Bondi reminded me of the way some girls behaved in the eighth grade. My teacher said to ignore them because they had low self esteem and lacked confidence.
It’s an apt description, Gloria. I spent my career as a middle school guidance counselor and see a lot of parallels. We dismantled bullying by going after the underlings, not the king pins and queen bees. It didn’t take long for the house of cards to collapse. If RI, VT, VA, IL, DE, and CA issue warrants for “misprision” of felony and or treason, DC police will arrest them. Here’s an example of what it could look like if RI proceeded:
If Rhode Island (RI) has an active, extraditable arrest warrant for someone located in Washington D.C., that person can be arrested by Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers or federal authorities, held in a D.C. jail, and potentially transported back to Rhode Island to face charges.
Here is the step-by-step process of what happens:
1. Detection of the Warrant
Warrants are entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), a nationwide database accessed by police during traffic stops, background checks, or other law enforcement encounters in D.C..
2. Arrest and Detention
* The Arrest: Once the warrant is verified, D.C. police have the authority to make the arrest.
* Initial Detention: The person will be booked into a D.C. jail as a "fugitive from justice".
* Notification: DC authorities will notify Rhode Island authorities that the person is in custody.
3. Extradition Decision (The "Hold")
* Extraditable vs. Non-Extraditable: If the warrant is for a felony, Rhode Island almost always authorizes extradition (will pay to transport the person back). For misdemeanors, RI may decide it is too expensive to retrieve the person, in which case they may be released, though the warrant remains active.
* Holding Period: D.C. courts will not hold a person indefinitely. If the warrant is for a minor offense, they might be released if RI does not pick them up quickly (often within a few days).
* Time Limit: If the person does not waive extradition, D.C. allows 30 days for the demanding state (RI) to send agents to transport the person back.
4. Legal Proceedings in D.C.
* Court Appearance: The arrested person will appear before a D.C. Superior Court judge to be informed of the warrant from Rhode Island.
* Waiving Extradition: The person can choose to waive their right to an extradition hearing, which speeds up the process, and they will be picked up by RI law enforcement sooner.
* Fighting Extradition: If the person fights extradition, a hearing is held to ensure the warrant is valid and the correct person is in custody. This usually results in sitting in jail longer.
5. Return to Rhode Island
If authorized, officers from Rhode Island will fly or drive to D.C. to transport the individual back to the RI jurisdiction that issued the warrant.
Lying by federal officials and blocking law enforcement (due process) by federal officials must be stopped. Gaslighting is enabled with lying. The law must be changed to stop lying and protect law enforcement such as prosecution of murder of innocent American citizens in the streets of Minneapolis.
AI can be applied to modify enforcement of the law on free speech which has been abused several ways.
First, Trump’s DOJ and ICE agents attacked free speech by protestors and then federal officials lied to justify the murder of people protesting who were exercising their free speech rights. Lying was revealed by the videos. But videos are not always available.
Second, the law on free speech has enabled massive lying by Trump and members of his administration including the DOJ and ICE officials. The law on free speech can be modified to require elected officials in government and the news media to regulate public speech by elected officials with AI. Validated AI can honestly and objectively detect lying in real-time and if the lying is not withdrawn and retracted with corrections within 1 minute then a criminal felony defined in the new law should be charged and enforced with unlimited fines and mandatory imprisonment for a minimum of 2 years up to a maximum of ten years if the lying is repeated. Lying by Trump that was extensivelu,y broadcast on news media including the internet got Trump elected by deceiving voters.
Third, due process to prosecute the murders in Minneapolis has been blocked by the doctrine of qualified immunity which is not a law. But a new law must be created to eliminate qualified immunity for federal officials who commit crimes whenever the crimes occur.
I'm sorry but that all sounds great. What does have to happen is the change in majority in both congress and the senate. Until that happens , and how we are going to make that happen, nothing matters. It all sounds intelectual and clever but without blue dominance in the midterms, nothing means anything. NOTHING! How are we going to make the midterms happen is all that matters right now.
Agree. But once Dems regain power they must enforce the law and I’ve posted proposals on how Dems can get control of the House in 2026 before the midterms by enforcing new state laws on insurrection and can get elected in 2028 by adopting those proposals on solving core problems including affordability of many things including housing and food.
If RI, DE, VT, VA, IL, and CA issue arrest warrants for misprision of felony and/or treason against the usual suspects, they will languish in DC jails for up to 30 days pending extradition. 47 cannot pardon them. These state charges cover crimes at both the state and federal level. It’s something that can be done now if those states have the courage.
Actually, I’m inspired by it. Imagine if the usual suspects languished in DC jails while extradition was arranged? Not proud of the schadenfreude but it keeps my head from exploding.
Great! But the implicit claim here is the warrant is correctly asserted. This is serious flaw in the rest of what follows. Specially considering that it goes into national registry. Given that ALL law enforcement is ipso facto coercive- those who wrote such laws must consider this before all this heavy handedness. I contest such broad scopes. In 1990, 2 officers pulled me over at 9 pm- on false retention.. they proceeded to hand cuff me claiming there was a warrant of arrest on me. I told them in my hand bag I had the letter from DMV that the fine was paid & case is closed 6 months prior to this incidence. The two would not allow me to touch the hand bag & show the paper.
Took me to jail & all the great lawfare kicked in with Kafkayan stupidity — all erroneous...
You can multiply this event 10 million times!With great damage to all civilians.
Outtageousness of the lawfulness sanctimoniousness is that a rogue admin has just shown total farce of it all! That if you have money/ power/ political office- you can give the law a big finger…
In conclusion, it is clear now that laws be crafted following a modelling procedure- so that they cannot be erroneous nor easily be ignored by the powerful.
I thought it was hilarious, in a scary way, that her staff prepared a book of insults particularized for each individual Democrat on the committee. Hilarious. She is such a piece of work. How embarrassing to be Pam Bondi. I like the idea of her getting 10,000 hours of community service. Do you think she would learn anything? Would the scales fall from her eyes? I hope so.
I want to see her disbarred. And prosecuted where appropriate. Community service? Nah. She won’t learn from it and she might actually do harm. None of these monstruos sycophants with their eyes wide open as they heap lies, pain, misery on Americans should be given a pass. Too many of them have been given passes for too long and it’s contributed to where we are right now.
Bondi called Jamie Ruskin a washed-up loser lawyer. The description seems to fit Bondi better than Ruskin. She is serving as the worst AG in history for the worst President in history. Sorry Pam, I know the truth hurts.
Pam Bondi was A.G. in Florida from 2011 to 2019. She should be investigated and disbarred for not prosecuting the Epstein child sex trafficking in Florida at that time.
Well, considering he and his father were cited numerous times for violating the fair housing act because they wouldn't rent to Black people, I would say adjudicated racist is also correct. Let's give all credit where credit is due.
I heartily, TOTALLY disagree that women as a whole treat rape victims worse than men. If you think this, then you have never known a rape victim. There are minorities of women, like Maxwell, that pimp victims for their own personal benefit. BUT the vast majority of people who assist and care for rape victims are women - policewomen, nurses, counselors, rape crisis centers, relatives, ... .
Here's a true-life example. The rape victim in this series was only taken credibly when two policewomen entered the case. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7909970/
I didn’t say all women. Clearly, Bondi is someone who does. She wouldn’t even look at them! And I get it, these women are under male influence.
My point wasn’t to say that all women are worse, but that women like Bondi are an embarrassment to all women all girls, and not a role model any girl should admire! They hurt women’s and girl’s rights in their own pursuit of power!
I agree! I'm amazed that ANY women support DJT and his ilk, but they do. Hard to believe, but then Phyllis Schlafly existed and had many female followers! Her genes and message carry on....
No men still win. Because the men who treat the rape victims worse are often police. I’ve seen it with my own eyes and this was in the case of a minor. The counselors at the school I worked at said it was a consistent issue where the police were not trained in how to receive a report would rearm the victims and use language of blame. And we wonder why women and girls don’t report.
You’re right, the police are brutal to most rape victims. Read the rest of the thread, I wasn’t disagreeing with you at all. My point is that women can be far worse to women—mean girls, so to speak.
The Phyllis Schlafly’s of the world; whose own personal ambitions and love of the patriarchy made her the poster child against women’s rights!…:)
She looked, acted and sounded like a shrew. I don't have any other adequate words to describe that "performance". She could have done her usual defending of Trump without the histrionics, but she chose the histrionics. Shrew.
Mr. Prah. I am reminded of the old litigator's advice: If the law is on your side, quote the law. If the facts are on your side, stick to the facts. If neither are on your side, raise your voice and pound the table.
It was the perfect example of how "shitposting live" fails, because this has been the primary communication mode of the entire Maladminstration, which resembles the old 4Chan crew more than anything else...posting idiocy like this on Xitter doesn't get the immediate response of laughing in her face.
Y'know... My ex-wife was very smart, but she always freaked out -- and did poorly -- on tests. Maybe Bondi's that way about testifying. Not that she's necessarily smart, but that she's psychologically afraid of being asked hard questions.
Her "loser lawyer" insult was thrown at a former longtime constitutional law professor. If a Democratic-led House were to impeach a Trump lackey, I would choose Bondi over Kristi Noem any day. Bondi is far more dangerous.
"When they go low, we go high" failed as a policy response. In this case, letting the people destroying the nation know that they are going to pay a very high price, possibly their lives, for their corruption and treason, is an apt response.
“Hey, I’m not a washed-up lawyer. I’m a washed-up law professor,” responded quick-thinking-on-his-feet, magna cum laude Harvard University AND Harvard Law School, former constitutional law professor at American University Washington College of Law Jamie Raskin to a question on CNN about Pam Bondi’s (University of Floriduh, law degree from Stetson University and member of Delta Delta Delta sorority) rude comment to him.
Notice how we are attacking the women and not the men who put them in the jobs. All while the evil men, Trump, Miller, Vought sit back and dodge accountability.
Nowm, Bondi, Gabbard, wake up! You are the wall protecting the evil men who will not hesitate to throw you under the bus when they are finished with you. They don’t value women, after all. Add Vance’s wife to group.
Bondi's outburst may have unintentionally revealed the Administration's strategy: Keep voters quiescent by making their 401K's rise in value. I had wondered why DOGE gutted SEC Dodd-Frank and Sarbox enforcement. It may be to make sure stock prices rise till the midterms - even if the rise is due to high risk behavior the SEC would normally prohibit.
A lot of people. But you are right in your last sentence.
I asked AI:
"Approximately 54% to 60% of U.S. households have retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s or IRAs, according to 2022-2025 Federal Reserve and Gallup data."
So...when the AI bubble bursts, remember what the world felt like in 2000 and 2008. Combine the two and it still won't come close to the financial impact of the greatest stock market overbought condition since the 1920's. We have been warned by many in the "system". But as usual, greed and "this time is different" and "FOMO" rule the day.
1/3 of voters have no retirement account at all, and of those who do, the median balance is in the 150K range. Most voters are almost wholly reliant on Social Security and Medicare for their retirement viability.
I've never heard anyone say this, but I suspect that, among other stats in this vein (like "most documented lies"), Tr has bankrupted more often than all the other presidents combined.
As national debt to GDP continues to accumulate into uncharted territory, we cannot afford this nonsense at the helm.
Part of the problem is that even if people don’t have their own investments, they think someone like Trump will deliver that gilded life to them. A huge problem with many of the “aggrieved” is that they think “that” could be them if only “things” were different. The MAGA machine feeds that idea constantly. They are lies and impossibilities, but that doesn’t matter. Most people do not (want to) see how those same liars, whether they are the politicians, business figures, influencers, etc, they are the ones keeping the little people down. Those liars and grifters see the world as a zero sum game of winners and losers, and they will do whatever it takes to be the winner while conning the overworked, underpaid, duped, and confused losers to consume their nonsense on the hop that they may someday ascend into the tier of winners.
Ugh, yes. I think it’s the strategy for a lot of businesses. Pitting us little folks against one another as a distraction. For example, every time I see people argue over airlines - pricing tiers, seat selection, “reclining” the seat, etc. Too many people fall for the finger pointing when it’s really not that hard to see the truth if you just take a few minutes to actually consider the situation. Meanwhile the “haves” are robbing us of our money and power.
2259. You raise a good explanation about the possible connection between stock prices and the midterms in relation to Bondi's outburst.
I see her performance as the zenith of a trend we have been looking at for my entire life. Almost all answers given to congress members in hearings are carefully constructed misdirects intended to avoid answering questions, while appearing to actually answer them. It is kabuki theater. Bondi has, I believe such limited intelligence that she is incapable of constructing an adequate misdirect; so she simply yells and hurls insults: Kabuki. Nothing new, only a bad version of it.
There is the old adage to be careful what you say around children because they will repeat it at the most embarrassing times. Bondi, being a child at heart, is only saying what she has heard her superiors say, nothing original.
I have some sympathy for anyone being grilled by hostile Congressional members. That said, Bondi made her bed by signing on to Trump's team. I can't believe she said what she did to Nadler.
The hearing was hostile because the level of corruption in the entire fascist regime is like no other in the history of our country. Watergate was nothing compared to this. Our house is on fire and congress critters are only now feeling the righteous anger of the people. We must keep going until the cabal of criminals that is the Republican party is marched out in handcuffs.
It seems possible you have just created a new quiz game, (which might be fun if not so horrifying).....Who was Bondi rudest to yesterday? I would have gone with Congressman Raskin.
Your description is not inaccurate but it had nothing to do with mental illness anymore than did that of now justice Kavanaugh. It was a deliberate play for her boss, a spectacle for his ego. It was simply a prostitution by one comfortable with such displays of "affection."
Fortunately, I caught some highlights that were recommended by YouTube. It certainly made the Democratic members and Thomas Massie out as the adults and genuinely serious politicians who want to work for the common good of the American people. I would have to say Rep Crockett gave the best "performance", which unfortunately politicians need to do to counteract this farce of an admin. For those who missed it, she said she would not ask Blondie any questions as she knew it would be a waste, and used her time to highlight Blondie's incompetence. One YouTuber analyzed Blondie's body language, and it was interesting to see points where she acted superior to the Congressional panel, and the ones who put her in a defensive position (Ted Lieu was one). She needs to hire a better writer because her "burn book" was washed up like she is.
Yes, I was thinking if she got a good night’s sleep, woke up clear eyed and clear headed, and gave herself a stern talking to in the mirror while applying her mascara, maybe should could come up with a better rejoined, say for instance, “I admit that I have made a horrible mistake and I pledge to the Committee and the American people that I will immediately seek the arrest and prosecution of all of the abusers revealed in the Epstein files..” But I suppose that is the Pollyanna in me, thinking the best of people…
"Woke," when aligned with empathy and compassion, is defined by many as being aware of social, racial, and political injustices, aimed at fostering a more caring, inclusive, and equitable world. It emphasizes understanding the human behind every story, listening deeply, and actively working to alleviate suffering.
• Awareness & Action: Originally rooted in awareness of racial injustice, "woke" has evolved to represent a broader consciousness of marginalized groups and systemic inequalities.
• Empathy as Strength: Proponents argue that empathy—feeling the pain of others—is not weakness, but rather a strength that guides a desire for a fairer society.
• Compassion in Action: While empathy is feeling the suffering, compassion is the desire to relieve it, and kindness is the action taken to do so. Supporters see this mindset as leading with love and humanity.
Ultimately, being "woke" is a conscious, ongoing effort to recognize one's own biases and to care for the well-being of all people, regardless of their background.
Now, who could possibly oppose such a beneficent course of action? Possibly only those who are filled with anger, hatred, jealousy, envy, paranoia and ignorance.
Woke and proud. I think being awake means being aware of life around you. The antithesis of being "woke" is to be asleep, ignoring the perils, injustices, thievery and cruelty swirling around us.
Yes. Woke is good. Woke is smart.
I'm not a "Christian" but one of the best aspects of the Jesus story is that he was WOKE! Woke is civilized. Woke is how you would want to be treated.
To be anti-woke, therefore, is to be Anti-Christ. Take that, evil thumpers. (There are good thumpers :)
I do not see how anyone can deny that Jesus Christ and his followers brought forth a new consciousness of what it should mean to be human, as if the world itself awoke on their account from a bad dream. But for anyone to self-proclaim their own personal wokeness is still a little rich.
What? Proclaiming personal "wokeness" is what? Rich? Here is a thought. Saying one is woke is a saying one wants to be aware of fairness and opportunity for all.
Here is my take. Jesus. A good guy. Good ideas. Best of intentions. Should be a guide. Should need emulated. But...within minutes of his death, greedy power hungry humans grabbed his identity and used it to pursue the antithesis of his message. And the vampires who wear a cross at press conferences and such are the very entities he would condemn if he existed now.
Yes it is a good thing. However, republican marketing is ruthlessly effective so it's better to come up with an alternative. Woke as a word has become radioactive.
I prefer the word “woke” because it’s of African-American use and that’s why the racist MAGATs hate it and want to kill it. We should not allow them to kill a perfectly good word and concept.
Am not convinced it's a perfectly good word and concept. The original meaning, like the lasting effects of colonialism, slavery, racism and Jim Crow was illuminating. But after it became a 'container word' it lost meaning in my view. Greeting from Zambia by the way.
The vast majority of liberal on-line activists approve of Woke. I have a negative connotation with the word. I associate it with dogmatic, ideological overreach. I've used the word Woke to describe the rabid right wingers too. I associate Woke with purity tests, reward my friends and punish my enemies.
Woke is great for a forum like this, but it's deadly in the real world. The demographic who are comfortable with the title Woke are a definite minority and will alienate people we need to defeat MAGA.
But reclaiming the pejoratives like queer and dyke is part of realigning popular consciousness. If kind, compassionate people like Pretti are unafraid to be woke, they offer a route to positive value. We need to change the discourse and values, not just the president and his enablers. Building a positive alternative will take work from all of us. Voting matters of course, but it is not all that does.
There is a sort of self-righteous tonality in "woke" that is a little problematic; so I can somewhat understand how that word has been stigmatized. But what kind of world does it take to stigmatize diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Spot on right. I hear people whine the word “woke” at the drop of a hat, yet when I’ve asked conservative friends to define it, they essentially just shrug.
No need for another single word that can be weaponized. Just start using words like compassion, kindness, empathy or even civility could be a good place to start.
The "original definition of "woke" has been twisted and corrupted out of all recognition, because too many people have co-opted it to whatever "ill" or problem, real or imagined, most agitates the "bees in their bonnets". In much the same way that the GOP has corrupted and co-opted "conservatism". Better to let "woke" fade back into semantic obscurity.
MAGATS can hate “woke” all they want, it only strengthens our resolve. The opposite of woke is “go back to sleep”, and we’re not about to rest until everyone is awake to the racism, the hatred, the corruption of MAGA.
Please do all the things you outline, but let’s not call it woke.
Also, many good things can be taken too far, defying common sense. Democrats need to avoid this and instead embrace a more pragmatic and center left approach that focuses on getting things done versus identity politics. In other words I’d like people to be decent and government to protect the minority while also paving roads.
I reclaim “woke.” Just today I commented that the episode of Jack Benny’s show where Benny and Rochester trade places was my youngest experience of being woke to the realities of racial disparity in America. I also embrace diversity, equity and inclusion. You don’t see many yard signs proclaiming “In this home we embrace uniformity, inequity and exclusion,” even in MAGA neighborhoods.
Woke began as an African American vernacular English (AAVE) term meaning awake to injustice—especially racial injustice. Over time, the word has taken on additional, often politicized meanings.
Core historical meaning
• Staying alert to racial discrimination and systemic inequality.
• Being conscious of social realities that are often ignored or minimized.
• The phrase “stay woke” appeared in Black communities as early as the 1930s and resurfaced during the civil rights and Black Lives Matter eras.
That’s not how many people understand woke. You can argue that your definition is what it should mean, but it’s probably better to ditch the word. It’s only a word after all.
It’s not the word they object to. It’s acting like a decent human being. No matter what new word you come up with, they’ll say it’s an obscenity and try to harm you for it. They’re the enemy. Treat them like it.
By they you mean MAGA types? It doesn’t matter what they think. They’re too far gone. Focus on the inependents. They’re your potential allies. Treat them like it.
For me it sounds somewhat like a church or Religion. Similar to scientology. Don't know how many followers that would find. You can do what you want, of course. It's not yet the 60s. So regarding employers and politics, it depends...
D.O.G.E., Bondi hasn't been disbarred because the bar association in Florida is controlled by MAGAts, as is the state Supreme Court. As long as both of those facts are true, she will never be disbarred. This state is hopelessly corrupt. Ugh.
I have just sent an email to my senators and congresswoman requesting disbarrment of Bondi. I am sick of her petulant behavior and fielty to Trump. If we all do that, the Junta will get nervous
Susan Collins is up for reelection in November and we have already received 3 mailings, numerous emails and ads on the local radio stations and newspapers. ALL PAID FOR BY OUT OF STATE PACS.
She is visiting elementary schools across the state because she knows that they won't shame her for being a Republican and supporting her Christo-Fascist Republicans colleagues.
Her taking credit for getting funding for Maine is like the arsonist expecting praise for reporting a fire they set.
I totally agree. She voted to approve Bondi's nomination as AG as well as Noem's and Vought's. She also voted for Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Alito and Roberts. So she can pretend that she gives a shit about her constituents but we all know she works for the oligarchs.
I saw it claimed that Gallup did this before in 2018. They'll be back in 2028 after Donnie is gone. Not a profile in courage, but others track this parameter.
Krugman Sensei, a brilliant article as usual. I think that while it’s clear that Putin is giving orders to Donald Trump—The US hasn’t become Russia just yet.
I saw something yesterday that showed a picture of the hallway with presidential pictures lining the hall. In place of the one where Biden is was a blank space and there was space made for a picture of Trump with Putin!
While it's great that low-knowledge voters are seeing through Trump, they have an unfortunate tendency to not vote in mid-term elections. Indeed, these are the kind of people who ONLY vote in presidential elections, and even then they tend to not have much of an idea of what's going or who's who. (Recall that one of the most common Google searches on election day in 2024 was "did Joe Biden drop out?")
So these people are not going to save Democracy. Not unless something truly shocking happens, and since every freaking day brings us something new and truly shocking from this administration, well, let's just say my hopes are not sky-high here.
Many Trump voters may be high risk rather than (only) low knowledge. Basic rule-of-thumb: Humans will take little risk to gain something new, but huge risk to avoid loosing what they have. Voters who felt they were at risk of losing their life-style may have voted for Trump's promises even though they felt it was a long-shot. Our risk as a nation is that their fears of loss are even worse now and that may mean they vote for even riskier politicians after Trump.
Morris likes to compare apples to potatoes to show Felon's support is cratering. Approval/disapproval Election Day 2024 was 43-54, so 11 points underwater (Civics poll). Obviously, quite a number of disapproving voted for him or did not vote. Today, despite all the crimes and atrocities, he is only 14 points underwater 41-55.
ICE and CBP have had 3000 officers in Minneapolis for over 2 months and claims to have arrested 4000 people. So on average, each officer has arrested 1 and 1/3 people in 2 months. Some that have been charged have had their cases dismissed so it may turn out to be less than 1 in 2 months were valid arrests. That's some massive waste of money and manpower.
The Epstein Files begins to awaken thousands of MAGAs, Evangelicals, Deepak Chopra followers, and any adults who were abused as children - and slowly, all over the world, a great uprising of victims and their supporters breaks through the silence....
The Maga bubble is truly imploding, and although the AG is not the entire movement, she certainly gave us a window into how scared shitless they all are. No way this is just Pam herself! Maybe this is unfair, but this couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people!
Not me. It’s a fair description of the people I interact with, when it comes to current affairs. An acquaintance of mine from *grad school* did not tell me who she voted for, but she made it clear that she was just beyond tired of the election and could not wait for everything to get back to ‘normal’. Yeah right.
They need to force people to study history more. STEM subjects are OK, but people really need to know how bad "normal" can be, not hypothetically, but with actual examples.
No Child Left Behind, imho, contributed mightily to this situation. I hesitate to call it a conspiracy, however, because those theories always attribute so much competency to these idiots. Bad policy has bad consequences.
I like disengaged as it also covers the approx. 4 million who voted for the President in 2020 but did not vote in 2024, along with the shameful number of about 1/3 of those eligible who don't vote at all.
I understand people who are checked out of politics completely but it is a weird Venn diagram of people who don't know who controls the house and the senate yet make the effort to go out and vote for the president. These low-knowledge people swing elections and it's truly maddening.
I think it depends on what you prioritize. I have no clue who the top athletes or the top influencers are, for example. I know what’s going on with Congress because it’s important to me.
Sure. But who the athletes or performers are, or how they're doing, will never impact your life the way who's in Congress or who's president will. If you don't believe me, ask women who haven't been able to get abortions, or have had abortion care dangerously delayed, post- Dobbs.
I agree with you but I will not be drawn into the blame game. Reasoning is a skill that has always gotten short shrift. Perhaps we could focus on improving such abilities without concern for past efforts.
Some are simply sick and tired, like the people working two or jobs, and the people struggling with serious illnesses within our mess of a medical systems. Some sympathy is warranted.
I have fond memories of Alberto Gonzales remaining unemployed and unemployable for a year after Dubya left office. I wonder what Alberto's doing these days?
Not quite right that Bondi “didn’t fool anyone” with her tantrum. She certainly fooled the orange cockroach in the Oval Office, who said she was “fantastic”.
Your country almost needs a military coup to stop this cancer.
Early on, I thought surely there would be a military coup. But no, the military—from the top brass at the Pentagon to the lowest grunt in the National Guard—have failed us. This will be remembered.
It would not be appropriate for the military to perform a coup. Not following illegal orders is what we should ask of the military. Rule of law is our protector not rule of force.
Does it occur to you that, from the point of view of an administration that has betrayed the Constitution, any pushback from patriotic citizens would be considered a coup.
Professor Krugman: and who are the 2% of dems who said "trump is better than Biden" in presidential performance? are these people BRAIN DEAD?
and how can any human in ameriKKKa not know which party controls the house and the senate? they have got to either be illiterate and deaf or they have severe brain stem rot. so which is it, i wonder?
My apologies, this is not unfair at all this is the inevitability of Karma when you do despicable things to almost everyone all the time it comes back to haunt you and it can't come too soon! Maybe now?
Bondi’s “testimony” was the cherry on top. The desperate, shrill, insane shrieking of someone about to be put in the straitjacket.
Bondi reminded me of the way some girls behaved in the eighth grade. My teacher said to ignore them because they had low self esteem and lacked confidence.
It’s an apt description, Gloria. I spent my career as a middle school guidance counselor and see a lot of parallels. We dismantled bullying by going after the underlings, not the king pins and queen bees. It didn’t take long for the house of cards to collapse. If RI, VT, VA, IL, DE, and CA issue warrants for “misprision” of felony and or treason, DC police will arrest them. Here’s an example of what it could look like if RI proceeded:
If Rhode Island (RI) has an active, extraditable arrest warrant for someone located in Washington D.C., that person can be arrested by Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers or federal authorities, held in a D.C. jail, and potentially transported back to Rhode Island to face charges.
Here is the step-by-step process of what happens:
1. Detection of the Warrant
Warrants are entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), a nationwide database accessed by police during traffic stops, background checks, or other law enforcement encounters in D.C..
2. Arrest and Detention
* The Arrest: Once the warrant is verified, D.C. police have the authority to make the arrest.
* Initial Detention: The person will be booked into a D.C. jail as a "fugitive from justice".
* Notification: DC authorities will notify Rhode Island authorities that the person is in custody.
3. Extradition Decision (The "Hold")
* Extraditable vs. Non-Extraditable: If the warrant is for a felony, Rhode Island almost always authorizes extradition (will pay to transport the person back). For misdemeanors, RI may decide it is too expensive to retrieve the person, in which case they may be released, though the warrant remains active.
* Holding Period: D.C. courts will not hold a person indefinitely. If the warrant is for a minor offense, they might be released if RI does not pick them up quickly (often within a few days).
* Time Limit: If the person does not waive extradition, D.C. allows 30 days for the demanding state (RI) to send agents to transport the person back.
4. Legal Proceedings in D.C.
* Court Appearance: The arrested person will appear before a D.C. Superior Court judge to be informed of the warrant from Rhode Island.
* Waiving Extradition: The person can choose to waive their right to an extradition hearing, which speeds up the process, and they will be picked up by RI law enforcement sooner.
* Fighting Extradition: If the person fights extradition, a hearing is held to ensure the warrant is valid and the correct person is in custody. This usually results in sitting in jail longer.
5. Return to Rhode Island
If authorized, officers from Rhode Island will fly or drive to D.C. to transport the individual back to the RI jurisdiction that issued the warrant.
You’re correct. We can’t ignore Bondi’s cover-up crime.
Lying by federal officials and blocking law enforcement (due process) by federal officials must be stopped. Gaslighting is enabled with lying. The law must be changed to stop lying and protect law enforcement such as prosecution of murder of innocent American citizens in the streets of Minneapolis.
AI can be applied to modify enforcement of the law on free speech which has been abused several ways.
First, Trump’s DOJ and ICE agents attacked free speech by protestors and then federal officials lied to justify the murder of people protesting who were exercising their free speech rights. Lying was revealed by the videos. But videos are not always available.
Second, the law on free speech has enabled massive lying by Trump and members of his administration including the DOJ and ICE officials. The law on free speech can be modified to require elected officials in government and the news media to regulate public speech by elected officials with AI. Validated AI can honestly and objectively detect lying in real-time and if the lying is not withdrawn and retracted with corrections within 1 minute then a criminal felony defined in the new law should be charged and enforced with unlimited fines and mandatory imprisonment for a minimum of 2 years up to a maximum of ten years if the lying is repeated. Lying by Trump that was extensivelu,y broadcast on news media including the internet got Trump elected by deceiving voters.
Third, due process to prosecute the murders in Minneapolis has been blocked by the doctrine of qualified immunity which is not a law. But a new law must be created to eliminate qualified immunity for federal officials who commit crimes whenever the crimes occur.
I'm sorry but that all sounds great. What does have to happen is the change in majority in both congress and the senate. Until that happens , and how we are going to make that happen, nothing matters. It all sounds intelectual and clever but without blue dominance in the midterms, nothing means anything. NOTHING! How are we going to make the midterms happen is all that matters right now.
Agree. But once Dems regain power they must enforce the law and I’ve posted proposals on how Dems can get control of the House in 2026 before the midterms by enforcing new state laws on insurrection and can get elected in 2028 by adopting those proposals on solving core problems including affordability of many things including housing and food.
Well, in a closely divided Congress having a few members locked up in a DC jail might change a few vote totals.
Who will arrest them? Like everything else it'll be tied up in court well past the 26 midterms and maybe past the 28 presidential elections.
Not sure Niedermeyer will get extra mayo in a DC jail but “Susie” Wiles can always make a casserole for prison guards. Maybe it will help. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/susie-wiles-trump-cabinet-chief-of-staff-net-worth-b2682925.html
If RI, DE, VT, VA, IL, and CA issue arrest warrants for misprision of felony and/or treason against the usual suspects, they will languish in DC jails for up to 30 days pending extradition. 47 cannot pardon them. These state charges cover crimes at both the state and federal level. It’s something that can be done now if those states have the courage.
Scary!
Actually, I’m inspired by it. Imagine if the usual suspects languished in DC jails while extradition was arranged? Not proud of the schadenfreude but it keeps my head from exploding.
Schadenfreude ist die beste freude.
😂
Great! But the implicit claim here is the warrant is correctly asserted. This is serious flaw in the rest of what follows. Specially considering that it goes into national registry. Given that ALL law enforcement is ipso facto coercive- those who wrote such laws must consider this before all this heavy handedness. I contest such broad scopes. In 1990, 2 officers pulled me over at 9 pm- on false retention.. they proceeded to hand cuff me claiming there was a warrant of arrest on me. I told them in my hand bag I had the letter from DMV that the fine was paid & case is closed 6 months prior to this incidence. The two would not allow me to touch the hand bag & show the paper.
Took me to jail & all the great lawfare kicked in with Kafkayan stupidity — all erroneous...
You can multiply this event 10 million times!With great damage to all civilians.
Outtageousness of the lawfulness sanctimoniousness is that a rogue admin has just shown total farce of it all! That if you have money/ power/ political office- you can give the law a big finger…
In conclusion, it is clear now that laws be crafted following a modelling procedure- so that they cannot be erroneous nor easily be ignored by the powerful.
Exactly! She’s the class “mean girl”!
I thought it was hilarious, in a scary way, that her staff prepared a book of insults particularized for each individual Democrat on the committee. Hilarious. She is such a piece of work. How embarrassing to be Pam Bondi. I like the idea of her getting 10,000 hours of community service. Do you think she would learn anything? Would the scales fall from her eyes? I hope so.
I want to see her disbarred. And prosecuted where appropriate. Community service? Nah. She won’t learn from it and she might actually do harm. None of these monstruos sycophants with their eyes wide open as they heap lies, pain, misery on Americans should be given a pass. Too many of them have been given passes for too long and it’s contributed to where we are right now.
The meanest.
That’s basically what the Atlantic profile of her confirmed. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/03/pam-bondi-trump-doj-independence/685663/
Only Pambi version stayed with the GOP goodfellas.
Now that personality traits are key for success in America.
Bondi called Jamie Ruskin a washed-up loser lawyer. The description seems to fit Bondi better than Ruskin. She is serving as the worst AG in history for the worst President in history. Sorry Pam, I know the truth hurts.
Those the “mean girls”?
Her version of Dorian Gray's picture will haunt her forever.
Yes, and just like the "mean girls," she had a prepared book of insults to throw at Congressscritters.
Please remind me the name of the list/book that the “mean girl” put together?
otherwise known as narcissists—yes, they’re everywhere
Ironically, it’s always the women who treat rape victims the worst! She wouldn’t even turn around and look them in the eye.
And this after claiming that no one has done more for these victims/survivors than Trump.
Yup, he’s a SAINT and the best for women; and the reason why Dad’s need to keep their daughter’s as far away from Trump and MAGA as possible!…:)
I think rapists treat women the worst.
Pam Bondi was A.G. in Florida from 2011 to 2019. She should be investigated and disbarred for not prosecuting the Epstein child sex trafficking in Florida at that time.
And Trump is, in fact, a racist, an adjudicated one.
Ugh
An adjudicated rapist. Also a racist, of course.
Well, considering he and his father were cited numerous times for violating the fair housing act because they wouldn't rent to Black people, I would say adjudicated racist is also correct. Let's give all credit where credit is due.
Fair enough, and touché!…:)
I think fathers who rape are the worst.
I heartily, TOTALLY disagree that women as a whole treat rape victims worse than men. If you think this, then you have never known a rape victim. There are minorities of women, like Maxwell, that pimp victims for their own personal benefit. BUT the vast majority of people who assist and care for rape victims are women - policewomen, nurses, counselors, rape crisis centers, relatives, ... .
Here's a true-life example. The rape victim in this series was only taken credibly when two policewomen entered the case. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7909970/
I didn’t say all women. Clearly, Bondi is someone who does. She wouldn’t even look at them! And I get it, these women are under male influence.
My point wasn’t to say that all women are worse, but that women like Bondi are an embarrassment to all women all girls, and not a role model any girl should admire! They hurt women’s and girl’s rights in their own pursuit of power!
Sorry if my post offended you, it wasn’t my goal!
I agree! I'm amazed that ANY women support DJT and his ilk, but they do. Hard to believe, but then Phyllis Schlafly existed and had many female followers! Her genes and message carry on....
Exactly, I was thinking of the Phyllis Schlafly’s of the world when I wrote it. Good call!…:)
Then we agree. No offense taken.
I guess I have run into too many of the 'mean girls' - it sounded reasonable, but your information is reassuring.
She's Trump's bitch, B-I-T-I-C-H, bitich!
No men still win. Because the men who treat the rape victims worse are often police. I’ve seen it with my own eyes and this was in the case of a minor. The counselors at the school I worked at said it was a consistent issue where the police were not trained in how to receive a report would rearm the victims and use language of blame. And we wonder why women and girls don’t report.
You’re right, the police are brutal to most rape victims. Read the rest of the thread, I wasn’t disagreeing with you at all. My point is that women can be far worse to women—mean girls, so to speak.
The Phyllis Schlafly’s of the world; whose own personal ambitions and love of the patriarchy made her the poster child against women’s rights!…:)
Women treat women the worst, psychologically, period.
Your evidence for this? Trust me bro university?
She looked, acted and sounded like a shrew. I don't have any other adequate words to describe that "performance". She could have done her usual defending of Trump without the histrionics, but she chose the histrionics. Shrew.
More like a cornered rat.
She kind of resembles that if you look closely.
You don't even have to look closely.
Performing for her Lord and Master
What view is one likely to take of the state of a person's mind when his speech is wild and incoherent and knows no constraint? Seneca the Younger
Mr. Prah. I am reminded of the old litigator's advice: If the law is on your side, quote the law. If the facts are on your side, stick to the facts. If neither are on your side, raise your voice and pound the table.
It was the perfect example of how "shitposting live" fails, because this has been the primary communication mode of the entire Maladminstration, which resembles the old 4Chan crew more than anything else...posting idiocy like this on Xitter doesn't get the immediate response of laughing in her face.
Y'know... My ex-wife was very smart, but she always freaked out -- and did poorly -- on tests. Maybe Bondi's that way about testifying. Not that she's necessarily smart, but that she's psychologically afraid of being asked hard questions.
She has a long history of crying to get her way. At work.
Her "loser lawyer" insult was thrown at a former longtime constitutional law professor. If a Democratic-led House were to impeach a Trump lackey, I would choose Bondi over Kristi Noem any day. Bondi is far more dangerous.
I say they should both be guillotined - along with the rest of the Klown Kar Krew, including and especially King Klown himself.
It could be counterproductive to speak of, or demand, violence. Firstly, it stoops to their level, and anti-trumpers are better than that.
"When they go low, we go high" failed as a policy response. In this case, letting the people destroying the nation know that they are going to pay a very high price, possibly their lives, for their corruption and treason, is an apt response.
Self-defense. They're killing people. They're planning to kill a lot more.
“Hey, I’m not a washed-up lawyer. I’m a washed-up law professor,” responded quick-thinking-on-his-feet, magna cum laude Harvard University AND Harvard Law School, former constitutional law professor at American University Washington College of Law Jamie Raskin to a question on CNN about Pam Bondi’s (University of Floriduh, law degree from Stetson University and member of Delta Delta Delta sorority) rude comment to him.
Notice how we are attacking the women and not the men who put them in the jobs. All while the evil men, Trump, Miller, Vought sit back and dodge accountability.
Nowm, Bondi, Gabbard, wake up! You are the wall protecting the evil men who will not hesitate to throw you under the bus when they are finished with you. They don’t value women, after all. Add Vance’s wife to group.
And she has her degree from the Stetson School of Law and Headwear.
That does help explain the affinity she has with Kristi Noem (the one who wears the cowboy hat)!
Bondi's outburst may have unintentionally revealed the Administration's strategy: Keep voters quiescent by making their 401K's rise in value. I had wondered why DOGE gutted SEC Dodd-Frank and Sarbox enforcement. It may be to make sure stock prices rise till the midterms - even if the rise is due to high risk behavior the SEC would normally prohibit.
How many people have 401ks? Stock market is unmoored from most daily lives. And AI bubble gonna burst any day now.
A lot of people. But you are right in your last sentence.
I asked AI:
"Approximately 54% to 60% of U.S. households have retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s or IRAs, according to 2022-2025 Federal Reserve and Gallup data."
So...when the AI bubble bursts, remember what the world felt like in 2000 and 2008. Combine the two and it still won't come close to the financial impact of the greatest stock market overbought condition since the 1920's. We have been warned by many in the "system". But as usual, greed and "this time is different" and "FOMO" rule the day.
I have 401ks (actually 403bs) and I still hate Trump and his administration. It's all smoke and mirrors as far as I'm concerned!
1/3 of voters have no retirement account at all, and of those who do, the median balance is in the 150K range. Most voters are almost wholly reliant on Social Security and Medicare for their retirement viability.
I've never heard anyone say this, but I suspect that, among other stats in this vein (like "most documented lies"), Tr has bankrupted more often than all the other presidents combined.
As national debt to GDP continues to accumulate into uncharted territory, we cannot afford this nonsense at the helm.
Part of the problem is that even if people don’t have their own investments, they think someone like Trump will deliver that gilded life to them. A huge problem with many of the “aggrieved” is that they think “that” could be them if only “things” were different. The MAGA machine feeds that idea constantly. They are lies and impossibilities, but that doesn’t matter. Most people do not (want to) see how those same liars, whether they are the politicians, business figures, influencers, etc, they are the ones keeping the little people down. Those liars and grifters see the world as a zero sum game of winners and losers, and they will do whatever it takes to be the winner while conning the overworked, underpaid, duped, and confused losers to consume their nonsense on the hop that they may someday ascend into the tier of winners.
A one paragraph summary of Fox News corporate strategy.
Ugh, yes. I think it’s the strategy for a lot of businesses. Pitting us little folks against one another as a distraction. For example, every time I see people argue over airlines - pricing tiers, seat selection, “reclining” the seat, etc. Too many people fall for the finger pointing when it’s really not that hard to see the truth if you just take a few minutes to actually consider the situation. Meanwhile the “haves” are robbing us of our money and power.
Ms. Rene. 87% of all stocks and bonds are owned by the wealthiest 10% of us. The top 1% owns 31.7% of all wealth: $55 trillion.
You are probably correct abut the Ai bubble. Regardless of how the midterms go; Ai will crash, AFTER them.
Yes, people are being killed and imprisoned, but the stock market is up. Where's the party!!
2259. You raise a good explanation about the possible connection between stock prices and the midterms in relation to Bondi's outburst.
I see her performance as the zenith of a trend we have been looking at for my entire life. Almost all answers given to congress members in hearings are carefully constructed misdirects intended to avoid answering questions, while appearing to actually answer them. It is kabuki theater. Bondi has, I believe such limited intelligence that she is incapable of constructing an adequate misdirect; so she simply yells and hurls insults: Kabuki. Nothing new, only a bad version of it.
She is surely the worst attorney general in history, with the least understanding of what her job is actually supposed to be.
We have an AG who shouldn't be allowed to prosecute a traffic ticket - or even play one who does it on TV.
Close call. Bondi is bad, but as you say “the least understanding of what her job” so by far the most incompetent. For worst I’ll stay with Ed Meese.
Mean, angry, weak and amoral - a humiliating public spectacle - pathetic.
I disagree. By being outrageously bizarre, she avoided any substantial inquiry and oversight. The freak shall inherit the earth.
You mean for now. The reckoning will be coming. The hungry leopards will chow down on her face.
cute! I’m gonna steal that.
There is the old adage to be careful what you say around children because they will repeat it at the most embarrassing times. Bondi, being a child at heart, is only saying what she has heard her superiors say, nothing original.
I have some sympathy for anyone being grilled by hostile Congressional members. That said, Bondi made her bed by signing on to Trump's team. I can't believe she said what she did to Nadler.
The hearing was hostile because the level of corruption in the entire fascist regime is like no other in the history of our country. Watergate was nothing compared to this. Our house is on fire and congress critters are only now feeling the righteous anger of the people. We must keep going until the cabal of criminals that is the Republican party is marched out in handcuffs.
It seems possible you have just created a new quiz game, (which might be fun if not so horrifying).....Who was Bondi rudest to yesterday? I would have gone with Congressman Raskin.
Me, too. And bonus points for Nadler and Raskin laughing at her.
I can’t vote. I wanted to watch the whole thing. But. I couldn’t. I didn’t have enough anti-nausea medicine in the house.
Thank you for pointing out my error, Emily. Bondi's "loser lawyer" comment was directed to Raskin, not Nadler.
Your description is not inaccurate but it had nothing to do with mental illness anymore than did that of now justice Kavanaugh. It was a deliberate play for her boss, a spectacle for his ego. It was simply a prostitution by one comfortable with such displays of "affection."
Fortunately, I caught some highlights that were recommended by YouTube. It certainly made the Democratic members and Thomas Massie out as the adults and genuinely serious politicians who want to work for the common good of the American people. I would have to say Rep Crockett gave the best "performance", which unfortunately politicians need to do to counteract this farce of an admin. For those who missed it, she said she would not ask Blondie any questions as she knew it would be a waste, and used her time to highlight Blondie's incompetence. One YouTuber analyzed Blondie's body language, and it was interesting to see points where she acted superior to the Congressional panel, and the ones who put her in a defensive position (Ted Lieu was one). She needs to hire a better writer because her "burn book" was washed up like she is.
She did look really tired. She needs a vacation.
Maybe a permanent vacation in a nice institution far from any place she could do damage?
For a brief second, I thought you might quote from The Bourne Supremacy
"Get some rest, Pam. You look tired. "
Of course, that Pam was a sympathetic character trying to do the right thing, so the comparison ends with the quote.
Yes, I was thinking if she got a good night’s sleep, woke up clear eyed and clear headed, and gave herself a stern talking to in the mirror while applying her mascara, maybe should could come up with a better rejoined, say for instance, “I admit that I have made a horrible mistake and I pledge to the Committee and the American people that I will immediately seek the arrest and prosecution of all of the abusers revealed in the Epstein files..” But I suppose that is the Pollyanna in me, thinking the best of people…
….in CECOT
America has fallen so far. What disgrace to the entire world we have become.
When they do carry her away, she can console herself with the robust Dow Jones averages.
It was unprecedented to see and hear this stupid and selfish creep totally lose it.
Woke is a good thing
"Woke," when aligned with empathy and compassion, is defined by many as being aware of social, racial, and political injustices, aimed at fostering a more caring, inclusive, and equitable world. It emphasizes understanding the human behind every story, listening deeply, and actively working to alleviate suffering.
• Awareness & Action: Originally rooted in awareness of racial injustice, "woke" has evolved to represent a broader consciousness of marginalized groups and systemic inequalities.
• Empathy as Strength: Proponents argue that empathy—feeling the pain of others—is not weakness, but rather a strength that guides a desire for a fairer society.
• Compassion in Action: While empathy is feeling the suffering, compassion is the desire to relieve it, and kindness is the action taken to do so. Supporters see this mindset as leading with love and humanity.
Ultimately, being "woke" is a conscious, ongoing effort to recognize one's own biases and to care for the well-being of all people, regardless of their background.
Now, who could possibly oppose such a beneficent course of action? Possibly only those who are filled with anger, hatred, jealousy, envy, paranoia and ignorance.
Say it loud,
I’m woke
And I’m proud!
THEY should try it.
Woke and proud. I think being awake means being aware of life around you. The antithesis of being "woke" is to be asleep, ignoring the perils, injustices, thievery and cruelty swirling around us.
Yes. Woke is good. Woke is smart.
I'm not a "Christian" but one of the best aspects of the Jesus story is that he was WOKE! Woke is civilized. Woke is how you would want to be treated.
To be anti-woke, therefore, is to be Anti-Christ. Take that, evil thumpers. (There are good thumpers :)
I do not see how anyone can deny that Jesus Christ and his followers brought forth a new consciousness of what it should mean to be human, as if the world itself awoke on their account from a bad dream. But for anyone to self-proclaim their own personal wokeness is still a little rich.
What? Proclaiming personal "wokeness" is what? Rich? Here is a thought. Saying one is woke is a saying one wants to be aware of fairness and opportunity for all.
Here is my take. Jesus. A good guy. Good ideas. Best of intentions. Should be a guide. Should need emulated. But...within minutes of his death, greedy power hungry humans grabbed his identity and used it to pursue the antithesis of his message. And the vampires who wear a cross at press conferences and such are the very entities he would condemn if he existed now.
Yes it is a good thing. However, republican marketing is ruthlessly effective so it's better to come up with an alternative. Woke as a word has become radioactive.
To hell with republicans and their marketing!
I prefer the word “woke” because it’s of African-American use and that’s why the racist MAGATs hate it and want to kill it. We should not allow them to kill a perfectly good word and concept.
Employers also don't like it. They want people to work together even if they are different, not thinking too much about their differences.
As if we should care about what employers like. They are the ones who are enabling His Royal Heinous and the fascist takeover.
Only a certain type of employer.
Am not convinced it's a perfectly good word and concept. The original meaning, like the lasting effects of colonialism, slavery, racism and Jim Crow was illuminating. But after it became a 'container word' it lost meaning in my view. Greeting from Zambia by the way.
You are way in the minority on this issue. I’ve had over 200 likes and positive comments and 2 negative. Vast majority approve of the term woke.
The vast majority of liberal on-line activists approve of Woke. I have a negative connotation with the word. I associate it with dogmatic, ideological overreach. I've used the word Woke to describe the rabid right wingers too. I associate Woke with purity tests, reward my friends and punish my enemies.
Woke is great for a forum like this, but it's deadly in the real world. The demographic who are comfortable with the title Woke are a definite minority and will alienate people we need to defeat MAGA.
The only people the word woke will alienate ARE maga.
That's a representative sample you presume?
You are correct about the container word concept. Once it’s weaponized it’s compromised. Gonna need some time and distance to change that.
But reclaiming the pejoratives like queer and dyke is part of realigning popular consciousness. If kind, compassionate people like Pretti are unafraid to be woke, they offer a route to positive value. We need to change the discourse and values, not just the president and his enablers. Building a positive alternative will take work from all of us. Voting matters of course, but it is not all that does.
There is a sort of self-righteous tonality in "woke" that is a little problematic; so I can somewhat understand how that word has been stigmatized. But what kind of world does it take to stigmatize diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Utopia. There has been enormous progress in the past hundred years, compared to the few millennia before 1900.
Spot on right. I hear people whine the word “woke” at the drop of a hat, yet when I’ve asked conservative friends to define it, they essentially just shrug.
I don’t think it’s down to Republican marketing but more about the positions adopted by those claiming to be woke and their behaviours.
Maybe both, and one reinforces the other.
I’m in Britain. We don’t get so much Republican marketing here but woke has followed a similar trajectory. It just comes across as embarrassing now.
No need for another single word that can be weaponized. Just start using words like compassion, kindness, empathy or even civility could be a good place to start.
The "original definition of "woke" has been twisted and corrupted out of all recognition, because too many people have co-opted it to whatever "ill" or problem, real or imagined, most agitates the "bees in their bonnets". In much the same way that the GOP has corrupted and co-opted "conservatism". Better to let "woke" fade back into semantic obscurity.
MAGATS can hate “woke” all they want, it only strengthens our resolve. The opposite of woke is “go back to sleep”, and we’re not about to rest until everyone is awake to the racism, the hatred, the corruption of MAGA.
I am proudly woke. And I tell my more conservative friends I’d rather be woke than benighted. That’s a $50 word for low-knowledge.
Right. Better we should all lie down and let maga do whatever they want.
Please do all the things you outline, but let’s not call it woke.
Also, many good things can be taken too far, defying common sense. Democrats need to avoid this and instead embrace a more pragmatic and center left approach that focuses on getting things done versus identity politics. In other words I’d like people to be decent and government to protect the minority while also paving roads.
In the 2010s I remember being stunned at learning that the epithet "social justice warrior" was being used as a ·pejorative·.
The paradoxical downside of being raised by decent people is that you aren't prepared to deal with ugly-hearted people.
When I was young the derogatory phrase was bleeding heart liberal. They have never liked kindness.
I reclaim “woke.” Just today I commented that the episode of Jack Benny’s show where Benny and Rochester trade places was my youngest experience of being woke to the realities of racial disparity in America. I also embrace diversity, equity and inclusion. You don’t see many yard signs proclaiming “In this home we embrace uniformity, inequity and exclusion,” even in MAGA neighborhoods.
Possibly of equal importance, woke is the opposite of asleep.
Woke, Woke is good!
Woke began as an African American vernacular English (AAVE) term meaning awake to injustice—especially racial injustice. Over time, the word has taken on additional, often politicized meanings.
Core historical meaning
• Staying alert to racial discrimination and systemic inequality.
• Being conscious of social realities that are often ignored or minimized.
• The phrase “stay woke” appeared in Black communities as early as the 1930s and resurfaced during the civil rights and Black Lives Matter eras.
That’s not how many people understand woke. You can argue that your definition is what it should mean, but it’s probably better to ditch the word. It’s only a word after all.
It’s not the word they object to. It’s acting like a decent human being. No matter what new word you come up with, they’ll say it’s an obscenity and try to harm you for it. They’re the enemy. Treat them like it.
By they you mean MAGA types? It doesn’t matter what they think. They’re too far gone. Focus on the inependents. They’re your potential allies. Treat them like it.
Right. Better we should all lie down and let maga do whatever they want.
You can’t fight MAGA without the word “woke”? If you insist on sticking with the woke stuff you’re playing into their hands.
For me it sounds somewhat like a church or Religion. Similar to scientology. Don't know how many followers that would find. You can do what you want, of course. It's not yet the 60s. So regarding employers and politics, it depends...
Please talk about what is going on with legislation and coinbase
Please feel free to talk about whatever you want, until His Royal Heinous signs an executive order banning it.
Maybe we should just call it Awake. Awake to all the social injustices.
Bondi: “You don’t tell me anything, you washed-up, loser lawyer!" Pure projection. Why Bondi hasn't been disbarred yet is a mystery.
I did chuckle at her statement that the Dow was over 50,000 DOLLARS. She clearly does not understand that a Dow "point" is not the same thing as a "dollar", although they are closely related concepts. https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/what-are-points-on-the-dow/
She’s that ugly combination of ignorance and malice. Like her boss.
I caught that too. She mismemorized something she really doesn't understand. Keep playing that clip over and over again.
Everything the people in this administration say is projection.
D.O.G.E., Bondi hasn't been disbarred because the bar association in Florida is controlled by MAGAts, as is the state Supreme Court. As long as both of those facts are true, she will never be disbarred. This state is hopelessly corrupt. Ugh.
This story about the Florida Bar patting Matt Gaetz on the head and saying no worries, tells you all you need to to know about the Florida Bar. https://www.floridabulldog.org/2026/01/florida-bar-lets-matt-gaetz-off-hook-says-statutory-rape-has-nothing-to-do-with-practicing-law/
It usually takes a lot, including time and due process, to disbar a lawyer.
If they never start, it takes a really long time.
I have just sent an email to my senators and congresswoman requesting disbarrment of Bondi. I am sick of her petulant behavior and fielty to Trump. If we all do that, the Junta will get nervous
First, impeach!
Susan Collins is up for reelection in November and we have already received 3 mailings, numerous emails and ads on the local radio stations and newspapers. ALL PAID FOR BY OUT OF STATE PACS.
She is visiting elementary schools across the state because she knows that they won't shame her for being a Republican and supporting her Christo-Fascist Republicans colleagues.
Her taking credit for getting funding for Maine is like the arsonist expecting praise for reporting a fire they set.
You mean Susan "I vote independent when I know my vote will be outvoted by Republicans" Collins?
That's the one! She also has a twin who goes by the name 'Lisa Murkowski'
Yep, that's the one.
Could it finally be the end of the road for Collins?? Somehow I find her more offensive than Pam Bondi and Karoline Leavitt combined.
I totally agree. She voted to approve Bondi's nomination as AG as well as Noem's and Vought's. She also voted for Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Alito and Roberts. So she can pretend that she gives a shit about her constituents but we all know she works for the oligarchs.
Be Minnesota!
Gallup to stop tracking presidential approval ratings after 88 years
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/11/gallup-stop-tracking-presidential-approval-ratings
I saw it claimed that Gallup did this before in 2018. They'll be back in 2028 after Donnie is gone. Not a profile in courage, but others track this parameter.
Be Minnesota and as joyous and woke as Paul Simon!
Krugman Sensei, a brilliant article as usual. I think that while it’s clear that Putin is giving orders to Donald Trump—The US hasn’t become Russia just yet.
The citizens of Trumpistan aren’t buying it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/tokyopaladin/p/everybody-knows-whats-really-in-the?r=3pdqa4&utm_medium=ios
I saw something yesterday that showed a picture of the hallway with presidential pictures lining the hall. In place of the one where Biden is was a blank space and there was space made for a picture of Trump with Putin!
MAGA doesn’t care about Trump and Putin. “It’s called diplomacy” is a common attempt to defend him.
While it's great that low-knowledge voters are seeing through Trump, they have an unfortunate tendency to not vote in mid-term elections. Indeed, these are the kind of people who ONLY vote in presidential elections, and even then they tend to not have much of an idea of what's going or who's who. (Recall that one of the most common Google searches on election day in 2024 was "did Joe Biden drop out?")
So these people are not going to save Democracy. Not unless something truly shocking happens, and since every freaking day brings us something new and truly shocking from this administration, well, let's just say my hopes are not sky-high here.
Derelict, yes exactly. Low-knowledge voters will get you in the end, the beginning and the middle. They're never a force for good.
Many Trump voters may be high risk rather than (only) low knowledge. Basic rule-of-thumb: Humans will take little risk to gain something new, but huge risk to avoid loosing what they have. Voters who felt they were at risk of losing their life-style may have voted for Trump's promises even though they felt it was a long-shot. Our risk as a nation is that their fears of loss are even worse now and that may mean they vote for even riskier politicians after Trump.
Morris likes to compare apples to potatoes to show Felon's support is cratering. Approval/disapproval Election Day 2024 was 43-54, so 11 points underwater (Civics poll). Obviously, quite a number of disapproving voted for him or did not vote. Today, despite all the crimes and atrocities, he is only 14 points underwater 41-55.
ICE and CBP have had 3000 officers in Minneapolis for over 2 months and claims to have arrested 4000 people. So on average, each officer has arrested 1 and 1/3 people in 2 months. Some that have been charged have had their cases dismissed so it may turn out to be less than 1 in 2 months were valid arrests. That's some massive waste of money and manpower.
But the arrests were only a minor goal. Terrorizing the population was the aim.
Imagine...
The Epstein Files begins to awaken thousands of MAGAs, Evangelicals, Deepak Chopra followers, and any adults who were abused as children - and slowly, all over the world, a great uprising of victims and their supporters breaks through the silence....
“Deepak Chopra followers” 😂😂😂 Dare I include Ekhart Tolle?
The Maga bubble is truly imploding, and although the AG is not the entire movement, she certainly gave us a window into how scared shitless they all are. No way this is just Pam herself! Maybe this is unfair, but this couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people!
Cornered rats...
Great essay. I would still consider “low-knowledge” pejorative though.
Not me. It’s a fair description of the people I interact with, when it comes to current affairs. An acquaintance of mine from *grad school* did not tell me who she voted for, but she made it clear that she was just beyond tired of the election and could not wait for everything to get back to ‘normal’. Yeah right.
How's that "normal" workin' out for her? 🤔
Two teenage daughters as well!!
They need to force people to study history more. STEM subjects are OK, but people really need to know how bad "normal" can be, not hypothetically, but with actual examples.
No Child Left Behind, imho, contributed mightily to this situation. I hesitate to call it a conspiracy, however, because those theories always attribute so much competency to these idiots. Bad policy has bad consequences.
I don't think it was a conspiracy. The goal was to at least teach people to read. The problem was deciding that it was enough to just stop there.
The goal was imposing right wing bullshit
I failed to say that I’m good with “pejorative”. 😎
I think of them as "disengaged".
I like disengaged as it also covers the approx. 4 million who voted for the President in 2020 but did not vote in 2024, along with the shameful number of about 1/3 of those eligible who don't vote at all.
Me too. How can you possibly not know who controls the house and the senate?
I understand people who are checked out of politics completely but it is a weird Venn diagram of people who don't know who controls the house and the senate yet make the effort to go out and vote for the president. These low-knowledge people swing elections and it's truly maddening.
I think it depends on what you prioritize. I have no clue who the top athletes or the top influencers are, for example. I know what’s going on with Congress because it’s important to me.
Sure. But who the athletes or performers are, or how they're doing, will never impact your life the way who's in Congress or who's president will. If you don't believe me, ask women who haven't been able to get abortions, or have had abortion care dangerously delayed, post- Dobbs.
I tend to agree with you, Robert, but I haven’t come up with an alternative. Uninformed maybe? Still not a particularly positive attribute though.
It’s our fault they are like this. We elect people who don’t care about the future or our children. We’ve under-invested in civic and critical
thinking education. Many adults lack basic political literacy and reasoning skills, which leaves them vulnerable to misinformation.
I agree with you but I will not be drawn into the blame game. Reasoning is a skill that has always gotten short shrift. Perhaps we could focus on improving such abilities without concern for past efforts.
“Uninterested?” “Unengaged”? “Barely There?”
Some are simply sick and tired, like the people working two or jobs, and the people struggling with serious illnesses within our mess of a medical systems. Some sympathy is warranted.
And some are simply as dumb as rocks. :(
Privilege and education sometimes keeps people from seeing the obvious.
“Keep”
“You don’t tell me anything, you washed-up, loser lawyer”? LMAO
I have fond memories of Alberto Gonzales remaining unemployed and unemployable for a year after Dubya left office. I wonder what Alberto's doing these days?
How about John Dean? And John Mitchell? Both disbarred and jailed.
Jesus doesn't love me enough to send Bondi into bondage.
Not quite right that Bondi “didn’t fool anyone” with her tantrum. She certainly fooled the orange cockroach in the Oval Office, who said she was “fantastic”.
Your country almost needs a military coup to stop this cancer.
It’s not that she fooled him. It’s that she performed his cruel intentions flawlessly.
Military is following clearly illegal and very immoral orders (shooting small boats killing unknown people on board)
Good point. Not all of those people were installed like Hegseth for their loyalty to the regime accompanied by incompetence.
Early on, I thought surely there would be a military coup. But no, the military—from the top brass at the Pentagon to the lowest grunt in the National Guard—have failed us. This will be remembered.
It would not be appropriate for the military to perform a coup. Not following illegal orders is what we should ask of the military. Rule of law is our protector not rule of force.
Does it occur to you that, from the point of view of an administration that has betrayed the Constitution, any pushback from patriotic citizens would be considered a coup.
We fear there would be no coming back from a military coup. So we are letting the process work as slow and agonizing as it is.
Professor Krugman: and who are the 2% of dems who said "trump is better than Biden" in presidential performance? are these people BRAIN DEAD?
and how can any human in ameriKKKa not know which party controls the house and the senate? they have got to either be illiterate and deaf or they have severe brain stem rot. so which is it, i wonder?
Or they’re really republicans answering polls to troll the pollsters.
But the Trump family will come out of this debacle billions of dollars richer. Mission accomplished!
It would be worth seeing them walking away with billions of dollars just to be rid of them.
My apologies, this is not unfair at all this is the inevitability of Karma when you do despicable things to almost everyone all the time it comes back to haunt you and it can't come too soon! Maybe now?