The Nazi's did not go away because they were evil and God made it right. We had to totally destroy them in WWII. Praying was not enough. Nor is rational thought that right will always prevail in the end. Peace and prosperity are relatively the exception. War and chaos has been the rule for much of history. So we damn right need to be afraid and use that fear to fix it somehow.
From a rational point of view, there is no way in hell that a man like Trump could ever have ascended to President. Yet, wonders upon wonder, there he is. The comeback kid. Maybe it is God's sense of humor that the modern day version of Pontius Pilot and King Herod all rolled into one is now sitting on the throne. America voted for it and now has to live with the consequences.
Our experiment in democracy needs major correction.
Lets try this. Absolute term limits. No one past 65 to serve in office. No stock trading while in office. Presidential pardon authority cannot be used if there is even a hint of a conflict of interest to protect friends and followers. No nepotism, only one member of family can serve in office at a time. Wives nor children cannot succeed their husbands into office. No one can serve that has business interests abroad. While in office the President cannot use his private social media and meme interests to further his nest. Presidential authority needs to be so limited you cannot use executive orders to "line item veto" after the fact bills passed by congress. And how about this, President is hired to be president 7 days a week, not spent on the golf course. Try this, pay raises for officials tied to minimum wage laws. They do not get raises without raises to minimum wage as well.
I'd also mention that Trump would not have won a second term if rampant Republican voter suppression were not a huge problem. If you look at the article below, you'll see how Republicans undermined the 2024 election with anti-American and highly racist voter suppression tactics, and we'd need to prevent that in the future as well.
How about ... every time a politician tells a big fat, bald faced lie, they get docked 1 point in the upcoming election. Trump loves golf and they use handicaps to cheat their way to play against others,
I’ll agree to all of that except the 65 age limit, I’ll go for 70. Kamala turned 60 during the campaign, that would have made her 68 if she were able to be elected to a second term. Everything else is great.
I knew the age limit of 65 or 70 is pretty arbitrary. However lets be realistic. The presidency is probably the most demanding job in the world. Frankly any sane person would not want that job. The bigger question is not age, but what is best for America? Today 65/66 soon to be 70 is usual age of retirement. So, given the massive demands of this position, why should we entrust our country to someone beyond retirement age?
I know the argument will be it takes age to become experienced. To that I argue, most of us are not smarter at 77 than we were are 60 and could do a lot more at 60 than at 77.
Another argument is that the current older generation in power have done a lot to muck up and contribute to our problems with no hope for fixing anything. Time to let the younger generations with fresh ideas take their rightful place and use that energy to fix what we could not. Besides that they will have to pay for our mistakes, so give them a chance to solve what we could not.
Are you crazy? The NAZIs were hell on earth especially for Jewish people. They maltreated, tortured and then killed (almost six millions of) them. They started WW2 which killed more than 50 million people. How can you say we shouldn't fear something like that and that it will go away?? It is precisely because of the Nazis (and other fascists) that we must be in fear and act NOW!
I am hoping I have misunderstood your commentary or maybe you were being cynical.
BTW I am German. We say: Never again! Never again! NEVER again! See the signs! And act while you can!
Agree, however the majority are sheep who will stand by and do nothing. T has cut off the leadership of the military and their top lawyers with no push back. He then guts almost every department by firing the workers and undercutting their duties. And to boot it is being done by a unelected, unappointed non-American. Again no meaningful pushback until the real patriots have taken to the streets. Bless them, our last hope.,
When all else fails it falls on the courage and sacrifice of the individual citizen and probably our non-citizens who do the dirty work and now get deported. The history of the Boston tea party was the same selfless citizens saying enough is enough.
I have no faith our elected reps will do their jobs. Best way to deal with them was well said by Warren Buffet. If they cannot come up with a balanced budget they are ineligible for re-election. Both sides need to have a blow torch at their backs to produce. No blaming the other side.
I am acutely aware, the difference between now and then is that we plan to take nothing for granted, we are not asleep, we are not afraid. We are vigilant and cognizant, Never again !
I also took issue with the "do not fear". However upon further reflection, I believe the comment was meant to say do not let fear become your master and paralyze us into inaction.
As you noted Hitler used fear to rule and the rest of the world stood by in fear doing nothing. Chamberlain negotiated in fear and we saw how that turned out. Today the world is standing by doing almost nothing while Ukraine is dying for us. As an American I am in shock that our president sees some kind of virtue in taking the Russian side against Ukraine. Peace at any price is not peace and the cost will far exceed victory.
To this day I do not know why Eisenhower did not bomb the railroads to the concentration camps. They bombed every other thing, but not these. They had to have known what was in those railcars and where they were going.
Your intentions are good, but Russ hit the nail on the head. Fear is a good and normal thing to be feeling right now, and we also need to be brave in the face of that fear. Those of us who are less vulnerable (no one is completely safe right now) need to stand up for those who are most vulnerable. We need to fight to get our democracy back using all of the peaceful mechanisms at our disposal, which is largely spreading awareness, forming communities of like-minded people, primarying ineffective democrats and beating bad-faith Republicans to take back Congress and impeach & remove the Trump regime.
I’m a dual US and Mexican (naturalized) citizen who permanently resides in Mexico. I just returned to the US on vacation and feared reentering the country by air… luckily nothing happened other than all my flights were cancelled due to weather and had to be rebooked. What was originally a 6.5-hour travel day turned into a 40-hour one spanning 2 days. Luckily my phone wasn’t defiled nor was I detained. But I was worried, which I have never been before. Citizens nor residents should feel targeted.
The day after the Inauguration, I started calling my friends who are naturalized citizens or have green cards. I told them all that they better not leave the US because this insane government might not let them back into the US. Also, all the people I know who are here doing research funded by grants from the government have had the money revoked, and they are in limbo. I can't believe it has only been 100 days since Felon 47 has been president. At this pace, we won't have a country next year. It is disgusting, embarrassing, and WRONG. Stay home, David, but don't give up the fight. You are needed now more than ever!
I am having to jump through hoops in order to leave comments here, but ta-da I am here. Hoping David will take his attorneys advice. We need you now more than ever.
I got your point. I am sure you meant, do not let our fears paralyze us into inaction. Soldiers fear the enemy, but that does not stop them from fighting. Kill or be killed is a powerful motivator. I have little hope our politicians are up to the task of reigning in Trump. The take down on Musk is much more effective. Where are all the protesters at his golf courses?
The rich play golf, while the rest of the US gets unemployed. A bit of history certainly applies...
The phrase "Let them eat cake" is a historical quote, famously attributed to Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution. While there's no definitive proof she actually said it, the phrase is used to illustrate an insensitive or dismissive response to the suffering of others, particularly the poor.
It’s difficult to be the face of opposition but I am proud of you and will continue to support you no matter what! Keep fighting the good fight and keeping truth front and centre and not backing down!!!!
The White House is defending the deportation of Children who are American citizens and their immigrant mothers. Melania better watch out, she is an expensive hanger on and her anchor baby Barron is so much taller then his ego driven father. Their deportation may be just around the corner.
I admire your bravery in the face of fear, I do. But I think you need to consider the platform you have. Imagine you leave, try to come back and get stuck in the hours or weeks of interrogation, detention, etc. What happens to that platform? Sure you can keep it going with people filling in for you, but you know that half your audience only tune in when you are there.
In times like these (I'm writing like they happen all the time in the US...), sometimes it's better to wait and not jump straight into the lion's mouth. On the other hand, millions of people will be up in arms if anything were to happen to you, I'm certain of it.
I could be wrong, but that's how I'm thinking. Will support you whatever you decide, for sure. Good luck!
Not to make your out-of-country plans sound petty, but, is it absolutely necessary to do whatever it is you need to do outside of the U.S? Is this trip so important? I think many of us at this time would feel a little more reassured if you were a reliable fixture, a constant, during this unstable, awful time, and not find one day you have been replaced indefinitely with a fill-in, or worse, not online at all.
I'll take this a step closer to home. I'm not comfortable flying within the US. The lack of safety and, I'm led to believe, the pressure to prove that I am a citizen. I can read and write English and was born here for fucks sake. This is happening within our borders! These bullshit policies are beginning to smother me, keeping me hunkered down in my home and community. One thing is for sure is happening, if Dozing Don wants a fight I'll sure has shit be ready!
Should we let fear win? I guess it depends on the circumstances. Only you can decide if this trip is worth the risk. Part of me wants to say “please don’t go! Please stay safe!” And yet every week I am on the streets protesting, and risking my freedom should something go terribly wrong. It’s worth it. Listen to your heart David.
Just like the Nazi before them, MAGA will fail, do not be afraid.
The Nazi's did not go away because they were evil and God made it right. We had to totally destroy them in WWII. Praying was not enough. Nor is rational thought that right will always prevail in the end. Peace and prosperity are relatively the exception. War and chaos has been the rule for much of history. So we damn right need to be afraid and use that fear to fix it somehow.
From a rational point of view, there is no way in hell that a man like Trump could ever have ascended to President. Yet, wonders upon wonder, there he is. The comeback kid. Maybe it is God's sense of humor that the modern day version of Pontius Pilot and King Herod all rolled into one is now sitting on the throne. America voted for it and now has to live with the consequences.
Our experiment in democracy needs major correction.
Lets try this. Absolute term limits. No one past 65 to serve in office. No stock trading while in office. Presidential pardon authority cannot be used if there is even a hint of a conflict of interest to protect friends and followers. No nepotism, only one member of family can serve in office at a time. Wives nor children cannot succeed their husbands into office. No one can serve that has business interests abroad. While in office the President cannot use his private social media and meme interests to further his nest. Presidential authority needs to be so limited you cannot use executive orders to "line item veto" after the fact bills passed by congress. And how about this, President is hired to be president 7 days a week, not spent on the golf course. Try this, pay raises for officials tied to minimum wage laws. They do not get raises without raises to minimum wage as well.
I absolutely love all of this! 😍
I'd also mention that Trump would not have won a second term if rampant Republican voter suppression were not a huge problem. If you look at the article below, you'll see how Republicans undermined the 2024 election with anti-American and highly racist voter suppression tactics, and we'd need to prevent that in the future as well.
https://hartmannreport.com/p/trump-lost-vote-suppression-won-c6f
How about ... every time a politician tells a big fat, bald faced lie, they get docked 1 point in the upcoming election. Trump loves golf and they use handicaps to cheat their way to play against others,
I like your points, Russ. Let's amend the Constitution too so that a convicted felon cannot hold a government political office.
I'm not going to be afraid though.
Like my granddaughters softball shirt says "Respect All - Fear None".
Love it!
I’ll agree to all of that except the 65 age limit, I’ll go for 70. Kamala turned 60 during the campaign, that would have made her 68 if she were able to be elected to a second term. Everything else is great.
I knew the age limit of 65 or 70 is pretty arbitrary. However lets be realistic. The presidency is probably the most demanding job in the world. Frankly any sane person would not want that job. The bigger question is not age, but what is best for America? Today 65/66 soon to be 70 is usual age of retirement. So, given the massive demands of this position, why should we entrust our country to someone beyond retirement age?
I know the argument will be it takes age to become experienced. To that I argue, most of us are not smarter at 77 than we were are 60 and could do a lot more at 60 than at 77.
Another argument is that the current older generation in power have done a lot to muck up and contribute to our problems with no hope for fixing anything. Time to let the younger generations with fresh ideas take their rightful place and use that energy to fix what we could not. Besides that they will have to pay for our mistakes, so give them a chance to solve what we could not.
Are you crazy? The NAZIs were hell on earth especially for Jewish people. They maltreated, tortured and then killed (almost six millions of) them. They started WW2 which killed more than 50 million people. How can you say we shouldn't fear something like that and that it will go away?? It is precisely because of the Nazis (and other fascists) that we must be in fear and act NOW!
I am hoping I have misunderstood your commentary or maybe you were being cynical.
BTW I am German. We say: Never again! Never again! NEVER again! See the signs! And act while you can!
God help the USA.
Agree, however the majority are sheep who will stand by and do nothing. T has cut off the leadership of the military and their top lawyers with no push back. He then guts almost every department by firing the workers and undercutting their duties. And to boot it is being done by a unelected, unappointed non-American. Again no meaningful pushback until the real patriots have taken to the streets. Bless them, our last hope.,
When all else fails it falls on the courage and sacrifice of the individual citizen and probably our non-citizens who do the dirty work and now get deported. The history of the Boston tea party was the same selfless citizens saying enough is enough.
I have no faith our elected reps will do their jobs. Best way to deal with them was well said by Warren Buffet. If they cannot come up with a balanced budget they are ineligible for re-election. Both sides need to have a blow torch at their backs to produce. No blaming the other side.
Sabine,
I am acutely aware, the difference between now and then is that we plan to take nothing for granted, we are not asleep, we are not afraid. We are vigilant and cognizant, Never again !
I also took issue with the "do not fear". However upon further reflection, I believe the comment was meant to say do not let fear become your master and paralyze us into inaction.
As you noted Hitler used fear to rule and the rest of the world stood by in fear doing nothing. Chamberlain negotiated in fear and we saw how that turned out. Today the world is standing by doing almost nothing while Ukraine is dying for us. As an American I am in shock that our president sees some kind of virtue in taking the Russian side against Ukraine. Peace at any price is not peace and the cost will far exceed victory.
To this day I do not know why Eisenhower did not bomb the railroads to the concentration camps. They bombed every other thing, but not these. They had to have known what was in those railcars and where they were going.
Your intentions are good, but Russ hit the nail on the head. Fear is a good and normal thing to be feeling right now, and we also need to be brave in the face of that fear. Those of us who are less vulnerable (no one is completely safe right now) need to stand up for those who are most vulnerable. We need to fight to get our democracy back using all of the peaceful mechanisms at our disposal, which is largely spreading awareness, forming communities of like-minded people, primarying ineffective democrats and beating bad-faith Republicans to take back Congress and impeach & remove the Trump regime.
Agreed! Let's continue to raise hell with these people.
Yes, the other side needs to feel the heat and be just as uncomfortable as the rest of us. Misery likes company.
I’m a dual US and Mexican (naturalized) citizen who permanently resides in Mexico. I just returned to the US on vacation and feared reentering the country by air… luckily nothing happened other than all my flights were cancelled due to weather and had to be rebooked. What was originally a 6.5-hour travel day turned into a 40-hour one spanning 2 days. Luckily my phone wasn’t defiled nor was I detained. But I was worried, which I have never been before. Citizens nor residents should feel targeted.
The day after the Inauguration, I started calling my friends who are naturalized citizens or have green cards. I told them all that they better not leave the US because this insane government might not let them back into the US. Also, all the people I know who are here doing research funded by grants from the government have had the money revoked, and they are in limbo. I can't believe it has only been 100 days since Felon 47 has been president. At this pace, we won't have a country next year. It is disgusting, embarrassing, and WRONG. Stay home, David, but don't give up the fight. You are needed now more than ever!
I am having to jump through hoops in order to leave comments here, but ta-da I am here. Hoping David will take his attorneys advice. We need you now more than ever.
I can't tell you how sorry I am that you are having these stressors, well that anyone is. They are truly evil.
I got your point. I am sure you meant, do not let our fears paralyze us into inaction. Soldiers fear the enemy, but that does not stop them from fighting. Kill or be killed is a powerful motivator. I have little hope our politicians are up to the task of reigning in Trump. The take down on Musk is much more effective. Where are all the protesters at his golf courses?
The rich play golf, while the rest of the US gets unemployed. A bit of history certainly applies...
The phrase "Let them eat cake" is a historical quote, famously attributed to Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution. While there's no definitive proof she actually said it, the phrase is used to illustrate an insensitive or dismissive response to the suffering of others, particularly the poor.
It’s difficult to be the face of opposition but I am proud of you and will continue to support you no matter what! Keep fighting the good fight and keeping truth front and centre and not backing down!!!!
The White House is defending the deportation of Children who are American citizens and their immigrant mothers. Melania better watch out, she is an expensive hanger on and her anchor baby Barron is so much taller then his ego driven father. Their deportation may be just around the corner.
David,
I admire your bravery in the face of fear, I do. But I think you need to consider the platform you have. Imagine you leave, try to come back and get stuck in the hours or weeks of interrogation, detention, etc. What happens to that platform? Sure you can keep it going with people filling in for you, but you know that half your audience only tune in when you are there.
In times like these (I'm writing like they happen all the time in the US...), sometimes it's better to wait and not jump straight into the lion's mouth. On the other hand, millions of people will be up in arms if anything were to happen to you, I'm certain of it.
I could be wrong, but that's how I'm thinking. Will support you whatever you decide, for sure. Good luck!
Not to make your out-of-country plans sound petty, but, is it absolutely necessary to do whatever it is you need to do outside of the U.S? Is this trip so important? I think many of us at this time would feel a little more reassured if you were a reliable fixture, a constant, during this unstable, awful time, and not find one day you have been replaced indefinitely with a fill-in, or worse, not online at all.
I'll take this a step closer to home. I'm not comfortable flying within the US. The lack of safety and, I'm led to believe, the pressure to prove that I am a citizen. I can read and write English and was born here for fucks sake. This is happening within our borders! These bullshit policies are beginning to smother me, keeping me hunkered down in my home and community. One thing is for sure is happening, if Dozing Don wants a fight I'll sure has shit be ready!
Should we let fear win? I guess it depends on the circumstances. Only you can decide if this trip is worth the risk. Part of me wants to say “please don’t go! Please stay safe!” And yet every week I am on the streets protesting, and risking my freedom should something go terribly wrong. It’s worth it. Listen to your heart David.