The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest. Mon Mothma - Andor
When tRump presided over the initial advances of the Covid epidemic in the US, his line was, "If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any,”...so, it's quite natural and in character that he would mobilize govt. agencies into suppressing data that he didn't like. Bad inflation number? Stop reporting on price rises monthly, maybe report numbers quarterly or semi-annually — no promises, however. Don't like job numbers? Invent different benchmarks which would in fact purport to show job gains.
And, of course, to do all of the above requires positioning the grossly incompetent and pathologically loyal people to carry out the assigned tasks, with or without Senate approval. Or, make it even simpler, tRump releases numbers based upon his "gut reaction", which has served him so well over the years...win-win.
Yep. Adolf was described as having been promoted from Corporal to Commanding General in one step. DonnyJon has gone from Cadet to Commanding General in one step. Even better!
And it was a good thing, ultimately. Adolph's micromanaging of the end phase of Barbarossa in late '41; his micromanaging the '42 German Summer offensive; and his support of Goering's anti-bombing strategy...were all instrumental in Germany's defeat.
Although in our current situation, GOP/Trump incompetence will result in Communist China ruling the world.
Corporal Hitler was the allied secret weapon. We will learn a lot tomorrow. Blather and misdirection won't cut it for either Putin or Trump. And you are correct the lessons won't be lost on Xi.
China is very clearly ramping up for a war. And it'll be a fuckin miracle if they *don't* decide to use their now superior military against us in a few years.
The present course leads to either humans ruling the planet or extraterrestrial MAGA species ruling the planet. You might be kidding yourself about the Chinese.
US needs a law which says only a human being may be a US citizen. Then the consistent use of cheap DNA tests might save us. We'll need billions of them particularly at voting precincts, military recruitment centers, and government hiring.
I see no daylight between the Russian propaganda technique of the "Firehose of Misinformation" and the Trump technique of "Flood the Zone with shit." It is the same tactic. And in both instances the purpose is to so degrade the very concept of truth that people are willing to believe whatever they are biased to believe in the first place, and claim that their "truth" is as good as objective reality.
We have to hope that there are enough brave souls in the BLS who are willing to make sure accurate reports get leaked...and I never thought I'd see the day where I would be saying this about my own government.
Have you heard of the “Pentagon Papers”? I’m an older Australian who was involved in protests against the American War against Vietnam in the 60s and 70s. Maybe people forget about the many instances over the decades where courageous whistleblowers have made a huge difference.
True, which is why we cancelled our subscription to WaPo. But the point nevertheless remains valid - courageous whistleblowers can find places to leak important disclosures.
It's that it becomes irrelevant and there seems little operational value in the concept vis-a-vis falling in line with "the power". The habit of truth seeking falls away. How do I know this? I have experienced and seen it in a large organization I worked in. It is a disorienting experience.
How good are the private sources of similar data for employment, CPI, etc.? I know ADP produces employment #s, etc. Likewise, does the EU or other foreign governments produce quality reporting? Are those likely to be expanded to the US market?
I assume the markets, banks, and employers will want “real” data. I’m sure those private organizations will also eventually be threatened and punished for not toeing the line.
An article in NYT about Scott Bessent not divesting all of his financial interests or along those lines I have yet to read...I think he, nutlick, & comrade Krasnov are up to financial shenanigans what with hillBilly Long being replaced as IRS commissioner in the shortest time period for an official in an administration since 1862. He was "put out to pasture" as ambassador to Iceland and there is something "there" for two reasons...Scott Bessent is now not only in charge of US Treasury, but the IRS records as well. No one knows if the tariffs nor the 15% extortion on Nvidia/AMD are actually going into the treasury. Nutlick is setting his son up in the crypto biz, just like Trump. Three shysters right there. Why Iceland for hillBilly Long? Could it be he's not as simple as thought without that CPA nor accounting degree and needed to be shipped out? Another Missouri boy, former military and Coast Guard met Ghislane Maxwell there in Iceland for her Terra Mar save-the-ocean bs foundation event. She hooked him up with some hedge funder & a Google exec, so then all of a sudden he's a tech mogul. Fifteen years her junior, he marries her and before she heads to prison, she signs over to him her $20 million trust fund for him to be executor and he's now moved on to his third woman. What's the connection there for hillbilly boy?
Andor Season 2 has proven itself the most fluent media commentary on our political moment. That I say this without irony or satire shows just how f**ked our current moment is (and how damn good Tony Gilroy is at his job).
In Downeast Maine, where I live, we've all noticed how OLD the protesters are! Nearly every single one of us is over 60. Where are all the young people?
I've attended protests in Florida and Connecticut. I have noticed the same thing. But, in defense of young people, they just might be at work or attending to their children. We older people do have more time on our hands.
At the same time, the loss of our democracy needs to be a priority.
My kids don't want to believe it's happening. Only one out of six is truly alarmed. Social media is very comforting. It pulls a veil over the whole thing. It's tempting to turn away and not look.
This is the country that the young people will live in the for the rest of their lives. They should care about it at least as much as we older folks do. Change has historically been driven by young idealistic people. We need their energy to save democracy but they have largely stayed on the sidelines so far.
Today's young adults don't know or remember having anything else to compare the current times. Immediate gratification, tons of cheap stuff to consume. Life and reality has been spoonfed to them through social media, including propaganda they're happy to ingest without any application of logic or fact checking sources. I'm only 46, but I'm at the cusp of having the "old times" unhooked, internet free youth experience. I also remember my parents having a much easier (although far from smooth sailing) time raising a family of 4 on one salary with only a high school diploma, owning a home and two cars. I can't do that today, and I'm single with no kids.
Why bother? republican lite always beats out a progressive. They're investing in cryptocurrency, working in restaurants/bartending/gig work ride share because they can't land a better job with what they feel is a bs college degree for which they may owe money, and they've been led to believe by the technorati that government is the problem.
Many of the protests have been scheduled on Saturdays or after 5 pm, and many young people don’t have children. It seems equally likely that protest organizers are not getting their message out on the most popular social used by young folks. Using the outreach model that got so many young people protesting Gaza last year might help.
I don’t think so. Those protests were aimed at teaching “genocide Joe” a lesson and making sure his selected replacement wasn’t elected. Why would they come out to protest what they helped usher in?
Can you blame them for not supporting Biden and Harris? To them the most horrible thing happened then and now is the genocide and current mass starvation of people in Gaza by Israel with unconditional support from the USA. Of course they knew Trump was horrible, but with the atrocities in Gaza, the concept of the lesser of 2 evils is ridiculous. They know our system is corrupt. Both Democrats and Republicans support Isreal. Kamala Harris thought support for Palestine was political suicide. I watched her express anger at young people during her rallies which were trying to support Palestinians and told that this isn’t the time! 10s of thousands of people dying… but this isn’t the time! And now you’re angry and dismissive of those young people because you don’t really care what’s happening over there. That’s incredibly frustrating and I can’t blame them for feeling that maybe it all needs to burn down so we can start fresh.
We greyheads are regulars at protests and demonstrations, while none of our adult children have ever participated in one. Two of them, and their spouses, not only work full time, but are also raising rug rats. To see their faces is to know why they have no energy for the streets and squares. But they always wish us well and they do care. Things might change as inflation clips their wings; we'll see.
I dunno. When I was in college, I worked 37.5 hours a week and carried a full courseload. I still found opportunities to protest. For many years as an adult, I worked up to 80 hours a week (no kids). And I protested. Then I worked full-time and had an art business on the side. I still protested. It's a matter of one's priorities.
The difference today is that so many young people have had everything handed to them. Their parents think they "owe" the kids a college education, or owe them other things. The kids don't know what it's like to have to face doing without this or that, and I mean the important stuff, not just new cell phones. They don't have a clue how bad it could---and probably WILL---get.
I read the books like Generations by TWENGE. A lot of it goes back and it’s just my opinion, to a lack of imagination of how bad things could get and how bad their lives could get, as you said, no clue.This is probably true of most of the American population, but older generations have more connection to World War II events through their fathers .
In my gloomy moments, I look at my fellow Americans as fatted calf’s. But I’ve done that for a long time. Our culture is very seductive.
Point taken. Last week I attended a small family gathering in celebration of my grandson's 5th birthday. It was the third such for him. The hillocks of looked at once then overlooked toys and gew gaws beggared the imagination, and I have no doubt his parents will give him his own phone before too long, despite all the articles I keep sending them. Ha ha. But life is a good teacher and perhaps once the bubble bursts, things would look different for them. 'Sides, they do a lot of online stuff, and that might serve in some sense as a form of protest. If they even think about not voting next year, though, they'll have the Wrath of Grandma to contend with!
I canvassed for Bernie in 2016 & I was told a single mom with a low income job came in for a few hours regularly and made phone calls and here we are. Until the affluent 10-20% populous &/or their offspring get an attitude adjustment, nothing will change.
People get married and have children later in life now. Most people 30 or younger don't have family obligations. Past protests were driven by young people. Dr. Spock was an outlier.
They don't seem to value democracy and may only miss it when it's gone.
I attended protests here in Arizona and saw a majority of people who were 50 plus but I was also pleased to see a large number of people in the twenties and thirties. It is also heartening to see college aged people in the groups as well. I went to see Bernie and AOC in Tempe and there was a broad cross section of people there as well. In Tempe there were many more college aged people than I had suspected.
Our generation is disillusioned with protests. They’re allowed shows of discontent. We have watched protest after protest change nothing. Why would we waste our time doing it? We grew up with the occupy movements, then the 2020 protests, and despite them nothing changed, or things got worse. We need to use different tactics.
Very similar in NE Ohio. Same is true of demographics of activist groups. It is irritating, to say the least, to hear people say that Boomers are responsible for the mess we are in. I continue to be concerned that more young people appear to be disinterested their future.
Check out other protest trackers. Did you attend No Kings? Did you hear about it?
MSM, even NPR (after the insult and injury of losing their funding) do not cover. Instead, nauseating stories about AI boyfriends, et cetera.
ACLU and Indivisible offer free trainings on non-violent resistance and offer protest data. We have not hit critical mass. We haven't gained stall speed.
And...the real American arousal...there are enough folks making so much lovely, lovely money.
One more thing...You really can destroy stuff faster than make it.
I read it. I really resent the tone of "White people created this problem; y'all can fix it." I (a White woman) did not create this problem. I voted for Kamala Harris. I voted against the Republican Congressional candidate for my district here in NC.
On the other hand, I can understand the feeling Black people have when a news article or somebody says "Black people did ....." Not all Black people did whatever it was. Some Black people did, but some didn't. Stereotypes and generalizations hurt.
But the 92% need to understand that we are in this TOGETHER. While you're off having spa days on Martin Luther King Day and not participating in protests, Dumpy is signing executive orders and the GOP is passing legislatiin that hurts all of us, Black and White together. It's a heavy lift, and we can't do it alone.
Black folk are standing by because the revolution will be televised. If you mean brown staying home - yes, why risk being assaulted by ICE. Besides, white people own this mess because I'm white supremacy is the root cause of America's hot mess.
We have protested. Much like Occupy Wall Street protesting has proven useless: Hands Off, No Kings and in the first Trump term Women's March, the Science March. Is it because Americans are passive? I think it's more like thwarted and completely unclear whether any cause will be taken up by any supportive leader anywhere.
It can be really discouraging, but giving up is not the solution. Giving up is what they want. What do protests and standouts and phone calls and postcards do? Show us like minded folks and that we're not alone. And there are small victories: I am damn proud of being on the phone banks supporting Susan Crawford. Years ago I knocked on doors for Elizabeth Warren (BTW, I consider Ms Warren a huge victory).
Who is all in with this lunacy? Literally every day there is something that the SOBs in this godforsaken administration do that makes Americans want to scream at the top of their lungs. Unfortunately that is about all one can do at this point. The midterms will be critical to gaining at least a bit of control over Trump and his lackeys. No guarantee that the Dems will take at least one house of Congress but it is about the only possibility to stop these scoundrels.
I don't want to be hyper defeatist here but , IF there are midterms... and IF the Trump administration accepts the results whatever they are... Because the way they are going at ignoring the law without much push back, that isn't a given. Be prepared.
The felon has essentially ordered his people to redistrict their states so that the House stays Republican. This, and other things he'll do, are to ensure that he doesn't face a Democratic House in 2027. The felon knows he will be impeached again, and investigated, and his Cabinet officers will be investigated. He will stop at nothing, just like he did in 2024. He might declare martial law. Have some phony assassination attempt. Start a war. He will stop at nothing to keep the House Republican and led by Little Mikey.
None of this would be possible --or any of the things he's done so far--without such a compliant Supreme Court.
I think it's REALISTIC to think that there likely won't be an election next year. Between Dumpy's ignoring the law and Phil Hegseth's proposal to start posting military troops in LA and DC, they are working to normalize authoritarianism in our country.
There will be elections. They just won't be free and fair. Modern dictators LOVE having elections, just to show that 92% or whatever number their propagandists make up are behind them.
^^ALL OF THIS^^ Florence, Robert H, hw, Betsy, and Robert B! Agree 100%.
Every day, I say what you've all said, about gerrymandering, voter purges, the buying of votes (Elon & Co.), the possible rigging of ballot counts (Elon again), OR the suspension of elections, and always, always, a bunch of people respond and say that no way, of course there will be midterms, and the Dems will prevail.
The self-delusion is frightening.
I think people either don't realize how dire our situation is, or have convinced themselves that somehow, it will get better by 11/26.
There is, I think, a basic misunderstanding of American attitudes in this era. We are very far away from WWII. Democracy meant something then. Edward R. Murrow was heard widely. There is no Murrow today. A small minority of Americans have any knowledge of the Constitution. It is not emphasized in most schools. The Supreme Court majority does not support the Constitution, certainly not the amendments that intend to grant wider protections than the “original” Constitution. Originalists, the present majority. believe the basic Constitution must prevail, not the amendments, except of course the right to bear arms. Those of us who support democracy are a small minority, and we have no leader, no spokesperson. The United States we grew up with is gone, and it’s not likely to come back for a very long time, if ever. It is worthwhile keeping a discussion alive, but we shouldn’t kid ourselves that we will succeed in restoring democracy.
It’s hard to do anything when Dear Leader is looking for any excuse to send in the military and declare Martial Law. We need to tread carefully, and pick and choose are battles wisely.
I do agree this nation is currently “paralyzed” in many respects. None of us could have imagined our country could devolve so quickly into chaos and authoritarianism.
However, after much thought, I’m not surprised. While Orban was elected with one third of the vote, it took him a year to consolidate power within his Parliament before he could fire prosecutors and judges or take on institutes of higher learning.
Our mistake was not realizing that while Trump was elected with a little more than a third of the vote, he already came into power with the highest court in his pocket, and all of Congress under his control; he solidified the party during the primaries.
Bottom line: Trump has legal power to dismantle our institutions and democracy, with little remedy outside of our corrupt judiciary. We’ve been experiencing a slow, painful death, by a thousand judicial cuts, for the last 15 years; at least! IMHO…:)
We were given fair warning. Project 2025 was in the works since at least 2020. We've known for years they were getting ready to hit the ground running - and that's exactly what they did.
That of course begs the question: So why did so many voters stay home? Apparently, a lot of people either didn't believe it could happen, or were just lackadaisical in their thinking. Now they know.
Agreed, my point is no one thought it could happen so quickly and that the guardrails wouldn’t hold.
I’m in your camp. I saw this coming a mile away, but was still shocked at how quickly we devolved. Although, after watching most of the MSM capitulate so quickly before the election, in retrospect, it’s hardly surprising.
The good news is that it isn’t over yet. The religious fanatics and plutocrats poked the wrong bear. Therefore, this fight is just beginning, and while Heritage, The Federalist Society and their sister organizations may be pure fascist evil, Trump is ultimately a coward, and won’t have the stomach to do what is necessary to maintain his grip on this nation.
And even if he does, the opposition is just forming, and we’re a hell of a lot smarter than these anti-science goons!
Exactly. Everyone was caught off guard - but shouldn't have been. Project 2025 was designed to roll out in rapid fire fashion. I think what was surprising was how easily the SCOTUS and all congressional Republicans would roll over. That wasn't predictable.
I agree, this is just the beginning. It ain't over till it's over, and I for one am not prepared to give up. I'll do everything that I can to stand up to this coup till the moment I croak. I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.
Agreed. And I believe we have been commenting on each other’s posts for over a year, and I remember both of us seeing clearly, while others took a more cautious approach.
That’s said, there’s no point rehashing history, we have work to do. Let me know if you hear about some promising ways to fight back, and. I’ll do the same. I’m all in at this point….:)
Republican's have been preparing for this fight since 1932. The politics are directly analogous to the South's response to reconstruction. Viewed from a 250 year elevation what we're seeing requires little imagination.
If I may step in here, gentlemen, I'd speculate that Rump's days are numbered, one way or another. He may ingest one cheeseburger too many, OR, more likely, IMO, his handlers will judge that he's done what he was put into place to do. At that point---pretty soon, I'd guess---he'll be removed, in favor of fellow tool, JD, who is more predictable and controllable. He'll be able to focus on implementing the rest of Project 2025 with no distractions.
Working from the NORC polling data, here are the largest groups of 2020 voters who failed to show up in 2024. There is plenty of overlap here, so you may construct an ideal 2024 nonvoter who voted in 2020 as a married white woman between ages 45-64 making under $50K with no college and a nonunion household. Make of it what you will:
Big Brother knows all and has the most wonderful people working in his administration. That’s why he’s just nominated John Dillinger to take over as Comptroller of the Currency.
No. You are supposed to vote for the person who, in your opinion, will be best for the country. If you sat out the last election to "vote your conscience", you have no conscience.
In other words, the person who, in your conscience, would be best for the country. If your conscience told you that X person would be bad for the country, why would you vote for him/her? I might love Tim the mailman, but I'm not gonna write him in for President.
"If you sat out the last election to 'vote your conscience', you have no conscience." IN YOUR OPINION. You personally aren't the ultimate decider here.
My protest started long before January. Meaning, I ain't buying any new shit I absolutely don't need. That ain't stopping others from enjoying their lives.
Words mean nothing. Bullets are too costly for the activist. The ballot box may or may not help us any longer. Commenting back and forth with others on the other end of the keyboard is just more jerking off. Standing with others in the street won't get us too far.
Stop buying shit you don't absolutely need. Cut the high-speed cables. Cut the Prime. Don't buy automobiles. Don't fly. Enjoy the world around you as best you can. The air just might improve.
Another factor is that things ARE happening, but not being covered by "legacy media."
Two days ago there were MASSIVE demonstrations in LA -- views from office buildings showed PACKED streets as far as the eye can see. NO network covered it. NONE. The only way I knew was the Meidas showed about 5-10 minutes of it.
Things like that happen in several cities -- Chicago, Portland, even NYC -- not as huge, but significant. NOBODY covered those either.
Speaking of the scared media, did you read the insane article in the NY Times yesterday, claiming Trump wants to take over DC because he is a real estate developer and instinctively wants to fix things up? Yeah. The commenters were having none of it. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/us/politics/trump-dc-crime.html
I found more coverage of the "Good Trouble" protests in The Guardian and Al Jazeera than I did in either the WaPo (no surprise here) or the New York Times (surprise). If I only went by USA coverage, I'd think "Good Trouble" had been cancelled.
Lamestream media does cover the protests - but they play down the magnitude. They'll say "hundreds of protestors...." or "tens of thousands" when the actual number is closer to hundreds of thousands or even over a million. And it's usually only a quick, short story, basically "there was a protest today, next up a cat show at an Oshkosh pet store draws huge crowds".
For No Kings in Richmond, VA, there were easily 5000 people, approx 10x what had appeared for the Hands Off protest, such that the Capitol police had to eventually let us occupy a good quarter of the Capitol grounds (originally they wanted us kettled in a small corner, but... we just kept coming). News mentioned it as "several hundred people."
I subscribe to the BBC news feed for the same reason. I've seen several cases in which it appears that a BBC story about an incident in the States triggered the NYT to publish something similar the following day.
The media is the key at this point. Yet the power over the media is now monetary not virtue and patriotism. The mechanism of truth is now the media we are using, but the system is overwhelmed by capitalism without virtue and courage. How to reverse this is unclear. But a picture of a child running from napalms fire once has an effect. Now ICE in our streets has no influence. What lever to use on what fulcrum is unclear.
Standing with others in the street matters or 4547 wouldn’t be trying to quash protests in L.A. or be pulling the national guard BS in DC. They are terrified of a large uprising because they know, deep inside even if they can’t admit it, that they are more hated every day.
It also matters that the people around you know that they are not alone. Courage, fear, hope and hopelessness are all contagious. Which ones do you want to spread around?
He didn't use the words but what he's saying is mass boycott. I agree. We should have a mass boycott, and a general strike. The military can't stop that.
I will assert that this exact argument is going on in a lot of American households. Many households have a weapon that is kept locked away for the fateful day when we are invaded. The assumption - which is now becoming obvious - is that an invasion comes in the form that Ukraine is experiencing. However, the US has been invaded by two ideas: (1) that truth and falsehood are indistinguishable and (2) that winners can make up their own truths. Guns are typically useless against ideas, and American families don’t know of any other tools with which to demonstrate our democracy. As with all history, we create it as we go along.
First it shows we are not alone and there are many who feel as we do. This applies to protestors and those who witness it.In turn that creates hope and willingness to act. Also communication is shared among protestors on ways to fight back. For example I use protests as a way to garner support for a MO ballot initiative Respect MO Voters. there is no silver bullet, and we should not expect protest alone will be that. It’s just part of the mix.
Yes, protest is part of the mix, but it sucks up time and resources, and isn’t likely to force a change in policy - strategy, maybe — and could lead to even more oppressive measures as retaliation.
Of course there is the possibility that forcing Trump to ratchet up his countermeasures will bring about an honest-to-God coup attempt or a military revolt, but that seems unlikely. Outside of mistreating immigrants and unleashing lawsuits on people he doesn’t like, Trump seems more interested in humiliating his opponents, not massacring them. I find it very hard to take seriously anything this farcical administration does, and suspect his tough words are mostly hot air.
Doing nothing is not the answer, but neither is simply showing up to protest. We need Congress to act — Republicans have the majority now, so they need to act with Democrats to impeach and convict and remove Trump from office…and prepare to do the same with his successor/s unless they commit to following the law and act in accordance with the Constitution. They have no higher responsibility.
How do you propose to get Republicans to act? As it is, they're afraid to show up at townhalls. But they're more afraid of Rump and being primaried. What leverage would you suggest?
Free beer? Substantial bribes? Free pardons if convicted of anything related to being friends with Jeffrey Epstein? Maybe anonymous death threats (just kidding!). I’m just proposing solutions, not offering detailed instructions.
They already get substantial bribes, I'd guess, along with anonymous death threats from the MAGA machine if they don't toe the line.
My point being that merely saying Republicans "need" to do something....not really constructive. They're no more likely to do what the situation calls for than I am to win the lottery.
I was so furious the day after the election I told my neighbor across the street I hope they all end up living under bridges. Looks like for a good number of them that might come to pass.
LOL ... I remember every neighbor who posted a Trump lawn sign during election season. My stomach sinks whenever I see one of them. If I'm outside and see one walking near my home, I run back in the house to protect my peace of mind.
Every time I go to the local Home Depot, I pass through a neighborhood full of huge signs touting Trump's victory, saying Vance will be President for eight years after that, and saying "Get Over It."
Watching on from Australia I am horrified so I am glad there are still some sane Americans. This movement is so obviously corrupt and authoritarian I would never have picked America to go for this.
I really miss the old America. You guys were great for the world.
Why is nobody calling a spade a spade? What’s happening here is a coup! All the evidence points to it. Or how else would you characterise a putsch? All the democratic and constitutional cornerstones are at least under attack.
We ARE pursuing the legalities but they take TIME. There are activists governors who are helping. I think we are waiting for more leaders to emerge. Pritzger and Newsom are really helping. The senators are doing more of their share. Many house members are also screaming. (Who wants to work with the R’s? YUK)
We all just need to a) solidify — people are still splitting hairs instead of solidifying the fight against FASCISM and b) all of us need to get LOUDER.
Americans are allowing the Trump regime all the time they need to consolidate power. So that by the time people perhaps are roused to action it will be too late.
The apathy in the US is staggering. At this point there should be 10x the number of people in the streets as we are seeing now. Don’t people realize their livelihood is at stake? I guess people don’t care if illegals are carted off with a few innocent people in their midst, people figure it will not affect them much. But the economy is crucial. Destroying the thermometer will not help matters in any way.
The regime continues to destroy the country, and with it a ripple effect on the world. Medicine, science, the environment, government and even basic decency are targets. Many are mad as hell and shouting out windows, while listening to the echoes of discontent. But Big Brother marches forward from Bethlehem and has already been born. Must we wait for a voice from the wilderness, or is someone organizing a resistance that has forgotten to let me know it is making its presence known?
Antoni just joins a long list of incompetent bottom dwellers throughout this admin. Bondi, Patel Pete /H, the list goes on and on topped off by Kennedy. So why wouldn't this supine Senate confirm another loser to a high post? What MIGHT be our only saving grace, MIGHT BE, is the fact of the total incompetence of the. ruling class. Never has there been a more out of touch group of morons placed atop our government before and ti will either crash totally due to the incompetence or this country is, just as we turn 250 years old, surely lost fur good.
Remember the days when this was headline criticism of the Chinese government? Can't trust their data. But Mr Krugman is right, and that this situation is worse, because we were setting the standard for reporting. I'm hoping that this will, at some point, make even conservatives very very nervous.
I agree that this could be comparable to China's hiding bad statistics (youth unemployment recently). However, I imagine Trump's supporters feel data, numbers and graphs are inherently designed by nerdy, coastal, ivy League liberals to make them feel stupid. As is using words like "Totalitarianism."
Trump wants to be a dictator with the goal to line his family and friends pockets with $$$ taken from lower income Americans and small businesses who actually work hard for their money. The CEOs, politicians, and academic hacks who stroke his ego are out for more of the same.
I know. Too many words. But, maybe ChatGPT could create the right image.
China has been outsourcing cheap labor to Vietnam, India, and Africa for a while now. Meanwhile, they've been kicking butt with automation, including "dark factories":
I had one of my economist friends used the pithy analogy yesterday that the longer the actual numbers get hidden the more it's like a train catching fire DEEP in a tunnel rather than near the entrance point...
"It's almost impossible to get any responders in and the passengers out. Pretty much everybody dies"
He used to work for BNSF before he went back to school for economics, hence the analogy.
My comments do not reflect the views of my agency.
Unless they have a way to accelerate the vetting/voting process, I am not sure any nomination made in mid-August will clear until after the October BLS reports are in, and the overall situation could look a lot different by then.
Well, we might know whether the jobs picture continued to deteriorate (in which case the argument that this month’s revisions were fake enough to fire the agency head is awkward) or whether we can spot a stronger trend in inflation, or whether anything happens that would support a more positive narrative.
I understand the staff at the bureau of labor statistics do not want to loose their jobs, but couldn't they continue to run those reports 'discretely', and 'anonymously' somewhere?.. The real numbers are too important to general use and knowledge to be left in limbo. Plus when the current regime is out (it will be, right? At one point?) It will be easier to import back the data rather than building back everything from scratch?.. Actually I can see that working in all areas Trump is destroying: a real America with the reality of things, existing in parallel of Tump's rosy version..
I could be wrong, but I think that two or three year old economic data would be pretty useless. Industry depends on reasonably accurate and timely data in order to make decent decisions. If they know they aren't getting that (and they will), they will make decisions assuming the worst. One consequence mentioned by Jared Bernstein is something called "embedded inflation" - where companies increase their prices assuming that there will be high inflation in the future. That, of course, causes higher inflation.
To the extent that it can. The U.S. is not one ethnicity (I know I'm simplifying about Russia) and does not have a national and nationalistic church. Observe the follies of those who have been trying over 250 years and continue to try to create these things here.
Unfortunately Professor, Trump never sends his best; although, this very well may be his best, which speaks volumes.
Additionally, I find it interesting how calm the markets are when this type of behavior would never be tolerated under any other president. Why aren’t alarm bells blaring?
On a side note, I have been going to a dog park in Miami for the last eight years, and found an abandoned Siberian Laika; very sweet and about 2 years old.
He was abandoned during the worst storm of the year down here. Anyway, I took him to the Humane Society after unsuccessfully attempting to find his proper owner. They were overfilled.
After calling every rescue place and Humane Society from Miami to W Palm Beach, I found every rescue service for animals overfilled. Additionally, I looked online to see if this was a national epidemic, and lo and behold, animal abandonments have increased significantly nationwide.
Bottom line: I know there are many reasons for abandonment; however, rising costs and inflation, as well as expectations that the economy is getting worse are also a major factors.
After all, dog and cat abandonment, like housing new starts are leading indicators of a recession. That said, I thought you might have some insight into this current phenomenon.
There are still a lot of Haitians, Venezuelan’s and others who received temporary asylum and are now on the chopping block.
Not to mention, we have lots of Mexicans who have been here for decades; living here illegally, but have kids born in the US. Trump’s trying to deport them all.
The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest. Mon Mothma - Andor
When tRump presided over the initial advances of the Covid epidemic in the US, his line was, "If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any,”...so, it's quite natural and in character that he would mobilize govt. agencies into suppressing data that he didn't like. Bad inflation number? Stop reporting on price rises monthly, maybe report numbers quarterly or semi-annually — no promises, however. Don't like job numbers? Invent different benchmarks which would in fact purport to show job gains.
And, of course, to do all of the above requires positioning the grossly incompetent and pathologically loyal people to carry out the assigned tasks, with or without Senate approval. Or, make it even simpler, tRump releases numbers based upon his "gut reaction", which has served him so well over the years...win-win.
“I know more than the Generals”
Dunning Kruger once more.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pNAjJtRErKI
Adolf did too.
Yep. Adolf was described as having been promoted from Corporal to Commanding General in one step. DonnyJon has gone from Cadet to Commanding General in one step. Even better!
And he mastered that giant step even with untreated and crippling bone spurs.
All the way to Napoleonic level — Emperor and Supreme Commander.
And it was a good thing, ultimately. Adolph's micromanaging of the end phase of Barbarossa in late '41; his micromanaging the '42 German Summer offensive; and his support of Goering's anti-bombing strategy...were all instrumental in Germany's defeat.
Although in our current situation, GOP/Trump incompetence will result in Communist China ruling the world.
Corporal Hitler was the allied secret weapon. We will learn a lot tomorrow. Blather and misdirection won't cut it for either Putin or Trump. And you are correct the lessons won't be lost on Xi.
China is very clearly ramping up for a war. And it'll be a fuckin miracle if they *don't* decide to use their now superior military against us in a few years.
The present course leads to either humans ruling the planet or extraterrestrial MAGA species ruling the planet. You might be kidding yourself about the Chinese.
US needs a law which says only a human being may be a US citizen. Then the consistent use of cheap DNA tests might save us. We'll need billions of them particularly at voting precincts, military recruitment centers, and government hiring.
Says the very stable genius!
Bot. Report.
I see no daylight between the Russian propaganda technique of the "Firehose of Misinformation" and the Trump technique of "Flood the Zone with shit." It is the same tactic. And in both instances the purpose is to so degrade the very concept of truth that people are willing to believe whatever they are biased to believe in the first place, and claim that their "truth" is as good as objective reality.
We have to hope that there are enough brave souls in the BLS who are willing to make sure accurate reports get leaked...and I never thought I'd see the day where I would be saying this about my own government.
Samizdat.
That's what we will be depending on. What a disaster.
Have you heard of the “Pentagon Papers”? I’m an older Australian who was involved in protests against the American War against Vietnam in the 60s and 70s. Maybe people forget about the many instances over the decades where courageous whistleblowers have made a huge difference.
True, which is why we cancelled our subscription to WaPo. But the point nevertheless remains valid - courageous whistleblowers can find places to leak important disclosures.
Except the Washington Post is now owned by a craven suck -up who would never allow them to publish anything like the Pentagon papers.
Their background can probably swing them a gig for much better pay as the BLS dims
"truth leaves us"
It's that it becomes irrelevant and there seems little operational value in the concept vis-a-vis falling in line with "the power". The habit of truth seeking falls away. How do I know this? I have experienced and seen it in a large organization I worked in. It is a disorienting experience.
How good are the private sources of similar data for employment, CPI, etc.? I know ADP produces employment #s, etc. Likewise, does the EU or other foreign governments produce quality reporting? Are those likely to be expanded to the US market?
I assume the markets, banks, and employers will want “real” data. I’m sure those private organizations will also eventually be threatened and punished for not toeing the line.
An article in NYT about Scott Bessent not divesting all of his financial interests or along those lines I have yet to read...I think he, nutlick, & comrade Krasnov are up to financial shenanigans what with hillBilly Long being replaced as IRS commissioner in the shortest time period for an official in an administration since 1862. He was "put out to pasture" as ambassador to Iceland and there is something "there" for two reasons...Scott Bessent is now not only in charge of US Treasury, but the IRS records as well. No one knows if the tariffs nor the 15% extortion on Nvidia/AMD are actually going into the treasury. Nutlick is setting his son up in the crypto biz, just like Trump. Three shysters right there. Why Iceland for hillBilly Long? Could it be he's not as simple as thought without that CPA nor accounting degree and needed to be shipped out? Another Missouri boy, former military and Coast Guard met Ghislane Maxwell there in Iceland for her Terra Mar save-the-ocean bs foundation event. She hooked him up with some hedge funder & a Google exec, so then all of a sudden he's a tech mogul. Fifteen years her junior, he marries her and before she heads to prison, she signs over to him her $20 million trust fund for him to be executor and he's now moved on to his third woman. What's the connection there for hillbilly boy?
Andor Season 2 has proven itself the most fluent media commentary on our political moment. That I say this without irony or satire shows just how f**ked our current moment is (and how damn good Tony Gilroy is at his job).
"I understood that reference."
Americans, by their passivity, seem to be all-in with the Trump administration. Piss, or get off the pot.
Why aren't more folks protesting and in the streets?
In Massachusetts, I've noticed how white the protests are. Why? The minorities are terrified to come out of their houses.
In Downeast Maine, where I live, we've all noticed how OLD the protesters are! Nearly every single one of us is over 60. Where are all the young people?
I've attended protests in Florida and Connecticut. I have noticed the same thing. But, in defense of young people, they just might be at work or attending to their children. We older people do have more time on our hands.
At the same time, the loss of our democracy needs to be a priority.
My kids don't want to believe it's happening. Only one out of six is truly alarmed. Social media is very comforting. It pulls a veil over the whole thing. It's tempting to turn away and not look.
Our younger relatives (nieces and nephews) are 30ish and working, too
Older people know what we're losing here. Younger ones don't.
This is the country that the young people will live in the for the rest of their lives. They should care about it at least as much as we older folks do. Change has historically been driven by young idealistic people. We need their energy to save democracy but they have largely stayed on the sidelines so far.
Today's young adults don't know or remember having anything else to compare the current times. Immediate gratification, tons of cheap stuff to consume. Life and reality has been spoonfed to them through social media, including propaganda they're happy to ingest without any application of logic or fact checking sources. I'm only 46, but I'm at the cusp of having the "old times" unhooked, internet free youth experience. I also remember my parents having a much easier (although far from smooth sailing) time raising a family of 4 on one salary with only a high school diploma, owning a home and two cars. I can't do that today, and I'm single with no kids.
Why bother? republican lite always beats out a progressive. They're investing in cryptocurrency, working in restaurants/bartending/gig work ride share because they can't land a better job with what they feel is a bs college degree for which they may owe money, and they've been led to believe by the technorati that government is the problem.
I've noticed the same thing at the bridge standouts and protests in Western Massachusetts. The younger folks I know are working and/or chasing kids.
Many of the protests have been scheduled on Saturdays or after 5 pm, and many young people don’t have children. It seems equally likely that protest organizers are not getting their message out on the most popular social used by young folks. Using the outreach model that got so many young people protesting Gaza last year might help.
I don’t think so. Those protests were aimed at teaching “genocide Joe” a lesson and making sure his selected replacement wasn’t elected. Why would they come out to protest what they helped usher in?
Can you blame them for not supporting Biden and Harris? To them the most horrible thing happened then and now is the genocide and current mass starvation of people in Gaza by Israel with unconditional support from the USA. Of course they knew Trump was horrible, but with the atrocities in Gaza, the concept of the lesser of 2 evils is ridiculous. They know our system is corrupt. Both Democrats and Republicans support Isreal. Kamala Harris thought support for Palestine was political suicide. I watched her express anger at young people during her rallies which were trying to support Palestinians and told that this isn’t the time! 10s of thousands of people dying… but this isn’t the time! And now you’re angry and dismissive of those young people because you don’t really care what’s happening over there. That’s incredibly frustrating and I can’t blame them for feeling that maybe it all needs to burn down so we can start fresh.
that's not it Les. Maybe it's a cultural thing, as if that explains anything.
We greyheads are regulars at protests and demonstrations, while none of our adult children have ever participated in one. Two of them, and their spouses, not only work full time, but are also raising rug rats. To see their faces is to know why they have no energy for the streets and squares. But they always wish us well and they do care. Things might change as inflation clips their wings; we'll see.
I dunno. When I was in college, I worked 37.5 hours a week and carried a full courseload. I still found opportunities to protest. For many years as an adult, I worked up to 80 hours a week (no kids). And I protested. Then I worked full-time and had an art business on the side. I still protested. It's a matter of one's priorities.
The difference today is that so many young people have had everything handed to them. Their parents think they "owe" the kids a college education, or owe them other things. The kids don't know what it's like to have to face doing without this or that, and I mean the important stuff, not just new cell phones. They don't have a clue how bad it could---and probably WILL---get.
I read the books like Generations by TWENGE. A lot of it goes back and it’s just my opinion, to a lack of imagination of how bad things could get and how bad their lives could get, as you said, no clue.This is probably true of most of the American population, but older generations have more connection to World War II events through their fathers .
In my gloomy moments, I look at my fellow Americans as fatted calf’s. But I’ve done that for a long time. Our culture is very seductive.
Point taken. Last week I attended a small family gathering in celebration of my grandson's 5th birthday. It was the third such for him. The hillocks of looked at once then overlooked toys and gew gaws beggared the imagination, and I have no doubt his parents will give him his own phone before too long, despite all the articles I keep sending them. Ha ha. But life is a good teacher and perhaps once the bubble bursts, things would look different for them. 'Sides, they do a lot of online stuff, and that might serve in some sense as a form of protest. If they even think about not voting next year, though, they'll have the Wrath of Grandma to contend with!
I canvassed for Bernie in 2016 & I was told a single mom with a low income job came in for a few hours regularly and made phone calls and here we are. Until the affluent 10-20% populous &/or their offspring get an attitude adjustment, nothing will change.
People get married and have children later in life now. Most people 30 or younger don't have family obligations. Past protests were driven by young people. Dr. Spock was an outlier.
They don't seem to value democracy and may only miss it when it's gone.
Ummm ... Where are the young people?
At work. And at work, for those with 2+ jobs.
At home taking care of their children.
At school, which is starting up again.
I attended protests here in Arizona and saw a majority of people who were 50 plus but I was also pleased to see a large number of people in the twenties and thirties. It is also heartening to see college aged people in the groups as well. I went to see Bernie and AOC in Tempe and there was a broad cross section of people there as well. In Tempe there were many more college aged people than I had suspected.
My 30 yo son says neither he nor his friends pay attention any more. It’s up to the parents to save them it seems! Nothing has changed.
where does that passivity come from? This is what I want to know.
https://www.robertbuck.net/words/Mother%20Fuckers%0D%0A
It comes from the "me" generations, which began over 40 years ago.
My 32 year old son volunteers for the ACLU. Some of them have their heads on straight.
Good to hear!
Working three jobs to pay for rent and food.
Our generation is disillusioned with protests. They’re allowed shows of discontent. We have watched protest after protest change nothing. Why would we waste our time doing it? We grew up with the occupy movements, then the 2020 protests, and despite them nothing changed, or things got worse. We need to use different tactics.
Very similar in NE Ohio. Same is true of demographics of activist groups. It is irritating, to say the least, to hear people say that Boomers are responsible for the mess we are in. I continue to be concerned that more young people appear to be disinterested their future.
Working two or three jobs?
Ahhh. Protests. There are many protests. Crowd Counting Consortium – Ash Center https://share.google/gi4a8aJI7OqjzgeNR.
Check out other protest trackers. Did you attend No Kings? Did you hear about it?
MSM, even NPR (after the insult and injury of losing their funding) do not cover. Instead, nauseating stories about AI boyfriends, et cetera.
ACLU and Indivisible offer free trainings on non-violent resistance and offer protest data. We have not hit critical mass. We haven't gained stall speed.
And...the real American arousal...there are enough folks making so much lovely, lovely money.
One more thing...You really can destroy stuff faster than make it.
Coverage of opposition is surpassed in these regimes. We might all wear black arm bands in solidarity. We would self reinforce and be more visible
good idea
or maybe not such a good idea. hard to say
Do you mean “suppressed”?
Yes
Please investigate "the 92%." That will give you an idea of WHY Black people -- & ESPECIALLY Black Women -- aren't coming to save us this time.
Do you have any suggested links please? If you google 92% you get a lot of noise.
Try this one: https://dallasweekly.com/2025/01/black-women-92-percent/
I read it. I really resent the tone of "White people created this problem; y'all can fix it." I (a White woman) did not create this problem. I voted for Kamala Harris. I voted against the Republican Congressional candidate for my district here in NC.
On the other hand, I can understand the feeling Black people have when a news article or somebody says "Black people did ....." Not all Black people did whatever it was. Some Black people did, but some didn't. Stereotypes and generalizations hurt.
But the 92% need to understand that we are in this TOGETHER. While you're off having spa days on Martin Luther King Day and not participating in protests, Dumpy is signing executive orders and the GOP is passing legislatiin that hurts all of us, Black and White together. It's a heavy lift, and we can't do it alone.
Well said. Thank you.
My apologies. Try Global Protest Tracker,
Crowd Counting Consortium Ash Center,
ACLED.
Now a classic in fighting fascism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWEpW6KOZDs
Black folk are standing by because the revolution will be televised. If you mean brown staying home - yes, why risk being assaulted by ICE. Besides, white people own this mess because I'm white supremacy is the root cause of America's hot mess.
We have protested. Much like Occupy Wall Street protesting has proven useless: Hands Off, No Kings and in the first Trump term Women's March, the Science March. Is it because Americans are passive? I think it's more like thwarted and completely unclear whether any cause will be taken up by any supportive leader anywhere.
Sometimes it feels like we're all on our own.
It can be really discouraging, but giving up is not the solution. Giving up is what they want. What do protests and standouts and phone calls and postcards do? Show us like minded folks and that we're not alone. And there are small victories: I am damn proud of being on the phone banks supporting Susan Crawford. Years ago I knocked on doors for Elizabeth Warren (BTW, I consider Ms Warren a huge victory).
Who is all in with this lunacy? Literally every day there is something that the SOBs in this godforsaken administration do that makes Americans want to scream at the top of their lungs. Unfortunately that is about all one can do at this point. The midterms will be critical to gaining at least a bit of control over Trump and his lackeys. No guarantee that the Dems will take at least one house of Congress but it is about the only possibility to stop these scoundrels.
I don't want to be hyper defeatist here but , IF there are midterms... and IF the Trump administration accepts the results whatever they are... Because the way they are going at ignoring the law without much push back, that isn't a given. Be prepared.
The felon has essentially ordered his people to redistrict their states so that the House stays Republican. This, and other things he'll do, are to ensure that he doesn't face a Democratic House in 2027. The felon knows he will be impeached again, and investigated, and his Cabinet officers will be investigated. He will stop at nothing, just like he did in 2024. He might declare martial law. Have some phony assassination attempt. Start a war. He will stop at nothing to keep the House Republican and led by Little Mikey.
None of this would be possible --or any of the things he's done so far--without such a compliant Supreme Court.
1,000%.
Between relentless voter purges, gerrymandering, and mass propaganda, there is widespread complacency about the midterms.
Even with competent Democratic leadership (which is absent), 2026 would be a steep uphill battle.
Americans (and most world leaders) are simply crossing their fingers and collectively pretending that the 2026 miderms will magically fix fascism.
I think it's REALISTIC to think that there likely won't be an election next year. Between Dumpy's ignoring the law and Phil Hegseth's proposal to start posting military troops in LA and DC, they are working to normalize authoritarianism in our country.
There will be elections. They just won't be free and fair. Modern dictators LOVE having elections, just to show that 92% or whatever number their propagandists make up are behind them.
^^ALL OF THIS^^ Florence, Robert H, hw, Betsy, and Robert B! Agree 100%.
Every day, I say what you've all said, about gerrymandering, voter purges, the buying of votes (Elon & Co.), the possible rigging of ballot counts (Elon again), OR the suspension of elections, and always, always, a bunch of people respond and say that no way, of course there will be midterms, and the Dems will prevail.
The self-delusion is frightening.
I think people either don't realize how dire our situation is, or have convinced themselves that somehow, it will get better by 11/26.
Semper Paratus.
There is, I think, a basic misunderstanding of American attitudes in this era. We are very far away from WWII. Democracy meant something then. Edward R. Murrow was heard widely. There is no Murrow today. A small minority of Americans have any knowledge of the Constitution. It is not emphasized in most schools. The Supreme Court majority does not support the Constitution, certainly not the amendments that intend to grant wider protections than the “original” Constitution. Originalists, the present majority. believe the basic Constitution must prevail, not the amendments, except of course the right to bear arms. Those of us who support democracy are a small minority, and we have no leader, no spokesperson. The United States we grew up with is gone, and it’s not likely to come back for a very long time, if ever. It is worthwhile keeping a discussion alive, but we shouldn’t kid ourselves that we will succeed in restoring democracy.
And if the elections aren’t rigged,
It’s hard to do anything when Dear Leader is looking for any excuse to send in the military and declare Martial Law. We need to tread carefully, and pick and choose are battles wisely.
I do agree this nation is currently “paralyzed” in many respects. None of us could have imagined our country could devolve so quickly into chaos and authoritarianism.
However, after much thought, I’m not surprised. While Orban was elected with one third of the vote, it took him a year to consolidate power within his Parliament before he could fire prosecutors and judges or take on institutes of higher learning.
Our mistake was not realizing that while Trump was elected with a little more than a third of the vote, he already came into power with the highest court in his pocket, and all of Congress under his control; he solidified the party during the primaries.
Bottom line: Trump has legal power to dismantle our institutions and democracy, with little remedy outside of our corrupt judiciary. We’ve been experiencing a slow, painful death, by a thousand judicial cuts, for the last 15 years; at least! IMHO…:)
We were given fair warning. Project 2025 was in the works since at least 2020. We've known for years they were getting ready to hit the ground running - and that's exactly what they did.
That of course begs the question: So why did so many voters stay home? Apparently, a lot of people either didn't believe it could happen, or were just lackadaisical in their thinking. Now they know.
Agreed, my point is no one thought it could happen so quickly and that the guardrails wouldn’t hold.
I’m in your camp. I saw this coming a mile away, but was still shocked at how quickly we devolved. Although, after watching most of the MSM capitulate so quickly before the election, in retrospect, it’s hardly surprising.
The good news is that it isn’t over yet. The religious fanatics and plutocrats poked the wrong bear. Therefore, this fight is just beginning, and while Heritage, The Federalist Society and their sister organizations may be pure fascist evil, Trump is ultimately a coward, and won’t have the stomach to do what is necessary to maintain his grip on this nation.
And even if he does, the opposition is just forming, and we’re a hell of a lot smarter than these anti-science goons!
Exactly. Everyone was caught off guard - but shouldn't have been. Project 2025 was designed to roll out in rapid fire fashion. I think what was surprising was how easily the SCOTUS and all congressional Republicans would roll over. That wasn't predictable.
I agree, this is just the beginning. It ain't over till it's over, and I for one am not prepared to give up. I'll do everything that I can to stand up to this coup till the moment I croak. I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.
Agreed. And I believe we have been commenting on each other’s posts for over a year, and I remember both of us seeing clearly, while others took a more cautious approach.
That’s said, there’s no point rehashing history, we have work to do. Let me know if you hear about some promising ways to fight back, and. I’ll do the same. I’m all in at this point….:)
What I usually post is this:
It's a great reminder of the imperative that we continue to Rise! Resist! ✊✊✊
//
Don't let up folks, it's working:
Boycott TE卐LA! Boycott Swastikar!
Short TE卐LA! Short Swastikar!
Boycott 卐tarlink!
Boycott 卐itter!
Curb your DOGE!
https://generalstrikeus.com/strikecard
https://www.fiftyfifty.one/
https://indivisible.org/
https://handsoff2025.com/
https://www.teslatakedown.com/
https://www.riseandresist.org/
https://thirdact.org
https://www.nokings.org/
https://www.riseandresist.org/
https://www.buildtheresistance.org/
https://citizensimpeachment.com/
https://electiontruthalliance.org/
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/803953/
https://www.movetoamend.org/
Republican's have been preparing for this fight since 1932. The politics are directly analogous to the South's response to reconstruction. Viewed from a 250 year elevation what we're seeing requires little imagination.
If I may step in here, gentlemen, I'd speculate that Rump's days are numbered, one way or another. He may ingest one cheeseburger too many, OR, more likely, IMO, his handlers will judge that he's done what he was put into place to do. At that point---pretty soon, I'd guess---he'll be removed, in favor of fellow tool, JD, who is more predictable and controllable. He'll be able to focus on implementing the rest of Project 2025 with no distractions.
Btw, I'm enjoying your thoughtful exchange!
Working from the NORC polling data, here are the largest groups of 2020 voters who failed to show up in 2024. There is plenty of overlap here, so you may construct an ideal 2024 nonvoter who voted in 2020 as a married white woman between ages 45-64 making under $50K with no college and a nonunion household. Make of it what you will:
1. 45+ non college
2. 45+
3. Under $50,000
4. 45-64
5. Married
6. White 45+
7. Non union in household
8. No college degree
9. Married women
10. Married men
2025 ? Isn’t it 1932 all over again .
Big Brother knows all and has the most wonderful people working in his administration. That’s why he’s just nominated John Dillinger to take over as Comptroller of the Currency.
Lock 'em up! All of them!
They decided to "vote their consciences."
Strictly speaking, George, isn’t that what we're all supposed to do? Isn't that what democracy is supposed to be about?
No. You are supposed to vote for the person who, in your opinion, will be best for the country. If you sat out the last election to "vote your conscience", you have no conscience.
In other words, the person who, in your conscience, would be best for the country. If your conscience told you that X person would be bad for the country, why would you vote for him/her? I might love Tim the mailman, but I'm not gonna write him in for President.
"If you sat out the last election to 'vote your conscience', you have no conscience." IN YOUR OPINION. You personally aren't the ultimate decider here.
I'm thinking the boing-a de boing switcheroo candidate confusion left many voters unable to untangle what to make of events.
A lot of the work Orban needed to do in Hungary was done in advance here.
Exactly!…:)
My protest started long before January. Meaning, I ain't buying any new shit I absolutely don't need. That ain't stopping others from enjoying their lives.
Words mean nothing. Bullets are too costly for the activist. The ballot box may or may not help us any longer. Commenting back and forth with others on the other end of the keyboard is just more jerking off. Standing with others in the street won't get us too far.
Stop buying shit you don't absolutely need. Cut the high-speed cables. Cut the Prime. Don't buy automobiles. Don't fly. Enjoy the world around you as best you can. The air just might improve.
Ahh. Now that felt good.
AMEN!
Another factor is that things ARE happening, but not being covered by "legacy media."
Two days ago there were MASSIVE demonstrations in LA -- views from office buildings showed PACKED streets as far as the eye can see. NO network covered it. NONE. The only way I knew was the Meidas showed about 5-10 minutes of it.
Things like that happen in several cities -- Chicago, Portland, even NYC -- not as huge, but significant. NOBODY covered those either.
The media is as scared/corrupt as SCOTUS.
Speaking of the scared media, did you read the insane article in the NY Times yesterday, claiming Trump wants to take over DC because he is a real estate developer and instinctively wants to fix things up? Yeah. The commenters were having none of it. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/us/politics/trump-dc-crime.html
They treat him like a normal politician. The commenters don’t agree.
I've said this before:
I found more coverage of the "Good Trouble" protests in The Guardian and Al Jazeera than I did in either the WaPo (no surprise here) or the New York Times (surprise). If I only went by USA coverage, I'd think "Good Trouble" had been cancelled.
Lamestream media does cover the protests - but they play down the magnitude. They'll say "hundreds of protestors...." or "tens of thousands" when the actual number is closer to hundreds of thousands or even over a million. And it's usually only a quick, short story, basically "there was a protest today, next up a cat show at an Oshkosh pet store draws huge crowds".
For No Kings in Richmond, VA, there were easily 5000 people, approx 10x what had appeared for the Hands Off protest, such that the Capitol police had to eventually let us occupy a good quarter of the Capitol grounds (originally they wanted us kettled in a small corner, but... we just kept coming). News mentioned it as "several hundred people."
I subscribe to the BBC news feed for the same reason. I've seen several cases in which it appears that a BBC story about an incident in the States triggered the NYT to publish something similar the following day.
The media is the key at this point. Yet the power over the media is now monetary not virtue and patriotism. The mechanism of truth is now the media we are using, but the system is overwhelmed by capitalism without virtue and courage. How to reverse this is unclear. But a picture of a child running from napalms fire once has an effect. Now ICE in our streets has no influence. What lever to use on what fulcrum is unclear.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Some media cover it. Pay attention to media that does.
There was a nearly eight-mile-long human chain four days ago in Columbus, Ohio to protest ICE. No coverage.
yes and coupled with the sanitized WHouse press who only throw softballs or compliments-
Standing with others in the street matters or 4547 wouldn’t be trying to quash protests in L.A. or be pulling the national guard BS in DC. They are terrified of a large uprising because they know, deep inside even if they can’t admit it, that they are more hated every day.
It also matters that the people around you know that they are not alone. Courage, fear, hope and hopelessness are all contagious. Which ones do you want to spread around?
Sounds like you're advocating personal isolation and giving up as a solution. "Standing with others in the street" may be the only thing we have left.
He didn't use the words but what he's saying is mass boycott. I agree. We should have a mass boycott, and a general strike. The military can't stop that.
I drove by three fast food places at noon yesterday, nary a patron to be seen.
What, exactly, do you suggest we do?
I suggest showing up at the protests in your area if it’s at all possible.
Go to the indivisible website, scroll down to “find a local event “ for a list or map of location and times.
https://indivisible.org
Seriously boycotting the corporations that have financed these horrors is an everyday thing.
I made a 3x5 card listing the business & products I might use from this video, I keep it with me.
https://youtu.be/e5ApF-hBy1Y?si=jeTJdZhFJ7FMR_ab
Quitting social and news media that is controlled by or caved to maga oligarchs is essential for keeping your sanity.
A general strike is the next step. Money talks, and everyone reading this Substack knows it.
Don’t give up hope, take care of all aspects of your health
Yes! Yes! Yes! And read Paul every morning.
https://generalstrikeus.com/
If you don't know, you are too far gone for me to reach.
Gotcha. You ain’t got no ideas and just want to bloviate. Carry on.
That you are outsourcing ideas to a Canadian proves my point about your passivity. Shoot the messenger.
You’re not a messenger, and nobody cares enough about you to want to shoot you. Bye!
I will assert that this exact argument is going on in a lot of American households. Many households have a weapon that is kept locked away for the fateful day when we are invaded. The assumption - which is now becoming obvious - is that an invasion comes in the form that Ukraine is experiencing. However, the US has been invaded by two ideas: (1) that truth and falsehood are indistinguishable and (2) that winners can make up their own truths. Guns are typically useless against ideas, and American families don’t know of any other tools with which to demonstrate our democracy. As with all history, we create it as we go along.
We could protest all day, every day, and what exactly would that accomplish?
First it shows we are not alone and there are many who feel as we do. This applies to protestors and those who witness it.In turn that creates hope and willingness to act. Also communication is shared among protestors on ways to fight back. For example I use protests as a way to garner support for a MO ballot initiative Respect MO Voters. there is no silver bullet, and we should not expect protest alone will be that. It’s just part of the mix.
Yes, protest is part of the mix, but it sucks up time and resources, and isn’t likely to force a change in policy - strategy, maybe — and could lead to even more oppressive measures as retaliation.
Of course there is the possibility that forcing Trump to ratchet up his countermeasures will bring about an honest-to-God coup attempt or a military revolt, but that seems unlikely. Outside of mistreating immigrants and unleashing lawsuits on people he doesn’t like, Trump seems more interested in humiliating his opponents, not massacring them. I find it very hard to take seriously anything this farcical administration does, and suspect his tough words are mostly hot air.
Okay. Don't do anything!
Doing nothing is not the answer, but neither is simply showing up to protest. We need Congress to act — Republicans have the majority now, so they need to act with Democrats to impeach and convict and remove Trump from office…and prepare to do the same with his successor/s unless they commit to following the law and act in accordance with the Constitution. They have no higher responsibility.
How do you propose to get Republicans to act? As it is, they're afraid to show up at townhalls. But they're more afraid of Rump and being primaried. What leverage would you suggest?
Free beer? Substantial bribes? Free pardons if convicted of anything related to being friends with Jeffrey Epstein? Maybe anonymous death threats (just kidding!). I’m just proposing solutions, not offering detailed instructions.
They already get substantial bribes, I'd guess, along with anonymous death threats from the MAGA machine if they don't toe the line.
My point being that merely saying Republicans "need" to do something....not really constructive. They're no more likely to do what the situation calls for than I am to win the lottery.
Speak for yourself!
Plenty of loyal MAGA still but also even more who aren’t.
I still can't believe that other Americans voted us into this Hell. I resent them deeply.
I was so furious the day after the election I told my neighbor across the street I hope they all end up living under bridges. Looks like for a good number of them that might come to pass.
LOL ... I remember every neighbor who posted a Trump lawn sign during election season. My stomach sinks whenever I see one of them. If I'm outside and see one walking near my home, I run back in the house to protect my peace of mind.
Every time I go to the local Home Depot, I pass through a neighborhood full of huge signs touting Trump's victory, saying Vance will be President for eight years after that, and saying "Get Over It."
That frightens me. Seriously.
The ones I resent are the ones who didn't bother to vote at all. They allowed this to happen.
I voted in Texas, which is *sorta* like not voting at all.
I know what you mean, but don't give up! Hopefully Texas Dems can stop Abbott from this insane illegal gerrymander.
Good point!
Watching on from Australia I am horrified so I am glad there are still some sane Americans. This movement is so obviously corrupt and authoritarian I would never have picked America to go for this.
I really miss the old America. You guys were great for the world.
I hear you!
Why is nobody calling a spade a spade? What’s happening here is a coup! All the evidence points to it. Or how else would you characterise a putsch? All the democratic and constitutional cornerstones are at least under attack.
We ARE pursuing the legalities but they take TIME. There are activists governors who are helping. I think we are waiting for more leaders to emerge. Pritzger and Newsom are really helping. The senators are doing more of their share. Many house members are also screaming. (Who wants to work with the R’s? YUK)
We all just need to a) solidify — people are still splitting hairs instead of solidifying the fight against FASCISM and b) all of us need to get LOUDER.
Americans are allowing the Trump regime all the time they need to consolidate power. So that by the time people perhaps are roused to action it will be too late.
Americans -- or Congress??
I’ve ALWAYS enjoyed your columns and newsletters, but this “new” post-NYT “Krugman Unleashed” is awesome 👏🏽
Totally agree! Yes!
The apathy in the US is staggering. At this point there should be 10x the number of people in the streets as we are seeing now. Don’t people realize their livelihood is at stake? I guess people don’t care if illegals are carted off with a few innocent people in their midst, people figure it will not affect them much. But the economy is crucial. Destroying the thermometer will not help matters in any way.
I, for one, am not going out on the streets because of the crowds, the heat, my osteoarthritic knees and the →distance to the nearest bathroom←.
I'd say my only contribution is goosing up charity donations, but it's still a drop in the bucket.
One’s ability for energetic street protest definitely declines with old age.
The regime continues to destroy the country, and with it a ripple effect on the world. Medicine, science, the environment, government and even basic decency are targets. Many are mad as hell and shouting out windows, while listening to the echoes of discontent. But Big Brother marches forward from Bethlehem and has already been born. Must we wait for a voice from the wilderness, or is someone organizing a resistance that has forgotten to let me know it is making its presence known?
Alexandra Petri satirizes the Trump regime hilariously. Definitely worth a subscription if you can afford it.
https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/08/maha-future-rfk-wearables-health/683758/
Antoni just joins a long list of incompetent bottom dwellers throughout this admin. Bondi, Patel Pete /H, the list goes on and on topped off by Kennedy. So why wouldn't this supine Senate confirm another loser to a high post? What MIGHT be our only saving grace, MIGHT BE, is the fact of the total incompetence of the. ruling class. Never has there been a more out of touch group of morons placed atop our government before and ti will either crash totally due to the incompetence or this country is, just as we turn 250 years old, surely lost fur good.
Remember the days when this was headline criticism of the Chinese government? Can't trust their data. But Mr Krugman is right, and that this situation is worse, because we were setting the standard for reporting. I'm hoping that this will, at some point, make even conservatives very very nervous.
I agree that this could be comparable to China's hiding bad statistics (youth unemployment recently). However, I imagine Trump's supporters feel data, numbers and graphs are inherently designed by nerdy, coastal, ivy League liberals to make them feel stupid. As is using words like "Totalitarianism."
Trump wants to be a dictator with the goal to line his family and friends pockets with $$$ taken from lower income Americans and small businesses who actually work hard for their money. The CEOs, politicians, and academic hacks who stroke his ego are out for more of the same.
I know. Too many words. But, maybe ChatGPT could create the right image.
Sad to report that i agree, even without help from AI. (Another scam to enrich the rich.)
I listen to Mr. Krugman whenever I can. We all need to be aware of what is going on in our country.
China has been outsourcing cheap labor to Vietnam, India, and Africa for a while now. Meanwhile, they've been kicking butt with automation, including "dark factories":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YiaDXGQk7k
🎯🎯
Hanging with the cool kids - https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-stop-releasing-youth-jobless-rate-data-aug-says-stats-bureau-2023-08-15/#:~:text=Aug%2015%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20China,the%20world%27s%20second%2Dlargest%20economy.
I hadn't seen this. Perfect synchronicity.
I had one of my economist friends used the pithy analogy yesterday that the longer the actual numbers get hidden the more it's like a train catching fire DEEP in a tunnel rather than near the entrance point...
"It's almost impossible to get any responders in and the passengers out. Pretty much everybody dies"
He used to work for BNSF before he went back to school for economics, hence the analogy.
I think he's on to something.
My comments do not reflect the views of my agency.
Unless they have a way to accelerate the vetting/voting process, I am not sure any nomination made in mid-August will clear until after the October BLS reports are in, and the overall situation could look a lot different by then.
Tell us more please. What is going to look different?
Well, we might know whether the jobs picture continued to deteriorate (in which case the argument that this month’s revisions were fake enough to fire the agency head is awkward) or whether we can spot a stronger trend in inflation, or whether anything happens that would support a more positive narrative.
I understand the staff at the bureau of labor statistics do not want to loose their jobs, but couldn't they continue to run those reports 'discretely', and 'anonymously' somewhere?.. The real numbers are too important to general use and knowledge to be left in limbo. Plus when the current regime is out (it will be, right? At one point?) It will be easier to import back the data rather than building back everything from scratch?.. Actually I can see that working in all areas Trump is destroying: a real America with the reality of things, existing in parallel of Tump's rosy version..
I could be wrong, but I think that two or three year old economic data would be pretty useless. Industry depends on reasonably accurate and timely data in order to make decent decisions. If they know they aren't getting that (and they will), they will make decisions assuming the worst. One consequence mentioned by Jared Bernstein is something called "embedded inflation" - where companies increase their prices assuming that there will be high inflation in the future. That, of course, causes higher inflation.
I am curious to know, assuming he does the same thing at the Fed, where it will be possible to get accurate economic data.
US is becoming Russia.
To the extent that it can. The U.S. is not one ethnicity (I know I'm simplifying about Russia) and does not have a national and nationalistic church. Observe the follies of those who have been trying over 250 years and continue to try to create these things here.
Unfortunately Professor, Trump never sends his best; although, this very well may be his best, which speaks volumes.
Additionally, I find it interesting how calm the markets are when this type of behavior would never be tolerated under any other president. Why aren’t alarm bells blaring?
On a side note, I have been going to a dog park in Miami for the last eight years, and found an abandoned Siberian Laika; very sweet and about 2 years old.
He was abandoned during the worst storm of the year down here. Anyway, I took him to the Humane Society after unsuccessfully attempting to find his proper owner. They were overfilled.
After calling every rescue place and Humane Society from Miami to W Palm Beach, I found every rescue service for animals overfilled. Additionally, I looked online to see if this was a national epidemic, and lo and behold, animal abandonments have increased significantly nationwide.
Bottom line: I know there are many reasons for abandonment; however, rising costs and inflation, as well as expectations that the economy is getting worse are also a major factors.
After all, dog and cat abandonment, like housing new starts are leading indicators of a recession. That said, I thought you might have some insight into this current phenomenon.
Some of them are abandoned because ICE has deported their previous owners. That has become a giant problem!!!
Good point, yet South Florida has mostly been spared so far…:)
I think that most of the Latinos in Florida are citizens. The children and grandchildren of refugees from Castro's Cuba.
There are still a lot of Haitians, Venezuelan’s and others who received temporary asylum and are now on the chopping block.
Not to mention, we have lots of Mexicans who have been here for decades; living here illegally, but have kids born in the US. Trump’s trying to deport them all.
Confucius had some words on this (from Pound's translation):
"When the head of state, or family, thinks first of gouging out an income,
he must perforce do it through small men; and even if they are clever
at their job, if one employ such inferior characters in state and
family business, the tilled fields will go rack swamp and ruin,
and edged calamities will mount up to the full....
This is the meaning of:
A state does not profit by profits"
Tseng's Comment from Confucius: The Great Digest, the Unwobbling Pivot, and the Analects