Seems to me that Putin's viceroy is part of a cult that believes in Social Darwinism. Basically, 'We are rich and successful in this society because we are genetically superior.' His only real friends and equals are other billionaires like Putin, Musk, Koch, Leo, etc. The purpose of government in their minds is to protect and increase the concentration of wealth and power. Any government assistance to flesh and blood humans is stealing from the billionaires. This is a harsh assessment, but I can't think of any action that contradicts it.
And because they're trapped in the Fox etc. bubble, they'll never learn the facts. They'll be told that everything is somehow Dems' fault (despite the act that Dems control 0% of the govt at this time), and they'll believe that.
I had a doctor appointment yesterday. While I was waiting, a guy came in with some questions about his Medicaid insurer. I don’t mean to stereotype, but he had Trump voter (or non-voter) written all over him. I thought to myself, “Man, you are about to get screwed. And somehow you’ll figure out a way to blame the likes of me.” Not that being on Medicare puts me in that much better shape: I’m in the crosshairs, too.
Republican states seem to be some of the worst places to live in America. Yet, they consistently vote Republican. This tells us something. Add to that the more you successfully con people the harder they work to pretend they where not conned. That's been Trump's business model for years.
It's easy to see what is going on from the outside. It's really hard when you are the one been taken for the ride.
Republicans have been using this anti-government, pro-corporate/rich people playbook for decades. Trump is just being so blatant about it the media can’t ignore or normalize what he is doing like they have done in the past. Republicans have been pretending to be all about ordinary Americans and their family values while using dishonest arguments to cut programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. or making them more expensive by “privatizing” — i.e. “profitizing” — them at least since Reagan.
For example at least since the early 90s Republicans have been trying to destroy public schools by shifting millions of our tax dollars from public schools, first to charter schools, and now to private schools. The vouchers red states are now creating are not nearly enough to pay for private school tuition deliberately leaving out poor and many middle class kids. They are blatant subsidies for well off families’ private, mostly white, school’s tuition. Deep red rural areas are seeing their public schools defunded without even having the option of private or charter schools. When Republicans got control of my state legislature they quicky expanded the number of charter schools so much that oversight is now impossible. Today charter schools are being located in affluent neighborhoods despite the rules. Because transportation is not mandated, low and moderate income kids can’t attend. Funding for public schools is constantly under attack. The media, both national and local, mostly ignore this scam.
The media has also downplayed the fact that Republicans have not only been working to transfer tax dollars from public programs to private, for profit organizations, they have been giving the wealthy massive budget-busting tax cuts since Saint Ronnie Reagan, who nearly tripled the national debt. The media focuses on Trump’s enormous tax break for millionaires
but mostly ignores
the fact that Dubya added trillions to the national debt with his tax cuts mostly for the wealthy. Reagan’s budget-busting tax cuts and his idiotic claim that they would pay for themselves has been all by disappeared by the media. In fact the first article I ever saw debunking that claim was not until 2008. It was a WaPo article about Giuliani making that false claim when he was running for president. There was no mention that both Reagan and Bush had also made that claim and both had blown up the debt with their tax cuts for rich
people.
The media has always preferred to play along with the Republican fairy tale that they are the party of fiscal responsibility and are best for the economy despite decades of data that prove otherwise. Instead of wondering how we got into this disaster or blaming Democrats journalists need to look in the mirror. As media critic Dan Froomkin put it:
please don't misunderstand: I agree with most of the other comments here so far, and with Waldman.
But it may be important to remember that the Dems have been complicit in running a government that does what the rich want and ignores what the people need, I tend to excuse them because it's hard to tell what 300 million people want, especially if the vast majority of them have no idea how things work. Still, there is a reason people voted for Trump besides "racism" or all the other primitive emotions people are heir to when things are going badly for them. I am in an especailyl bad mood today because I got a "response" from my Dem Senator today that showed neither he nor his aide had read the letter they "responded" to.
I’m a life-long Democrat, and always reserve the right to criticize my party. Telling people who punch a clock that the economy is “great” when they live in fear of their rents going up is akin to pissing on them and telling them it’s raining. Pointing to the stock market booming doesnt do shit for people who can’t afford to participate in a 401k.
My point is that too much of our party’s leadership, and rank-and-file, have accepted some ideas about labor that I believe stem from having nobody in their families who get dirty at work. If work is worth having done, it’s worth paying a living wage for.
You're making Trump's destructive policies sound much better, Paul.
That said, my daughter applied for the PhD program in English at Penn. Yesterday morning the Times reported that fear of Trump's federal aid cuts forced the school to go from accepting 18 applicants to 6. Yesterday afternoon she got her rejection. Would she have gotten accepted otherwise? Who knows. But it's clear his desire--well, that of the bigot christians backing him--to destroy any school that isn't a publicly-supported christian terror academy, is quickly coming to fruition.
focus you anger on Trump/Musk. The so called Christians behind some his policies are not christian. they are members of a primitive pagan cult that calls themselves christian because the brand helps them draw in the people who don't know a thing about the teachings of Jesus but want to be "saved", which they think they will be if they promote hate of people they are told are "sinners." Their leaders want you to hate them and think you are hating christians,
I believe that in an otherwise excellent article you omitted one reason why he doesn’t care that he is alienating his base - he doesn’t need them any more. He has no intention of there being any more elections.
Yeah, one might reasonably think that the First Felon might reward the millions of supporters on whose shoulders he climbed with something like -- dare I say it? -- tax cuts, or maybe even slightly improved health care benefits. But no, too hard to control; some "blue" voters would reap those benefits as well. Also, much too tangible. Much easier, and much more emotionally satisfying for ruby-red Everypeople is the demonization of out groups: Hispanics, LGBT, Haitians, Muslims, and on and on.
Also, the orange criminal's primitive transactional world view compels him to discard those he has used once he is done using them, unless those people can continue to benefit him in some way (e.g., paying huge bucks for meetings, making seven- or eight-figure "contributions" to this or that scheme). The Medicaid-reliant senior citizens in Alabama or the farmers in Kansas, for example, simply cease to exist once the First Felon has left his bootprints on their backs and moved on.
The First Felon doesn't appear to care or understand much at all about policy, whether economic, domestic, or foreign. But the ideologues and billionaires propping him up sure do, and they have a definite strategy in mind. So he happily serves as their front man, directing the swinging of multiple meat cleavers as suits that strategy -- which, not coincidentally, includes zero consideration for the rank-and-file voters who put the present régime into office. The payoffs for him are that he gets to take credit for anything that doesn't generate screams of anger from his base, lay off any blame and responsibility for things that don't land well onto the thugs actually doing the dirty work, reap huge piles of money for himself personally, and cosplay being president as he revels in the trappings of office.
Guys we really need to stop the Dem, GOP thing . This is a coup from the inside. Musk and the frat boys are in our Social Security and healthcare systems! Trump works for Putin. The Veteran are getting screwed we better stop bickering and show up. This is actual 2 amendment stuff, he’s crashing the economy! We can argue later!
Seems to me that Putin's viceroy is part of a cult that believes in Social Darwinism. Basically, 'We are rich and successful in this society because we are genetically superior.' His only real friends and equals are other billionaires like Putin, Musk, Koch, Leo, etc. The purpose of government in their minds is to protect and increase the concentration of wealth and power. Any government assistance to flesh and blood humans is stealing from the billionaires. This is a harsh assessment, but I can't think of any action that contradicts it.
What they miss regarding their "genetic superiority" is that it usually leads to inbreeding.
And boy does it show.....
🤣
Despite his betrayals, they still love him, because it’s never been about policy to them; it’s all cultural grievance.
And because they're trapped in the Fox etc. bubble, they'll never learn the facts. They'll be told that everything is somehow Dems' fault (despite the act that Dems control 0% of the govt at this time), and they'll believe that.
I had a doctor appointment yesterday. While I was waiting, a guy came in with some questions about his Medicaid insurer. I don’t mean to stereotype, but he had Trump voter (or non-voter) written all over him. I thought to myself, “Man, you are about to get screwed. And somehow you’ll figure out a way to blame the likes of me.” Not that being on Medicare puts me in that much better shape: I’m in the crosshairs, too.
Republican states seem to be some of the worst places to live in America. Yet, they consistently vote Republican. This tells us something. Add to that the more you successfully con people the harder they work to pretend they where not conned. That's been Trump's business model for years.
It's easy to see what is going on from the outside. It's really hard when you are the one been taken for the ride.
It's easier to con people than to convince people that they've been conned.
But they'll be "saved". Their millionaire preachers told them so.
The very definition of living in denial.
Exactly this. ⬆️
Republicans have been using this anti-government, pro-corporate/rich people playbook for decades. Trump is just being so blatant about it the media can’t ignore or normalize what he is doing like they have done in the past. Republicans have been pretending to be all about ordinary Americans and their family values while using dishonest arguments to cut programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. or making them more expensive by “privatizing” — i.e. “profitizing” — them at least since Reagan.
For example at least since the early 90s Republicans have been trying to destroy public schools by shifting millions of our tax dollars from public schools, first to charter schools, and now to private schools. The vouchers red states are now creating are not nearly enough to pay for private school tuition deliberately leaving out poor and many middle class kids. They are blatant subsidies for well off families’ private, mostly white, school’s tuition. Deep red rural areas are seeing their public schools defunded without even having the option of private or charter schools. When Republicans got control of my state legislature they quicky expanded the number of charter schools so much that oversight is now impossible. Today charter schools are being located in affluent neighborhoods despite the rules. Because transportation is not mandated, low and moderate income kids can’t attend. Funding for public schools is constantly under attack. The media, both national and local, mostly ignore this scam.
The media has also downplayed the fact that Republicans have not only been working to transfer tax dollars from public programs to private, for profit organizations, they have been giving the wealthy massive budget-busting tax cuts since Saint Ronnie Reagan, who nearly tripled the national debt. The media focuses on Trump’s enormous tax break for millionaires
but mostly ignores
the fact that Dubya added trillions to the national debt with his tax cuts mostly for the wealthy. Reagan’s budget-busting tax cuts and his idiotic claim that they would pay for themselves has been all by disappeared by the media. In fact the first article I ever saw debunking that claim was not until 2008. It was a WaPo article about Giuliani making that false claim when he was running for president. There was no mention that both Reagan and Bush had also made that claim and both had blown up the debt with their tax cuts for rich
people.
The media has always preferred to play along with the Republican fairy tale that they are the party of fiscal responsibility and are best for the economy despite decades of data that prove otherwise. Instead of wondering how we got into this disaster or blaming Democrats journalists need to look in the mirror. As media critic Dan Froomkin put it:
“I blame the media”
https://presswatchers.org/2024/11/i-blame-the-media/
It's astounding how they get away with continuously recycling the "trickle down" lie, and hardly anybody seems to notice the ruse.
The real definition of "trickle down in a nutshell:
Fat cats get fat tax cuts, and you get trickled on. While the C-Suite gets its golden parachutes you get the golden showers. Indeed, you get soaked.
So how about it America? Have you been trickled on enough yet?
Cutting education began under Reagan “because teachers vote for democrats.”
“These are just some of the ways the administration’s cuts are having a devastating impact in rural America.”
Jess Piper explains it all:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-158444840?source=queue
This is well-worth reading.
He loves ignorant people. He said so. Now he will fuck them and everyone else. Wake up eggplants!
Some of my friends who probably voted for Trump are mad at Musk but not at Trump.
Apparently, they're not really paying attention.
please don't misunderstand: I agree with most of the other comments here so far, and with Waldman.
But it may be important to remember that the Dems have been complicit in running a government that does what the rich want and ignores what the people need, I tend to excuse them because it's hard to tell what 300 million people want, especially if the vast majority of them have no idea how things work. Still, there is a reason people voted for Trump besides "racism" or all the other primitive emotions people are heir to when things are going badly for them. I am in an especailyl bad mood today because I got a "response" from my Dem Senator today that showed neither he nor his aide had read the letter they "responded" to.
At least he responded. We can't find our Congressman.
Edie
I understand your point, but I feel the need to say that was not a response but an insult. It also happens to be the way "democracy" works.
I’m a life-long Democrat, and always reserve the right to criticize my party. Telling people who punch a clock that the economy is “great” when they live in fear of their rents going up is akin to pissing on them and telling them it’s raining. Pointing to the stock market booming doesnt do shit for people who can’t afford to participate in a 401k.
My point is that too much of our party’s leadership, and rank-and-file, have accepted some ideas about labor that I believe stem from having nobody in their families who get dirty at work. If work is worth having done, it’s worth paying a living wage for.
Paul, as far as I can tell, I agree with you. But I wonder why this showed up in my email as a response to something I wrote.
You're making Trump's destructive policies sound much better, Paul.
That said, my daughter applied for the PhD program in English at Penn. Yesterday morning the Times reported that fear of Trump's federal aid cuts forced the school to go from accepting 18 applicants to 6. Yesterday afternoon she got her rejection. Would she have gotten accepted otherwise? Who knows. But it's clear his desire--well, that of the bigot christians backing him--to destroy any school that isn't a publicly-supported christian terror academy, is quickly coming to fruition.
Stephen
focus you anger on Trump/Musk. The so called Christians behind some his policies are not christian. they are members of a primitive pagan cult that calls themselves christian because the brand helps them draw in the people who don't know a thing about the teachings of Jesus but want to be "saved", which they think they will be if they promote hate of people they are told are "sinners." Their leaders want you to hate them and think you are hating christians,
I believe that in an otherwise excellent article you omitted one reason why he doesn’t care that he is alienating his base - he doesn’t need them any more. He has no intention of there being any more elections.
Exactly. As far as he's concerned, they've outlived their usefulness to him, and so they're as expendable as ants.
Fuck his supporters.
It’s almost as if we KNEW this would happen.🤔
Almost?
How does it feel to “ own the libs” now ??? Idiots!
Yeah, one might reasonably think that the First Felon might reward the millions of supporters on whose shoulders he climbed with something like -- dare I say it? -- tax cuts, or maybe even slightly improved health care benefits. But no, too hard to control; some "blue" voters would reap those benefits as well. Also, much too tangible. Much easier, and much more emotionally satisfying for ruby-red Everypeople is the demonization of out groups: Hispanics, LGBT, Haitians, Muslims, and on and on.
Also, the orange criminal's primitive transactional world view compels him to discard those he has used once he is done using them, unless those people can continue to benefit him in some way (e.g., paying huge bucks for meetings, making seven- or eight-figure "contributions" to this or that scheme). The Medicaid-reliant senior citizens in Alabama or the farmers in Kansas, for example, simply cease to exist once the First Felon has left his bootprints on their backs and moved on.
The First Felon doesn't appear to care or understand much at all about policy, whether economic, domestic, or foreign. But the ideologues and billionaires propping him up sure do, and they have a definite strategy in mind. So he happily serves as their front man, directing the swinging of multiple meat cleavers as suits that strategy -- which, not coincidentally, includes zero consideration for the rank-and-file voters who put the present régime into office. The payoffs for him are that he gets to take credit for anything that doesn't generate screams of anger from his base, lay off any blame and responsibility for things that don't land well onto the thugs actually doing the dirty work, reap huge piles of money for himself personally, and cosplay being president as he revels in the trappings of office.
Sounds about right.
Guys we really need to stop the Dem, GOP thing . This is a coup from the inside. Musk and the frat boys are in our Social Security and healthcare systems! Trump works for Putin. The Veteran are getting screwed we better stop bickering and show up. This is actual 2 amendment stuff, he’s crashing the economy! We can argue later!
Agreed… it’s about preserving democracy which they ( Trump, Musk ) are trying to kill as we speak!