's see your plan. It needs legs, really fast.
People like AOC, Sanders (Indep) and Green Party leaders need to meet and form a new party based on bolstering democracy and the rejection of corporate rule and the corporate love of fascism. This will not be easy since corporate power will attempt to stop this. Anyone backing democracy will be invited, including Steve Schmidt, Liz Cheney, Joe Walsh and pro labor folks like Rick Smith. It has to be a pro union movement, as this is one of the best ways to thwart our current fascist movement.
This is exactly why I think the Democrats should not be talking just about healthcare. What does it matter if shut down ends and we're still left with all this thuggery and lawlessness?
100%
And Dems should only talk vaguely of "democracy". They need to be explicit this is about corruption and the accumulation of oligarchic power AT THE EXPENSE of everyone else
Diane
The Trump and MAGA authoritarian war on Americans has moved to a new level with Trump preparing to invoke the Insurrection Act and implement martial law with military in the streets attacking civilians redefined as enemy combatants. The war is a criminal felony insurrection defined in Federal law (18 U.S. Code § 2383).
Trump, Republicans, and six justices on the Supreme Court are conducting a criminal insurrection that began on January 6, 2021, and continues in 2025. The existential threat to democracy and the rule of law emerged in 2025 and the root cause of the threat is the weak legal system which includes the federal legal system. The weak federal legal system includes the Supreme Court which is now controlled by Trump and the wealthy. The weak federal legal system enabled Trump to install a fascist autocracy and cover up the Epstein sex crimes including those involved.
Will the weak federal legal system stop Trump? No. The states controlled by Democrats must act to stop Trump using the legal system in the states which is protected and given authorization by the Constitution.
Read my post.
https://williamlmiller.substack.com/p/how-to-stop-trump-republicans-and
From January 6, 2021, through 2024, the weak federal legal system enabled the illegal election of Trump who should have been convicted of the felony crime of insurrection and imprisoned. Trump should have been prevented from being on the ballot in 2024, but Section 3 of the 14th Amendment that prohibited him from holding office was not enforced by the corrupt Supreme Court. In 2025, Trump is exploiting the weak legal system to engage in his many illegal actions such as illegally ignoring court orders, illegally canceling funding authorized and directed for specific purpose by Congress, illegally creating and collecting tariffs, and illegally putting military into city streets with false claims of “fighting crime”. Trump has renamed the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of War, and is raging war against Democrat controlled states and cities.
Don’t listen to the news media to understand what happened to America, why democracy is not working, and how “we the people” can save democracy, read my Post #4 in the series, Creating Solutions to Core Problems in America, The Weak Legal System Destroys Democracy.
https://williamlmiller.substack.com/p/post-4-the-weak-legal-system-destroys
I believe this is the best analysis of what’s going on here. I believe your perspective is exactly correct. I thank you for it, sad and painful though it is. I will fight this to the full extent of my ability.
I sent this column to my Representative and both of my Senators, as well as to Chuck Schumer. I will send it to Hakeem Jeffries as well.
Great idea! I will do the same!
I was planning to write to my senators this morning, and will send the link to them also. My rep in the house is a good one, who gets this stuff, but given the fact that she sent out something saying it's time for bipartisan talks, I might send it to her, too, given that nothing will come of bipartisan talks unless some of the republicans change drastically.
Since when did Trump have a mandate to declare war on citizens? No one gave him any such mandate, and you can be certain that the raids on poorer residents’ homes is only a start. They will raid other people’s homes too, unless they know for certain the home is one of a MAGA backer.
& bet they will steal from them too.
They apparently have stolen electronics already. That’s who he hires.
This is scary stuff, Ruth. Thank you for being a witness for peace. Damn the department of war and the editor author of 2025 Doug vaught and the Nazi cruel man Steven Miller.
You mean Russell Vought.
After seeing the horrific images on television, I called my senators and representatives—but what else can we do?
Trump targets phantom “terrorists" again.
While Trump & Co shut down government, fire tens of thousands of federal workers, prosecute critics, & peddle more dangerous health propaganda & BS, Trump is sending federal troops "to protect War ravaged Portland...I am also authorizing Full Force if necessary” against phantom "terrorists”.
Get up stand up & resist the fraudster authoritarians.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sXcZhDnzTg
The Chicago incident detaining American citizens and zip ties on children, our families didn't die in wars for this to be happening in the United States of America just heartbreaking
Thank you
"Consider this as the first of a series of Lucid war bulletins."
JFC, how quickly it is all collapsing.
Thank you, Ruth, for staying and fighting/reporting.
Thank you
We need to stop wasting time thinking about what the Democrats should do! They were more than complicit in corrupting our government for the benefit of the billionaires, they were and still are active participants. And stop waiting for a heroic leader to show up! If we really want democracy then it is up to us to shoulder the load together! Resist. Disobey. Fight back.
Yes, well, that’s all very well but I’m paying attention to the people who are planning the next steps. Resistance is clearly essential but we need to be ready to recreate our country as soon as possible. Please check out Marc Elias’ posting on this subject. There are others who are grappling with this as well. See Rep. Landsmen from Ohio for example. But we’ll need to build back anew and better because what we had will be gone, for good and for ill.
I was confused at first when you said "state forces" were responsible for for the raid in Chicago. It took me a couple of minutes to realized that you were referring to federal sources, specifically ICE. Apparently a General who was on MSNBC's Weekend show said that ICE is now the Gestapo. That is frightening, even on an apparently small scale. I think that what made me realize the state forces weren't the National Guard, is that at least so far, going back to destroy apartments and steal furniture and electronics is not the MO of our National Guard. So far. I hate to think what will happen to my city, which is 85% Hispanic, and a low income city, when ICE starts doing raids here. Based on what ICE went after in Chicago, and what you said about Pinochet in Chile, I fear we are in for some horror.
I’m not sure if I wished the generals had rushed the stage, but …
You've created a good image in my brain. If they were all sitting there with disguised AR-15s or the like, and rushed the stage weapons forward, they could have achieved something great for us.
They're leaving it up to us, I guess.
It has been obvious that ICE is the gestapo, which is why I have recommended a defunding of the federal government, sort of placing sanctions on them by perhaps placing our taxes in escrow. Someone who knows a lot about tax laws might figure this out for us.
I see a civil war, or complacency with horror following. While I was in Chicago, none of my friends seemed to have much awareness of anything other than business as usual. Go to work, talk about your job, your kids, how they are doing in school, where they are going to college. Although when I ran into the parents and sister of a former student and they learned my daughter is going to university in Germany, they said, we should consider sending our daughter abroad. I agree. They are Aztec and one of the many wonderful families I have had the pleasure to know.
An Aztec family would be wise to send their daughter abroad, given that anybody of a culture other than white European is the enemy. It sounds like you left Chicago before the attack, which I'm glad of. I rather envy you getting to know an Aztec family. There are so many things one can learn from indigenous people, no matter where they are from.
When her daughter was in my room she said I was the first teacher that taught about Indigenous Peoples where her daughter could see herself in the curriculum. That was the intention.
They would be wise to look abroad and I will give them my advice. The father was in the US marines and yet having fought for his country does not feel it is going to be safe for his child.
We always had a Veterans Day assembly and went and sang songs and brought cards to the VA hospital. In our assembly we would honor the veterans in our school community, and put their pictures up and children would interview the vets in their families. In the assembly they would teach about different groups in the military and the history of the holiday.
I would love to help children from vulnerable groups to go to university abroad.
Linda, if anyone can help children from vulnerable groups go to university abroad, it's you. You are an amazing activist.
I wish our culture didn't look down on indigenous peoples. They understand our planet better than we do, and we would do much better if we would choose to learn from them rather than look down on them.
Susan, I hope I can help some people.
I’m sorry for your fear.
Do you have any documentation (links, video) for this statement: "That is why naked children were tied up and placed on public display for hours in Chicago." Your essay is important and upsetting....but you also need to be careful that you are accurate in your reporting. Thank you.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/03/feds-detained-4-children-who-are-us-citizens-during-controversial-ice-raid/
None of this reports that naked children were tied up and put on public display for hours. It’s especially important when the other side is spewing lies and propaganda that the sane ones be accurate in their reports and retain credibility.
Governor is quoted saying this happened, isn’t he a good enough source?
I don’t know. We worry too much about misstating something and wind up being so cautious that we sound meek.
I did find this quote by a 67 year-old US citizen who was taken out in zip ties and left that way for about three hours.
https://www.wbez.org/immigration/2025/10/01/massive-immigration-raid-on-chicago-apartment-building-leaves-residents-reeling-i-feel-defeated
Rodrick Johnson, 67, is one of many residents who were detained by federal agents during the South Shore raid. A U.S. citizen, he said agents broke through his door and dragged him out in zip ties.
Johnson said he was left tied up outside the building for nearly three hours before agents finally let him go.
“I asked [agents] why they were holding me if I was an American citizen, and they said I had to wait until they looked me up,” Johnson said. “I asked if they had a warrant, and I asked for a lawyer. They never brought one.”
I found this in Time magazine:
"Neighbor Eboni Watson, who witnessed the raid, also told the ABC station that the children were zip-tied—some of them were without clothes—when they were taken out of the residential building by federal agents. “Where’s the morality?” Watson said she kept asking during the raid."
https://time.com/7323334/ice-raid-chicago-pritzker-trump/
Thanks for these links. I didn't seriously doubt that it happened, but it's just such a shocking development that it kind of cries out for a link.
I agree. I had to read it a couple times to wrap my head around that this was already happening here—that we have sunk so far so fast.
I have read so many versions of the story, and just having been in Chicago and hearing first hand ICE stories from my contractor each day, it is all believable to me. I am so traumatized from having been there just from the atmosphere for the people around me.
Disagree. Fight fire with fire. There is no reaching across the aisle anymore. This is war. They have declared war on us.
David, I get the Chicago Sun Times, that comes from them.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/10/01/massive-immigration-raid-on-chicago-apartment-building-leaves-residents-reeling-i-feel-defeated?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=100225%20Morning%20Edition&utm_content=100225%20Morning%20Edition+CID_25532461fbe00edb8a20a1019595f2b5&utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&utm_term=Massive%20immigration%20raid%20on%20Chicago%20apartment%20building%20leaves%20residents%20reeling%20I%20feel%20defeated&tpcc=cst_cm
This was shared in one of the Indivisible Abroad Signal Chats. "This is a follow-up to the text that [name withheld] sent earlier about the middle-of-the-night raid by ICE agents on Tuesday (Sept 30) on an apartment building in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago.
Ed Yohnka, ACLU of Illinois (ACLU-IL) Communications & Public Policy Director, was on "Deadline White House" (MSNBC) yesterday speaking about the raid.
Ed revealed that four children of U.S. citizens were taken into custody by ICE agents with no information on their whereabouts. The ACLU-IL has been interviewing the building's residents as well as trying to ascertain where ICE has the four children in detention.
I understand the nakedness. Chicago has been really hot of late, and many people are sleeping naked because of it. I know in my household they were. Being inside a too hot apartment that does not cool down at night, is different from being outside where it is cooler.
A friend was pointing out we don't know who works for ICE, they could be sex traffickers or child traffickers, or pedophiles. That children stolen from US citizens have disappeared is like Russians stealing Ukrainian children. I consider this an enemy government.
Thank you
Thank you
What is happening right now is the reality of a full fascist overthrow of the United State. It is happening in real time with no real opposition except for an outcry by some American citizens. For the most part our government leaders are looking at this as business as usual, and we will get through it. It is not business as usual when a fascist regime is waging war against the civilian population. They have overthrown a political party, overthrown the judicial system and are working to overthrow what is left of the military that was put in place to defend us. We the people have no say at this point. They have effectively won the war and now it is going to be a battle for anyone who disagrees with this takeover to survive or as in 1930s Germany find a democracy to run to.
You are exactly right.
Can anyone help on accessing Ruth’s videos on her website? As instructed I click on Videos in the menu but the page continually reloads and never displays playable videos. I’m a paid subscriber.