Mainstream pundits on MSNBC and elsewhere used to say, "we can't allow this to become normalized", but I don't hear that anymore - they just quit saying it. Why? Because they made it the new normal. We all made it the new normal by waiting around for the system of checks and balances, the 25th ammendment, another impeachment, the courts, the justice "process", the Mueller report, for some other prosecutor somewhere, for the next election, for Merrick Garland, for Biden, for Kamala, vainly asking when will ex-presidents speak out, etc. Nothing happened. When it did everything was stymied, delayed, stonewalled. And the media that might have once been a little critical was silenced, or bought off, or taken over. The media became more and more like the Fox fascist network. And people still had their bills, their jobs to worry about. So go to a "No Kings" once in awhile and go home. The regime ignores you and so does the media mostly
I wonder if him falling asleep at Xi Jinping's dinner will do him in? What if he nods off into that bowl of hot and sour McDonald's soup? Or starts to take his clothes off during a press meet? He might do all of those. And I really appreciate him taking Musk and Cook with him to China. The people have spoken.
what if … i don’t know what to say exactly … i agree with your enumeration of the sins of the current administration … fascist - yes … but hasn’t it always been so … i was radicalized watching american youth fight the cops on the streets of chicago in 1968 … i was 11 … i thought the revolution was coming … everyone was calling nixon a fascist … john mitchell … spiro fucking agnew … the war supposedly ended in what 1975 … what war … the american war has never ended in my lifetime …
right now slightly more than half the american population believes in adam & eve … about 30 million seem more than infatuated with trump … i think this is going to be a very very long haul of educating & organizing … & the coming economic dislocations are going to make that harder i think … sorry if ranting
i get into trouble in a lot of left spaces as i use the definition - merger of state & corporate power - for fascism … so for me if you have a state you’re already half way there, & the business of america is business … i don’t think the victims see any difference between nazi germany, el salvador & alabama … i’m of the opinion that american leftists only think america is fascist when it comes after them …
It's a wrong definition. It means that every capitalist state has been fascist since the transition from proprietary to corporate capitalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which is of course absurd. People who bring up this horrific definition typically do so without knowing what Mussolini meant by it. I'm not concerned with "american leftists," whoever that is :)
Fascism is a qualitative change in how society is governed.
Fascism foments and relies on xenophobic nationalism, racism, misogyny, and the aggressive re-institution of oppressive “traditional values.” Fascist mobs and threats of violence are unleashed to build the movement and consolidate power.
Fascism has direction and momentum. Dissent is piece by piece criminalized. The truth is bludgeoned. Group after group is demonized and targeted along a trajectory that leads to real horrors. All of this has taken dramatic leaps under the Trump MAGA regimes.
What is crucial to understand is that once in power fascism essentially eliminates traditional democratic rights.
No matter how it comes to power, fascism is never legitimate. History has shown that fascism must be stopped before it becomes too late.
The way the media is normalizing and sanewashing this deadly fascist freak show is driving people insane. You should hear N"P"R --- P for Pentagon, Petroleum, Putrid, Prozac...take your pick.
Certainly the NYT does not legitimize Trump in the OPINIONS section. There normally are hard hitting pieces spelling out Trump's illegitimate and nonstop military adventurism, and killing. Let's not forget how Trump calls all the killing EXCITING TIMES. Next up the excited guy might invade Cuba where many are dying or languishing currently under his tightened blockade, lacking meds, food, and oil to run the hospital generators. I don't recognize my country now. And it is not improving as our debt climbs into the stratosphere thanks to DJT
When asked if he thinks about how his attack on Iran affects Americans financially, he replied no, I don't think about it all, "not even a little bit." He tells you straight to your face he is only doing whatever job it is he is doing for the rich. He has no idea of what it means to be poor or even face the slightest struggle. These conditions as a day to day circumstance in a person's life are entirely invisible to Trump. You do not want the ultrarich making decisions that impact the entire society without even considering the public for 1/10th of second. Even the stupidest among us should be able to understand that. Even the dumbest Trump supporter in the country should be able to see this, but they can't. Trump never had to think about paying a bill, the basics and much more were always covered, and if he got a bill from someone he hired and didn't like it, he just wouldn't pay. He now steals directly from the US treasury, handing that money to his sons, who are him, because it's his business. If that gets boring, he sells you products, doesn't deliver it and then says paying for it was never a guarantee you would get it. (!) The crime and fraud and double dealing is not punishable, because he can do any crime he chooses as "part of his duties," and it is legal. The Actual State of Affairs at this moment in this country is approaching the complete death of what we were all told this system promised. What we who pay attention have known for much longer, and some among us are just now beginning to winkle out is that there are no rules, there is absolutely no real social compact between the rich and rest of us, just a free-for-all of plunder for them, while for the majority of us expenses are rapidly climbing beyond the availability of food clothing and shelter. Frank Zappa said, "Winos don't march," and that is a fine observation, but starving people have a hard time marching, too. Maybe that's what our overlords are hoping for. Too weak to fight when they finally get angry enough to anything, the surplus eaters will just go away dropping like flies.
Side note: riding on Interstate 94 in southwest Michigan today I saw a truck loaded with hundreds and hundreds of rolls of fresh, clean barbed wire. I wonder where that's headed?
"Scenarios aside, the current dire moment calls for everyday US-Americans to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves how much longer they can tolerate all this insanity being imposed on humanity in their name." It would be helpful to add some actions people can do right now. Many have no idea where to even start. Look up 5calls.org You will find info on exactly how to make phone calls to your reps, including scripts if you are not sure what to say. Follow https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com to see what you can do. A quick Substack search will lead you to many organizations where you can sign up and make a difference. Postcarding, local meetings, phone calls--these exist. Also follow Robert Hubbell and of course Heather Cox Richardson. In my town, I'm signed up with three organizations and we do both local and national actions. Try it! You'll meet like-minded people and feel less hopeless.
Check out; Business Goes on as Usual by Roberta Flack. Written by Fran Minkoff and Fred Hellerman with instrumental arrangement by Donny Hathaway and thank you!
Mainstream pundits on MSNBC and elsewhere used to say, "we can't allow this to become normalized", but I don't hear that anymore - they just quit saying it. Why? Because they made it the new normal. We all made it the new normal by waiting around for the system of checks and balances, the 25th ammendment, another impeachment, the courts, the justice "process", the Mueller report, for some other prosecutor somewhere, for the next election, for Merrick Garland, for Biden, for Kamala, vainly asking when will ex-presidents speak out, etc. Nothing happened. When it did everything was stymied, delayed, stonewalled. And the media that might have once been a little critical was silenced, or bought off, or taken over. The media became more and more like the Fox fascist network. And people still had their bills, their jobs to worry about. So go to a "No Kings" once in awhile and go home. The regime ignores you and so does the media mostly
I wonder if him falling asleep at Xi Jinping's dinner will do him in? What if he nods off into that bowl of hot and sour McDonald's soup? Or starts to take his clothes off during a press meet? He might do all of those. And I really appreciate him taking Musk and Cook with him to China. The people have spoken.
Maybe he'll expire in Beijing and Vance and Rubio and Hegseth will blame it on "communist" China and we'll go Defcon3.
what if … i don’t know what to say exactly … i agree with your enumeration of the sins of the current administration … fascist - yes … but hasn’t it always been so … i was radicalized watching american youth fight the cops on the streets of chicago in 1968 … i was 11 … i thought the revolution was coming … everyone was calling nixon a fascist … john mitchell … spiro fucking agnew … the war supposedly ended in what 1975 … what war … the american war has never ended in my lifetime …
right now slightly more than half the american population believes in adam & eve … about 30 million seem more than infatuated with trump … i think this is going to be a very very long haul of educating & organizing … & the coming economic dislocations are going to make that harder i think … sorry if ranting
Two quick thoughts: (a) The Trump regime's fascism makes Nixon's proto-fascsim look like a choir boy; (b) we don't have a long haul anymore.
i get into trouble in a lot of left spaces as i use the definition - merger of state & corporate power - for fascism … so for me if you have a state you’re already half way there, & the business of america is business … i don’t think the victims see any difference between nazi germany, el salvador & alabama … i’m of the opinion that american leftists only think america is fascist when it comes after them …
It's a wrong definition. It means that every capitalist state has been fascist since the transition from proprietary to corporate capitalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which is of course absurd. People who bring up this horrific definition typically do so without knowing what Mussolini meant by it. I'm not concerned with "american leftists," whoever that is :)
From Refuse Fascism's website:
What is Fascism?
Fascism is a qualitative change in how society is governed.
Fascism foments and relies on xenophobic nationalism, racism, misogyny, and the aggressive re-institution of oppressive “traditional values.” Fascist mobs and threats of violence are unleashed to build the movement and consolidate power.
Fascism has direction and momentum. Dissent is piece by piece criminalized. The truth is bludgeoned. Group after group is demonized and targeted along a trajectory that leads to real horrors. All of this has taken dramatic leaps under the Trump MAGA regimes.
What is crucial to understand is that once in power fascism essentially eliminates traditional democratic rights.
No matter how it comes to power, fascism is never legitimate. History has shown that fascism must be stopped before it becomes too late.
Yes. 'State' = violence.
The New York Times legitimizes this fascist regime every day. The propaganda and disinformation by omission is massive. It’s sickening.
The way the media is normalizing and sanewashing this deadly fascist freak show is driving people insane. You should hear N"P"R --- P for Pentagon, Petroleum, Putrid, Prozac...take your pick.
Certainly the NYT does not legitimize Trump in the OPINIONS section. There normally are hard hitting pieces spelling out Trump's illegitimate and nonstop military adventurism, and killing. Let's not forget how Trump calls all the killing EXCITING TIMES. Next up the excited guy might invade Cuba where many are dying or languishing currently under his tightened blockade, lacking meds, food, and oil to run the hospital generators. I don't recognize my country now. And it is not improving as our debt climbs into the stratosphere thanks to DJT
When asked if he thinks about how his attack on Iran affects Americans financially, he replied no, I don't think about it all, "not even a little bit." He tells you straight to your face he is only doing whatever job it is he is doing for the rich. He has no idea of what it means to be poor or even face the slightest struggle. These conditions as a day to day circumstance in a person's life are entirely invisible to Trump. You do not want the ultrarich making decisions that impact the entire society without even considering the public for 1/10th of second. Even the stupidest among us should be able to understand that. Even the dumbest Trump supporter in the country should be able to see this, but they can't. Trump never had to think about paying a bill, the basics and much more were always covered, and if he got a bill from someone he hired and didn't like it, he just wouldn't pay. He now steals directly from the US treasury, handing that money to his sons, who are him, because it's his business. If that gets boring, he sells you products, doesn't deliver it and then says paying for it was never a guarantee you would get it. (!) The crime and fraud and double dealing is not punishable, because he can do any crime he chooses as "part of his duties," and it is legal. The Actual State of Affairs at this moment in this country is approaching the complete death of what we were all told this system promised. What we who pay attention have known for much longer, and some among us are just now beginning to winkle out is that there are no rules, there is absolutely no real social compact between the rich and rest of us, just a free-for-all of plunder for them, while for the majority of us expenses are rapidly climbing beyond the availability of food clothing and shelter. Frank Zappa said, "Winos don't march," and that is a fine observation, but starving people have a hard time marching, too. Maybe that's what our overlords are hoping for. Too weak to fight when they finally get angry enough to anything, the surplus eaters will just go away dropping like flies.
Side note: riding on Interstate 94 in southwest Michigan today I saw a truck loaded with hundreds and hundreds of rolls of fresh, clean barbed wire. I wonder where that's headed?
Wednesday May 13 2026
Warnings - written warnings - almost every single day.
Dire warnings of the deadly danger to come.
We need to heed them now.
For those who can do so put back food for 3 to 6 months and get prepared to hit the streets non-stop.
This is one of those moments in history if we fail to answer the call to action all will be lost.
You can be sure of it.
General prolonged strike.
Won't happen.
Collapse is here.
okay then, might as well party.
"Scenarios aside, the current dire moment calls for everyday US-Americans to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves how much longer they can tolerate all this insanity being imposed on humanity in their name." It would be helpful to add some actions people can do right now. Many have no idea where to even start. Look up 5calls.org You will find info on exactly how to make phone calls to your reps, including scripts if you are not sure what to say. Follow https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com to see what you can do. A quick Substack search will lead you to many organizations where you can sign up and make a difference. Postcarding, local meetings, phone calls--these exist. Also follow Robert Hubbell and of course Heather Cox Richardson. In my town, I'm signed up with three organizations and we do both local and national actions. Try it! You'll meet like-minded people and feel less hopeless.
I don’t believe anything will get them into the streets. Possibly starvation but that’s not happening right now.
Check out; Business Goes on as Usual by Roberta Flack. Written by Fran Minkoff and Fred Hellerman with instrumental arrangement by Donny Hathaway and thank you!
We just need to elect another black man and have him do what trump has done, that will get their attention.
Tim Scott 2028?
He is already on team corruption.