I argue with nothing except certainty about causality. Trump's 'genius' for chaos and mayhem pulled together all the sick things happening in our nation long before the escalator ride. Were he to drop dead today, all of the people and forces supporting him would still be there. Would they then coalesce into a shiny new Nazi regime? Maybe. Maybe not. They are predisposed to their own private brands of chaos, and the retributions *among them* will be epic. Because that's their thing.
None of that is to say everything will be smooth sailing for us. Oh no, we have generational-level work ahead of us, not only to rebuilt what was burned down, but to deal with the pre-existing people, the stupid and the evil, who live among us. Trump took a lot from us, but he also 'gave' us something: he showed us who we really are, that 30% of our population is eager and ripe for totalitarian oppression, and that we either deal with it or it deals with us.
Well said. “An attention span of a gnat on meth” nails it. George Washington is one of my heroes. The contrast between him and the fat ass we currently have at the helm is both staggering and insulting to America and Americans. We can’t shout this out loudly enough. You keep shouting and I’ll keep marching until the gold leaf comes tumbling down.
The proper offer at the bottom of the column is whatever is diametrically opposed to he heart and the love it suggests - yes we love the article, the articulate expression of awfulness that Trump represents....but the proper offer is some not yet invented symbol of hatred...hatred of his evil.
Scary! This moment requires a nation that pushes back and people with the wisdom to act on the courage that is necessary to stand up to the terror imposed on us by a cowardly, despicable man. We need true leaders in the halls of Congress, in our universities, in the so-called free press, and in our courts and states to display the high standards that were once expected of as people of integrity, honesty, and free thinking individuals who represent a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
What Trump – and others like him – do not understand, or pretend not to understand, is that civilization is not a zero-sum game.
This is something that all of us lose sight of, in our everyday lives. We are so accustomed to civilization's benefits that it is easy to treat life – especially our economic life – as a series of independent transactions where the idea is to obtain the best possible short-term "deal" for ourselves without regards to what that means for the future. Even – or especially – when it is at the other guy's expense.
But the optimal form of society is a free society – where everyone understands that our fates are interdependent; that just because we have freedom to screw other people doesn't mean that it is appropriate – or even in our own self-interest – to do so. A society that is based on relationships – of being willing to treat our employees, employers, customers, suppliers, and trading partners in such a way that everyone can make a decent living.
Not whatever it is that Trump is trying to build, with his attacks on free trade, and on various agencies (NOAA, FEMA, CDC, etc.) that do things of great value to the public.
Thanks, Rick! Here's something that struck me as a clear 'tell'. For those of us who continue to wonder about this President's psychological fitness to handle his august office, the recent Laura Loomer episode, well, looms large. A day after spending time with her on April 2, significant experienced members of the National Security Council (NSC) were fired. Ms. Loomer is widely considered to be a thoroughgoing wack job The fact the President dismissed proven and vetted top members of the NSC, apparently at her suggestion, is a 'tell'. He is not in possession of the judgment this country needs to rely on in its President.
Marine Le Pen Found Guilty in EU Funding Embezzlement Case
-
France's Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of misappropriating European funds to finance her far-right National Rally (RN) party, in a case which could lead to her being barred from standing in the 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen was accused, along with more than 20 other senior party figures, of hiring assistants who worked on her RN party affairs rather than for the European Parliament which paid them.
Prosecutors last year said Le Pen's punishment should be not just a €300,000 (£250,000) fine and prison term, but also ineligibility from running for public office for five years.
Crucially, he said the ineligibility should kick in straightaway, and not be suspended pending appeal.
-
When is THIS going to start happening HERE, and not just for 5 years.
The American experiment is in danger of dying of naïveté.
Wake up call.
If we’re going to have a ‘nuclear’ program to defend ourselves from the rest of the world, would it not make sense to have fans in our foundation to deter and punish via imprisonment and banning FOREVER from public office those who are running around making a mockery of this nation, contributing to their own enrichment at the expense and endangerment of the entire planet?
WOW read the entirety of your piece, you pretty much said what I've been thinking for years. And you painted "HIM" with a very broad brush but yes you understand exactly what we say when we say conman, elixir salesman, and various other words used to describe "HIM." I truly don't understand why it has take so long for other people to see exactly what he is! What is the name of your book I would love to buy it!
About 1/3rd of Project 2025 has already been enacted. Why are we not seeing on Substack the correlation between what Trump is doing and Project 2025? If you want to see where we are heading just read up on Project 2025. It is happening as we speak. We need to vote out all the congressional members who are a part of Project 2025.
Great writing! By the way, the worst thing, education-wise, the Trumpies have done is make it even harder to turn kids into readers. They are trying to strip school classrooms and libraries of any books most kids will read. I taught high school English for 37 years and I turned hundreds of kids into readers using books by Judy Blume, Robert Parker, Tom Clancy, etc. Kids, esp. boys ,need some sex, violence, and/or sports to stay interested. Lots of liberals are guilty of this as well. The only fight I ever had in my classroom was over the new edition of Sports Illustrated I had brought in for our free reading period. You think there was ever a fight over The Joy Luck Club?
I argue with nothing except certainty about causality. Trump's 'genius' for chaos and mayhem pulled together all the sick things happening in our nation long before the escalator ride. Were he to drop dead today, all of the people and forces supporting him would still be there. Would they then coalesce into a shiny new Nazi regime? Maybe. Maybe not. They are predisposed to their own private brands of chaos, and the retributions *among them* will be epic. Because that's their thing.
None of that is to say everything will be smooth sailing for us. Oh no, we have generational-level work ahead of us, not only to rebuilt what was burned down, but to deal with the pre-existing people, the stupid and the evil, who live among us. Trump took a lot from us, but he also 'gave' us something: he showed us who we really are, that 30% of our population is eager and ripe for totalitarian oppression, and that we either deal with it or it deals with us.
Well said. “An attention span of a gnat on meth” nails it. George Washington is one of my heroes. The contrast between him and the fat ass we currently have at the helm is both staggering and insulting to America and Americans. We can’t shout this out loudly enough. You keep shouting and I’ll keep marching until the gold leaf comes tumbling down.
Great article Rick! Sad story and can't believe it is not a really bad dream!
The proper offer at the bottom of the column is whatever is diametrically opposed to he heart and the love it suggests - yes we love the article, the articulate expression of awfulness that Trump represents....but the proper offer is some not yet invented symbol of hatred...hatred of his evil.
Scary! This moment requires a nation that pushes back and people with the wisdom to act on the courage that is necessary to stand up to the terror imposed on us by a cowardly, despicable man. We need true leaders in the halls of Congress, in our universities, in the so-called free press, and in our courts and states to display the high standards that were once expected of as people of integrity, honesty, and free thinking individuals who represent a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Its gonna take decades not years to rebuild
Great article
What Trump – and others like him – do not understand, or pretend not to understand, is that civilization is not a zero-sum game.
This is something that all of us lose sight of, in our everyday lives. We are so accustomed to civilization's benefits that it is easy to treat life – especially our economic life – as a series of independent transactions where the idea is to obtain the best possible short-term "deal" for ourselves without regards to what that means for the future. Even – or especially – when it is at the other guy's expense.
But the optimal form of society is a free society – where everyone understands that our fates are interdependent; that just because we have freedom to screw other people doesn't mean that it is appropriate – or even in our own self-interest – to do so. A society that is based on relationships – of being willing to treat our employees, employers, customers, suppliers, and trading partners in such a way that everyone can make a decent living.
Not whatever it is that Trump is trying to build, with his attacks on free trade, and on various agencies (NOAA, FEMA, CDC, etc.) that do things of great value to the public.
Thanks, Rick! Here's something that struck me as a clear 'tell'. For those of us who continue to wonder about this President's psychological fitness to handle his august office, the recent Laura Loomer episode, well, looms large. A day after spending time with her on April 2, significant experienced members of the National Security Council (NSC) were fired. Ms. Loomer is widely considered to be a thoroughgoing wack job The fact the President dismissed proven and vetted top members of the NSC, apparently at her suggestion, is a 'tell'. He is not in possession of the judgment this country needs to rely on in its President.
Preach, Brother Wilson! Preach! As a recovering Republican in good standing, I could never have said it as well as you did.
Good morning:
3.31.25 HEADLINE: BBC News
Marine Le Pen Found Guilty in EU Funding Embezzlement Case
-
France's Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of misappropriating European funds to finance her far-right National Rally (RN) party, in a case which could lead to her being barred from standing in the 2027 presidential election.
Le Pen was accused, along with more than 20 other senior party figures, of hiring assistants who worked on her RN party affairs rather than for the European Parliament which paid them.
Prosecutors last year said Le Pen's punishment should be not just a €300,000 (£250,000) fine and prison term, but also ineligibility from running for public office for five years.
Crucially, he said the ineligibility should kick in straightaway, and not be suspended pending appeal.
-
When is THIS going to start happening HERE, and not just for 5 years.
The American experiment is in danger of dying of naïveté.
Wake up call.
If we’re going to have a ‘nuclear’ program to defend ourselves from the rest of the world, would it not make sense to have fans in our foundation to deter and punish via imprisonment and banning FOREVER from public office those who are running around making a mockery of this nation, contributing to their own enrichment at the expense and endangerment of the entire planet?
WOW read the entirety of your piece, you pretty much said what I've been thinking for years. And you painted "HIM" with a very broad brush but yes you understand exactly what we say when we say conman, elixir salesman, and various other words used to describe "HIM." I truly don't understand why it has take so long for other people to see exactly what he is! What is the name of your book I would love to buy it!
Trying hard to keep America alive. The Trump plague is taking its toll. Thanks for sharing this piece from your book Rick.
About 1/3rd of Project 2025 has already been enacted. Why are we not seeing on Substack the correlation between what Trump is doing and Project 2025? If you want to see where we are heading just read up on Project 2025. It is happening as we speak. We need to vote out all the congressional members who are a part of Project 2025.
2018 omg
Great writing! By the way, the worst thing, education-wise, the Trumpies have done is make it even harder to turn kids into readers. They are trying to strip school classrooms and libraries of any books most kids will read. I taught high school English for 37 years and I turned hundreds of kids into readers using books by Judy Blume, Robert Parker, Tom Clancy, etc. Kids, esp. boys ,need some sex, violence, and/or sports to stay interested. Lots of liberals are guilty of this as well. The only fight I ever had in my classroom was over the new edition of Sports Illustrated I had brought in for our free reading period. You think there was ever a fight over The Joy Luck Club?