I fear we are leaving the next generation the empty casino with the threadbare carpets and broken toilets. Too many of the boomer and later generations buy this charlatan’s BS and close their eyes to the dire straits the country is in.
Thank you for sharing this glimpse into Trump history. Those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it. The education system in the US does not do a good job of teaching history- real history
I never voted for Trump and don't disagree with Hedges, although he does have a way with words when it comes to Trump. That being said what was your take on the Biden administration, and his open door policy when I distinctly remember his past position was he was going to build the biggest wall ever? Not to mention that it was under the Obama and Biden administration that we have the horror of what is going on in Ukraine. Love Bush/Cheney who got our middle Eastern wars off to a big head start on the lie that Netanyahu pushed, that is, Iraq was on it's way to building nuclear weapons? A lie Biden pushed on his fellow democrats in the Senate. Yeah I can't stand Trump either, but I always remember to put him in context because we are not where we are now solely due to one man. We have been heading down this road for decades.
I am firmly in the camp of two heads-one snake. I’m not afraid to vote third party as I’ve a conscience. I followed Bernie closely and attended a few overflow events. I have no doubt that several of those supporters went to the Trump camp because what unites us was the desire for change and an American government that worked for Americans. Some undoubtedly bought Trump’s line
I've come to see most in the the public arena, democrat or republican as more or less one and the same which I didn't always feel, and was a registered democrat, no more. I'm on my own!!!!!!!!!!!!
Transcript of Professor Jeffrey Sachs on The Tucker Carlson Show
March 6, 2025 7:33 am
"The seven countries on the list are very telling. They were Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and then in Africa, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. Seven countries. We’ve been at war in six of them now, and I mean we, the United States, on behalf of Israel, including in Syria. And so what happened in Syria last week was the culmination of a long-term effort by Israel to reshape the Middle East in its image."
Let's not forget AIPAC.
I think he is the one person that presents a wholistic perspective of this century in regard to Israel and our wars.
Netanyahu identified the countries we had to take out as terrorist states, and if taken out he can create his greater Israel.
I am not asking you listen to Tucker Carson. but his interview with Jeffery Sachs, who is the only one I know who makes Israel's agenda and the many wars we fought on her behalf very clear which few do, even those in the so called anti-war public arena.
{sigh} Another ignorant "blame the Boomers." Then please rescind civil rights, AIM, women's liberation, an end to the war in Vietnam, eco-activism, and LGBT rights. Actual history.
Align with the neolib D elite and their upper middle class PMC loyalists. The superior people who blame "stupid voters" for Trump. As if it's smart to diss the majority working class, voters once part of your party. As if failing to notice 40 years of suffering in the Rust Belt and the well-documented deaths of despair were a mark of sublime intelligence. "Real history" is the story of how the Ds dumped the New Deal and abandoned labor. How after the '08 crash the Ds, with confidence in trickle down, bailed out the Wall Street guilty while the millions of us nobodies who lost jobs, pensions, homes got nothing.
Refuse to see the "No Kings' rallies are little more than a belief somehow if Trump were gone, we'd have Dem paradise. Don't ask why the slogan isn't "No Oligarchs and No Plutocrats." Just expect us irrelevant lessers to accept a 'choice' between the D elite and 20%er PMC oligarchy or the 1%er and megacorp R plutocracy. It's fine both parties support an econ philosophy based on the belief personal gain is the only real human motivation.
Trump is the true face of American econopathy and its religion the gospel of prosperity.
I don't really disagree, but identifying those who support Trump as uneducated, well stupid, and are incapable of understanding this post is a bit too prejudicial. No doubt many who voted for Trump no doubt have had a change of heart as well. Not to mention those that preceded him don't deserve any accolades either.
Odd isn't it? T is fulfilling the map made by the Heritage Foundation-Project 2025- to destroy our democratic republic's institutions/processes but most critics don't seem to include this traitorous map as related to the Donald. Nor do critics name neither corporations nor banks as part of his base - in all meanings related to that word. Why stop at Trump? We can never change what we do not name.
Something I have found interesting, and related to your post here: When Biden was President after Thump's first term, I often saw a very nice property with a sign posted outside near the road that got a lot of traffic. The sign showed a comparison of gas prices from when Thump was President and gas prices during Biden's Presidency, and the gas prices under Thump shown on that sign were always lower than under Biden. NOW, that Thump is again President (or, as I write it, "president"), and gas prices are very high, that sign disappeared and has never appeared again. Funny how facts can run like the paint on a deceptive sign.
It's kind of like the national debt and deficit "debates" that occur. When Republicans (or what used to known as "Republicans") hold power, the debt has skyrocketed (never more than now as Thump drives the country into bankruptcy, something he is very good at) and they never mention it. When Democrats hold power, the "Republicans" go into high dudgeon and self-righteous outrage!
Republicans are hypocrites, manipulative con-artists, greedy self-enriching kleptocrats. MAGAt "Republicans" are a new breed of cat, embodying every bad trait of the "Republicans" with a brand new layer of despicable, degenerate, desecration of any possibility of our country righting this ship of state.
Powerful writing and observations,judgements Annie. T reminds me of chemistry lab a century ago. Sprinkle a certain chemical into a certain solution and Voila! A crystal suddenly takes form! Thuggish President appears. Voila! Suddenly thuggish mentalities appear!
Your brother is no different then those I resent referencing Trump supporters as uneducated and stupid with a tone they think bespeaks of their superiority. Understand, I don't like Trump and I am being kind. In his first term I think the criticism on many levels got out of hand which included out and out lies. I think it's best to criticize Trump's policies and leave those who voted for him out of the conversation.
For the sake of argument (and I'm not wanting an actual argument), how do you, or how would you, explain how he arrived in the seat of power, that "gold" chair that looks like a throne or the chair he seems to constantly occupy at OUR Resolute Desk surrounded by toadies and lackeys and timid "journalists" presenting themselves for his insults and cruelty? Was it magic? If "those who voted for him" the first time were somehow naive or uninformed, after the first four years of him (let alone the previous 50), how do you explain the second opportunity not to vote for him? After all, HE often told the story that ended with the line, "You knew I was a snake when you let me in," referring to a different dangerous deceiver in an old folk tale.... ? In fact, "those who voted for him" summoned him into power and now, knowing what you know about their vote, how would you describe them?
Annie I never voted for him, and I'm not giving him a thumbs up especially during his second term in office. However we could get into a discussion about his first term where lies about him were spun, false accusations made, and his base strongly maligned, as well as the claim he was Russia's puppet. Oh, yes and Russia interfered in our elections. Also remember that his opposition in the 2016 election never saw a war she didn't like, and gave a chuckle at hearing Muammar Gaddafi got a sword up his ass, since she was highly influential during her Obama years in destroying Libya, well her and some other female cronies. She really wasn't on a lot of people's hit list. Obama was not my cup of tea either, and forget about telling me that Obama was a liberal, or that he didn't implement a coup in Ukraine which is why we are where we are in regard to Ukraine, with millions dead, and god forbid a third world war on the horizon. Don't tell me Obama didn't make any effort to overthrow Assad, Timber Sycamore, it's called. Biden, a die hard Zionist handed Israel weapons to implement the genocide in Gaza, and one could say he got it going, and he did state during his presidency Putin has got to go. Lets not forget he pushed Netanyahu's lie that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons so we got the lie of a war in Iraq. Keep all that in mind and of course there is much more and perhaps you'll question yourself on those you helped elect into office.
So Jan I'm curious. If there were big bill boards where you live and they were plastered with a big Trump Report Card listing concerns your family/brother have - health care costs : up 50% (I'm making the scores up) for a family of 4, food costs: up 37%, credit card debt: up 43%, generally: "shrinking jobs, slowing wage growth, raising living costs for the working class" (Center for American Progress.org) Again these are fictional percentages while that portion within quotes is actual. Would that spark a change in your family's view of T?
I'm inclined to agree, at least partially, but I think one thing that the better educated tend to dismiss is the effect of ANGER. Anger can take a reasonable, rational individual, and make him throw logic and facts out the window.
Casino capitalism with a mob mentality. But of course Don Corleone had a sense of honor and restraint. Trump has the worst attributes of Sonny, Fredo, and Michael. He's a hothead like Sonny, a sybarite always looking for respect like Fredo, and he's vindictive and blinded by power like Michael.
The dead eyes of Miller look like something out of a Twilight Zone episode. Horrible Nazi commandant reincarnates as Jewish in order to learn a lesson. But the evil power dominates, destroying any innate goodness in the child's soul.
The logical conclusion of the neolib econopathy brought to us by M. Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics. Assumptions like the utility function, the only real human motivation is personal gain. Friedman advised Pinochet because "democracy interferes with Market efficiency." Neolib Ds dumped the New Deal decades ago; they support the same econ system, albeit articulated by their Ivy League best and brightest through civilized discourse. Trump is the unfiltered form, the ugly reality.
Yet, the streets of the US are empty of protesters who await mid-terms hoping the spineless democrats will offer solutions. I repeat- the streets of the US are still empty of protesters.
In the last 15 years, there have only been two significant protest movements - Occupy Wall Street (2011) and the Gaza genocide protests (2024). Both were brutally crushed through violence and extreme threats to the individuals involved. (I discount more symbolic events like the Pink Pussy Hat march and No Kings Days).
That they didn't expand suggests something is going on. There are reasons that come to mind - laziness;, lack. of moral courage; distractions; and any other apparent explanations. But I wonder if there's something darker - and that is a prolonged campaign of breaking down the civil bonds that give rise to protests.
It may be a stretch, but many decades ago I read a book about the German concentration camps. One of the things the guards were said to do is go down the line and beat a prisoner to death; then go up to the next one and do something nice like give extra food. The shattering of understandable behavior led to psychological breakdowns and compliant prisoners (who vastly outnumbered the guards). I wonder if we have a more profound but subtle version of that going on.
And I agree completely. The midterms are a joke. And then Waiting for Godot with "leaders" like Gavin, Kamala, Pete, or Rahm will be the follow-on joke.
I attended the huge pro-Palestinian protest in DC in January of 2024, Tom. It wasn’t “crushed,” although a relatively few people were arrested across from the White House at the end of the march. I can no longer remember the alleged grounds for the arrests and I left the final destination of the marchers before they happened. There were a lot of Genocide Joe signs. Of course the mainstream media emphasized the arrests despite the fact the protest was for the most part peaceful. And the police were largely restrained — the streets were blocked off to accommodate the protest. People had ridden buses in from around the country. I did see relatively few white people there, although there was a significant representation of young people across a racial and ethnic spectrum. (Again, mostly not white though. I’m white, btw). I think something other than “crushing” the protests is going on. I attended one large “No Kings”protest and saw only one person other than myself carrying an antiwar and anti genocide sign, and this was after the U.S. had attacked Iran. Other protests are scattered and are getting very little media attention, maybe by design. For example, there was a protest across from the White House during Netanyahu’s visit with Trump and attendance at Lindsay Graham’s memorial service that got almost no press coverage.
I do remember the large, multiple Iraq War protests and wonder why the attacks on Iran (mostly its civilian population and infrastructure) are receiving little visible protest from the general public.
Thanks Nancy. I didn't know about the DC protest; I was thinking more about what schools like Columbia U. and other schools on the. West Coast did to the students (including expulsions, suspensions, and revoked degrees).
And of course, heard no coverage anywhere of the protests near the Graham service. I did hear one of our two "Democratic" senators praising his "commitment to his beliefs" and how much fun he was on the travels they did. They're all monsters.
Oh, the treatment of the student protesters— what a shameful legacy. Trump spoke at Lindsay Graham’s memorial service at the National Cathedral, which Netanyahu attended. You wouldn’t think one building could contain so much evil on a single occasion.
Here in Canada, our Prime Minister Mark Carney offered his condolences to Graham's family saying he “stood resolutely in defence of democracy and freedom”. So don't look to Canada for sane government leadership. Our governments have always followed closely behind the US. And lately we've hastened the pace
Thanks for your on the ground direct citizen experience, Nancy - if you hadn't made this comment today, I and others here would not have known such details, as per MSM not reporting. You were the person who told me about the Jan. 2024 protest - keep up the good work.
Thank you, John. We all struggle to know what might be effective, particularly in light of a government that does not respond to its people. Lately, I’ve contributed small amounts to the campaigns of some candidates who have strongly and consistently opposed the genocide. As you probably heard, three won recently in NY and one in Colorado. A few other places too. Keeping fingers crossed for Al Sayed and others tomorrow, in Michigan and elsewhere. We need the votes to stop the funding. That’s how Viet Nam finally ended — when they cut off the funds.
The two significant protests you mention were crushed by the leaders of the two traditional parties, but people are slowly waking up and many have become independent voters. I do hope that the midterm elections will change positivelly our future.
I think the precarity we've been pushed to is enough to explain why our masses don't stand united. We simply can't afford to protest en masse for the prolonged periods actual change will require. The general strike will (hopefully 🤞) occur but I know I loathe myself for my continued subservience.
The demonstration provided by the Albanians (which seems to have had some effect) is possible because even in poor parts of the world workers have guaranteed rights and protections. Here we're clinging to our scab jobs, hating each other for opinions on issues which don't personally affect us, and horrified by what out public resources are doing around the world and around the block.
I have witnessed - people do things because they've seen others do those things, regardless of how thoughtless and mindless those things are. A herd mentality indeed.
For most humans most of the time, the fastest and surest way to wind up dead or seriously disadvantaged has been at the hands of other humans. At the same time, "our group", whether by faith, family, tribe, regiment, whatever, are the people we can trust to have their back.
Therefore, whatever else happens, whatever they have to do, believe absurdities, blindly follow barking insane leaders, parrot obvious lies to our detriment, do or suffer terrible things, but please whatever you do, please don't kick us out of the group!
What this also means is that when humans are presented with incontrovertible proof that the group narrative is wrong or that the group leaders are mad or charlatans or worse, rather than change leaders or change beliefs or change groups, most people, most of the time will instead double down. Witness the behavior of cultists.
The process is called "cognitive dissonance" and it is abundantly documented. As alluded to earlier, there are entire religions organized around the principle.
Cognitive dissonance is not limited to stupid people. In fact, the intelligent are at least as prone, perhaps because they are better at rationalizing. In fact, much so-called "knowledge work" is basically learning symbol manipulation in order to rationalize something.
hopefully, most Americans will not consider themselves part of Trump's group. Apart from the evangelicals the polls show an increasing disgust for this godfather faker.
If we take for reality simply the appearances of things, that ignores completely the invisibles, the inner life, the energies within - frustration, rage, anxiety, intentionality, choosing, power, anger, delight, ambivalence, etc It is an extrovert's proclivity to focus on the outward to the exclusion of the inner. It took 5-7 years of the Vietnam War for large scale anti-war protests to take shape."It took about 20 to 40 years for the organized women's suffrage movement in the U.S. to gain widespread popularity and real political traction." (Wikipedia) Remember: "The seed that is to grow must lose itself as seed."
I am the last individual you could call an extrovert.
Found on internet:
Wars are won by whoever possesses the deadlier weapons.
The indigenous peoples of the Americas, Asia, and Africa had brave, skilled, and highly motivated warriors—but the Maxim machine guns slaughtered them en masse and defeated these armies.
The Japanese of World War II were cruel but also extremely motivated fighters—yet in the end, they were slaughtered by the U.S. military machine by the millions. Bravery and morale are important, but technological progress is and always has been more important.
We can only pray to God that Silicon Valley does not begin to dominate thinking at the Pentagon; otherwise, both Russia and Iran will lose world war III.
If Silicon Valley succeeds in producing autonomous drones the size of dragonflies that carry 5–10 grams of explosives, remain active for half an hour, and can be dropped in large numbers by aircraft over critical areas, this will have an effect similar to the invention of the machine gun in the 19th century for fighting the armies of the indigenous peoples of Africa or Asia.
Of course, these drones won’t be able to distinguish between civilians and soldiers and will explode on the head of anyone unlucky enough to be in the target area defined by the U.S.—but hey!—has collateral damage ever been a problem for the U.S.?
When Russian or Iranian soldiers reach locations littered with thousands of corpses with blown-off heads and brains hanging out, that will certainly have an impact on their combat effectiveness...
We’ve been in World War III for a long time. The West is bankrupt; no Western politician is willing to tell their constituents THIS—it means that we Westerners will have to work hard for low pay and few vacations until at least 2050 or 2026 before we can ever compete economically again—and so war is the only option for us bankrupts. It’s that simple.
A politician who promises me a “bright future” is one who wants to continue waging World War III. I do not believe in a bright future. We missed the train a long time ago. I can’t say any more than that.
We Westerners are the Third Reich today. We want world domination at any cost. Since we are sociopathic by nature, we will put everything on the line to achieve our goal. Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing should finally realize this.
For every Columbus, Hernán Cortés, or Francisco Pizarro who made it, there are thousands who died on the path to infinite wealth. For us, the “50 Cent” motto applies: “Get rich or die tryin’.”
We are not interested in our human or natural environment; we are not even interested in our own environment. Over the past 35 years, the West has destroyed itself out of sheer greed.
The smart people in Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing need to keep THAT in mind at all times. We are sociopaths. We are the Epstein class. We accept no partners; we accept only submission—or annihilation.
"The seed that is to grow must lose itself as seed as those that creep must graduate from chrysalis to wing. Wilt thou then oh mortal cling to husks that falsely seem to you the Self?" (Indian poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore from his collection Fruit-Gathering (poem LXVIII).
There are some quiet revolutions happening with organizing and connecting in communities. I think many people are overwhelmed and don't know what to do. My children, who are in their 30s, feel protests are not effective. They do local actions, mutual aide, building community, ice watch, protecting immigrants. I feel mass protests can be effective but so is the day to day work of Revolution and building a solid foundation of community.
Trump – the criminal, incompetent, failed businessman – is back in the Whitehouse to bankrupt the entire country. The tawdry, abject fraud is so obvious. He habitually destroys his own investors. The crypto racket amplifies the the money he can make and the damage he can do. Trump is not really about generating wealth. Trump is all about creating poverty.
Akin to the Vandals sacking a defenseless Rome in 455 A.D., which they accomplished in 14 days. However, unlike Trump, they left Roman institutions basically intact. In four years of a second Trump administration, there promises to be little left of our institutions, as well as our wealth. And like the Romans, the country as a whole has barely put up a fight. We left the gates wide open.
Who else helped to keep them open, making us more vulnerable. If it wasn't for the administrations who preceded him maybe he would never have come to be. Nothing happens in a vacuum.
The predecessors opened the gates, Fran. As just one example, John Roberts and his corrupt cohorts on the Supreme Court instigated a silent coup with his Trump v. U.S. immunity decision. And half of the Democrats in the Senate voted to confirm him despite all the warning signs — like his published opposition to the Voting Rights Act as an official in the Reagan Justice Department and his significant contributions to the Republican’s legal strategy in Bush v. Gore.
"Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court about campaign finance law, in which the Court held that laws restricting the political spending of corporations and labor unions are inconsistent with the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Citizens United in a 5-4 decision, with Justice Anthony Kennedy writing the majority opinion. All Democratic-appointed justices dissented." I really hate this one which simply put the people of this country on the back shelf in favor of the corporate world.
Agree. Another bad one is Buckley v. Valeo (1976), in which a unanimous court held that money equals speech. Buckley enabled billionaires to buy elections. Buckley’s reasoning was extended to corporations in Citizens United, and even if Citizens United were overturned, billionaires would still be able to buy elections under Buckley. (Check out former FEC Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub’s analysis of the two cases which you can find online). I have yet to read the Court ‘s recent case on campaign finance, but apparently it takes the line of cases from bad to worse. Also, there’s a case out of the DC Circuit that’s supposed to be even worse, which lower courts have relied on. (Can’t remember the name off hand). Merrick Garland. who sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for DC at the time, joined in that opinion. Although he would have been better than the Republican appointed justices on the Supreme Court, he wouldn’t have been a better justice than he was an AG. I should have refreshed my memory about the later campaign finance cases before posting this, but the gist is that they’re all bad and the trend started with Buckley, on which the rest rely. L. Lessing, a Constitutional Law professor at Harvard, currently has a case pending that would supposedly limit the reach of Citizens United. I heard him interviewed and he thinks he’s found a loophole. Despite the lack of specifics, I hope this gives you enough to follow up on your own if you’re so inclined. I plan to do so at some point. Very important issue. Thanks for raising it.
Thanks for all that additional info. Since my overall perspective in this century has really gone down hill, and I don't believe things will change for the better. During the previous century things were implemented, or said, and it looked like there might be some bright spots ahead, but time proved that my perceptions were unduly hopeful. My position now is, I'll believe it when I see it.
I believe Alaric had good reasons for the sacking of Rome and perhaps we should imitate him. Aunty AI just told me:
"Alaric's main motives for sacking Rome in 410 AD were political leverage, land for his Visothic people, and unpaid subsidies, while the city offered virtually no military resistance during the final breach because enslaved people inside opened the gates. Alaric's Motives Political Recognition and Title: Alaric wanted an official high-ranking military command (magister militum) in the Western Roman Empire and formal recognition for his people. Land and Grain: The Visigoths needed a permanent homeland with reliable agricultural resources, specifically in the region of Noricum or Pannonia, which the Roman Emperor Honorius repeatedly promised and then denied. Financial Compensation: Alaric demanded massive amounts of gold and pepper after previous sieges were bought off, but negotiations broke down when Honorius—safe in the fortified city of Ravenna—refused to compromise.Roman Resistance Prior Sieges (408 and 409 AD): Rome suffered heavily from starvation and disease during Alaric's earlier blockades, but the massive Aurelian Walls prevented a direct assault, and the Romans initially bought Alaric off with heavy ransoms.The Final Sack (August 24, 410 AD): There was almost no active military defense during the final entry; the Visigoths entered because sympathizers or enslaved individuals inside the city opened the Salarian Gate by night.
Yes, the Visagoth’s sacking preceded that of the Vandals by a few decades, Julio. I imagine there were quite a few peoples who had good reason for seeking retribution against Rome.
The moment you mentioned the Taj in Atlantic City, I was mentally thrown back into your narrative in "Farewell Tour", which I've read twice. But I've gotta surmise that the real Don Corleones like John Gotti must've been better money managers than Donald J.
This is incredibly discouraging. What can be done? I'm serious. Is there a way out of this? Additionally, my husband (Vietnam Vet) and I have never fallen for the crap that trump has been slinging for years. Not all Boomers are stupid.
Great outline & list, unfortunately the general public has no idea about all this... if they did, even "trailer park trash" Paula White wouldn't go anywhere near him.
I am not counting on the Democrats. I am hoping for the people to vote the sycophants out of office on a huge scale. The American people are furious. You can hear the talk everywhere. I am hoping for a chance to change course.
"There is something tragically wrong with a system of justice which can and does make criminals of honest men and can only convict gangsters and racketeers when they don’t pay their income taxes. —RAYMOND CHANDLER"
This was referring to Al Capone. But now is even worst. Don Trumpleone has not been jailed and he does not pay his federal income taxes either.
well much beyond disappointing what's happening to America? Has it always been this corrupt? and murderous around the world and I'm just now learning it as a senior citizen after decades of flag-waving patriotism?
You are not naive nor stupid. You were misinformed, like most of us, by our education system and network channels owned by the oligarchy. Things are changing thanks to honest and courageous people like Mr. Hedges.
I fear we are leaving the next generation the empty casino with the threadbare carpets and broken toilets. Too many of the boomer and later generations buy this charlatan’s BS and close their eyes to the dire straits the country is in.
Thank you for sharing this glimpse into Trump history. Those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it. The education system in the US does not do a good job of teaching history- real history
I never voted for Trump and don't disagree with Hedges, although he does have a way with words when it comes to Trump. That being said what was your take on the Biden administration, and his open door policy when I distinctly remember his past position was he was going to build the biggest wall ever? Not to mention that it was under the Obama and Biden administration that we have the horror of what is going on in Ukraine. Love Bush/Cheney who got our middle Eastern wars off to a big head start on the lie that Netanyahu pushed, that is, Iraq was on it's way to building nuclear weapons? A lie Biden pushed on his fellow democrats in the Senate. Yeah I can't stand Trump either, but I always remember to put him in context because we are not where we are now solely due to one man. We have been heading down this road for decades.
I am firmly in the camp of two heads-one snake. I’m not afraid to vote third party as I’ve a conscience. I followed Bernie closely and attended a few overflow events. I have no doubt that several of those supporters went to the Trump camp because what unites us was the desire for change and an American government that worked for Americans. Some undoubtedly bought Trump’s line
I've come to see most in the the public arena, democrat or republican as more or less one and the same which I didn't always feel, and was a registered democrat, no more. I'm on my own!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have been backing Israel's agenda of war and more war for decades.
https://singjupost.com/transcript-of-professor-jeffrey-sachs-on-the-tucker-carlson-show/
Transcript of Professor Jeffrey Sachs on The Tucker Carlson Show
March 6, 2025 7:33 am
"The seven countries on the list are very telling. They were Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and then in Africa, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. Seven countries. We’ve been at war in six of them now, and I mean we, the United States, on behalf of Israel, including in Syria. And so what happened in Syria last week was the culmination of a long-term effort by Israel to reshape the Middle East in its image."
Let's not forget AIPAC.
I think he is the one person that presents a wholistic perspective of this century in regard to Israel and our wars.
Netanyahu identified the countries we had to take out as terrorist states, and if taken out he can create his greater Israel.
I am not asking you listen to Tucker Carson. but his interview with Jeffery Sachs, who is the only one I know who makes Israel's agenda and the many wars we fought on her behalf very clear which few do, even those in the so called anti-war public arena.
{sigh} Another ignorant "blame the Boomers." Then please rescind civil rights, AIM, women's liberation, an end to the war in Vietnam, eco-activism, and LGBT rights. Actual history.
Align with the neolib D elite and their upper middle class PMC loyalists. The superior people who blame "stupid voters" for Trump. As if it's smart to diss the majority working class, voters once part of your party. As if failing to notice 40 years of suffering in the Rust Belt and the well-documented deaths of despair were a mark of sublime intelligence. "Real history" is the story of how the Ds dumped the New Deal and abandoned labor. How after the '08 crash the Ds, with confidence in trickle down, bailed out the Wall Street guilty while the millions of us nobodies who lost jobs, pensions, homes got nothing.
Refuse to see the "No Kings' rallies are little more than a belief somehow if Trump were gone, we'd have Dem paradise. Don't ask why the slogan isn't "No Oligarchs and No Plutocrats." Just expect us irrelevant lessers to accept a 'choice' between the D elite and 20%er PMC oligarchy or the 1%er and megacorp R plutocracy. It's fine both parties support an econ philosophy based on the belief personal gain is the only real human motivation.
Trump is the true face of American econopathy and its religion the gospel of prosperity.
I don't really disagree, but identifying those who support Trump as uneducated, well stupid, and are incapable of understanding this post is a bit too prejudicial. No doubt many who voted for Trump no doubt have had a change of heart as well. Not to mention those that preceded him don't deserve any accolades either.
Odd isn't it? T is fulfilling the map made by the Heritage Foundation-Project 2025- to destroy our democratic republic's institutions/processes but most critics don't seem to include this traitorous map as related to the Donald. Nor do critics name neither corporations nor banks as part of his base - in all meanings related to that word. Why stop at Trump? We can never change what we do not name.
Something I have found interesting, and related to your post here: When Biden was President after Thump's first term, I often saw a very nice property with a sign posted outside near the road that got a lot of traffic. The sign showed a comparison of gas prices from when Thump was President and gas prices during Biden's Presidency, and the gas prices under Thump shown on that sign were always lower than under Biden. NOW, that Thump is again President (or, as I write it, "president"), and gas prices are very high, that sign disappeared and has never appeared again. Funny how facts can run like the paint on a deceptive sign.
It's kind of like the national debt and deficit "debates" that occur. When Republicans (or what used to known as "Republicans") hold power, the debt has skyrocketed (never more than now as Thump drives the country into bankruptcy, something he is very good at) and they never mention it. When Democrats hold power, the "Republicans" go into high dudgeon and self-righteous outrage!
Republicans are hypocrites, manipulative con-artists, greedy self-enriching kleptocrats. MAGAt "Republicans" are a new breed of cat, embodying every bad trait of the "Republicans" with a brand new layer of despicable, degenerate, desecration of any possibility of our country righting this ship of state.
Make "1984" fiction again. Wake up, America!
Powerful writing and observations,judgements Annie. T reminds me of chemistry lab a century ago. Sprinkle a certain chemical into a certain solution and Voila! A crystal suddenly takes form! Thuggish President appears. Voila! Suddenly thuggish mentalities appear!
Your brother is no different then those I resent referencing Trump supporters as uneducated and stupid with a tone they think bespeaks of their superiority. Understand, I don't like Trump and I am being kind. In his first term I think the criticism on many levels got out of hand which included out and out lies. I think it's best to criticize Trump's policies and leave those who voted for him out of the conversation.
For the sake of argument (and I'm not wanting an actual argument), how do you, or how would you, explain how he arrived in the seat of power, that "gold" chair that looks like a throne or the chair he seems to constantly occupy at OUR Resolute Desk surrounded by toadies and lackeys and timid "journalists" presenting themselves for his insults and cruelty? Was it magic? If "those who voted for him" the first time were somehow naive or uninformed, after the first four years of him (let alone the previous 50), how do you explain the second opportunity not to vote for him? After all, HE often told the story that ended with the line, "You knew I was a snake when you let me in," referring to a different dangerous deceiver in an old folk tale.... ? In fact, "those who voted for him" summoned him into power and now, knowing what you know about their vote, how would you describe them?
Annie I never voted for him, and I'm not giving him a thumbs up especially during his second term in office. However we could get into a discussion about his first term where lies about him were spun, false accusations made, and his base strongly maligned, as well as the claim he was Russia's puppet. Oh, yes and Russia interfered in our elections. Also remember that his opposition in the 2016 election never saw a war she didn't like, and gave a chuckle at hearing Muammar Gaddafi got a sword up his ass, since she was highly influential during her Obama years in destroying Libya, well her and some other female cronies. She really wasn't on a lot of people's hit list. Obama was not my cup of tea either, and forget about telling me that Obama was a liberal, or that he didn't implement a coup in Ukraine which is why we are where we are in regard to Ukraine, with millions dead, and god forbid a third world war on the horizon. Don't tell me Obama didn't make any effort to overthrow Assad, Timber Sycamore, it's called. Biden, a die hard Zionist handed Israel weapons to implement the genocide in Gaza, and one could say he got it going, and he did state during his presidency Putin has got to go. Lets not forget he pushed Netanyahu's lie that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons so we got the lie of a war in Iraq. Keep all that in mind and of course there is much more and perhaps you'll question yourself on those you helped elect into office.
So Jan I'm curious. If there were big bill boards where you live and they were plastered with a big Trump Report Card listing concerns your family/brother have - health care costs : up 50% (I'm making the scores up) for a family of 4, food costs: up 37%, credit card debt: up 43%, generally: "shrinking jobs, slowing wage growth, raising living costs for the working class" (Center for American Progress.org) Again these are fictional percentages while that portion within quotes is actual. Would that spark a change in your family's view of T?
I'm inclined to agree, at least partially, but I think one thing that the better educated tend to dismiss is the effect of ANGER. Anger can take a reasonable, rational individual, and make him throw logic and facts out the window.
Casino capitalism with a mob mentality. But of course Don Corleone had a sense of honor and restraint. Trump has the worst attributes of Sonny, Fredo, and Michael. He's a hothead like Sonny, a sybarite always looking for respect like Fredo, and he's vindictive and blinded by power like Michael.
And assisted by his own Sollozo - Stephen "The Turk" Miller.
The dead eyes of Miller look like something out of a Twilight Zone episode. Horrible Nazi commandant reincarnates as Jewish in order to learn a lesson. But the evil power dominates, destroying any innate goodness in the child's soul.
The logical conclusion of the neolib econopathy brought to us by M. Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics. Assumptions like the utility function, the only real human motivation is personal gain. Friedman advised Pinochet because "democracy interferes with Market efficiency." Neolib Ds dumped the New Deal decades ago; they support the same econ system, albeit articulated by their Ivy League best and brightest through civilized discourse. Trump is the unfiltered form, the ugly reality.
And every morning when he wakes up, there's a horse's a$$ in his bed
And he's not done yet. I'm sure the worst is yet to come.
Yet, the streets of the US are empty of protesters who await mid-terms hoping the spineless democrats will offer solutions. I repeat- the streets of the US are still empty of protesters.
In the last 15 years, there have only been two significant protest movements - Occupy Wall Street (2011) and the Gaza genocide protests (2024). Both were brutally crushed through violence and extreme threats to the individuals involved. (I discount more symbolic events like the Pink Pussy Hat march and No Kings Days).
That they didn't expand suggests something is going on. There are reasons that come to mind - laziness;, lack. of moral courage; distractions; and any other apparent explanations. But I wonder if there's something darker - and that is a prolonged campaign of breaking down the civil bonds that give rise to protests.
It may be a stretch, but many decades ago I read a book about the German concentration camps. One of the things the guards were said to do is go down the line and beat a prisoner to death; then go up to the next one and do something nice like give extra food. The shattering of understandable behavior led to psychological breakdowns and compliant prisoners (who vastly outnumbered the guards). I wonder if we have a more profound but subtle version of that going on.
And I agree completely. The midterms are a joke. And then Waiting for Godot with "leaders" like Gavin, Kamala, Pete, or Rahm will be the follow-on joke.
I attended the huge pro-Palestinian protest in DC in January of 2024, Tom. It wasn’t “crushed,” although a relatively few people were arrested across from the White House at the end of the march. I can no longer remember the alleged grounds for the arrests and I left the final destination of the marchers before they happened. There were a lot of Genocide Joe signs. Of course the mainstream media emphasized the arrests despite the fact the protest was for the most part peaceful. And the police were largely restrained — the streets were blocked off to accommodate the protest. People had ridden buses in from around the country. I did see relatively few white people there, although there was a significant representation of young people across a racial and ethnic spectrum. (Again, mostly not white though. I’m white, btw). I think something other than “crushing” the protests is going on. I attended one large “No Kings”protest and saw only one person other than myself carrying an antiwar and anti genocide sign, and this was after the U.S. had attacked Iran. Other protests are scattered and are getting very little media attention, maybe by design. For example, there was a protest across from the White House during Netanyahu’s visit with Trump and attendance at Lindsay Graham’s memorial service that got almost no press coverage.
I do remember the large, multiple Iraq War protests and wonder why the attacks on Iran (mostly its civilian population and infrastructure) are receiving little visible protest from the general public.
Thanks Nancy. I didn't know about the DC protest; I was thinking more about what schools like Columbia U. and other schools on the. West Coast did to the students (including expulsions, suspensions, and revoked degrees).
And of course, heard no coverage anywhere of the protests near the Graham service. I did hear one of our two "Democratic" senators praising his "commitment to his beliefs" and how much fun he was on the travels they did. They're all monsters.
Oh, the treatment of the student protesters— what a shameful legacy. Trump spoke at Lindsay Graham’s memorial service at the National Cathedral, which Netanyahu attended. You wouldn’t think one building could contain so much evil on a single occasion.
Here in Canada, our Prime Minister Mark Carney offered his condolences to Graham's family saying he “stood resolutely in defence of democracy and freedom”. So don't look to Canada for sane government leadership. Our governments have always followed closely behind the US. And lately we've hastened the pace
Thanks for your on the ground direct citizen experience, Nancy - if you hadn't made this comment today, I and others here would not have known such details, as per MSM not reporting. You were the person who told me about the Jan. 2024 protest - keep up the good work.
Thank you, John. We all struggle to know what might be effective, particularly in light of a government that does not respond to its people. Lately, I’ve contributed small amounts to the campaigns of some candidates who have strongly and consistently opposed the genocide. As you probably heard, three won recently in NY and one in Colorado. A few other places too. Keeping fingers crossed for Al Sayed and others tomorrow, in Michigan and elsewhere. We need the votes to stop the funding. That’s how Viet Nam finally ended — when they cut off the funds.
The two significant protests you mention were crushed by the leaders of the two traditional parties, but people are slowly waking up and many have become independent voters. I do hope that the midterm elections will change positivelly our future.
I think the precarity we've been pushed to is enough to explain why our masses don't stand united. We simply can't afford to protest en masse for the prolonged periods actual change will require. The general strike will (hopefully 🤞) occur but I know I loathe myself for my continued subservience.
The demonstration provided by the Albanians (which seems to have had some effect) is possible because even in poor parts of the world workers have guaranteed rights and protections. Here we're clinging to our scab jobs, hating each other for opinions on issues which don't personally affect us, and horrified by what out public resources are doing around the world and around the block.
The sun has set on this empire.
Humans are stupid herd animals.
I have witnessed - people do things because they've seen others do those things, regardless of how thoughtless and mindless those things are. A herd mentality indeed.
For most humans most of the time, the fastest and surest way to wind up dead or seriously disadvantaged has been at the hands of other humans. At the same time, "our group", whether by faith, family, tribe, regiment, whatever, are the people we can trust to have their back.
Therefore, whatever else happens, whatever they have to do, believe absurdities, blindly follow barking insane leaders, parrot obvious lies to our detriment, do or suffer terrible things, but please whatever you do, please don't kick us out of the group!
What this also means is that when humans are presented with incontrovertible proof that the group narrative is wrong or that the group leaders are mad or charlatans or worse, rather than change leaders or change beliefs or change groups, most people, most of the time will instead double down. Witness the behavior of cultists.
The process is called "cognitive dissonance" and it is abundantly documented. As alluded to earlier, there are entire religions organized around the principle.
Cognitive dissonance is not limited to stupid people. In fact, the intelligent are at least as prone, perhaps because they are better at rationalizing. In fact, much so-called "knowledge work" is basically learning symbol manipulation in order to rationalize something.
hopefully, most Americans will not consider themselves part of Trump's group. Apart from the evangelicals the polls show an increasing disgust for this godfather faker.
You appear correct, however public opinion doesn't matter.
What about a system, and I'm referring to our many news outlets who no longer function to tell it like it is, but choose sides then spin their lies?
I don't bother with the news outlets you refer to Fran, they're mouth pieces for power and sow division.
I don't either, but most people do. News today is highly skewed and truth hard to come by.
Does that include you Feral? Be nice now.
Cat > human.
If we take for reality simply the appearances of things, that ignores completely the invisibles, the inner life, the energies within - frustration, rage, anxiety, intentionality, choosing, power, anger, delight, ambivalence, etc It is an extrovert's proclivity to focus on the outward to the exclusion of the inner. It took 5-7 years of the Vietnam War for large scale anti-war protests to take shape."It took about 20 to 40 years for the organized women's suffrage movement in the U.S. to gain widespread popularity and real political traction." (Wikipedia) Remember: "The seed that is to grow must lose itself as seed."
I am the last individual you could call an extrovert.
Found on internet:
Wars are won by whoever possesses the deadlier weapons.
The indigenous peoples of the Americas, Asia, and Africa had brave, skilled, and highly motivated warriors—but the Maxim machine guns slaughtered them en masse and defeated these armies.
The Japanese of World War II were cruel but also extremely motivated fighters—yet in the end, they were slaughtered by the U.S. military machine by the millions. Bravery and morale are important, but technological progress is and always has been more important.
We can only pray to God that Silicon Valley does not begin to dominate thinking at the Pentagon; otherwise, both Russia and Iran will lose world war III.
If Silicon Valley succeeds in producing autonomous drones the size of dragonflies that carry 5–10 grams of explosives, remain active for half an hour, and can be dropped in large numbers by aircraft over critical areas, this will have an effect similar to the invention of the machine gun in the 19th century for fighting the armies of the indigenous peoples of Africa or Asia.
Of course, these drones won’t be able to distinguish between civilians and soldiers and will explode on the head of anyone unlucky enough to be in the target area defined by the U.S.—but hey!—has collateral damage ever been a problem for the U.S.?
When Russian or Iranian soldiers reach locations littered with thousands of corpses with blown-off heads and brains hanging out, that will certainly have an impact on their combat effectiveness...
We’ve been in World War III for a long time. The West is bankrupt; no Western politician is willing to tell their constituents THIS—it means that we Westerners will have to work hard for low pay and few vacations until at least 2050 or 2026 before we can ever compete economically again—and so war is the only option for us bankrupts. It’s that simple.
A politician who promises me a “bright future” is one who wants to continue waging World War III. I do not believe in a bright future. We missed the train a long time ago. I can’t say any more than that.
We Westerners are the Third Reich today. We want world domination at any cost. Since we are sociopathic by nature, we will put everything on the line to achieve our goal. Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing should finally realize this.
For every Columbus, Hernán Cortés, or Francisco Pizarro who made it, there are thousands who died on the path to infinite wealth. For us, the “50 Cent” motto applies: “Get rich or die tryin’.”
We are not interested in our human or natural environment; we are not even interested in our own environment. Over the past 35 years, the West has destroyed itself out of sheer greed.
The smart people in Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing need to keep THAT in mind at all times. We are sociopaths. We are the Epstein class. We accept no partners; we accept only submission—or annihilation.
Okay, Ill give you a a pass.
A testament to the American character.
"The seed that is to grow must lose itself as seed as those that creep must graduate from chrysalis to wing. Wilt thou then oh mortal cling to husks that falsely seem to you the Self?" (Indian poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore from his collection Fruit-Gathering (poem LXVIII).
There are some quiet revolutions happening with organizing and connecting in communities. I think many people are overwhelmed and don't know what to do. My children, who are in their 30s, feel protests are not effective. They do local actions, mutual aide, building community, ice watch, protecting immigrants. I feel mass protests can be effective but so is the day to day work of Revolution and building a solid foundation of community.
Trump – the criminal, incompetent, failed businessman – is back in the Whitehouse to bankrupt the entire country. The tawdry, abject fraud is so obvious. He habitually destroys his own investors. The crypto racket amplifies the the money he can make and the damage he can do. Trump is not really about generating wealth. Trump is all about creating poverty.
Akin to the Vandals sacking a defenseless Rome in 455 A.D., which they accomplished in 14 days. However, unlike Trump, they left Roman institutions basically intact. In four years of a second Trump administration, there promises to be little left of our institutions, as well as our wealth. And like the Romans, the country as a whole has barely put up a fight. We left the gates wide open.
Who else helped to keep them open, making us more vulnerable. If it wasn't for the administrations who preceded him maybe he would never have come to be. Nothing happens in a vacuum.
The predecessors opened the gates, Fran. As just one example, John Roberts and his corrupt cohorts on the Supreme Court instigated a silent coup with his Trump v. U.S. immunity decision. And half of the Democrats in the Senate voted to confirm him despite all the warning signs — like his published opposition to the Voting Rights Act as an official in the Reagan Justice Department and his significant contributions to the Republican’s legal strategy in Bush v. Gore.
"Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court about campaign finance law, in which the Court held that laws restricting the political spending of corporations and labor unions are inconsistent with the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Citizens United in a 5-4 decision, with Justice Anthony Kennedy writing the majority opinion. All Democratic-appointed justices dissented." I really hate this one which simply put the people of this country on the back shelf in favor of the corporate world.
Agree. Another bad one is Buckley v. Valeo (1976), in which a unanimous court held that money equals speech. Buckley enabled billionaires to buy elections. Buckley’s reasoning was extended to corporations in Citizens United, and even if Citizens United were overturned, billionaires would still be able to buy elections under Buckley. (Check out former FEC Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub’s analysis of the two cases which you can find online). I have yet to read the Court ‘s recent case on campaign finance, but apparently it takes the line of cases from bad to worse. Also, there’s a case out of the DC Circuit that’s supposed to be even worse, which lower courts have relied on. (Can’t remember the name off hand). Merrick Garland. who sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for DC at the time, joined in that opinion. Although he would have been better than the Republican appointed justices on the Supreme Court, he wouldn’t have been a better justice than he was an AG. I should have refreshed my memory about the later campaign finance cases before posting this, but the gist is that they’re all bad and the trend started with Buckley, on which the rest rely. L. Lessing, a Constitutional Law professor at Harvard, currently has a case pending that would supposedly limit the reach of Citizens United. I heard him interviewed and he thinks he’s found a loophole. Despite the lack of specifics, I hope this gives you enough to follow up on your own if you’re so inclined. I plan to do so at some point. Very important issue. Thanks for raising it.
Thanks for all that additional info. Since my overall perspective in this century has really gone down hill, and I don't believe things will change for the better. During the previous century things were implemented, or said, and it looked like there might be some bright spots ahead, but time proved that my perceptions were unduly hopeful. My position now is, I'll believe it when I see it.
I believe Alaric had good reasons for the sacking of Rome and perhaps we should imitate him. Aunty AI just told me:
"Alaric's main motives for sacking Rome in 410 AD were political leverage, land for his Visothic people, and unpaid subsidies, while the city offered virtually no military resistance during the final breach because enslaved people inside opened the gates. Alaric's Motives Political Recognition and Title: Alaric wanted an official high-ranking military command (magister militum) in the Western Roman Empire and formal recognition for his people. Land and Grain: The Visigoths needed a permanent homeland with reliable agricultural resources, specifically in the region of Noricum or Pannonia, which the Roman Emperor Honorius repeatedly promised and then denied. Financial Compensation: Alaric demanded massive amounts of gold and pepper after previous sieges were bought off, but negotiations broke down when Honorius—safe in the fortified city of Ravenna—refused to compromise.Roman Resistance Prior Sieges (408 and 409 AD): Rome suffered heavily from starvation and disease during Alaric's earlier blockades, but the massive Aurelian Walls prevented a direct assault, and the Romans initially bought Alaric off with heavy ransoms.The Final Sack (August 24, 410 AD): There was almost no active military defense during the final entry; the Visigoths entered because sympathizers or enslaved individuals inside the city opened the Salarian Gate by night.
Yes, the Visagoth’s sacking preceded that of the Vandals by a few decades, Julio. I imagine there were quite a few peoples who had good reason for seeking retribution against Rome.
Just as today we have against the our plutocratic system
Roy Cohn
Thanks. This was fixed.
A soul less MFer. Rumps teacher and hero.
I have for a long time held that Donald Trump is a Mob Boss. He was trained and
polished by Roy Cohn, and he has the evil charisma to pull it off. Actually, I should have
said "had." In his increasingly demented state, he wets his pants and bloviates hot air--
full of sound and fury--and signifying absolutely nothing.
"wets his pants" is this real or symbolic? How did you know?
Symbolic...
The moment you mentioned the Taj in Atlantic City, I was mentally thrown back into your narrative in "Farewell Tour", which I've read twice. But I've gotta surmise that the real Don Corleones like John Gotti must've been better money managers than Donald J.
This is incredibly discouraging. What can be done? I'm serious. Is there a way out of this? Additionally, my husband (Vietnam Vet) and I have never fallen for the crap that trump has been slinging for years. Not all Boomers are stupid.
Great outline & list, unfortunately the general public has no idea about all this... if they did, even "trailer park trash" Paula White wouldn't go anywhere near him.
I am not counting on the Democrats. I am hoping for the people to vote the sycophants out of office on a huge scale. The American people are furious. You can hear the talk everywhere. I am hoping for a chance to change course.
Don Corleone was intelligent. Trump not so much.
"There is something tragically wrong with a system of justice which can and does make criminals of honest men and can only convict gangsters and racketeers when they don’t pay their income taxes. —RAYMOND CHANDLER"
This was referring to Al Capone. But now is even worst. Don Trumpleone has not been jailed and he does not pay his federal income taxes either.
Agreed, with a twist: Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka likens 47 to Idi Amin. https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/3/nobel_laureate_wole_soyinka_slams_trumps
He's taken 77,300,000 Americans for an eleven-year ride.
Come to find out, his dildo's made in Russia, and its batteries are drained.
thanks, Chris.
Very disappointing
well much beyond disappointing what's happening to America? Has it always been this corrupt? and murderous around the world and I'm just now learning it as a senior citizen after decades of flag-waving patriotism?
. Am I that naïve and stupid?
I feel like I am.
Sickening.
You are not naive nor stupid. You were misinformed, like most of us, by our education system and network channels owned by the oligarchy. Things are changing thanks to honest and courageous people like Mr. Hedges.
Be kinder to yourself Joe W., as the majority of us have been fooled and lied to since our inception. It's never too late to wake up. Be well amigo.