I would have like to be a fly on the wall when the partners at Paul, Weiss, with their $6m salaries, met to discuss whether, and then how, to capitulate to Trump. They have joined his legal team. They are MAGA lawyers now. Pro Bono? Not really; it's more like blackmail.
In that twilight zone world one can be neither neutral nor professional. If you are not 100% in service to their cause, you are "the enemy within."
This moment seems mythic, apochryphal. And yet, it's all too real.
"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Paul Weiss partners and associates can become part of the solution by cashing in their chips and leaving the firm. If they're as good as they think they are, getting hired elsewhere or starting a new firm would be easy, and they should be able to get by for at least a couple of weeks on their accumulated profits.
And so will we. I know a number of honest and honorable attorneys; possibly coincidentally none of them work for big, internationally connected firms that derive substantial revenue and profits from government contracts and lobbying.
What I think about this is that first of all the fact that they decided on a big DEI initiative when Biden became president sounds opportunistic, and as such, they are in a different time, so different rules. However, I also think Weiss sounds like a Jewish name, and there is going to be something in the historical experience that makes facing an authoritarian government with more caution. Weiss cannot think of where else his firm can go and practice law, unless he has an international law firm, so he is stuck in the wealth he has created in the USA. He can take some of it with him, but cannot count on living such a high life elsewhere. Of course, other countries are cheaper and may be more calm.
Simple. Weiss can just grovel a little lower (into the dirt?) and change his name and his company's name to White. (It seems appropriate.) Then he can, just as Musk is doing when he eliminates all mention of Blacks, women, and Navajos from the record of history at institutions and on the internet, expunge all mention of his Jewish heritage from the public record. Problem solved. As Mother Russia pacifies and absorbs us, that's how *she* does it... What gets me is how these lawyers think they will make $6.2 m a year no matter how much they grovel, when most Americans are out of work, corporations fail because there is no one who can afford to buy their products as the economy crashes, no foreign trade exists, and there is no government left to help people in any kind of misfortune or transition.
Only firms that cater to the needs of the lower, middle and lower upper classes will be impacted by the movement of wealth upwards. The trick will be to stay on the surf board on the way up the wave and then continually make adjustments to stay on the crest.
Well, Lisa, Hitler put 6 million Jews to death in WWII. Trump loves Hitler. Jews, like the trial balloon Trump floated with the Venezuelans, who are now in an El Salvador torture prison, heads shaven, no hope of recourse, are in danger of being put in El Salvadorean torture-camp prisons, because Trump/Hitler doesn't like them. I believe that's what the sound of Weiss' last name has to do with things.
No. Bringing up (ostensibly) Jewish heritage amounts to singling out Jews. That amounts to (non-Jews) telling Jews how to behave and act. I think that is offensive (even if well-intended).
I really hate to disagree with Robert, most particularly on things legal, since I merely find the law interesting (while discovering when I went to law school that I'd rather be hanged, drawn and quartered than practice it, more power to him). However, while the DEI capitulation is very definitely not good, I think if you look at the rest of the fine print they agreed to, that - like Mexico and Canada promising Krasnov they would step and and do the border drug interdictions they have done for the past ten years - allowing "the world's greatest dealmaker" to be snookered long enough to be distracted by the next shiny object may be what has happened. They will "support Trump policies and programs like helping veterans - well, as a veteran, I know we come in both smart veterans and MAGAmorons. We Democrat vets need help too and to non-vet draft dodgers like Krasnov, "you seen one vet you seen 'em all." And while they can hold their doors open to MAGA clients, I will be surprised that the MAGAts will trust them enough to do business with them. I think politically and militarily while Robert thinks legally - they're three very different POVs - and I think that "living to fight another day" - when the alternative was to mount the gallows and have the rope around one's neck - is a long-term "win." Linda's point below about the "Jewish tradition" in negotiating with the Krasnovs of the world, is a solid one. Pay attention to the fine print - it looks like Paul, Weiss did.
Perhaps you made some valid points. However, the fact that people with average annual incomes exceeding $5M (sounds like plenty to cover your own security) hand over $40M to
Trump sends a cowardly and nauseous message to those of us living on much less.
Since no one really has a clue about what the now all-purpose word DEI means, I'd say revise the NAME to something like "Ensuring the Civil Rights Laws are complied with."
I also thought the language about supporting trump initiatives like "helping veterans" was pretty sneaky. Say they take on a veteran pro bono who is fighting some trumpian rule. Is trump going to claim that his "agenda" to help veterans means "only helping nice compliant veterans?"
So you do not think that they could have won back their legitimately earned security clearances and regained access to federal buildings if they had continued to contest the action? That would be paramount to them, but also very important to the resistance is the message that capitulation is what a very well informed and well financed firm decided was best or even vital.
Supporting Trump's policies could mean anything, and whatever it is, it's bad. I don't know why you would think it has anything to do with supporting veterans. It's more likely it has to do with deporting people or punishing his adversaries. If I had six million dollars I would accept the prospect of a reduced income and do the right thing.
"Apocryphal. And yet, it's all to real." Well said. And we have seen it before. Just another parallel to what happened in Germany in the 30s.
So it seems appropriate to start to apply the terms used to describe the usurpation of power by the Nazis in Germany. The obviously successful browbeating into obedience, extortion and/or shakedown (the mobster aspect of the current American form of fascism) of Paul Weiss is a perfect example of Gleichschaltung.
Thanks to trump and his goons Gleichschaltung should become a household word like Blitzkrieg or Kindergarten.
Re: protests. Out doing errands yesterday, on a chilly, wet Thursday in Portland, Maine I ran into a rally against privatization of the Post Office, with an enthusiastic group that included representatives of several unions. Drivers honked; passers-by joined, and people across the street waved. Then a few blocks away I ran into friends who were leafletting in front of the Social Security office and talking to people about the threat of cuts (one woman spoke of having had to wait hours to resolve a simple problem). These were spontaneous actions - not the regular Saturday meetups; they were like the street-corner protest I had joined the previous Sunday after leaving a visit to a museum. Nobody seemed to know how that was organized or by whom - it just happened. I suspect this is going on all over the country - under the radar of people making the rally tallies. We are everywhere.
This Sunday (March 23) there will be nationwide protests by the National Association of Letter Carriers against dismantling our postal service. See if there’s a protest near you: https://www.nalc.org/news/fight-like-hell
I thought we all knew that 6 corporations own almost all media, controlling the distribution of info. You're naive if you think some TV program director or newspaper editor is going to support messages that the 6 CEOs oppose.
I was thrilled when you wrote about compassion and spoke of the retired couple who had purchased a Tesla for all the right reasons. Compassion for one another is crucial. Then in the very next paragraph you wrote about the media being "lazy," which seems to lack the very compassion we need and you challenged us to extend. We are ALL exhausted and just last night, while watching MSNBC, I thought; "how are they doing this?" This thought came when Laurence O'Donnell's show was about to air. Even Laurence knew when time off was crucial. I personally needed a break on Tuesday, as it had all come crashing down on me. Grateful for substack writers like you and others, as well as the media who are being ran to exhaustion. Yes, let's have compassion ❤️
I don’t think Robert was referring to MSNBC when he said the media was being lazy; instead, he alludes to the legacy media, which is not only not covering protest activities but is essentially writing us off as fringe actors. Why is Bernie Sanders drawing huge crowds not being covered? Why is Tim Walz holding town halls in Republican districts not covered in any meaningful way? Why are the Tesla protests portrayed as a bunch of car-torching hooligans instead of a legitimate force that has helped to cause the company to lose 40% of its value in two months? If not laziness on the part of the media, what is it? Is it willful ignorance? From where I sit, their inaction is a choice, and whether that comes from their corporate bosses or a sheer lack of courage or imagination is not for me to say, but I’m not mad about Robert calling it laziness either.
Me neither. I don't in the least imagine that criticism of a well financed corporate media that chooses to ignore protests, cherry pick their news, and actively serve the ends of this forming dictatorship is even in the same universe as hostility to the trapped Tesla owners (not the ones who recently created a short lived surge to buy one cheap or to buy stock cheap and who gladly sport MAGAt bumper stickers) without finding out their stories.
Jacque, I hear you my Substack buddy. We all need breaks. When my young friends (they aĺl call me Mama P all over the world) ponder about leaving the country and ask for financial advice I need to gather all my inner resources realizing I need to fight for them and their children.
It's on MSNBC all day. :-) Fox is a lost cause. WSJ seems to be waking up a little. And NYT is starting remember its roots. Don't watch CNN so no idea what it does. Local papers? Some are actually speaking out. Others prefer to hide in their locals.
I'm in the middle of a move at my age, so I'm stressed out (so is little Nomi as I'm leaving her alone a lot more). God willing after the move, I can begin dealing with other stuff.
I would say my local newspaper is “lazy” while also extending some compassion ( and a good amount of patience! ) in my interactions with Ex Editor/Op Ed.They are refusing to accurately print what is happening with DOGE(I’ve politely requested) while platforming our MAGA Rep with absolutely no pushback.This week Dept of Ed Linda McMahon was in town ,visiting MAGA and a charter school, and they made it sound as if she was actually qualified and that demolishing DOE was no big deal.They also rely on USA Today and Reuters newsfeeds so I’ve submitted links.They actually printed one about the White House Tesla “showroom”.But why do I have to do their job to try to get accurate info out to my community!! They haven’t printed a link I sent about closure of a local Social Security office though…argh. Ok, rant over!😜
All I know is that none of the Americans I know in the Northern Germany Democrats Abroad want our spouses entering the US again. Mine works there, so it is a quandary that many don't have. With the German government issuing travel advisories for Germans who want to travel to the USA, it does not feel safe. I heard Britain issued a travel advisory too. I don't for a minute think that the fire at a London airport today was just random. I think of it as Putin's sabotage, which he has been doing to European countries. Now Trump has clearly put certain countries on a list of people to scrutinize and harass. The treatment of Germans by ICE was totally unnecessary from a US safety point of view, so I can only suspect that Germany is on a list. Canada, Britain, France and Venezuela too. So, will I have a problem entering the US when I go back? I am a born US citizen. We shall see. The thought of being arrested by ICE and given no reason, but held for an indefinite time without being able to contact anyone is not appealing. I am starting to see the USA like Russia.
I sat in on a ZOOM TRAINING session on how to be an effective witness to a possible ICE stop or trying to enter a house or place of business. They have to have a judicial warrant and anything else is not valid. Witnesses should record, focusing on the officers, not who they are trying to detain. Don't interfere. Have a phone number memorized as they may try to take your phone.
Also read the complete document that Robert cited yesterday about the Canadian citizen who was detained and held for 2 weeks.
I was married to an airman with the USAF and he was sent to Spain. I paid to join him. We lived on the economy (off base) from 1967 to 70. It was during Franco's regime. I also lived from 2002 to 04 in PR China and those experiences have made me turn to grassroots efforts in my old age. I will not give up on our freedoms easily! Don't lose hope. We living here are busy doing what we can!
That's really interesting. Please let us know when there is another such zoom. It sounds like something everyone should know now. Sort of like like artificial resuscitation back in the good old days when being a helpful bystander didn't usually involve strong arm bullies.
For Tesla owners who need or want to keep their cars: I was happy to see a decal on a Tesla rear window yesterday that said in big bold letters "ANTI ELON TESLA CLUB". Worth checking out for those keeping their Teslas.
They say this with a straight face, while they also require a $40M bribe so people can keep their security clearances. Absolutely insane. There is no intellectual consistency with MAGA.
I so agree, Robert and Jill are devoting so much of their time to inform, educate and lead us into taking needed steps to save our Democracy!! I can not thank them enough and they are what “hero’s” look like!!! Thank you so much Robert and Jill!!!
These people are selling out our country and everyone wants to wait for the midterms that at this rate ARE NEVER FUCKING COMING! Like I said:
“But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security.“ For those who don’t recognize these words they are from our Declaration of Independence!
Yes. It’s part of the Jewish tikiun olam. Our obligation to help repair the world, even if we started none of it and will never finish any of it for good. The work is our responsibility. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun_olam
Sam, we are not waiting until the midterms. We are organizing in every state, every size community, red, blue, purple. Yes, the midterms will happen. It’s our job to make sure they do.
Sam, I agree with you 100%. We are still, all of us who care about democracy and social justice, being very polite and politically correct in our measured responses. Russian software developers are the best in the world. The self-proclaimed dictator is in bed with Putin. Why do people think our 2026 elections will be safe? If Trump can dismantle the Dept. of Education in one day, don't you think he will install Russian software in our election system (without anyone knowing about it)? Don't you think he has already done it? While we calmly and politely wait for our 2026 elections and think, "We'll show HIM in 2026!" We are just silly people. We are like Chuck Schumer who thinks it's still 1990 and the rule of civility prevails. It doesn't.
Christina, this sounds like down the alley of conspiracy theories...until it doesn't. Just remember Mitch McConnell fighting tooth and nails to block ramping up election security measures against Russian attempts to meddle with elections in 2019. He only dropped his opposition when facing a storm of protest and the nickname Moscow Mitch was coined.
I agree, Stefan. Good point about Moscow Mitch, who did a whole lot to sell America down the river into Russian slavery. And I think we are way beyond conspiracy theories. We only need to look at the daily news and extrapolate a tiny amount. When major American government departments are dismantled in a day; when DOGE invaders of government institutions are aided and abetted by the local police; when legal residents of our country are detained in airports, stripped naked, and send to El Salvador torture prisons without recourse; when Pentagon officials happily share the details of our plans to combat Chinese aggression with an unelected corporate degenerate (Musk), it's not a conspiracy theory to think our nation is under assault and that national institutions like free and fair elections are in mortal danger. Conspiracy theory accusations are part of the 1990s mentality Chuck Schumer lives in. Just because they're sacred cows in our minds doesn't mean Musk isn't planning to slaughter them.
Paul Weiss always had (emphasis on had) a storied history in New York. I know many fine lawyers who were associates there and some who are partners. I litigated against them many years ago. This is an outrage, and a stain on the legal profession as a whole to capitulate to extortion—what some attorneys at Paul Weiss would call a “shonda”.
Per the New York Times:
“The firm has long prided itself on breaking barriers and standing up to the government on issues like civil rights. Its website trumpets how it was the first major New York City firm to have Jewish lawyers working alongside Gentiles, to hire a Black associate and to have a female partner.”
Again, there are plenty of law firms in New York. Associates and partners can walk with their feet and clients can too.
Not sure how old you are, but back in the day, Jews were not hired by the white shoe law firms in Manhattan. Paul Weiss and Proskauer Rose were the 2 prominent Jewish firms. Paul Weiss was founded before the 1900s.
I am pretty old, but I'm from LA so don't know about what was happening in New York. But I have never been aware of Jews having trouble being hired as lawyers.
The way to think of Tesla: the objective is to DISSUADE PEOPLE FROM BUYING NEW ONES, not punishing folks who innocently bought the cars months or years ago in support of the climate movement.
You DO have to make this statement in your newsletter about no tolerance of violence or threats or plans of violence, because I will not be surprised when ELON/FELON turns their scrutiny onto Substack and other independent outlets and finds a way to shut it all down ("promotes violence, promotes domestic terrorism") so that it will be very difficult to organize in any way any resistance to their maladministration. We have taken for granted freedom of speech but can already see examples in the news where ELON/FELON has been attempting to discourage and prevent protests under the guise of labeling protesters as "domestic terrorists." If 300 men can be "disappeared" to El Salvador without any due process, without any information as to their identities, when a transplant surgeon is deported to Lebanon even though she is legally allowed to be in this country, when people on domestic flights at select airports are required to provide a passport even though they had a real ID - the signs are all there.
==================================
"I can’t believe I have to say this, but anyone who suggests or implies in the Comment section that violence is a solution to the current crisis will be permanently banned, unsubscribed, and blocked. Don’t say it, imply it, or joke about it."
I’ve been called naive plenty of times. Not inaccurate, unfortunately. I tend toward “covering my butt.” No expectation that this regime will honor the law.
I fear JustRaven and Colleen are being naive. Whether we issue disclaimers about being non-violent (we should and must be non-violent!), whether we are the purest of Substack blogs and never mention it, Musk Trump will still accuse us of it and use it as an excuse to disband us. I have noticed that whatever they say, they mean the opposite, especially when they are accusing others of crimes. They are usually the crimes they themselves are committing.
oh, I'm probably the last person you could characterize as "naive." But I have dealt with legal paperwork throughout my career and the baseline is, "If it's not in writing then it didn't happen" or "it was never discussed" or "it was not specifically prohibited" and I have no illusions that making disclaimers of non-violence will shield any Substack writer from accusations of promoting violence. ELON/FELON are both sociopaths and completely lack any self-awareness and empathy; FOTUS is probably more of a psychopath, but the end result is the same. People should be concerned that these two subhumans are running the country like a reality show for their own profit.
BUT I think it would be wise for any pro-democracy writer on social media like Substack to include such a disclaimer that anyone touting violence as a solution will not be tolerated and is subject to immediate banning and blocking.
As DOGE is changing the rules effective 3/31, requiring most business with Social Security be conducted online, I recommend that that you attempt to login now.
The Paul Weiss firm is just being forced by this monster to publicly display its core. It's been all about money for always. DEI, for a firm like that, is for show, pure fluff. Their real core is money. They're groveling for the money. Some of their lawyers and staff will leave, but the rest, like the other cowards we see fall before their idol, will keep their money safe. After all, the love of money is the source of all evil, a truth worth reflection.
I am heartened by the news of judges following the rule of law. Thank you, Robert, for your encouraging post in these horrific and perilous times. I truly believe that those of us who persevere in support of democracy will prevail.
I don’t know if you read EVERY comment, Robert and Jill, but I cannot thank you enough fir being my compass and my light during these times.
My life, like many, has been a difficult and blessed one. My anxiety never fully subsides but My anxiety has been replace by hope a willingness( at 72) to fight💕
I would have like to be a fly on the wall when the partners at Paul, Weiss, with their $6m salaries, met to discuss whether, and then how, to capitulate to Trump. They have joined his legal team. They are MAGA lawyers now. Pro Bono? Not really; it's more like blackmail.
In that twilight zone world one can be neither neutral nor professional. If you are not 100% in service to their cause, you are "the enemy within."
This moment seems mythic, apochryphal. And yet, it's all too real.
"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Paul Weiss partners and associates can become part of the solution by cashing in their chips and leaving the firm. If they're as good as they think they are, getting hired elsewhere or starting a new firm would be easy, and they should be able to get by for at least a couple of weeks on their accumulated profits.
Most of us could get by on their accumulated profits for the rest of our lives. They did not need to do what they did. History will remember.
And so will we. I know a number of honest and honorable attorneys; possibly coincidentally none of them work for big, internationally connected firms that derive substantial revenue and profits from government contracts and lobbying.
Good call 👍
What I think about this is that first of all the fact that they decided on a big DEI initiative when Biden became president sounds opportunistic, and as such, they are in a different time, so different rules. However, I also think Weiss sounds like a Jewish name, and there is going to be something in the historical experience that makes facing an authoritarian government with more caution. Weiss cannot think of where else his firm can go and practice law, unless he has an international law firm, so he is stuck in the wealth he has created in the USA. He can take some of it with him, but cannot count on living such a high life elsewhere. Of course, other countries are cheaper and may be more calm.
Good points, Linda.
Trump was president in 2020. Biden was sworn in January 2021. Four years and a lifetime ago.
Linda, yes Weiss is a Jewish name. I have quite a few friends who are Weiss in DC area. Your points are valid in my eyes. See what TCinLA wrote below.
Simple. Weiss can just grovel a little lower (into the dirt?) and change his name and his company's name to White. (It seems appropriate.) Then he can, just as Musk is doing when he eliminates all mention of Blacks, women, and Navajos from the record of history at institutions and on the internet, expunge all mention of his Jewish heritage from the public record. Problem solved. As Mother Russia pacifies and absorbs us, that's how *she* does it... What gets me is how these lawyers think they will make $6.2 m a year no matter how much they grovel, when most Americans are out of work, corporations fail because there is no one who can afford to buy their products as the economy crashes, no foreign trade exists, and there is no government left to help people in any kind of misfortune or transition.
Only firms that cater to the needs of the lower, middle and lower upper classes will be impacted by the movement of wealth upwards. The trick will be to stay on the surf board on the way up the wave and then continually make adjustments to stay on the crest.
what does the "sound" of his last name have to do with anything?
Well, Lisa, Hitler put 6 million Jews to death in WWII. Trump loves Hitler. Jews, like the trial balloon Trump floated with the Venezuelans, who are now in an El Salvador torture prison, heads shaven, no hope of recourse, are in danger of being put in El Salvadorean torture-camp prisons, because Trump/Hitler doesn't like them. I believe that's what the sound of Weiss' last name has to do with things.
AMEN!
No. Bringing up (ostensibly) Jewish heritage amounts to singling out Jews. That amounts to (non-Jews) telling Jews how to behave and act. I think that is offensive (even if well-intended).
I really hate to disagree with Robert, most particularly on things legal, since I merely find the law interesting (while discovering when I went to law school that I'd rather be hanged, drawn and quartered than practice it, more power to him). However, while the DEI capitulation is very definitely not good, I think if you look at the rest of the fine print they agreed to, that - like Mexico and Canada promising Krasnov they would step and and do the border drug interdictions they have done for the past ten years - allowing "the world's greatest dealmaker" to be snookered long enough to be distracted by the next shiny object may be what has happened. They will "support Trump policies and programs like helping veterans - well, as a veteran, I know we come in both smart veterans and MAGAmorons. We Democrat vets need help too and to non-vet draft dodgers like Krasnov, "you seen one vet you seen 'em all." And while they can hold their doors open to MAGA clients, I will be surprised that the MAGAts will trust them enough to do business with them. I think politically and militarily while Robert thinks legally - they're three very different POVs - and I think that "living to fight another day" - when the alternative was to mount the gallows and have the rope around one's neck - is a long-term "win." Linda's point below about the "Jewish tradition" in negotiating with the Krasnovs of the world, is a solid one. Pay attention to the fine print - it looks like Paul, Weiss did.
Perhaps you made some valid points. However, the fact that people with average annual incomes exceeding $5M (sounds like plenty to cover your own security) hand over $40M to
Trump sends a cowardly and nauseous message to those of us living on much less.
100%
Since no one really has a clue about what the now all-purpose word DEI means, I'd say revise the NAME to something like "Ensuring the Civil Rights Laws are complied with."
I also thought the language about supporting trump initiatives like "helping veterans" was pretty sneaky. Say they take on a veteran pro bono who is fighting some trumpian rule. Is trump going to claim that his "agenda" to help veterans means "only helping nice compliant veterans?"
Well, probably he will.
So you do not think that they could have won back their legitimately earned security clearances and regained access to federal buildings if they had continued to contest the action? That would be paramount to them, but also very important to the resistance is the message that capitulation is what a very well informed and well financed firm decided was best or even vital.
Thank you Tom. I will scoop up any ray of hope.
Supporting Trump's policies could mean anything, and whatever it is, it's bad. I don't know why you would think it has anything to do with supporting veterans. It's more likely it has to do with deporting people or punishing his adversaries. If I had six million dollars I would accept the prospect of a reduced income and do the right thing.
"Apocryphal. And yet, it's all to real." Well said. And we have seen it before. Just another parallel to what happened in Germany in the 30s.
So it seems appropriate to start to apply the terms used to describe the usurpation of power by the Nazis in Germany. The obviously successful browbeating into obedience, extortion and/or shakedown (the mobster aspect of the current American form of fascism) of Paul Weiss is a perfect example of Gleichschaltung.
Thanks to trump and his goons Gleichschaltung should become a household word like Blitzkrieg or Kindergarten.
Ja !
It seems like a Paul Weiss takedown -- like the Tesla takedowns that are happening -- is in order.
Re: protests. Out doing errands yesterday, on a chilly, wet Thursday in Portland, Maine I ran into a rally against privatization of the Post Office, with an enthusiastic group that included representatives of several unions. Drivers honked; passers-by joined, and people across the street waved. Then a few blocks away I ran into friends who were leafletting in front of the Social Security office and talking to people about the threat of cuts (one woman spoke of having had to wait hours to resolve a simple problem). These were spontaneous actions - not the regular Saturday meetups; they were like the street-corner protest I had joined the previous Sunday after leaving a visit to a museum. Nobody seemed to know how that was organized or by whom - it just happened. I suspect this is going on all over the country - under the radar of people making the rally tallies. We are everywhere.
This Sunday (March 23) there will be nationwide protests by the National Association of Letter Carriers against dismantling our postal service. See if there’s a protest near you: https://www.nalc.org/news/fight-like-hell
I thought we all knew that 6 corporations own almost all media, controlling the distribution of info. You're naive if you think some TV program director or newspaper editor is going to support messages that the 6 CEOs oppose.
I was thrilled when you wrote about compassion and spoke of the retired couple who had purchased a Tesla for all the right reasons. Compassion for one another is crucial. Then in the very next paragraph you wrote about the media being "lazy," which seems to lack the very compassion we need and you challenged us to extend. We are ALL exhausted and just last night, while watching MSNBC, I thought; "how are they doing this?" This thought came when Laurence O'Donnell's show was about to air. Even Laurence knew when time off was crucial. I personally needed a break on Tuesday, as it had all come crashing down on me. Grateful for substack writers like you and others, as well as the media who are being ran to exhaustion. Yes, let's have compassion ❤️
I don’t think Robert was referring to MSNBC when he said the media was being lazy; instead, he alludes to the legacy media, which is not only not covering protest activities but is essentially writing us off as fringe actors. Why is Bernie Sanders drawing huge crowds not being covered? Why is Tim Walz holding town halls in Republican districts not covered in any meaningful way? Why are the Tesla protests portrayed as a bunch of car-torching hooligans instead of a legitimate force that has helped to cause the company to lose 40% of its value in two months? If not laziness on the part of the media, what is it? Is it willful ignorance? From where I sit, their inaction is a choice, and whether that comes from their corporate bosses or a sheer lack of courage or imagination is not for me to say, but I’m not mad about Robert calling it laziness either.
Me neither. I don't in the least imagine that criticism of a well financed corporate media that chooses to ignore protests, cherry pick their news, and actively serve the ends of this forming dictatorship is even in the same universe as hostility to the trapped Tesla owners (not the ones who recently created a short lived surge to buy one cheap or to buy stock cheap and who gladly sport MAGAt bumper stickers) without finding out their stories.
I never said, I was angry. I'm cautioning on totalizing groups.
Jacque, I hear you my Substack buddy. We all need breaks. When my young friends (they aĺl call me Mama P all over the world) ponder about leaving the country and ask for financial advice I need to gather all my inner resources realizing I need to fight for them and their children.
It's on MSNBC all day. :-) Fox is a lost cause. WSJ seems to be waking up a little. And NYT is starting remember its roots. Don't watch CNN so no idea what it does. Local papers? Some are actually speaking out. Others prefer to hide in their locals.
I'm in the middle of a move at my age, so I'm stressed out (so is little Nomi as I'm leaving her alone a lot more). God willing after the move, I can begin dealing with other stuff.
I would say my local newspaper is “lazy” while also extending some compassion ( and a good amount of patience! ) in my interactions with Ex Editor/Op Ed.They are refusing to accurately print what is happening with DOGE(I’ve politely requested) while platforming our MAGA Rep with absolutely no pushback.This week Dept of Ed Linda McMahon was in town ,visiting MAGA and a charter school, and they made it sound as if she was actually qualified and that demolishing DOE was no big deal.They also rely on USA Today and Reuters newsfeeds so I’ve submitted links.They actually printed one about the White House Tesla “showroom”.But why do I have to do their job to try to get accurate info out to my community!! They haven’t printed a link I sent about closure of a local Social Security office though…argh. Ok, rant over!😜
Hmmm... they sound a bit past lazy to me to be honest.
I would call the mainstream media timid. They have decided to neuter themselves by not reporting on the protests.
You can be compassionate and still be critical.
As perceived by the MSM, the protests are ho-hum and expected. Do they need rioting before they report?
All I know is that none of the Americans I know in the Northern Germany Democrats Abroad want our spouses entering the US again. Mine works there, so it is a quandary that many don't have. With the German government issuing travel advisories for Germans who want to travel to the USA, it does not feel safe. I heard Britain issued a travel advisory too. I don't for a minute think that the fire at a London airport today was just random. I think of it as Putin's sabotage, which he has been doing to European countries. Now Trump has clearly put certain countries on a list of people to scrutinize and harass. The treatment of Germans by ICE was totally unnecessary from a US safety point of view, so I can only suspect that Germany is on a list. Canada, Britain, France and Venezuela too. So, will I have a problem entering the US when I go back? I am a born US citizen. We shall see. The thought of being arrested by ICE and given no reason, but held for an indefinite time without being able to contact anyone is not appealing. I am starting to see the USA like Russia.
Pragmatic advice for international travel with a phone: First is to travel with a dedicated phone—not your “real” phone which you will leave at home.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHcGgCByMtm/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
I sat in on a ZOOM TRAINING session on how to be an effective witness to a possible ICE stop or trying to enter a house or place of business. They have to have a judicial warrant and anything else is not valid. Witnesses should record, focusing on the officers, not who they are trying to detain. Don't interfere. Have a phone number memorized as they may try to take your phone.
Also read the complete document that Robert cited yesterday about the Canadian citizen who was detained and held for 2 weeks.
I was married to an airman with the USAF and he was sent to Spain. I paid to join him. We lived on the economy (off base) from 1967 to 70. It was during Franco's regime. I also lived from 2002 to 04 in PR China and those experiences have made me turn to grassroots efforts in my old age. I will not give up on our freedoms easily! Don't lose hope. We living here are busy doing what we can!
That's really interesting. Please let us know when there is another such zoom. It sounds like something everyone should know now. Sort of like like artificial resuscitation back in the good old days when being a helpful bystander didn't usually involve strong arm bullies.
For Tesla owners who need or want to keep their cars: I was happy to see a decal on a Tesla rear window yesterday that said in big bold letters "ANTI ELON TESLA CLUB". Worth checking out for those keeping their Teslas.
Etsy has good ones for Tesla owners to check out ! It’s where I got my Ban Billionaires, Not Books 👚.
https://www.etsy.com/market/anti_elon_musk
I don't own a tesla but there's some great stuff on there 🤗 Methinks I'll have to indulge.
“Trump wrote that Paul Weiss admitted “wrongdoing” and agreed that “law firms should not favor any political party””
My god - the irony of that statement following their capitulation to the MAGA party.
They say this with a straight face, while they also require a $40M bribe so people can keep their security clearances. Absolutely insane. There is no intellectual consistency with MAGA.
Oh, there *is* a kind of consistency – saying of doing anything they think works in their favor. It‘s the principle of being unprincipled.
I know. The unbelievable hypocrisy just infuriates me!
After this is all over and rest assured it will be by God! ,
Robert Hubbell will need national recognition/awards for his heroic role in stopping Trump & his henchman Musky!
I so agree, Robert and Jill are devoting so much of their time to inform, educate and lead us into taking needed steps to save our Democracy!! I can not thank them enough and they are what “hero’s” look like!!! Thank you so much Robert and Jill!!!
:-) !
These people are selling out our country and everyone wants to wait for the midterms that at this rate ARE NEVER FUCKING COMING! Like I said:
“But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security.“ For those who don’t recognize these words they are from our Declaration of Independence!
"If not us, who? If not now, when?"~ Unknown
I think your quote" if not us who ? if not now when?" comes from the Jewish talmud. Ancient teachings.
Yes. It’s part of the Jewish tikiun olam. Our obligation to help repair the world, even if we started none of it and will never finish any of it for good. The work is our responsibility. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun_olam
Thank you for clarifying this Rebecca.
Sam, we are not waiting until the midterms. We are organizing in every state, every size community, red, blue, purple. Yes, the midterms will happen. It’s our job to make sure they do.
Sam, I agree with you 100%. We are still, all of us who care about democracy and social justice, being very polite and politically correct in our measured responses. Russian software developers are the best in the world. The self-proclaimed dictator is in bed with Putin. Why do people think our 2026 elections will be safe? If Trump can dismantle the Dept. of Education in one day, don't you think he will install Russian software in our election system (without anyone knowing about it)? Don't you think he has already done it? While we calmly and politely wait for our 2026 elections and think, "We'll show HIM in 2026!" We are just silly people. We are like Chuck Schumer who thinks it's still 1990 and the rule of civility prevails. It doesn't.
Christina, this sounds like down the alley of conspiracy theories...until it doesn't. Just remember Mitch McConnell fighting tooth and nails to block ramping up election security measures against Russian attempts to meddle with elections in 2019. He only dropped his opposition when facing a storm of protest and the nickname Moscow Mitch was coined.
I agree, Stefan. Good point about Moscow Mitch, who did a whole lot to sell America down the river into Russian slavery. And I think we are way beyond conspiracy theories. We only need to look at the daily news and extrapolate a tiny amount. When major American government departments are dismantled in a day; when DOGE invaders of government institutions are aided and abetted by the local police; when legal residents of our country are detained in airports, stripped naked, and send to El Salvador torture prisons without recourse; when Pentagon officials happily share the details of our plans to combat Chinese aggression with an unelected corporate degenerate (Musk), it's not a conspiracy theory to think our nation is under assault and that national institutions like free and fair elections are in mortal danger. Conspiracy theory accusations are part of the 1990s mentality Chuck Schumer lives in. Just because they're sacred cows in our minds doesn't mean Musk isn't planning to slaughter them.
Paul Weiss always had (emphasis on had) a storied history in New York. I know many fine lawyers who were associates there and some who are partners. I litigated against them many years ago. This is an outrage, and a stain on the legal profession as a whole to capitulate to extortion—what some attorneys at Paul Weiss would call a “shonda”.
Per the New York Times:
“The firm has long prided itself on breaking barriers and standing up to the government on issues like civil rights. Its website trumpets how it was the first major New York City firm to have Jewish lawyers working alongside Gentiles, to hire a Black associate and to have a female partner.”
Again, there are plenty of law firms in New York. Associates and partners can walk with their feet and clients can too.
Since when is it a big deal for Jews to be lawyers? That's just condescending. (I don't mean you, Marilyn. I'm talking about that boast you quoted.)
Not sure how old you are, but back in the day, Jews were not hired by the white shoe law firms in Manhattan. Paul Weiss and Proskauer Rose were the 2 prominent Jewish firms. Paul Weiss was founded before the 1900s.
I am pretty old, but I'm from LA so don't know about what was happening in New York. But I have never been aware of Jews having trouble being hired as lawyers.
The way to think of Tesla: the objective is to DISSUADE PEOPLE FROM BUYING NEW ONES, not punishing folks who innocently bought the cars months or years ago in support of the climate movement.
Yes. Consumers now have many more options when they are considering an electronic vehicle.
Robert,
You DO have to make this statement in your newsletter about no tolerance of violence or threats or plans of violence, because I will not be surprised when ELON/FELON turns their scrutiny onto Substack and other independent outlets and finds a way to shut it all down ("promotes violence, promotes domestic terrorism") so that it will be very difficult to organize in any way any resistance to their maladministration. We have taken for granted freedom of speech but can already see examples in the news where ELON/FELON has been attempting to discourage and prevent protests under the guise of labeling protesters as "domestic terrorists." If 300 men can be "disappeared" to El Salvador without any due process, without any information as to their identities, when a transplant surgeon is deported to Lebanon even though she is legally allowed to be in this country, when people on domestic flights at select airports are required to provide a passport even though they had a real ID - the signs are all there.
==================================
"I can’t believe I have to say this, but anyone who suggests or implies in the Comment section that violence is a solution to the current crisis will be permanently banned, unsubscribed, and blocked. Don’t say it, imply it, or joke about it."
I’ve been called naive plenty of times. Not inaccurate, unfortunately. I tend toward “covering my butt.” No expectation that this regime will honor the law.
This is me just wondering… might each Substack writer who supports democracy be wise to include a similar caution in each day’s letter?
I fear JustRaven and Colleen are being naive. Whether we issue disclaimers about being non-violent (we should and must be non-violent!), whether we are the purest of Substack blogs and never mention it, Musk Trump will still accuse us of it and use it as an excuse to disband us. I have noticed that whatever they say, they mean the opposite, especially when they are accusing others of crimes. They are usually the crimes they themselves are committing.
oh, I'm probably the last person you could characterize as "naive." But I have dealt with legal paperwork throughout my career and the baseline is, "If it's not in writing then it didn't happen" or "it was never discussed" or "it was not specifically prohibited" and I have no illusions that making disclaimers of non-violence will shield any Substack writer from accusations of promoting violence. ELON/FELON are both sociopaths and completely lack any self-awareness and empathy; FOTUS is probably more of a psychopath, but the end result is the same. People should be concerned that these two subhumans are running the country like a reality show for their own profit.
BUT I think it would be wise for any pro-democracy writer on social media like Substack to include such a disclaimer that anyone touting violence as a solution will not be tolerated and is subject to immediate banning and blocking.
Social Security
As DOGE is changing the rules effective 3/31, requiring most business with Social Security be conducted online, I recommend that that you attempt to login now.
The Paul Weiss firm is just being forced by this monster to publicly display its core. It's been all about money for always. DEI, for a firm like that, is for show, pure fluff. Their real core is money. They're groveling for the money. Some of their lawyers and staff will leave, but the rest, like the other cowards we see fall before their idol, will keep their money safe. After all, the love of money is the source of all evil, a truth worth reflection.
My Hope Is that other lawyers from the Paul Weiss firm will leave in masses.
I am heartened by the news of judges following the rule of law. Thank you, Robert, for your encouraging post in these horrific and perilous times. I truly believe that those of us who persevere in support of democracy will prevail.
Bernie and AOC are in Denver today. The guesstament of the size of the crowd is 20,000 +. It is being held outside is Civic Center Park.
I don’t know if you read EVERY comment, Robert and Jill, but I cannot thank you enough fir being my compass and my light during these times.
My life, like many, has been a difficult and blessed one. My anxiety never fully subsides but My anxiety has been replace by hope a willingness( at 72) to fight💕