Thank you for this. Isn't one of the reasons this is happening so quickly here compared to other autocracies is the absolute disinformation/lying campaign on social media and right wing media fed by lightning speed algorithms which is a relatively recent development in information decimation? One group of voters believes in this cultish reality and the rest oof the country is appalled and scared. What do we do about that? It seems paramount.
Excellent post that is spot on. I'm concerned that Trump's chaos-making is his prescription for declaring a national emergency/martial law. We shall see.
Thank you Dr. RBG. Last night, I had a spirited conversation with one of my MAGA-pilled friends, a physician who came from wealth and had attended Harvard as an undergraduate. I am amazed how his libertarian Ayn Rand biases have shifted with the evolving stock market and global trade collapse. He is now expressing concern for rural de-industrialization, trade imbalances and states that the economic downturn was inevitable. He cannot grasp that an economic collapse from bad policies will not allow the resources for re-industrialization or to pay down the debt; that tariffs are a bad way to raise revenue since they collapse non-essential trade, that this mess will lead to a devaluing of the dollar and its role as the reserve currency.
In short, his media is attempting to sane-wash Trump's policies and make them palatable to him. I don't think their spell has broken yet. Unfortunately.
One thing that has occurred to me is that devaluing the dollar is also better for the crypto industry. trump is playing right into their hands, not to mention the fact that he has gotten into crypto. It's sickening, to say the least.
Don’t forget “YIPEE”. I had to hear that for a second time to believe …and though it was of interest as with the covfefe (Wiki-BIBLICAL..
What does the word covfefe mean in the Bible?
The 2017 “Etymology of the Year”: The Fake Origins of ...
Covfefe' (pronounced “cuv – fee- fae”) is an Antediluvian term for “In the end we win.” It was commonly used by the sons of Adam to rail against the evil actions of the fallen who had led man astray. The term gained popularity prior to the great deluge and was rarely used)…it does tend to lend dementia ‘s progress , word salad, etc.
Exactly right, Ruth! Trump gets to show the world how powerful he is as leaders of nations, corporations, universities, law firms, and others scrape and bow and beg before him. A bonus for him is that as he tanks the global economy, he and his allies can buy cheaply the mineral rights, legal skills, real estate, industries, loyalty, fealty, and labor of a broken world.
In addition to the power high, maybe that was the idea all along. How many of his wealthy inner circle were doing a bit of well-timed insider trading through this whole debacle?
Fascinating analysis! That Trump failed to read the room is to be expected (his “room” is mirrored and occupied only by triumphant Trump); that America failed to read Trump is disturbing.
That day of reckoning can't come soon enough. Conservative Peter Wehner had it exactly right when he wrote these words in 2017 just after the first inauguration..."In anticipating a Trump presidency, I wish my hopes exceeded my fears. But Donald Trump has given us many reasons to worry. A man with illiberal tendencies, a volatile personality and no internal checks is now president. This isn't going to end well". He didn't say "may not end well". That's how sure he was. And in anticipating Trump's abuses and excesses once in office, Wehner warned his Republican friends in Congress...when Trump does these things "they need to ask themselves a simple, searching question: 'If Barack Obama did this very thing, what would I be saying and doing now?' - and then say and do it." Much to the detriment of the American people, the spineless Republicans haven't listened.
I think the recent capitulation by Schumer and others was spineless. Mostly, though, the Dems are ineffectual, still too polite, and grabasstic disorganized flailing fishes. They are starting to rally but it's taken awhile. They need to Tuberville everything they can. They need more filibusters. They need to do "unofficial" investigations and hearings. They need to hold concerts, bring masses of people together. They need to savagely ridicule the tight-assed MAGA crowd. They need more ideas than I can provide, but they need to sting, they need to make these fuckers double-over. And it needs to be relentless to defeat the manic sociopathy of MAGA.
I hope so! When I was born, segregation was the law of the land. People of color were legally discriminated against. Through tumult and non-violent protest, that changed. So there is indeed hope … again. But I don’t have the time, or expectation, to see it within my lifetime once more.
Without asking for predictions, just assuming some scenarios, I'd like to hear about how we should respond to two likely outrages:
1) Invoking the Insurrection Act to withdraw due process from citizens and round up "enemies". Trump's team is due to come back with a recommendation on exactly this at month end. I would be shocked if he passed up an opportunity for more power
2) An act of war with Canada, Greenland/Denmark or some other NATO ally. Where we see a large portion of NATO in direct conflict w the USA. Perhaps if Trump moves US troops from Greenland bases into population areas.
Things are moving very quickly. We need to understand how to prepare and his to act when the time comes.
This plus two Opinion articles in today's NYT, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/opinion/trump-deportations-gulag-prison.html and https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/opinion/trump-tariffs-rationale-power.html help us to understand how the tenacity of childhood trauma plus consumerism produce a hollow man with talent to resonant with millions of likely similarly traumatized enablers enthralled to consumerism to enact their rageful resentment on fanciful scapegoats by Othering - splitting off their own hated parts of themselves onto people simply living life. This regime is creating surplus suffering - accidents, illnesses, famine, relationships - isn't this enough to negotiate without middle-aged frat boy Hegseth and company chomping at the bit to murder perfect strangers in their video semblance of reality.
Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat: The slashing of grants for research is catastrophic:
"To throughly kneecap the ingenuity, well-being, and productivity of America as a democratic nation, and isolate the nation from beneficial circuits of knowledge exchange, they have paralyzed medical, scientific, environmental and other research by pulling federal funding, dismantled public health systems to create the conditions for mass outbreaks of disease, gone after universities and imprisoned foreign students, rolled back national defenses against malign foreign influence and cybercrime, and fired competent people who don’t fit the MAGA vision of America as an autocratic White Patriarchal Power."
Makes me wonder about other countries and their thoughts about one lunatic man changing their own country's economic status. What will their government do about it to stop it in its tracks?? It seems our Congress is broken and (Republicans) not willing to stand up to a small man.
It's up to us!! We the People!!!
As Obama spoke at Hamilton College this past week, he captivated a capacity crowd where he reminded those who may be seeking change: “The most important office in this democracy is the citizen, the ordinary person, who says, ‘No, that’s not right.’”
The inherent weakness of autocratic rule is that it rests on the character of the autocratic which history is still seeking that flawless character.
As the Preamble to our Constitution states it is to avoid the inherent flaws of any one person that government with separated powers are the best to be established.
Before we discover the truth of the adage “you don’t know what you’ve got until you lose it”, we must stoke the backlash.
Thank you for this. Isn't one of the reasons this is happening so quickly here compared to other autocracies is the absolute disinformation/lying campaign on social media and right wing media fed by lightning speed algorithms which is a relatively recent development in information decimation? One group of voters believes in this cultish reality and the rest oof the country is appalled and scared. What do we do about that? It seems paramount.
Excellent post that is spot on. I'm concerned that Trump's chaos-making is his prescription for declaring a national emergency/martial law. We shall see.
Then he will be able to deport citizens to other country’s gulags.
Or perhaps Guantanamo
Thank you Dr. RBG. Last night, I had a spirited conversation with one of my MAGA-pilled friends, a physician who came from wealth and had attended Harvard as an undergraduate. I am amazed how his libertarian Ayn Rand biases have shifted with the evolving stock market and global trade collapse. He is now expressing concern for rural de-industrialization, trade imbalances and states that the economic downturn was inevitable. He cannot grasp that an economic collapse from bad policies will not allow the resources for re-industrialization or to pay down the debt; that tariffs are a bad way to raise revenue since they collapse non-essential trade, that this mess will lead to a devaluing of the dollar and its role as the reserve currency.
In short, his media is attempting to sane-wash Trump's policies and make them palatable to him. I don't think their spell has broken yet. Unfortunately.
One thing that has occurred to me is that devaluing the dollar is also better for the crypto industry. trump is playing right into their hands, not to mention the fact that he has gotten into crypto. It's sickening, to say the least.
Just keep conversing with him.. he will see the light in time.
Don’t forget “YIPEE”. I had to hear that for a second time to believe …and though it was of interest as with the covfefe (Wiki-BIBLICAL..
What does the word covfefe mean in the Bible?
The 2017 “Etymology of the Year”: The Fake Origins of ...
Covfefe' (pronounced “cuv – fee- fae”) is an Antediluvian term for “In the end we win.” It was commonly used by the sons of Adam to rail against the evil actions of the fallen who had led man astray. The term gained popularity prior to the great deluge and was rarely used)…it does tend to lend dementia ‘s progress , word salad, etc.
It’s Sad
Great article Ruth BenGhait🫶
Exactly right, Ruth! Trump gets to show the world how powerful he is as leaders of nations, corporations, universities, law firms, and others scrape and bow and beg before him. A bonus for him is that as he tanks the global economy, he and his allies can buy cheaply the mineral rights, legal skills, real estate, industries, loyalty, fealty, and labor of a broken world.
In addition to the power high, maybe that was the idea all along. How many of his wealthy inner circle were doing a bit of well-timed insider trading through this whole debacle?
Trump “shows” the world … hilarity ensues.
Fascinating analysis! That Trump failed to read the room is to be expected (his “room” is mirrored and occupied only by triumphant Trump); that America failed to read Trump is disturbing.
Yes, RBG’s deep understandings of the presidents mind is so valuable!
Is it an “official act” if your goal is to destroy the country? I wonder about that.
Shouldn’t be for someone who has sworn to protect and defend the constitution.
Agreed!!
That day of reckoning can't come soon enough. Conservative Peter Wehner had it exactly right when he wrote these words in 2017 just after the first inauguration..."In anticipating a Trump presidency, I wish my hopes exceeded my fears. But Donald Trump has given us many reasons to worry. A man with illiberal tendencies, a volatile personality and no internal checks is now president. This isn't going to end well". He didn't say "may not end well". That's how sure he was. And in anticipating Trump's abuses and excesses once in office, Wehner warned his Republican friends in Congress...when Trump does these things "they need to ask themselves a simple, searching question: 'If Barack Obama did this very thing, what would I be saying and doing now?' - and then say and do it." Much to the detriment of the American people, the spineless Republicans haven't listened.
And the mostly spineless Dems are just shaking in their boots.
I think the recent capitulation by Schumer and others was spineless. Mostly, though, the Dems are ineffectual, still too polite, and grabasstic disorganized flailing fishes. They are starting to rally but it's taken awhile. They need to Tuberville everything they can. They need more filibusters. They need to do "unofficial" investigations and hearings. They need to hold concerts, bring masses of people together. They need to savagely ridicule the tight-assed MAGA crowd. They need more ideas than I can provide, but they need to sting, they need to make these fuckers double-over. And it needs to be relentless to defeat the manic sociopathy of MAGA.
Side note: These are my Golden Years … but instead of watching sunsets, I get to watch the inexorable decline of my country!
I think you are going to see democracy prevail!!
I hope so! When I was born, segregation was the law of the land. People of color were legally discriminated against. Through tumult and non-violent protest, that changed. So there is indeed hope … again. But I don’t have the time, or expectation, to see it within my lifetime once more.
The “ reckoning “ can’t come soon enough for our country!
What Trump/Musk has done is irrecoverable—we will never regain world trust again. And why should we? All these wounds are self-inflicted.
Excellent, as always.
Without asking for predictions, just assuming some scenarios, I'd like to hear about how we should respond to two likely outrages:
1) Invoking the Insurrection Act to withdraw due process from citizens and round up "enemies". Trump's team is due to come back with a recommendation on exactly this at month end. I would be shocked if he passed up an opportunity for more power
2) An act of war with Canada, Greenland/Denmark or some other NATO ally. Where we see a large portion of NATO in direct conflict w the USA. Perhaps if Trump moves US troops from Greenland bases into population areas.
Things are moving very quickly. We need to understand how to prepare and his to act when the time comes.
Thank you Ruth! Terrific essay.
This plus two Opinion articles in today's NYT, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/opinion/trump-deportations-gulag-prison.html and https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/opinion/trump-tariffs-rationale-power.html help us to understand how the tenacity of childhood trauma plus consumerism produce a hollow man with talent to resonant with millions of likely similarly traumatized enablers enthralled to consumerism to enact their rageful resentment on fanciful scapegoats by Othering - splitting off their own hated parts of themselves onto people simply living life. This regime is creating surplus suffering - accidents, illnesses, famine, relationships - isn't this enough to negotiate without middle-aged frat boy Hegseth and company chomping at the bit to murder perfect strangers in their video semblance of reality.
Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat: The slashing of grants for research is catastrophic:
"To throughly kneecap the ingenuity, well-being, and productivity of America as a democratic nation, and isolate the nation from beneficial circuits of knowledge exchange, they have paralyzed medical, scientific, environmental and other research by pulling federal funding, dismantled public health systems to create the conditions for mass outbreaks of disease, gone after universities and imprisoned foreign students, rolled back national defenses against malign foreign influence and cybercrime, and fired competent people who don’t fit the MAGA vision of America as an autocratic White Patriarchal Power."
Makes me wonder about other countries and their thoughts about one lunatic man changing their own country's economic status. What will their government do about it to stop it in its tracks?? It seems our Congress is broken and (Republicans) not willing to stand up to a small man.
It's up to us!! We the People!!!
As Obama spoke at Hamilton College this past week, he captivated a capacity crowd where he reminded those who may be seeking change: “The most important office in this democracy is the citizen, the ordinary person, who says, ‘No, that’s not right.’”
The inherent weakness of autocratic rule is that it rests on the character of the autocratic which history is still seeking that flawless character.
As the Preamble to our Constitution states it is to avoid the inherent flaws of any one person that government with separated powers are the best to be established.
Before we discover the truth of the adage “you don’t know what you’ve got until you lose it”, we must stoke the backlash.
Somehow I think "flawless character" and "autocrat" put together is an oxymoron. Even more so since the wannabe autocrat is, IMO, a real moron.