Well written by Lisa, as usual, but also very depressive reading. Unfortunately, also true! From across the pond: , may I say that the average American is pretty naive; do the majority really want to see America destroyed from the inside, or did they simply believe that Trump would not implement his “promises”? Somehow, sometime the tide will turn. Too much pessimism does not help, but understandably, right now it is very difficult. Allow grief and sadness, but also allow that to grow into strength and belief that things will change again - nothing is permanent.
Much love 🥰 to the staff of Public Notice and the readers.
We now will have a mentally ill president who also is moving into dementia nominating a whole truckload of incompetent misfits to fill key governing spots. We once were the shining spot on the hill--so to speak--but now we will be the rusty can in the garbage heap of the world. This incoming president has no regard for anyone or anything other than himself. Watch out now as he has already started to scheme to stay in office until--well he has no end date so I will have to say it--death overtakes him. That cannot happen too soon.
Putin won this election. The only man on the planet King Shitpants is afraid of. They've laundered so much money together they should be doing Tide commercials. KGB Putin is blackmailing the fuck out of him. Russian TV is celebrating their Russian sister will be in charge of National Intelligence. As a response to Putin's/Shitpants control, other countries are installing guardrails to stop the carnage. They will shut down Intelligence communications on day one.
I second all the comments here so far, but have an additional one. Mike Johnson never fails to let anyone know about his piety (he never read Matthew 6, I suppose), yet he seems to do an awful lot of lying. I guess all that Scripture and 10 Commandments stuff is optional, for thee and not for me? The outrages just continue to accumulate with this crowd.
I guess we’re about to find out just how screwed we really are. To think that our future depends on any GOP finding the moral and ethical courage to do the right thing is not confidence worthy.
Will Biden/DOJ intervene in any effective way to king proof the presidency? Not from what we’ve seen so far. It was enraging watching him normalize this transition in front of a fireplace as our constitution goes up in flames.
Will Garland release the Jack Smith report? Will we learn of the outcome of the Gaetz investigation?
It’s like trump giving the finger to the country while the powers that be stand back. Hard not to feel angry, despairing, anxious, and just sad right now. Nonetheless, we can’t let them win by enabling our learned helplessness when it comes to this lunatic. I just want justice. Normalcy. Doesn’t seem like much to ask.
Consider the possibility that Trump is doing his usual: Throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. Anyone who assumes it's all going to stick is obeying in advance. Please stop it. Read Timothy Snyder's ON TYRANNY if you haven't already. Reread it if you have.
When you say richest man in the world, you are referring to Putin, but possibly meant Musk. According to Snyder Putin is wealthier. Which is why sanctions probably don't bother him. According to Prof. Timothy Snyder in 3 posts, he leads us to understand that Putin is Trumps handler, and Xi is Putin's handler, and everything goes to serve Putin. In fact, Musk is clearly a Putin asset as I see it, as are all of the people being appointed.
In his first post Snyder tells uses some humor to build up probably to his piece today. In that one he compares the incoming White House Office to a 60s Sitcom called Oligarchs' Island.
Today however, he points out that all of these appointments is part of a well thought out plan, not just some revenge, spur of the moment assignment. By now we understand the chain of command, and who is really going to be running the USA and that Trump is trying to destroy the US.
I guess he can go live in one of many illiberal nations. Of course, he will always need to watch his back, although in Russia or Hungary he can be a symbol.
In the meantime, I am living back and forth between the US and the EU. Right now in Germany the Scholz led government coalition has fallen apart over the budget and now there are going to be elections. To top it off Scholz apparently called Putin to ask for peace. Doing that is like asking for Putin to bully Germany. I can think of local reasons why he might have done it, but it is still a stupid move.
So, Putin and Xi are in the thick of things, and Trump is going to give them whatever they want. While I am backing Congress and support the Dems holding the Repubs at bay in whatever way they can, I am at this point hoping against hope that our military and Intelligence Community that Trump is insulting with his appointments, are counterplanning to Trumps plans. I am not advocating a coup, but more like refusal to go along with things that are unconstitutional.
I am a born pessimist. This has been my mantra my entire life....Expect the worst and maybe you will be pleasantly surprised. Sadly, I am usually right more often than I am "pleasantly surprised."
I notice the media is now confidently stating that "trump won't be allowed to run for re-election" in 2028, as the reasoning he is feeling unbound by public anger on what he is doing. Allowed? He has no intention of NEEDING to run for president again. Anyone still thinking that he was "just joking" about becoming a dictator on Day One? Trump does not joke.
Thune told CBS news that there would definitely be confirmation hearings for Trump's appointees, but he was also on Fox News saying that recess appointments were on the table. Obviously the Fox appearance was for an audience of one, so which statement does Thune really mean? I guess we'll find out.
"And while handing over control of the military to a weekend Fox News host or putting an anti-vax creep in charge of America’s top public health agency are really bad, it will be hard to sink lower than Matt Gaetz being nominated as the nation’s top law enforcement official." Meet the 17 Trump nominatees with this Visual Guide.
I can't get over your statement that Sessions wasn't obscenely unqualified.
The only thing Sessions was effective at in his work before becoming US AG was codifying racism, undermining voting rights, and chipping away at the Civil Rights Act. He worked to take away rights from American citizens. Politics has been corrupt before 2015, and Jeff Sessions' career was a product of it. Calling Sessions qualified is, to me, like saying Trump is qualified to be POTUS. It's based only on the fact that he's held office before, without looking at what he did while he held those positions.
I shared this in response to Aaron's BlueSky post and I think it's worth repeating: From the POV of a Black American living in the South, Sessions was 100% absolutely unqualified to hold any judicial, executive or legislative position in any state or nation with a diverse population.
Please read the letter and entire statement Coretta Scott King wrote in 1986 to oppose Sessions' nomination to a federal judicial position. When you do, and if you still think Jeff Sessions' example is the bar for Gaetz to clear, you have to consider that racism isn't a dealbreaker for you.
Being a racist is not disqualifying apparently... not only re Sessions, but many others too numerous to say going back in time and to the present day. Trump is grossly not qualified to be POTUS but he is still going to be inaugurated, the head of this poison snake. It's shameful and outrageous at this late date. It's not about racism only. Apparently what is qualifying and what is disqualifying is left to political judgement of elected members of Congress.
All these ridiculous nominations begs the question: Who will be making the decisions? None of these nominees have actual experience … and Trump has no inclination or experience … will the tao Stevies - Miller and Bannon - be behind the curtain voices? Surely not Musk—there can only be one king.
As Snyder was saying ( Linda linked above the Oligarch's Island) this is a sitcom. There's a lot going on, everyone has their own agenda, Trump needs/owes these people, Trump has ( or is about to get - help us!- the POWER ( he thinks sole power once he tames the Congress). Trump probably to a point is willing to let people "below him" work it out but it will be chaos and he will want to at least play-act the top role. What happens on the world stage is going to be interesting.
Trump is needy and declining. But he still needs to be the center, or to appear to be running things to hold his image up. Melania has a hold on Trump I have read; she's allowed to be independent. She's a player, but she can ruin/threaten Trump( she won't). As for pot-bellied ex-con Bannon and Nazi Miller, I imagine in Snyder's sitcom these are the useful fools that are around as long as they can successfully bully threaten and scare. It will be chaos. I have taken liberties here inserting my own take on Snyder's. These Trump voter folks jumping up and down in the comments saying "we won, you didn't ha, ha!" are not aware that Trump does not give a whit for them or the country's well being, but they don't care ( other than "owning the libs") or actually want this destruction.
The DOJ has been a huge disappointment. We wouldn't be here if Garland did his actual job. He is a Federalist. He didn't want to hurt the other sides feelings. White wealthy privilege is very effective in keeping one out of jail in this country. They can afford their own consequences.
We must get this info about Gaetz ( his bio included) out more widely especially via the media venues of those who have Republican senators. The MSmedia has a role to play.There needs to be echoing and relentless pressure on Republican senators by voters as well. Trump's closest are such an odious oppositional bunch (the pot bellied Steve Bannon esp). There are many voters who just don't know what they voted for and what the stakes are with these proposed nominations.
These nominations are all oppositional, in your face part of the wrecking ball. This is the pot bellied bully schtick of Bannon: "fu*k you, you don't like it too bad".."we'll get you". With the office holders in the Congress it's going to take spine. This might be stiffened with their own voter's input. Trump can only get away with what we allow. But it's work to save the country from this threat.
Well written by Lisa, as usual, but also very depressive reading. Unfortunately, also true! From across the pond: , may I say that the average American is pretty naive; do the majority really want to see America destroyed from the inside, or did they simply believe that Trump would not implement his “promises”? Somehow, sometime the tide will turn. Too much pessimism does not help, but understandably, right now it is very difficult. Allow grief and sadness, but also allow that to grow into strength and belief that things will change again - nothing is permanent.
Much love 🥰 to the staff of Public Notice and the readers.
Thank you!!
We now will have a mentally ill president who also is moving into dementia nominating a whole truckload of incompetent misfits to fill key governing spots. We once were the shining spot on the hill--so to speak--but now we will be the rusty can in the garbage heap of the world. This incoming president has no regard for anyone or anything other than himself. Watch out now as he has already started to scheme to stay in office until--well he has no end date so I will have to say it--death overtakes him. That cannot happen too soon.
Putin won this election. The only man on the planet King Shitpants is afraid of. They've laundered so much money together they should be doing Tide commercials. KGB Putin is blackmailing the fuck out of him. Russian TV is celebrating their Russian sister will be in charge of National Intelligence. As a response to Putin's/Shitpants control, other countries are installing guardrails to stop the carnage. They will shut down Intelligence communications on day one.
I second all the comments here so far, but have an additional one. Mike Johnson never fails to let anyone know about his piety (he never read Matthew 6, I suppose), yet he seems to do an awful lot of lying. I guess all that Scripture and 10 Commandments stuff is optional, for thee and not for me? The outrages just continue to accumulate with this crowd.
Nothing says hate more than Christian love.
I guess we’re about to find out just how screwed we really are. To think that our future depends on any GOP finding the moral and ethical courage to do the right thing is not confidence worthy.
Will Biden/DOJ intervene in any effective way to king proof the presidency? Not from what we’ve seen so far. It was enraging watching him normalize this transition in front of a fireplace as our constitution goes up in flames.
Will Garland release the Jack Smith report? Will we learn of the outcome of the Gaetz investigation?
It’s like trump giving the finger to the country while the powers that be stand back. Hard not to feel angry, despairing, anxious, and just sad right now. Nonetheless, we can’t let them win by enabling our learned helplessness when it comes to this lunatic. I just want justice. Normalcy. Doesn’t seem like much to ask.
Consider the possibility that Trump is doing his usual: Throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. Anyone who assumes it's all going to stick is obeying in advance. Please stop it. Read Timothy Snyder's ON TYRANNY if you haven't already. Reread it if you have.
When you say richest man in the world, you are referring to Putin, but possibly meant Musk. According to Snyder Putin is wealthier. Which is why sanctions probably don't bother him. According to Prof. Timothy Snyder in 3 posts, he leads us to understand that Putin is Trumps handler, and Xi is Putin's handler, and everything goes to serve Putin. In fact, Musk is clearly a Putin asset as I see it, as are all of the people being appointed.
In his first post Snyder tells uses some humor to build up probably to his piece today. In that one he compares the incoming White House Office to a 60s Sitcom called Oligarchs' Island.
https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/oligarchs-island?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Then he lets us understand the hierarchy more clearly and where we fit into it in The Submission Chain. https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/the-submission-chain?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Today however, he points out that all of these appointments is part of a well thought out plan, not just some revenge, spur of the moment assignment. By now we understand the chain of command, and who is really going to be running the USA and that Trump is trying to destroy the US.
https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/decapitation-strike?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I guess he can go live in one of many illiberal nations. Of course, he will always need to watch his back, although in Russia or Hungary he can be a symbol.
In the meantime, I am living back and forth between the US and the EU. Right now in Germany the Scholz led government coalition has fallen apart over the budget and now there are going to be elections. To top it off Scholz apparently called Putin to ask for peace. Doing that is like asking for Putin to bully Germany. I can think of local reasons why he might have done it, but it is still a stupid move.
Then I am reading that China, who Snyder has told us is on the top of the pyramid, is developing a nuclear reactor for a war ship. https://www.euronews.com/2024/11/11/satellite-images-show-china-working-on-nuclear-reactor-for-new-warship
China is also involved as the location where Putin is manufacturing lethal drones.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/15/eu-grows-increasingly-convinced-russia-is-producing-lethal-drones-in-china
So, Putin and Xi are in the thick of things, and Trump is going to give them whatever they want. While I am backing Congress and support the Dems holding the Repubs at bay in whatever way they can, I am at this point hoping against hope that our military and Intelligence Community that Trump is insulting with his appointments, are counterplanning to Trumps plans. I am not advocating a coup, but more like refusal to go along with things that are unconstitutional.
Expect the absolute worst and you won't be surprised.
I am a born pessimist. This has been my mantra my entire life....Expect the worst and maybe you will be pleasantly surprised. Sadly, I am usually right more often than I am "pleasantly surprised."
I notice the media is now confidently stating that "trump won't be allowed to run for re-election" in 2028, as the reasoning he is feeling unbound by public anger on what he is doing. Allowed? He has no intention of NEEDING to run for president again. Anyone still thinking that he was "just joking" about becoming a dictator on Day One? Trump does not joke.
Thune told CBS news that there would definitely be confirmation hearings for Trump's appointees, but he was also on Fox News saying that recess appointments were on the table. Obviously the Fox appearance was for an audience of one, so which statement does Thune really mean? I guess we'll find out.
"And while handing over control of the military to a weekend Fox News host or putting an anti-vax creep in charge of America’s top public health agency are really bad, it will be hard to sink lower than Matt Gaetz being nominated as the nation’s top law enforcement official." Meet the 17 Trump nominatees with this Visual Guide.
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/11/14/visual-guide-trump-nominees/
I can't get over your statement that Sessions wasn't obscenely unqualified.
The only thing Sessions was effective at in his work before becoming US AG was codifying racism, undermining voting rights, and chipping away at the Civil Rights Act. He worked to take away rights from American citizens. Politics has been corrupt before 2015, and Jeff Sessions' career was a product of it. Calling Sessions qualified is, to me, like saying Trump is qualified to be POTUS. It's based only on the fact that he's held office before, without looking at what he did while he held those positions.
I shared this in response to Aaron's BlueSky post and I think it's worth repeating: From the POV of a Black American living in the South, Sessions was 100% absolutely unqualified to hold any judicial, executive or legislative position in any state or nation with a diverse population.
Please read the letter and entire statement Coretta Scott King wrote in 1986 to oppose Sessions' nomination to a federal judicial position. When you do, and if you still think Jeff Sessions' example is the bar for Gaetz to clear, you have to consider that racism isn't a dealbreaker for you.
Being a racist is not disqualifying apparently... not only re Sessions, but many others too numerous to say going back in time and to the present day. Trump is grossly not qualified to be POTUS but he is still going to be inaugurated, the head of this poison snake. It's shameful and outrageous at this late date. It's not about racism only. Apparently what is qualifying and what is disqualifying is left to political judgement of elected members of Congress.
All these ridiculous nominations begs the question: Who will be making the decisions? None of these nominees have actual experience … and Trump has no inclination or experience … will the tao Stevies - Miller and Bannon - be behind the curtain voices? Surely not Musk—there can only be one king.
Should be “two Stevies” … though tao is a pretty good, if inadvertent, pun.
As Snyder was saying ( Linda linked above the Oligarch's Island) this is a sitcom. There's a lot going on, everyone has their own agenda, Trump needs/owes these people, Trump has ( or is about to get - help us!- the POWER ( he thinks sole power once he tames the Congress). Trump probably to a point is willing to let people "below him" work it out but it will be chaos and he will want to at least play-act the top role. What happens on the world stage is going to be interesting.
Trump is needy and declining. But he still needs to be the center, or to appear to be running things to hold his image up. Melania has a hold on Trump I have read; she's allowed to be independent. She's a player, but she can ruin/threaten Trump( she won't). As for pot-bellied ex-con Bannon and Nazi Miller, I imagine in Snyder's sitcom these are the useful fools that are around as long as they can successfully bully threaten and scare. It will be chaos. I have taken liberties here inserting my own take on Snyder's. These Trump voter folks jumping up and down in the comments saying "we won, you didn't ha, ha!" are not aware that Trump does not give a whit for them or the country's well being, but they don't care ( other than "owning the libs") or actually want this destruction.
Why did the DOJ drop its investigation of Gaetz?
The DOJ has been a huge disappointment. We wouldn't be here if Garland did his actual job. He is a Federalist. He didn't want to hurt the other sides feelings. White wealthy privilege is very effective in keeping one out of jail in this country. They can afford their own consequences.
We must get this info about Gaetz ( his bio included) out more widely especially via the media venues of those who have Republican senators. The MSmedia has a role to play.There needs to be echoing and relentless pressure on Republican senators by voters as well. Trump's closest are such an odious oppositional bunch (the pot bellied Steve Bannon esp). There are many voters who just don't know what they voted for and what the stakes are with these proposed nominations.
These nominations are all oppositional, in your face part of the wrecking ball. This is the pot bellied bully schtick of Bannon: "fu*k you, you don't like it too bad".."we'll get you". With the office holders in the Congress it's going to take spine. This might be stiffened with their own voter's input. Trump can only get away with what we allow. But it's work to save the country from this threat.