We all make mistakes. I enjoy your newsletter so much that I can overlook mistakes and just take in your wisdom. Thank you for giving me something to look forward to every morning.
You call it a coup. Paul Krugman in his Substack said that what Trump is doing should be called an autogolpe, Spanish for auto-coup. I take this further in my Substack and make the case for calling it a blitzkrieg. This is German for lightening war. In effect, it is not unlike what Hitler and the Nazis did with tanks, artillery, and bombs. Trump does with with illegal executive actions, intimidating Republicans in Congress, and a supportive right wing media. Here's my own Substack about why I call it a blitzkrieg. https://halbrown.substack.com/p/i-say-its-a-blitzkreig-by-hal-m-brown
States should withhold payroll deduction funds until 1) we have guarantees that any person who has access to federal distribution networks is a vetted federal employee who has undergone background checks; and 2) we have a commitment to leave Social Security, Medicaid, Veteran's Benefits, and Medicare fully funded; and 3) we have complete restoration of all federal civil service workers and board members (such as the NLRB and PCLOB) who were unjustly or improperly terminated. The Blue States have the power to respond with the purse. But do they have the courage to do so? I'm not saying quit collecting it from paychecks. We can collect but then have states put the money in an escrow account until all conditions have been met.
Right on! Now, among possible actions, here's Robert Reich on where to send money to support the legal resistance:
To the extent you are able, fund groups that are litigating against Trump. Much of the action over the next months and years will be in the federal courts. The groups initiating legislation that I know and trust include the American Civil Liberties Union, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental Defense Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Common Cause.
My question to you, Robert: are there changes you would suggest to this list?
This one's for you, Robert! I listened this evening to "Call it by its name," and was so exhilarated. The fact that you said "Soon it will be time for you to leave the comfort of your home and the anonymity of your screen;" we will be called to the street. I am ready! I have been cautioned not to jump on every upsetting thing; see what's happening and choose your battles wisely, (as there will be many of them.). Thank you, too, for standing with the Democratic Party. It can be and do better and I am heartened by the newly-elected Chair. Thank you again!
Thank you, Robert for your call to arms and for sounding the alarm bluntly. No time for euphemisms, now. Even though many of us saw it coming, it still is mind-numbing how rapidly our entire existence has been put in peril by pernicious forces. One addition piece of info that some probably know by now is that the DOJ has purged the entire list of those convicted or charged in the January 6th insurrection. Poof! I just hope that someone has the list in safekeeping because those bad actors are now nameless and for the most part faceless to most of us. I also hope that some brave souls don't resign if threatened with firing. We need them to try to hold the line.
Musk is now the demonic version of the Wizard of Oz, apparently spinning the dials of the Treasury database to undoubtedly steal our info and money to pay for whatever deviant plan they hatch-- perhaps the severance pay promised to civil servants? My frustration is that we still need a bigger megaphone. We still are preaching too much to the choir. Any thoughts on how to get to those who are not on Substack, Bluesky? Some voice of reason needs a nationwide podcast that speaks plainly to folks who don't typically read NYT, WP or listen to NPR, the latter of which Trump is now taking aim at, by the way.
In addition to calling Congress and posting on our own social media, I implore anyone who is of faith to pray to Almighty God to be with us, fight for us, and for wisdom, courage, and help in defeating the evil that has come upon us.
Thank you for this strong call for action! It is time to protest. I am 79 years old and remember the protests against the war.. We know that we can't instantly make change, but we must start to show our strength in numbers and our unshakable determination to resist all attempts to destroy democracy and create a dictatorship. This is a crisis, and we must respond to it as such.
I don't agree with something Robert wrote today: "...the stupidest economic moves made by any president since Herbert Hoover." Trump's moves are not stupid. They completely support his intention to crash the American economy. He is not an American. He is a stateless psychopath. He has a cryptocurrency. Musk has a cryptocurrency. When the US dollar is no longer the global standard because they've destroyed our economy, they'll put their cryptocurrencies in place. Trumpmusk can't do this if our economy is still strong. It's a (non) brave new world, folks. Y'all keep writing there are no more guardrails, but you don't seem to actually believe it. The guardrails, after ten days or so, are...almost...completely...gone.
Something I can’t understand; why are none of the news outlets countering Trump’s idiotic DEI statements after the DC plane crash with the information about how many senior FAA people he got rid of shortly before the crash??
First a slight digression. My life is so busy that I just got around to canceling my WaPo subscription yesterday. The person I talked to asked my reason and I took the opportunity to (politely) explain that it is a matter of principle. Coincidentally I received a solicitation from Mother Jones Magazine and almost certainly will subscribe to it.
These are truly disturbing times. But following the theme of a comment I posted about a week ago, there may well be an upside. With all the atrocities that Trump is perpetrating, congresspersons, even some republicans, will get off their fat duffs and decide that they've had enough. They will start to express themselves, indicating that they have decided it's worth the risk of not being re-elected, to stand up for what is right. The present trifecta will begin to disintegrate. When the midterms roll around, the trifecta may well breathe its last breath. There's even a chance that impeachment no. 3 will become a reality.
This terrifying! "Elon Musk’s Team Granted Access to Treasury Dept. Payment System The Treasury secretary gave representatives of the Department of Government Efficiency full access to the federal payment system, handing the team Elon Musk leads a powerful tool to monitor and potentially limit government spending."
Why the HELL is a private citizen who gets millions from the government being allowed to access Government payment services? No money goes out except money allocated to go out by Congress. This needs to be shouted and STOPPED!
We all make mistakes. I enjoy your newsletter so much that I can overlook mistakes and just take in your wisdom. Thank you for giving me something to look forward to every morning.
Bravo! And Gracias
More on the coup methodology: https://open.substack.com/pub/blueamp/p/field-notes-from-the-second-american?r=3g4gg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Please everyone, Google Philip Lowe and the thesis he posted on LinkedIn about his former relationship with Musk.
You call it a coup. Paul Krugman in his Substack said that what Trump is doing should be called an autogolpe, Spanish for auto-coup. I take this further in my Substack and make the case for calling it a blitzkrieg. This is German for lightening war. In effect, it is not unlike what Hitler and the Nazis did with tanks, artillery, and bombs. Trump does with with illegal executive actions, intimidating Republicans in Congress, and a supportive right wing media. Here's my own Substack about why I call it a blitzkrieg. https://halbrown.substack.com/p/i-say-its-a-blitzkreig-by-hal-m-brown
States should withhold payroll deduction funds until 1) we have guarantees that any person who has access to federal distribution networks is a vetted federal employee who has undergone background checks; and 2) we have a commitment to leave Social Security, Medicaid, Veteran's Benefits, and Medicare fully funded; and 3) we have complete restoration of all federal civil service workers and board members (such as the NLRB and PCLOB) who were unjustly or improperly terminated. The Blue States have the power to respond with the purse. But do they have the courage to do so? I'm not saying quit collecting it from paychecks. We can collect but then have states put the money in an escrow account until all conditions have been met.
I agree with everything you wrote! But when we march, won’t Trumps brown shirts just shoot us? It is terrifying that it comes to this.
Right on! Now, among possible actions, here's Robert Reich on where to send money to support the legal resistance:
To the extent you are able, fund groups that are litigating against Trump. Much of the action over the next months and years will be in the federal courts. The groups initiating legislation that I know and trust include the American Civil Liberties Union, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental Defense Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Common Cause.
My question to you, Robert: are there changes you would suggest to this list?
This one's for you, Robert! I listened this evening to "Call it by its name," and was so exhilarated. The fact that you said "Soon it will be time for you to leave the comfort of your home and the anonymity of your screen;" we will be called to the street. I am ready! I have been cautioned not to jump on every upsetting thing; see what's happening and choose your battles wisely, (as there will be many of them.). Thank you, too, for standing with the Democratic Party. It can be and do better and I am heartened by the newly-elected Chair. Thank you again!
Thank you, Robert for your call to arms and for sounding the alarm bluntly. No time for euphemisms, now. Even though many of us saw it coming, it still is mind-numbing how rapidly our entire existence has been put in peril by pernicious forces. One addition piece of info that some probably know by now is that the DOJ has purged the entire list of those convicted or charged in the January 6th insurrection. Poof! I just hope that someone has the list in safekeeping because those bad actors are now nameless and for the most part faceless to most of us. I also hope that some brave souls don't resign if threatened with firing. We need them to try to hold the line.
Musk is now the demonic version of the Wizard of Oz, apparently spinning the dials of the Treasury database to undoubtedly steal our info and money to pay for whatever deviant plan they hatch-- perhaps the severance pay promised to civil servants? My frustration is that we still need a bigger megaphone. We still are preaching too much to the choir. Any thoughts on how to get to those who are not on Substack, Bluesky? Some voice of reason needs a nationwide podcast that speaks plainly to folks who don't typically read NYT, WP or listen to NPR, the latter of which Trump is now taking aim at, by the way.
In addition to calling Congress and posting on our own social media, I implore anyone who is of faith to pray to Almighty God to be with us, fight for us, and for wisdom, courage, and help in defeating the evil that has come upon us.
Thank you for this strong call for action! It is time to protest. I am 79 years old and remember the protests against the war.. We know that we can't instantly make change, but we must start to show our strength in numbers and our unshakable determination to resist all attempts to destroy democracy and create a dictatorship. This is a crisis, and we must respond to it as such.
I don't agree with something Robert wrote today: "...the stupidest economic moves made by any president since Herbert Hoover." Trump's moves are not stupid. They completely support his intention to crash the American economy. He is not an American. He is a stateless psychopath. He has a cryptocurrency. Musk has a cryptocurrency. When the US dollar is no longer the global standard because they've destroyed our economy, they'll put their cryptocurrencies in place. Trumpmusk can't do this if our economy is still strong. It's a (non) brave new world, folks. Y'all keep writing there are no more guardrails, but you don't seem to actually believe it. The guardrails, after ten days or so, are...almost...completely...gone.
It came to me cleaning out a playhouse this afternoon for my grandkids……
Take a page from HIS playbook and call HIM some names to live down…
How about: “King D_ _ _ _ _ the Vengeful”
Or the one I already use regularly: “Our F_ _ _ n in Chief”
Who knows? One of them may stick to him!
Something I can’t understand; why are none of the news outlets countering Trump’s idiotic DEI statements after the DC plane crash with the information about how many senior FAA people he got rid of shortly before the crash??
First a slight digression. My life is so busy that I just got around to canceling my WaPo subscription yesterday. The person I talked to asked my reason and I took the opportunity to (politely) explain that it is a matter of principle. Coincidentally I received a solicitation from Mother Jones Magazine and almost certainly will subscribe to it.
These are truly disturbing times. But following the theme of a comment I posted about a week ago, there may well be an upside. With all the atrocities that Trump is perpetrating, congresspersons, even some republicans, will get off their fat duffs and decide that they've had enough. They will start to express themselves, indicating that they have decided it's worth the risk of not being re-elected, to stand up for what is right. The present trifecta will begin to disintegrate. When the midterms roll around, the trifecta may well breathe its last breath. There's even a chance that impeachment no. 3 will become a reality.
This terrifying! "Elon Musk’s Team Granted Access to Treasury Dept. Payment System The Treasury secretary gave representatives of the Department of Government Efficiency full access to the federal payment system, handing the team Elon Musk leads a powerful tool to monitor and potentially limit government spending."
Why the HELL is a private citizen who gets millions from the government being allowed to access Government payment services? No money goes out except money allocated to go out by Congress. This needs to be shouted and STOPPED!