Trumpism – and “Justice”? – Revenge – “The Rule of Law???”

*** “Never let yourself be persuaded that any one great man, any one leader, is necessary o the salvation of America. When America consists of one leader and 155 million followers, it will no longer be America.”
[ Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower ]

1] “Trump gives ‘Person of the Year’ interview to Time magazine” [Meryl Kornfield; 12/13/24; Washington Post]: “Trump hedges on food price promise”. YOU might want to consider: Previous Time “Person of the Year” persons included Vladimir Putin, Joseph Stalin [2!!!], Adolf Hitler.

***”The best index to a person’s character is [a] how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and [b] how he treats people who can’t fight back.” [ Abigail Van Buren, “Dear Abby ]

2]. “Justice” – “Justice delayed is justice denied.” {William E. Gladstone}
A] Questions??? How much money, and from whom???, has Donald J. Trump spent trying to delay [ EVADE] justice – the accountability for his violations of SEVERAL U.S. laws, in several courts ?????
B]. A long-standing law: documents involving ANY president during his term ARE NOT his personal property. Pence, Biden, Trump were all discovered to have violated this – Pence and Biden returned materials – TRUMP REFUSED.
C] Trump was RECORDED making phone calls [a]. to Ukraine asking for “dirt” on the Bidens, [b] to Georgia asking for 12,000 more votes. In what world are these “legitimate presidential Constitutional functions ?????
D] “Material fro Russia probe went missing” {M.Haberman, J.Barnes; l1/16/23; New York Times]: “Disappearance of highly classified intel was during Trumps last days in office.”

***. “There can be no equal justice when the kind of trial a man gets depends on the amount of money he has.”
[ Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black ]

3] Pardons – mercy, or, ?????
A] “Trump Pardoned Them: Now They’re Helping Him” [B.Reinhard, M.Roig-Franzia, C.Morse; 12/3/23; Washington Post}: “Never before had a president used his constitutional clemency power to free or forgive so many people who could be useful to his future political efforts.”
B] “How a Troubling Trump Pardon Hurt a Major Criminal Inquiry” [M.Schmidt, M.Haberman, J.Swan, A.Feuer; 11/26/23; New York Times]: “Nearly three years later, the consequences of Mr. Braun’s commutation are becoming clearer..dealt a substantial blow to an ambitious criminal investigation..”
C]. “Jan. 6 rioters looking forward to ‘coming home’ [M.Kunzelman; 11/8/24; Assoc. Press]: “Rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, are celebrating Trump’s victory and hoping he makes good on his campaign trail promise to pardon them..More than 1,000 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted..”
D]. “Biden mulls preemptive pardons” [T.Pager, M.Kornfield; 12/6/24; Washington Post]: Talk focuses on potential political targets of retribution by Trump”

***”Of all the costs imposed on our society by the top 1%, perhaps the greatest is this: the erosion of our sense of identity in which fair play, equality of opportunity, and a sense of community are so important…our democracy is being put at peril.” [Nobel Prize winner Joe Stiglitz, “The Price Of Inequality]

4] Retribution – “Whoever has shown no mercy, he shall have judgment without mercy.” [James 2″ 13]
A]. “Trump’s picks support retribution” [{A.Blake; 12/8/24; Washington Post Weekly]: “At least nine choices for senior posts have made clear they want to get rid or of target opponents.”
B]. “Trump’s Foes Fear His Retribution..Pointing to legal threats, some say efforts for revenge have already begun” [H.Knowles, C.Itkowitz; 12/21/24; Washington Post]: “Trump’s first impulse is to go after people who cross him…that’s what’s going to happen, and what’s happening now..The goal ..is to create a climate of intimidation..”

***. “Indeed, revenge is always the pleasure of a paltry, feeble, tiny mind.” [ Juvenal ]

5] Payback
A] “Trump boosters expect big returns on their investment” [E.Lipton; 11/18/24; New York Times] : “Executives who gave millions stand to profit…limit the reach of federal regulations on A.I….make room for cryptocurrencies to thrive…ease the antitrust crackdown on big tech companies…buy more military drones…don’t raise taxes on billionaires..” [ did I miss it here, or, is aid to Mr. & Mrs. lower 90% NOT under consideration !?!?!?!!!!!!!!???????]
B] “Trump Family Business Is Preparing To Profit. [E. lipton, B.Protess, D.Yaffe-Bellany; 12/6/24; New York Times]: “It looks like Trump is panning to flagrantly violate key anticorruption provisions of the Constitution again, said Zephyr Teachout, ” a Fordham Law School professor.
C] “Trump picks crypto advocate Atkins to run SEC” [M.Goldstein, D.Yaffe-Bellany,; 12/5/24; New York Times]: “Ex-Securities and Exchange Commissioner favors looser regulation of digital assets”
D]. “Tycoons of Tech Steer Transition For Trump Team…Touching Nearly Every Department Despite Little Experience” [T.Schliefer, M.Haberman, J.Swan; l2/8/24; New York Times]]: .”…shaping hiring decisions and even conducting interviews for senior-level jobs..one of the most conflict-ridden presidential transitions in modern history…clashing mightily with the notion that Mr. Trump’s populism is all about helping the working man.”

*** ‘…the single most powerful and least understood threat to democracy today: the attempt by..billionaire-backed radical right to undo democratic governance..a stealth bid to reverse-engineer all of America..back to the political economy of oligarchic governance of mid-century Virginia..” [ Nancy MacLean – “Democracy in Chains” ]

6]. ??? Co-President Musk ???
A] Headlines, 12/19-12/21/24: “Shutdown looms as GOP kills bill”. {Washington Post], and, “Scrambling in D.C. to avert shutdown” [Assoc. Press}: “..Musk boasted on X ..after he spent the day blasting the legislation..” [12/19]; “..Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk, who called the legislative plays from afar..” [12/21]
B]. “Will Musk have the guts to take on insurers?” [J.Burcum; 12/21/24; Minn Star Tribune]: “..it’ll be very interesting to see if Musk and the Trump administration have the courage to take on AHIP..Said Richard Kronick..If Republicans are serious about cutting spending, Medicare Advantage is the most fertile ground to be paying attention to because of thr overpayments..”
C]. “Elon Musk blasts SEC probe into Twitter”. [12/14/24; T.Romm, F.Sidddiqui; Washington Post]: “..Musk has reprised many of his public rebukes on the SEC, an agency whose trajectory he may now shape as the leader of the “Department of Government Efficiency..”

***. “In whose delusional mind is democracy made ‘better’ by allowing wealthy people to control more of it.”
Jon Stewart – in “On 1984,” edited by James Daley ]

7] Trump’s Enablers and Accomplices
A] “There’s a Reason Trump Has Friends in High Places” [J.Bouie; 6/16/24; New York Times]: “Capital..tries to have it both ways..freeloads off public power…thirst for profit periodically tempts some fractions..to rebel against public power…these business leaders have come to believe..’the threat to capitalism from the Democrats is more concerning than the threat to democracy from Trump.'”
B] “Trump is Nothing Without Accomplices” { S.Levitsky, D.Ziblatt; 9/10/23; New York Times }: “Individual autocrats..are never enough to wreck a democracy. Democracy’s assassins always have accomplices among mainstream politicians.. ˇhe greatest threat to our democracy comes..from the ordinary politicians..who protect and enable him.”
C]. “The GOP’s war on arithmetic”. [C.Rampell; 12/15/24; Washington Post Weekly]: ‘..[the Republican Party]..is near unanimous frustration with the pesky laws of arithmetic. That cutting taxes would reduce future tax revenue..perpetually aggrieves them..Republicans’ solution: invent a New Math…The CBO’s budget-scoring methods don’t support Crapo’s fiscal fantasies…Trump’s habit of torturing data until it confesses….Peter Navarro, tried to bully career statisticians into changing how they measured deficits…”
D] “Trump loyalists purging voter rolls”. [A.Berzon, N.Corasaniti; 3/14/24; New York Times]: “Activists targeting key states, Times discovered…targeted Democratic areas, relying on novel legal theories ..[with].. no grounding in fact..”

*** “Wherever Law ends Tyranny begins.” [ John Locke ]

8] SAVING AMERICAN. DEMOCRACY – What Barriers to Dictatorship Remain?
A]. “Will the Supreme Court Stand Up to Trump?” [S. Vladeck; 11/17/24; New York Times]: “The problem for the court – and for the republic – is that it’s going to be much harder for the justices to push back this time around, even if they want to..because of the sharp decline in public support..”
B] “What will the military do if Trump gives unconstitutional orders?” [ML Cavanaugh; 12/22/24; L.A. Times]: “Unfortunately, the answers aren’t straightforward.” [What’s “legal” and what’s “illegal”?}
C] “Will the Senate Save America From Trump’s Cabinet?” [J.Conason; 12/15/24; The Progressive Populist]: “If you were seeking to destroy the country, the Gabbard, FGaetz, and RFK Jr. picks were exactly the ones you’d make.”
D]. “GOP bloc curtails power of Trump” [C.Edmondson, A.Duehren; 12/22 24; New York Times]: “Something unusual happened last week after President-elect Donald Trump ordered House Republicans to back legislation raising the debt limit: Dozens refused.”
E] This leaves. YOU!!! Are YOU, fellow Americans, willing to speak out against destructive, anti-democratic. moves by His Excellency, Donald Trump ???
For perspective: less than one month after getting elected on his promise to IMMEDIATELY lower. YOUR grocery costs – he said that would be hard – meaning it. WASN’T GOING. TO. HAPPEN !!! Numerous economists, plus people in farming and business have repeatedly told us. – Trump’s tariffs WILL. RAISE. YOUR. COSTS.
Deporting ANY significant numbers of illegal migrants WILL RAISE YOUR COSTS because they’re NOW doing work Americans havw refused to do for decades. Cutting taxes on the already OBSCENELY RICH – will either/both – cut government services YOU rely upon and/or RAISE YOUR TAXES. – because Trump’s “numbers” DON’T ADD UP..
Economists, many others, tell YOU the Musk-Ramaswamy “government efficiency” fraud of cutting $2 trillion can ONLY be done by cutting things like SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE – unless they adequately fund the IRS so it can save over $1 trillion a year in taxes not paid; unless they reduce the national debt interest payments – so we aren’t WASTING $1.2 trillion a year in interest on that debt [CREATED PRIMARILY BY REPUBLICAN TAX CUTS]

*** “The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of a private power to the point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That, in essence, is Fascism: ownership of Government by individual, by a group, or any other controlling private power.” [President Franklin D. Roosevelt]

*** “At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” [Abraham Lincoln]”

Trump – How. To. Evaluate???

To evaluate ANY president – look to the Constitution’s Preamble:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure
domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure
the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution
for the United States of America.”

ALL actions by a President Trump, or ANY president, must lead to and contribute to “Union..Justice…
Tranquility..provide for the common Defence..promote the general Welfare.”

SO – in Trump’s first term, did putting three rigidly “conservative” zealot “justices” on the already ethically challenged Roberts “court” lead to decisions that, in “justice” Thomas’ words, “follow the traditions and history” of America?
For example – where in 1787-2005 American “traditions and history” is there ANY suggestion the Founding Fathers did, or would have, ever EVEN considered giving any president ‘IMMUNITY’ for any actions he/she took? Why does Article II, Section 4, contain these words: “The President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States. shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and convicted of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” ???
If. ANY. president could be impeached – then why would the Founding Fathers give him/her ANY form of “immunity”? If they thought a president should be like a king, having immunity protection from his own citizens – then there’d be no impeachment possibility, right?????

How can we have “no man is above the law” – and give any president immunity??? How can we have a “democracy”. where “our” leaders have ANY form of immunity?????

***. “Corruption comes by degrees.” [ Juvenal ]

In his first term, Trump pushed 2017 tax cuts for the rich and corporations – which resulted in a 25% national debt increase. Now Trump wants to renew this obscenely anti-democratic and budget-busting act. Somebody, please, explain to me, how does cutting taxes on the rich and KNOWINGLY increasing the national debt do ANYTHING to “..promote the general Welfare..” ????????

Trump says [November 25th] he’ll pardon people convicted of participating in the l/6/21 attack on the U.S. Capitol “within hours of his inauguration.” Somebody, please, explain to me, how this helps “..establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility..” if people can, at will, invade and trash the U.S. Capitol, injure 140 police and cause police deaths, trying to prevent Congress from doing its duty on the 2020 election. Hundreds of INSURRECTIONISTS. have been convicted by “juries of their peer” all over America. What am I missing here. – what does Donald J. Trump “know” that neither i, nor legal scholars, know of the Constitution and Founding Father intent ???????????

If Trump imposes “sweeping tariffs” on all Canadian products, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government [12/12/24] said it is considering restricting exports of critical minerals, restricting electricity exports to Michigan, New York, and Minnesota – adding this would make electricity unaffordable for Americans. “If you put a 25% tariff on oil from Alberta that increases every gallon of gasoline by one dollar,” Ford said.
So – how does imposing 25% tariff increases on Canada help to “..promote the general Welfare..” by a president who. repeatedly in his 2024 election campaign promised to cut inflation and reduce costs for Americans??? What does Trump “know’ about economics numerous professors and Nobel Prize winners don’t ?????????

Trump has nominated a well known vaccine skeptic to lead thenDepartment of Health and Human Services. What does RFK, Jr. “know” about vaccines General Washington didn’t know when he ordered his Revolutionary War soldiers to be vaccinated against small pox??? What does RFK, Jr. “know” about vaccines research scientist Jonas Salk didn’t when he developed the polio vaccine in 1953, saving the lives and health of millions of American children???????

How doers Trump’s pick for new FBI Director, who has vowed to fire the agency’s leadership and dramatically reshape its mission “..establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility…promote the general Welfare..” ?????? How does virtually destroying one of the world’s top law enforcement agencies accomplish this??? How does this keep the FBI an independent agency, a non-political agency ??? Does putting a Trump “loyalist” in charge of America’s top law enforcement agency make them Trump’s personal secret police [like Russia, China, Iran, etc.]??? Is America going to return to the Nixon era FBI, where the FBI Director destroys incriminating documents, and lawbreakers like a president who broke federal law taking top secret documents to his private mansion [unsecured!] go unpunished???

***. “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty; power is ever stealing from the many to the few.” [Wendell Phillips}

As far as billionaires cutting $2 trillion from YOUR government’s budget, consider: “The plans for the Department of Government Efficiency laid out by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are so riddled with legal problems hat a law professor in exam season could save a lot of time by using their recent Wall Street Journal op-ed as the fact pattern: All you’d have to do would be to ask students to identify the constitutional flaws.” [Harvard law professor Noah Feldman; l2/8/24; “The Supreme Court won’t save Musk’s DOGE plans”]: “..the piece de resistance is the idea..the president can simply choose not to spend money..Congress has appropriated..This absurd notion violates the basic text of the Constitution…violates a federal statute, the Impoundment Control Act of 1974..violates Supreme Court precedent..”
A “normal,” law-abiding president wouldn’t consider this, BUT – one with “supreme court” blessed “immunity”. [ignoring ordinary people like YOU]. can try this. Especially one who wants to cut taxes on people – like Musk and Ramaswamy and himself, on billionaires who contributed to his election.

*** “WE can either have a democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentration in the hands of a few. But we can’t have both.” [ Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis ]

Tariffs, like the post-1980 Republican tax cuts for the already obscenely rich, shift the cost of American civilization away from billionaires – to. – ordinary people like YOU; blow up the national debt [ from less than $1 trillion in 1980 to about $35 trillion in 2024] – which then can be used by the rich as an excuse for austerity. The choice should now be clear to YOU. – if America doesn’t tax ALL wealth equitably [see Adam Smith on taxing the rich proportionally!!!] [ then things like Social Security and Medicare will HAVE to be cut.

What am I “missing’ here? – this post says Trump II has the potential to destroy American democracy. – because just these here, let alone all other items in the 900-page FAR RIGHT WISH LIST: “Project 2025”. are intended to FINALIZE America’s transformation into a theocratic plutocracy. [. we are ALREADY several steps into this ]

Fellow Americans. – yxou tell me. – reading again the Constitution’s Preamble. – how much, if ANYTHING, in what Trump has already hinted at, said he’d do. – achieves. “..a more perfect Union, establish{es} Justice. insure[s] domestic Tranquility, provide[s] for the common defence [letting the Russians destroy Ukraine], promote[s] the general Welfare..” ?????

It’s ALREADY starting: Trump is WAFFLING. on his many promises to stop inflation and reduce YOUR grocery bills: “From the day I take the oath of office, we’ll rapidly drive down prices and make America affordable again.” [North Carolina speech]. NOW, after YOU elected him to do this, he says it will be “very hard” to do !!!!!!!!!!!!!
BECAUSE – reducing YOUR grocery bills will hurt the millionaires, monopolies, “margins” of Trump’s secret funders and Wall Street expectations
Brace YOURSELF – YOU’RE going to get another 4 years of this. – UNLESS YOU, YOU !!!!! raise holy hell with Republican Congress members, threaten to vote them out in 2026 – and then. DO. IT !!!

Promises made during elections by presidents with lifetime “immunity” against YOU; especially one with a history of 35,XXX known lies, do not uphold what America’s Constitution says, what our Founding Fathers intended. – NOT if America is to remain a “democracy.”

*** “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” [James Madison, Federalist. #47}
[Trumpism has NOW achieved Madison’s fears – controlling thr House, Senate, president, “supreme court”. – an “immune’ president, a CORRUPT “supreme court” [ perhaps THE most corrupt in American history], hundreds of COMIC BOOK “loyalist” characters in Congress, and appointed into “your” government}

Trump’s NON-EXISTENT. “mandate” – 2024 election

November 24th election reports indicated Trump had 49.9% of the popular vote. On December 4th, it was still 49.9%.
Trump does have the leading vote total – BUT – consider several inconvenient facts:

1] In presidential elections, a “landslide” winner has 55% of the vote, which gives them a “mandate.”

2]. The 2020 census said there were 258 million Americans, age 18 & over. The 2024 number will be higher. Only 161 million were 2024 registered voters – Trump got 77,193,117 votes – not even close to 50%.

3]. Before the election, Republicans controlled 55.3% of state legislative seats. November 15th results show Republicans had about 56% of state legislative seats – virtually NO gain.

4]. Republicans did maintain their current slim U.S. House majority.

5]. Republicans did manage to gain control of thr U.S. Senate – at least partially due to the fact Democrats were defending more seats.

6]. The two dominant 2024 issues were: the economy, specifically inflation & voter’s beliefs “it was all Joe Biden’s fault.” And immigration, with people feeling that too many “undeserving’ people were let in – “all Joe Biden’s fault.”
A]. since America is a “capitalist economy – if inflation was “Joe Biden’s fault” – how much of the 25% increase in YOUR food did Joe get? Since Joe has never been in the grocery business – it is ZERO dollars!
The real culprits are millionaires, monopolies, & “margins.” We have DOCUMENTED confessions by corporate CEOs they artificially jacked up their prices to take advantage of the COVID era. Do your own research: most industries in America are controlled by 2-3-4 BIG corporations – they dictate prices to suppliers, often collude to raise prices. Corporations maintain profit “margins” to satisfy Wall Street, make their CEOs obscenely rich – THEY aren’t going to take ANY hits in those “margins.” so YOU take those hits !!!
B] Immigration could’ve been “solved” by a BIPARTISAN congressional bill, drawn up by one of THE MOST CONSERVATIVE Senators – Trump wanted to run on immigration, so he ordered Republicans to kill the bill. This followed a long Republican pattern of sabotaging immigration laws since 2000.

7]. Trump repeatedly disavowed ANY connection to, ANY knowledge of PROJECT 2025 – therefore he has NO “mandate” to install ANY of ‘PROJECT 2025’s”. numerous anti-democratic provisions. He didn’t run. ON. it, he ran. AWAY. from it – therefore he has absolutely. NO. “mandate” to implement any of this FAR RIGHT wish list.

8] For perspective on what Americans DO want – consider the following polling facts:
A]. “Citizens are united in more ways than you might think”. [Steve Corbin; Fulcrum; 9/2/22]: According to the most recent data from Pew Research Center, National Election Studies, Gallup, ABC/Washington Post, CBS/New York Times, & CNN polls…The surprising reality is Democrats, Republicans, & Independents agree on more issues – about 150 – than they disagree..some samples:
– Abortion: 61% of Americans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases
– Gender issues: ..71% of Americans support marriage between people of the same sex
– Gun control: Background checks are favored by 89%…Banning assault weapons has 63% support, while 64% want ot ban high-capacity magazines, &. 60% want a nationwide data base to track gun sales
– Immigration: 62% feel immigrants strengthen the country
– Voting: 66% of voters want to prevent state lawmakers from overturning elections, while 60% support universal vote-by-mail, &a majority want to make it easier to vote
– Health care: Providing Medicare for all Americans to ensure everyone has health care coverage garners 69% support
– Racial justice: 86% ..agree..racism is a problem, & 87% believe books that discuss race or slavery should never be banned
– Taxes: 71% of voters support raising taxes on the wealthiest 2%
Other issues in which a majority of Republicans & Democrats agree:
– Social Security: Raising the cap on income subject to the payroll tax to $215,000 or more
– Poverty programs: Increasing funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
– Energy & environment: Reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2% a year & providing tax incentives to promote clean energy
– Government reform: Overturning the Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” decision & regulating campaign financing
– International trade: The U.S. should continue participating in the World Trade Organization & rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership that Trump abandoned
– Federal budget: Rollback the tax cuts from Trump’s 2017 tax bill, impose a 4% surtax on income over $5 million & add a 1% surtax on corporate income over $100 million.

9]. “On the eve of the 2016 election..the Progressive Change Institute did a nationwide survey of likely voters. The results were stark:
– 84% want government to negotiate drug prices
– 79% support expanding Social Security
– 78% want “fair trade” that ends shipping our jobs overseas
– 77% want to tax corporations that moved jobs oversea
– 74% want all Americans to be able to buy into Medicare-for all
– 71% support massive infrastructure spending program aimed at rebuilding our broken roads & bridges 7 putting people back to work
– 70% want free college at all public universities
– 68% want a guaranteed minimum income
– 67% want government to be the employer of last resort to end unemployment
– 66% want the morbidly rich to pay at least a 50% income tax [ currently the average billionaire pays around 3% ]
– 65%. want big banks broken up & a return to local banking
– 64%. want net neutrality so your billion-dollar corporate internet & email providers can’t monitor everything you do online & sell that information
– 63% want public financing of elections to get billionaire money out of them
-60%. want the Post Office to offer inexpensive public banking.
[ Thom Hartmann; 2/15/24; The Progressive Populist}

A major test for Trump, o any president: do the things they push “..promote the general welfare..” [Constitution’s Preamble} ????? What if a Trump presidency backed all or most of the things American citizens said they wanted, as listed in #8 & #9 above?
How many things Trump & the people around him in Congress & out, are pushing will meet THE test to “..promote the general welfare..”??????? Will ANYTHING Trump & his followers want to do will “..promote the general welfare..”?

No respectable, fact-based, analysis of Trump’s tariffs show ANY positive results. What they do show is likely trade war[s], and that YOU will pay more for much/most of what YOU buy. ALL testimony from farmers involved says if Trump rounds up undocumented farm workers, some industries [dairy] might collapse, and the price of YOUR food WILL go up – not “might,” – WILL. go up.

The claim by Trump, and his followers & enablers, that he has some kind of “mandate” to enact broad changes to American government society is statistically and rhetorically FALSE. He did win the election, but neither 1789-2000 American history, nor having 49.9% of the vote enables a “mandate in any realistic and rational person. The bulk of Trump’s campaign was on two things – cutting YOUR costs and changing immigration policies.

Will Trump confront the REAL culprits for YOUR increased costs??? Maybe [if you’re lucky]. Some are quite likely people who funded his campaign. Will Trump offend billionaires he knows to cut YOUR costs???????

Building expensive “walls” on America’s southern border will NOT, already HAS NOT. worked. What works is more personnel on the ground, more funding for immigration courts, better technology & equipment, more cooperation from Mexico. Also – more drugs like fentanyl are brought into the U.S. by American citizens then smuggled in by foreigners!!!

A major goal of Trump &his corporate friends is cutting THEIR already low taxes by renewing the CORRUPT 2017 Trump tax cuts. Americans have long, consistently, said THEY. DO. NOT. WANT. TAX. CUTS. FOR. THE. RICH. – THEY WANT TAX INCREASES FOR THE RICH [ who, increasingly since 1980 – are NOT paying their fair share.
The great, historic, 1947-1973 mass middle class prosperity occurred during a period when the highest marginal tax rates on the rich AVERAGED 81%. [now it is about 1/3 that; we have record numbers of billionaires]

If Trump cuts taxes further on the obscenely rich – the result will be increased taxes on YOU and/or cuts in popular American programs [SocialSecurity & Medicare] – which is what billionaire Musk wants to do to YOU.
Another result of more Trump tax cuts on the obscenely rich will be an increased U.S. national debt [which IS what happened as a result of his 2017 tax cuts]. – already dangerous & unsustainable – which the FarRight wants to use an an excuse to cut programs that benefit YOU – like Social Security &Medicare.

Donald J. Trump. DOES NOT have a “mandate”. for what he and the FAR RIGHT. REALLY want to do. – and even worse, if Trump & his enablers do what they [now] say they want to do – STATISTICALLY it. CANNOT. –
‘MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” – because the REAL NUMBERS DON’T add up.
[for YOU, Mr. and Mrs. lower 90%]

The. DISGRACE. of the era of Trump

People are short and tall, fat and skinny, old and young, sick and healthy, smart and stupid, have brown eyes and blue, blond hair and brown, white-brown-black-red-yellow skin, rich and poor, wise and reckless, good and evil, straight and LGBTQ. They were. ALL. created by the same God-Yaweh-Allah-Great Spirit.The premise of America was they’re ALL. equal; that government would treat them ALL as equals. Christ said as YOU do unto the least, YOU do it onto me.” The miracle of 1775-1791 was that humans built a government unlike any other: “a republic if YOU can keep it.” Lincoln spoke of “a government of the people, by the people, FOR the people.” King said: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.” Teddy R said: “We, here in America, hold in our hands the hope of the world..and shame and disgrace will be ours..if we trail in the dust the golden hopes of man.”

WE ARE disgraced. By our conduct these last 44 years. We HAVE dishonored the sacrifices of the Founding Fathers [AND Founding Mothers!], of Valley Forge, of Gettysburg, of Belleau Wood, of Pearl Harbor-Midway-Normandy, of the Frozen Chosin, of the Nam, of Iraq-Afghanistan; the sacrifices of ALL the men and women who built America.

We ARE disgraced. because hope-love-tolerance have been replaced by greed-hate-intolerance; because we’ve listened to false prophets spouting twisted theories; because we forgot who we’re supposed to be; because we allowed the fear of “the Other” to distract us from our REAL problems – and – the people causing the damage.

We ARE disgraced because. we’ve allowed the progressive 20th century [real] reforms based around the idea that the wealth of America should be shared by ALL – to be replaced with a ‘winner-take-all’ economy in which a small rich and connected minority enjoy truly OBSCENE wealth at the expense of the other 330 million citizens.

We ARE disgraced because. we’ve voted for the increasingly radical, reactionary, greedy charlatans who’ve violated every premise America was built upon. They’ve run up the national [tax cuts for the rich]; they’ve perverted tax laws [numerous loopholes for the rich and connected]; they’ve attacked everything that is “us” – national parks [“privatize” them]; public education [let religion run it]; courts and laws [appointed hundreds of R-w zealots, topped by a CORRUPT Roberts “supreme court”]; the notion of public service [“deep state”]; public infrastructure [underfunded and disintegrating]; the political system [a “fair” election is where they win]; basic scientific knowledge [denial of global warming, demonization of vaccines, denial-demonization of 2 plus 2 equals 4 truths].

We ARE disgraced because. people who supposedly represent us are seriously proposing we kick millions off medical care and retirement benefits so “we’ can give obscenely rich billionaires MORE tax cuts; because various tax law ‘reforms’ are DESIGNED to mainly benefit the obscenely rich; because language itself has been twisted to cover up the 44 years of R-W CORRUPTION.

We ARE disgraced because. we’ve declared war on innocent countries [based on LIES]; we’ve committed war crimes – and are NOW enabling further war crimes; our policies have led to economic repression and depression; we’ve forgotten lessons of the 1920s-1930 – and ARE, right this moment – continuing to forget the lessons of 1936-12/7/41.

We ARE disgraced because. we’re not leaving our children and grandchildren the same America our parents-grandparents [the “Greatest Generation”] trie3d to leave us; some of us arrogantly try to FORCE ALL of us to live by their religious beliefs. Mark Twain said it best: “Why can’t we just leave everybody the hell alone.”

We ARE disgraced because. we not only have “trailed in the dust the hope of the world,” but the hopes of far too many decent Americans – by design, from GREED, by people already well off.

We have a choice. We CAN be the America of “Let them eat cake;” OR, we CAN be the America of “We all do better when we ALL do better.” We CAN be the America that believes 95% of ALL people are good; OR, we can be the America that wants to build walls and believes “the Other” is out to get them. We CAN be the America that. says “Government is the problem;” OR, we CAN be the America that has the faith of our Founding Generations that government exists to provide civilization to us ALL, together. We can be the America that says “freedom” is what I say it is; OR, we CAN be the America that allows others to live their lives, within fair laws, on their own terms.

We still have time. BUT….. the shadows of authoritarian austerity. are closing in on us. “The angels of our better nature” are slowly losing out to the devils of our worst natures. When tested in the past at Valley Forge, during the Civil War, during the 1930s Great Depression, during the dark days of World War II, with positive and democratic leadership – the American people have risen to meet the challenge. Will we NOW – when we have faulty and false leadership? Barbara Streisand said it best: “People who love people are the luckiest people.”

King Donald J. Trump, I. – versus. – The American Revolution

Americans revolted against imperial British control, beginning in the 1760s. The Proclamation of 1763 restricted American’s movements. The 1764 “Sugar Act” was a tax on imported goods. The 1767 Townshend Acts were taxes on imported goods. On March 5, 1770 – British soldiers fired on Americans – the Boston Massacre. The 1773 Tea Act gave preferential treatment to the East India Company. The December 16, 1773 “Boston Tea Party” protested that tax. The 1774 “Intolerable Acts” closed the Boston harbor, restricted Massachusetts legislature activities, and gave added powers to the royal Massachusetts governor. “Those powers in effect made him a dictator.” [World Book Encyclopedia]
These events led to two “Continental Congress[es],” Lexington & Concord, Bunker Hill [“Breed’s Hill], the Declaration of Independence.
The American Revolution was a revolt against 1] a king and his nobility; 2]. an “established” [official state] church;
3] preferential treatment for a corporation.
The Founding Fathers [ there were no “Founding Mothers” – another story !!! ] had four major5 fears: corruption [easily #1 – word “corruption” written n Madison’s notes 54. times ]; slavery [ racism ]; religion; mobs. Events of 1970-2024 have illustrated their reasons why. YOU. have seen ALL these occur. YOU have also witnessed state and federal government engage in 1760s and 1770s laws and policies against YOU.

States have passed laws against American women traveling to obtain medical care. King Donald I has proposed taxes [“tariffs”] on imported goods. King Donald I was prevented from ordering “his” American soldiers to fire on demonstrating American civilians by patriots in his administration. Preferential treatment WILL be given to privileged corporations. [ their lobbyists are working on this NOW !!!] against King Trump’s tariffs. “Red” states have already passed preemptive laws preventing cities in their states giving relief to citizens from oppressive Right-Wing legislative acts. King Donald I has demanded he be given the “right” to appoint his loyalists to government posts without Congressional approval; has demanded the “right” to appoint loyalists to government posts without traditional, long-standing bipartisan practice use of FBI background checks. King Donald I passed a 2017 tax cut that added 25% to the national debt – proposes to renew that anti-democratic tax cut for American nobility [ top 1% ].
King Donald I enters the presidency with a pre-determined 900-page wish list of laws and policies backed by the American nobility, PROJECT 2025. He wants to appoint 2 billionaires to a special “efficiency” committee, outside government [ so they don’t have to be vetted !!!], which proposes to cut $2 trillion from government services – cutting government services to YOU so American nobility [ top 1% ] can pay fewer, if any, taxes.

King Donald I has already, in 2017-2021, appointed “his kind of judges,” some have already issued specific rulings favoring him. His appointees on an ALREADY. CORRUPT Roberts “supreme court”. [ see Soviets, Nazis, Putin, China. for how this works ] have issued an INFAMOUS. 100%. HISTORICAL. LIE. in 2024 granting King Donald I. IMMUNITY. for all “official acts,” apparently including asking Georgia for 12,000 more votes, a “perfect” phone call to Ukraine seeking “dirt” on his political rival, and now – almost. ANYTHING. King Donald I does in 2025-2029.

George Washington was and IS revered for things he did, and, for things he did NOT do. To the incredulity of European leaders and kings, Washington voluntarily gave away the power of an army that had won a war – he simply resigned. During that war, Washington forbade his soldiers plundering goods from ANY population, including Tories – because they were only citizens on temporary duty – and, they weren’t “his” soldiers. Washington, single-handed, put down a possible revolt by leaders of that army – by shaming them. Washington wanted to give up the presidency after one term; was persuaded to stay because “America needed him.” After his second term, Washington refused another – which he easily could have had – and – simply went home.

The vast powers of an American presidency were provided for one reason in 1787-89: they were designed for one man, because of their faith in him: George Washington. Among many positive characteristics, Tom Nichol, in “Washington”s Nightmare Donald Trump is the tyrant the first president feared.” [The Atlantic; November, 2024], “..three of Washington’s most important qualities:…his refusal to use great power for his own ends, his extraordinary self-command, and, most oƒ all, his understanding..national leaders in a democracy are only temporary stewards of a cause far greater than themselves.” King Donald I has NONE of these qualities, N. O. N. E.

King Donald I is THE man the Founders feared. Remember this exchange in Philadelphia, on September 17, 1787, as delegates from the Constitutional Convention left….. a woman asked Benjamin Franklin: “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin’s reply: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

THAT, dear friends, is. THE. QUESTION: do. YOU. wish to keep the America of 1789 – 1980. – or. are YOU. going to allow King Donald I and the American nobility to turn the oligarchy they’ve already created into a full monarchy ???
A second follow-up question: given what the American nobility has already done, 1970-2024. [cutting THEIR taxes, increasing THEIR wealth & power], is the enthronement of King Donald I. – THE FINAL ACT ??????
Does this mean the American Revolution has now been repealed ???????????

Trumpism – and a May 21, 2022 letter

My friends, this message is in your hands because – I greatly fear for America. For some of you, this will be a difficult thing to read. I only ask is that you think on what is being said – mostly not by me
Increasingly, people of good intent are saying things we never would have thought: an increasing number of people are expressing doubts about democracy as a concept, about America as a country. Most important here: WHY? are they saying this?
I offer here some topics for you to think on:
1] Truth – in recent years/decades, the very idea of “truth” has become negotiable. Some insisting there are always, “two sides of the story.” NO, sometimes there aren’t. It is a strategy used by authoritarians: muddy the waters, get people confused. Putin is the master of this. This is “the tobacco defense.” Trump did/does it – the “stolen election” mantra is only what he’d done his entire post-age 10 life.
2] Faith in government – it has been a deliberate strategy for some on the political-economic “right’ to sabotage faith in American government. WHY? Because people of power don’t need government. Former Koch employees have publicly said: Charles Koch wanted to crush government because it was the ONLY thing on earth restraining him. For over 60 years, people like those in the John Birch Society have pushed this. Reagan then made it “respectable” to say government was the problem, not the solution.
3] Changing the rules. This, at bottom, is issue #1. Starting with big corporations around 1970 – the economic right decided they didn’t want to share America’s wealth with their workers. They began to attack and weaken ANY union. They moved jobs to “right to work” states, then Mexico, then S.E. Asia, finally China. Unions lost the ability to strike. The current, greatest force: the CORRUPT McConnell/Roberts “supreme court.” R-W legal groups find ‘perfect test cases,’ then run them up “the conveyor belt” of Mitch McConnell constructed ‘conservative’ courts, to the CORRUPT McConnell/Roberts “supreme court.” Presto! that kangaroo group CHANGES THE RULES.
4] The CORRUPT McConnell/Roberts “court.” If you believe anything other than those 6 “justices” are on that “court” to do anything but CHNAGE THE RULES, you are a lot more trusting, possibly naive, than I think. We have the quotes, confessions, actions, etc. that, since 1968, this IS THE INTENT. Research the major McConnell/Roberts “court’ decisions. the PATTERN is that [before the 3 current religion cases] “religious right” groups have a 90% win rate. The McConnell/Roberts “court” is THE most “business-friendly” “court” since 1945. Roberts came on the “court” with 2 agendas: race and religion. [**** note: this is before Senator Sheldon Whitehouses”s “The Scheme”. about the CORRUPT Roberts “court” was published – it revealed “the Roberts Five” had a 73-0 record on ideological cases!!!]
5]. Economic Inequality – this is a major cancer for America. From 1789-1980, virtually every generation did better than their parents. Since 1970, this has been DELIBERATELY sabotaged. Please read Wilkinson & Pickett”s. “The Spirit Level,” or Joe Stiglitz” “The Price of Inequality” [Nobel Prize winner], or Pulitzer Prize winner David Cay Johnston’s “Divided. The Perils of Our Growing Inequality.” OR – you can research pre- and post-1980 [unspun] IRS income stats. ANY economy in which a high school grad can not thrive, support their family, is IMMORAL.
6]. The internet. – If I had my way, humans would NEVER think of this concept. I understand most of you are on it, for “normal” activities, of pleasure and business. YOU are NOT the problem The idealistic goals of internet creators have been shattered by the criminal use of it. The I-net is now used by organized crime gangs, by terrorists, by racists, by scam artists. they are undermining the basic concepts of law and order, of honesty in business, of simple human decency, of democratic government. The I-net is ruled by rumors, deliberate lies, monstrous falsehoods, etc. – all sabotaging human civilization. [*** note; this ignored the use if the I-net for political purposes – mainly the spreading of BIG lies, debunked rumors, etc – the 2024 election was DETERMINED by I-net falsehoods & blatant lies]
7] The South – is and always has been – a cancer on America. It has NEVER outlived the use of slavery, then KKK and Jim Crow, now discrimination. think on this: from 1830-1860, 300 WHITES were lynched in the South, others “run out of town” [literally], tarred & feathered – because – they made the mistake of not supporting slavery. this anti-Black discrimination also covered “poor white trash” and now ALL who live there. the South is THE most backward region – health-wise, education-wise, economically [see “The Spirit Level”]. The South now has outsized influence on ALL American culture and politics – largely negative [see recent Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida laws].
[*** 176 Electoral College votes of Trump’s 300 plus came from the old 1861-65 Confederacy; the South is the center of anti-abortion laws and other “Christian Nationalist” cultural laws***]
8] World War II – and – China. America was on the winning side of WW II because of British courage, 27 million dead Russians, and the American economy buried the Nazis and Japanese on tidal waves of equipment. America won the Cold War because the Russians couldn’t keep up with the American economy. We can’t fight the Chinese – they have our industry. The Chinese broke an international treaty of 50 years in half that time in Hong Kong – the response of American industry was to ignore that – BIG MESSAGE to the world. If then, they had done what they’re doing in Russia, maybe…. But – the GREED of the top 1% owned “American” corporations is such they couldn’t/won’t – too many profits. American jobs are in china so “American” corporations can dodge taxes, regulations, living wages for American workers – we have the quotes, confessions, etc. by the perps.
9]. Housing – is a symbol of what hedge fund-private equity-secret anonymous shell companies have done to ordinary Americans. They are. IMMORAL. They’ll do. ANYTHING. to make a profit – and have done it. Now, multiple stories and sources are reporting on this. The latest is today’s Minneapolis Star-Tribune story on real people in Duluth fighting against these funds of “investors’ buying up housing there for “vacation rentals.” A real estate agent told me that in some Minneapolis neighborhoods – 50% – of the housing was owned by these groups. A recent PBS, and also CBS, stories – discussed how “investors” have been buying up housing from Calif – to – the Atlantic in the southern half of the USA – then jacking up the cost of housing. You’ll be reading more stories like this. If. EVERYTHING. is “commodified” – for sale – what of America is left?
10] Guns. Research what the Founders INTENDED: Articles of Confederation, Article VI [“..every state shall always kep a well regulated & disciplined militia..”]; Madison’s original – 3 part – draft for the Second Amendment – pay special attention to the 3rd phrase [..’but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service.”]; the Senate changed Madison’s word order – so “A well-regulated militia..” came FIRST; the 1792 [May 3 & 8] Militia Acts [read it ALL: the DUTY of 18-45 white males, military ranks, care for the wounded & disabled].
The 2nd Amendment, and all others, was passed on December 15, 1791 – the 1791 Militia Acts were passed within 5 months. Do you think, just maybe, these two were connected? Check the rules of grammar – since when does one get the full meaning of a sentence [2nd Amendment] by reading half of it???
There were at least 5 Supreme Court rulings, 1789 – 1939, that the 2nd Amendment was to protect citizens having guns for MILITARY reasons, so the 48 states would have their own military forces – as a political measure.

Most of you are over age 50. You’ve been around enough. America, 2022, is not what America was earlier, especially if you lived 1947-1973. that innocence is gone. That faith in “the system” has been sabotaged. SO – WHO are the winners?

For some of you this will be difficult – for the first time in American 1789 – history, we have a major political party that is – steadily, especially since 1980, sliding towards many un-democratic thoughts and actions. For the first time in American 1789 – history, we have a major political party that is all but owned by two groups: its billionaire donors and its religious voters.
People within this party have publicly confessed: what were formerly “fringe” ideas are now driving this party’s discussions and policies. Research the “14 characteristics of fascism” – how many, honestly, o YOU see as here or beginning to creep into American talks and policies? – Be honest – what do the facts – what exists – tell you?
WHY did some “American” conservatives” recently go to Hungary for their annual convo? WHO else was there? Why have some praised Hungary’s dictator? Why have some praised Putin? Why do some praise Putin a s an example of “Christian faith? [***note: can you conceive of Americans praising Joe Stalin ???]
If you examine laws passed in regressive states – mostly the South – what PATTERNS jump out to you? Who are the “winners” and “losers” of those laws? How do these laws measure up to basic American principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution’s Preamble, let alone things said by the Founders, Lincoln, Supreme Court giants?
There is NO joy in this letter. Recent events have revealed a very dark side of this blessed nation. America is no longer the heirs of the Founders – Scandinavia is, Canada is.
I greatly fear for my children and granddaughters. Please think on what I’ve said; think if it is time for good people like you to act, to speak out.


So – here we are, it is Tuesday, November 26, 2024 – little, if anything worried about or discussed above has changed – in fact, much of it has gotten worse. The 2024 election had much hatred, lies, fear, misinformation, racism, misogyny either blatantly said – or unspoken, but in people’s minds.
Democracy is fragile – we are now, in 2024-2029, about to find out exactly how. We are going to find out if the American people are willing to fight to keep the democratic gains of 1900 forward – or meekly let them be taken away. We are going to find out if “divide and conquer” will work. We are going to find out if America is a “democracy” – or, if the Right Wing goal of a plutocratic theocracy has now been achieved.
We are already disgraced – we have elected THE anti-George Washington president – in spite of his own voters admitting he IS a despicable person, but they think he’ll “make America great again’ – against all evidence from his first term , and his 2021 rhetoric and actions
“Our” government is now in the hands of people who don’t believe in it – indeed, apparently, they intend to weaken or destroy it – if you haven’t, find critical analysis of “PROJECT 2025 – the blueprint of a Right-Wing think tank – on how the new Trump administration can do this, or “as some are saying’ the “Mein Kampf of what the Right Wing wants to do TO America.
Time is getting short. You may want to think if 2024 is the last REAL election.”

Trump as “savior”!!! II – “America Headed in the Wrong Direction” [BUT – on closer look, since 1981 !!!]

Adolf Hitler: “The best way to take control over people and control them utterly is to take a little of their freedom at a
time, to erode rights by a thousand tiny and almost imperceptible reductions. In this way, the people
will not see those rights and freedoms being removed until past the point at which these changes
cannot be reversed.”

Dear people: America has been “headed in the wrong direction” since 1980. The first CON MAN, Ronald Reagan, made YOU feel good while his rich friends stole the American Dream. But, Ronnie was so handsome, had such a nice smile….so you elected him twice and then his vice president too! He said. all “the right things,” “things you wanted to hear”!!! – while he TRIPLED the national debt, broke a major strike, ended balanced media broadcasts, and……….
THE basis for that 1947-1973 mass middle class prosperity was SHARED NATIONAL WEALTH. Then came the 1980s and “Greed is Good!” – and Bush II tax cuts for the rich, his immoral Iraq war, his 2008 recession – and Trump’s 2017 tax cuts for the rich that are about 25% of the national debt.
SO – CON MAN Trump sold some of YOU on lie #35,xxx: “It’s Joe Biden’s fault.”
Below is a SMALL part of the MOUNTAIN o f statistical proof: America began heading in the wrong direction. NOT. in 2021, but in 1981……

1] “Evil Geniuses” [Kurt Andersen]: “During the 20th century, America managed to make its economic and social systems both more and more fair and more and more prosperous. A huge, secure and contented middle class emerged. Incomes rose in sync. But then the New Deal gave way to the Raw Deal. Beginning in the early 1970s, by means of a long war conceived of and executed by a confederacy of big business CEOs, the superrich, and right wing zealots, the rules and norms that made the American middle class possible were undermined and dismantled. The clock was turned back on a century of economic progress, making greed good, workers powerless, and the market all powerful while weaponizing nostalgia, lifting up an oligarchy that served only its own interests..”

*** Billionaire investor Warren Buffett: “There’s class warfare, all right, but its my class, the rich class, thats making
war, and we’re winning.”

2]. “Is the economy to serve the people who make it up, or is their labor for the sake of lining the pockets of the rich and powerful? [Juliet Schor]; “..the U.S. Catholic Bishops..wrote in their 1986 pastoral letter on the economy, “the economy should serve people; people should not serve the economy.” [“Economic Apartheid In America”; C.Collins, F.Yeskel]

***. “The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy, that is the search of a
superior moral justification for selfishness.” [John Kenneth Galbraith]

3]. “Economic Apartheid In America” [2005; C. Collins & F. Yeskel]:
A] “The larger economic trends of the past three decades…falling wages…wealth inequality…widening gap between highest- and lowest-paid workers…losing ground at work…precarious and stressed middle class…the rising tide lifts only yachts.”
B] graphs on pages 41-42: 1947-1979: “We Grew Together”…the bottom 80% quintiles ALL grew 100%-116%, the top 99% [Census Bureau data]; 1979-2003 “We Grew Apart”…the bottom 20% LOST 2%; the second 205 gained 8%; the third 20% gained 15%; the fourth 20% gained 26%; the top 20% gained 51% – & – the top 5% gained 75%.
C] “The Power Shift since the 1970s..Who sets the agenda for economic policies?”…”On the rise: big campaign contributors…corporate lobbyists…corporations…big-asset owners…CEOs…Wall Street”. “In decline: popular political movements… voters…labor unions…wage-earners…employees…main street”
“Why this happened…a power shift led to rule changes”…..”Rule changes since the 1970s: anti-union climate…global treaties benefit corporations…big tax cuts for the wealthy…corporate welfare expands…minimum wage not raised…Federal Reserve “whip inflation” policy helps investors, hurts wage growth…”privatization” [dismantling government] helps investors, hurts consumers and workers”
D]. “The attack on worker’s rights [i.e. unions]..evidence is clear..unions raised the standard of living for most low- and moderate-income people, whether they joined unions are not…Most industrialized countries..would not tolerate the employer practices that occur every day in the United States.”
E]. “The race to the bottom…U.S. workers cannot and should not compete against workers in countries like China [low wages, no unions]..nor..with countries of high rates of child labor…Free trade agreements as..currently written create a climate in the United States where employers are..emboldened to threaten to move plants overseas to extract wage concessions or discourage unionization efforts..”
F]. “In the last two decades, the U.S. tax system has become a two-tier tax system, investigative journalists ..Bartlett T..Steele argue..there is one system for the wealthy, what they call “the Privileged Person’s Tax Law,” and another one for everyone else..”

*** “The point is you cant be too greedy.” [Donald J. Trump, “The Art of the Deal”]

4]. “The Betrayal of the American Dream” [Donald Bartlett & James Steele; 2012; two Pulitzer Prizes]
A] “..[this]..is the story of how a small number of people in power have deliberately put in place policies that have enriched themselves while cutting the ground out from underneath America’s greatest asset – its middle class..the wealthy and the powerful..have become this country’s ruling class.”
B] “..between 1999 and 2008,,foreign affiliates of U.S, parent corporations increased their employment abroad by 2.4 million jobs,,slashed their employment in the United States by 1.9 million.”
C]. “..the ruling class is defined by its ability to move money beyond the reach of government supervision.”
D]. “The U.S. health care system is based on the misguided notion..the private market is the best way to provide care and coverage to Americans.” [see their 2004 “Critical Condition: How Health Care in America Became Big Business – and Bad Medicine’}
E] ‘..for tens of millions of middle-class Americans, as well as for the working poor who hope to achieve that status, then American dream is over.”
F]. “Running a country like a business means everyone is expendable.”
G]. “Congress writes the rules..and Wall Street..decides what rules it will permit.”

*** “..one certainty..there is no way to access infinite wealth without rigging the system. No one becomes a billionaire honestly.” [Sarah Chayes: “On Corruption in America”]

5] “When did we go astray?..There’s no easy answer to such a question, but clearly the election of President Ronald Reagan represented a turning point..” [“The Price of Inequality”; Joseph Stiglitz; 2012; Nobel Prize winner}
A]. “The underlying thesis..we are paying a high price for our inequality – an economic system that is less stable and less efficient, with less growth, and a democracy..put in peril..”
B]. “For years there was a deal between the top and the rest of our society…we will provide you with jobs and prosperity, and you will let us walk away with the bonuses. You all get a share..we get a bigger share..now that tacit agreement..always fragile, has come apart.”
C] “American inequality didn’t just happen. It was created..Much of the inequality that exists today is a result of government policy, both what the government does and..does not do.”

***. “What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” [Matthew 16:26]

6] “Who Stole the American Dream?” [Hedrick Smith; 2012; Pulitzer Prize winner]
A] “Over the past 3 decades, we have become Two Americas..no longer one large family with shared prosperity and shared political and economic power..’
B]. “Today, the greatest challenge and most corrosive fault line in our society is the gross inequality of income and wealth…What separates the Two Americas..is a wealth chasm..from 2002 to 2007, America’s sup-rich, the top 1% [3 million people], reaped two-thirds of the nation’s entire economic gains..In 2010, the top 1% captured 93% of the nation’s gains.”
C] “..in America since the late 1970s..soaring wealth of the super-rich has brought the unraveling of the American Dream for the middle class..”
D] “From 1998 through 2010, business interests and trade groups spent $28.6 billion lobbying compared with $492 million for labor..no countervailing power matches the political clout of business. Our democracy has become starkly unequal.”
E] “since the 1970s, business leaders have largely abandoned..share-the-wealth ethic…the pay of a typical male worker was lower in 2010 than in 1978, adjusted for inflation.”

*** “What most people don’t seem to realize is that there is just as much money to be made out of the wreckage of a civilization as from the upbuilding on one.” [Margaret Mitchell – “Gone With the Wind”]

Dear People – the above is merely the BEGINNING of a mountain of STATISTICAL PROOF that the great 1947-1973 American middle class mass prosperity was. STOLEN. from. YOU by the rich – we have been “headed in the wrong direction” since 1980. – NOT since 2021 !!!!!! o

Trump – a Authoritarian “Savior” – What a Joke !!! [ on Us}

*** “This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs: Whenhe first appears, he is a protector.” [Plato]

1] Research “the 14 characteristics of fascism”:

1- powerful and continuing nationalism
2- disdain for human rights
3- identifying enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause
4- supremacy of the military
5- rampant sexism
6- controlled mass media
7- obsession with national security
8- religion and government are intertwined
9- corporate power is protected
10- labor power is suppressed
11- disdain for intellectuals and the arts
12- obsession with crime and punishment
13- rampant cronyism and corruption
14- fraudulent elections
****** Thanks to the “revenge of the empire” since 1980, America is well on the way toward achieving many FASCIST factors listed above – especially #3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13 – with Republicans/Far Right working very hard on achieving #14

***”People may start out with an initial prejudice against tyrants, but when tyrants or would-be tyrants treat them with adrenalin-releasing propaganda about the wickedness of their enemies – particularly of enemies weak enough to be persecuted – †hey are ready to follow [the tyrants] with enthusiasm.” [Aldous Huxley]

2]. Read: “The Conspiracy To End America…Five ways my old party is driving our democracy to autocracy” [Stuart Stevens – 25-year Republican lead strategist & media consultant]: “Whenever a democracy slides into autocracy, there are five critical elements at work: financiers, propagandists, support of a major party, legal theories to legitimize authoritarian acts, and shock troops.” YOU know all of these are at work NOW – YOU have seen it: the billionaires visibly out for Trump; the Far Right media echo chamber [TV, radio, I-net, “experts”, authors]: the Donald Trump [oops!!!] Republican “Party”; legal theories [the CORRUPT Roberts’ “supreme court”[???]. plus other legal groups & judges; January 6, 2021, plus various “militias” and armed men turning up at various public events…

*** It already almost happened in 1933 – Read “The Plot to Seize the White House,” by Jules Archer – the Jul-November, 1933 Right-Wing plot revealed by the McCormack-Dickstein Committee hearings and February 15, 1935 report.

*** “Of all the forms of tyranny the least attractive and the most vulgar is the tyranny of mere wealth, the tyranny of the plutocracy.” [Theodore Roosevelt]

3]. Read: “Take Trump At His Word”. [New York Times Editorial; 10/27/24; Sunday Opinion]:
A- “Trump says he will use the Justice Department to punish people he doesn’t like. Believe him. In his own words…”
B- “Trump says he will round up and deport millions of immigrants. Believe him. In his own words…”
C- “Trump says he will deploy the American military against U.S. citizens. Believe him. In his own words…”
D- “Trump says he will allow vigilante violence to end crime. Believe him. In his own words…”
E- “Trump says he will order the military to strike foreign civilian targets if the United States is attacked.” Believe him..”
F- “Trump says he will punish blue states by withholding disaster relief. Believe him. In his own words…”
G- “Trump says he will use ideological tests to decide which public schools get federal money. Believe him…”
H- “Trump says he will abandon U.S. allies. Believe him. In his own words…”

*** “At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.” [Abraham Lincoln]
*****. Lincoln didn’t know about fascism. He didn’t know that the party he helped form – would itself be the author of most of America’s post-1980 problems and controversies, virtually all the craziness and cruelties. He did say, speaking of the “Know Nothings”..”I shall prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”
***** Which explains why Trump is no Abraham Lincoln. – and why the party Lincoln formed is dead.

America is in BIG DANGER, democracy itself is in BIG DANGER, if near-50% of Americans believe an acknowledged “despicable” person, convicted felon, liar of recorded 30-40,000 lies, racist, misogamist, tax cheat, draft dodger, etc., etc. who instigated a near-coup on 1/6/21 – can somehow be “an instrument of God’s will” to “save” America from itself – when it’s his fellow top 1% that have created much of the mess the lower 90% needs to be saved from.
THE. SINGLE. GREATEST. CON. of all human history – turning the biggest, greatest democracy into a FASCIST PLUTOCRATIC THEOCRACY looms as a distinct possibility. – unless. YOU. decide this cannot happen when YOU vote on the future of America, November 5, 2024. Please think…………………

Trump’s Economic Plan – DISASTER if Implemented

The Trump economy “was better”???????? What if Trump had ruled under 4 years of COVID??? What is the leader factor in 2020-2024 inflation – COVID !!! – and of course, top 1% & corporate GREED.
America is a capitalist system – PRIVATE companies sell goods & set prices – not government. There are NUMEROUS corporate CEO confessions – some listed below – where CEOs CONFESSED they had used COVID to inflate their prices. Many/most American industries are controlled by 2-3-4 companies – often in food. Numerous cases where companies have pled guilty to price-fixing collusion. Then there are Trump stupidities – like tariffs……
********!!!!!***** l0/31/24 headline: “New tariffs would lead to price hikes…U.S. companies say they’ll pass added costs to consumers if Trump is re-elected and makes good on his promises”. ****!!!!!*****!!!!!! HERE’s. your proof !!!!!!

First – just a few headlines:
– “Trump’s tariff plan would sow chaos…His attacks would raise prices, hurt markets, spark economic feuds” [10/17/24; Stein & Lynch; Washington Post]
– “Trump’s budget ideas don’t add up…Promises could add trillions of dollars to rising national debt” [9/28/24; Stein; Washington Post]
– “Trump’s fiscal plans could hike U.S. debt…Analyses also cite rising costs for most Americans” [Duehran & Rappeport; 10/8/24; New York Times]
– “Report: Trump would drain Social Security..fund might run out of money within six years under a Trump presidency” [Weil; 10/27/24; Washington Post]
– “Trump’s Big Promises to Big Business…Former President Trump has a ‘For Sale’ sign around his neck” [Goldmacher, Haberman, Swan; 10/27/24; New York Times]
– “Worried about inflation? You won’t like Trumponomics 2.0…former President Donald Trump’s economic agenda seems to be dedicated to raising prices” [Bloomberg Opinion Board; 5/26/24]
– “Beware of Trump’s economic plans…Higher tariffs, politicized central bank, a deliberately weakened dollar and more public borrowing would be dangerous”. [Bloomberg editorial; 5/20/24
– “American Business Can’t Risk Another Trump Term..he is attacking the foundations of American prosperity” [New York Times Editorial Board; 10/20/24]
– “Poorer households at risk with Trump plan…economists say lower-income households would be hit hardest by tariffs..” [Swanson, Duehren, Broadwater; 7/18/24; New York Times]
– “Trump Plans to Make His Massive Tax Cuts for the Rich and Corporations Permanent..which would allow the wealthy to steal from the public”. [Kolhatkar; 4/15/24; The Progressive Pipulist]
– “Trump’s Idea To Drop Prices May Lift Them…Economists See Costs in Three Key Proposals”. [Savage, Haberman, Swan; 6/9/24; New York Times]
– “UAW Slams Trump-Vance As “Menace To The Working Class” [Dispatches; 11/1/24; The Progressive Populist]
– “How Republicans Screw Workers..Efforts by Obama and Biden to enforce labor laws have been systematically undermined by right-wing courts and legislators” [Kuttner; 5/1/24; The Progressive Populist]

Second – do you need details, after the above – how “the champion of the workers” has, WILL, screw over the lower 90%? What would you expect a selfish ‘millionaire/billionaire” to do??? OK – try this:
– “GOP deregulation hurts consumers; new bill from Democrats could help”. [Catherine Rampell; 3/6/19; Washington Post]: “For markets to work, you need a system where either the government protects consumers or consumers can adequately defend themselves…The “neither” option lands you in a kleptocracy..where Republicans have been leading the country for the past few years…”
“Under President Trump, Republicans have repealed or watered down tons of federal rules..notice a striking pattern: Many of them loosen the limits for how much harm businesses can inflict upon consumers…”
“..perhaps where the GOP has been most successful in curbing consumers’ ability to fight back relates to mandatory arbitration clauses..’ [*** FORCED arbitration in front of industry-paid/friendly “judges”]

Third – were YOU really better off under Trump??? What do REAL statistics reveal?
A]. “Were You Better Off Than Trump?” [The Progressive Populist editorial; 4/15/24]: “Donald Trump’s promoters are now asking “Are you better off today than you were four years ago..?”
“By almost any objective standard, the U>S. is in much better shape today…Trump inherited a healthy economy..Non-farm employment fell by 1.4 million jobs in March 2020 and a staggering 20.5 million jobs in April..Unemployment was 6.3% in January 2021..grocery shelves were empty…”
“The British medical journal The Lancet..blamed Trump for an error-filled response to the coronavirus pandemic that analysts said contributed to 40% more deaths compared to other wealthy countries…”
“All those jobs lost during Trump’s last year have been recovered under Biden, plus 423,000 manufacturing jobs..created since..the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act in 2021…”
“Inflation has settled back to 3.2%, much of which is caused by corporate profiteering, which Republicans have shown little interest in checking…”
“Despite Republican claims..crime has run out of control under Biden, a recent FBI report noted..crime actually declined significantly in 2023, continuing a post-pandemic trend…”

B] “The Truth About the Biden Economy…His economy is outperforming other countries, and past presidents by a long shot”. [Matthew Winkler; 4/28/23; Bloomberg Opinion]: “..the economy during Biden’s 27 months..witnessed the greatest and fastest recovery of gross domestic product in modern times.. We have a jobless rate that is the lowest in a peacetime economy since World War II..”

C] “The Greatest Economy Ever?..The president deserves the credit he’s taking”. [Dean Baker; 7/17/23; InsideSources.com]: “Since the pandemic, the U.S. has had the highest growth growth rate of any wealthy country. It’s inflation rate is among the lowest..Perhaps even more important were..bills changing the long-term direction of the U.S. economy.”

Fourth – PRICES !!!!! – consider:
A]. “A Tale of Two Consumers”. [Robert Reich; 7/1/24; The Progressive Populist]: “..PepsiCo has so much monopoly power it’s been able to raise prices, blame inflation, shaft consumers, and score record profits..”

B] “Corporate profiteers pandemic strategy: GOUGE CONSUMERS AND BLAME JOE BIDEN” [The Hightower Lowdown; February, 2022]: “Consider diapers..Procter & Gamble announced last April..Covid-driven production costs were forcing it to raise the price for ..Pampers…used the excuse of inflation to inflate the price of diapers..co-monopolist Kimberly-Clark goosed up its prices at the same time…’
“IN 2019..big U. s. corporations hauled in roughly a trillion dollars in profit..two years later, during the pandemic, they grabbed more than $1.7 trillion. Antitrust analyst Matt Stoler finds..this huge profit jump accounts for 60% of the inflation now slapping U.S. families…” [****!!!!!! – got that; 60% of inflation is. CORPORATE GREED !!!*****]
“The CEO of Kroger..gloated last summer that “a little bit of inflation is always good in our business..we’ve been very comfortable with our ability to pass on increases” to consumers…”
“..85% of the U.S. beef market is controlled by just four multibillion-dollar goliaths..this beef cartel has been raising consumer prices during the pandemic..Their profit margin at the end of 2021 was 300% [!] higher than the previous year.”

C]. “FTC Launches Probe Into Surveillance Pricing That Targets Individuals” [Naveen Athrappully; 7/24-30/24; The Epoch Times]”. “[FTC] is looking into how firms are using surveillance pricing to charge different prices to different consumers…In September, the FTC accused Amazon of creating a secret price-setting algorithm.”

D]. “He’s the Expert on Uncovering ‘Shrinkflation'”. [Clare Toeniskoetter; 11/27/22; New York Times]: “With inflation at a 40-year high, business owners have been increasingly shrinking their products in an attempt to hide price increases.”

E]. “Inflation may be cover for gouging” [Paul Davidson; 4/28/22; USA Today]: “..last year, the aggregate profit margin of non-financial corporate business hovered above 13% in all four. quarters, the best performance in 70 years…56% of retailers say inflation has allowed them to raise prices above what’s required to offset higher costs, according to a survey of 1,000 retailers by Digital.com in November. More than half..say they’ve pushed up prices by an average of 20% or more.” [***!!! – got that – best profits in 70 years…prices up by 20%. !!!!!!]

F]. “Quantifying Big Pharma Price-Gouging” [Rick Claypool; Public Citizen News: Nov-Dec, 2021]: “Big Pharma makes almost twice..selling the top 20 prescription drugs in the United States as it does selling the same drugs to..the rest of the world combined…now Big Pharma is using every trick in the corporate influence playbook to fight policies that would reduce U.S. drug spending..” [also including a “Ripping Off Americans” chart for HIV, Autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes drugs !!!!]

G]. “Auto insurance costs rising at fastest pace since 1970s” [Emily Flitter; 5/16/24; New York Times]: “Geico recently reported a big jump in quarterly profit on higher premiums and lower customer claim..”

***!!! GUESS WHAT??? In details, company names, etc….- one name is missing; Joe Biden……NOBODY. said Joe Biden raised rates or his profit margin by 10-20-30%… GEE – WHY not???? If YOU voted for Trump “because Biden’s at fault for high prices – you’re very badly misinformed. – because this is one more TRUMP. BIG. LIE. – because facts supplied above. are a very small “drop-in-the-bucket” of the vast MOUNTAIN of other facts soundly disproving this. TRUMP. BIG. LIE. – which. GREEDY corporations and Wall Street are more than happy to see YOU accept.

Trump and Immigration – What IF America Does What He Demands?

Please consider the following in making a RATIONAL decision about Trump’s Immigration LIES:

1] “Significant immigration and border proposals introduced in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2023 AA. FAILED, largely due to REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION… the “Gang of Eight” U.S. Senators [4Republicans, 4 Democrats]..crafted a COMPREHENSIVE proposal to fix imigration 10 years ago, only to watch it die under..REPUBLICAN leadership of House Speaker JOHN BOEHNER…
“The proposal would have provided the kind of industry-specific, thoughtful approach we needed then and still need now…The immigration bill TRUMP. KILLED. this year would have done even more.” [Sabrina Haake; ll/1/24; The Progressive Populist] ****!!!*** read, then re-read this – immigration reform is a problem ONLY. because REPUBLICANS have refused to solve it. – keeping it alive as a political strategy – is this what YOU want???

2] “Data disproves Trump talking points on migrant jobs” [Fatima Hussein; 10/13/24; Associated Press]: “..government data shows immigrant labor contributes to economic growth..a mass deportation event would cost U.S. taxpayers up to a trillion dollars and could cause the cost of living, including food an housing, to skyrocket, economists say…
“..people in the U.S. illegally are not taking native citizens’ jobs because [they are jobs] native workers are unwilling to fill, such as agriculture and food processing jobs…
“Data also shows when there are not enough workers to fill these roles, firms will automate their jobs with machines and technology investments rather than turn to native workers.”

3] “…And How It’d Ruin America” [Mother Jones; September-October, 2024]:
A]. FOOD – “Half of all farmworkers in the United States are undocumented…a 50% decrease in the farm labor supply could result in a 21% increase in..prices of hand-picked crops..
Andrew Mickelson, Idaho potato farmer: “If [immigrant workers] just disappeared overnight, the sector would be devastated..I do not think..we in this country could grow enough food.”
B]. CARE – “Some 350,000 undocumented immigrants work in health care..142,000 are child care workers, personal care aides, and home heralth aides…160,000 are..cleaners and housekeepers…
“When former President Donald Trump talks about mass deportations and enforcement, he’s talking about eradicating the type of quality of life..Americans enjoy right now.”
C]. INFRASTRUCTURE – “..1.4 million [undocumented] people are employed in construction..more than 10% of the entire labor force…Trump’s deportation scheme would grind the construction of new housing to a halt, turbocharging the affordability crisis…”The economy would collapse.”
D]. SOCIAL SECURITY – “Unauthorized workers pay $13 billion a year into the Social Security system through payroll tax deductions, even though they’re not eligible for benefits.”
4} – “Expiration Date..Are We Almost Out of [Cheap] Milk?” [Marcela Valdes; 10/20/24; New York Times Magazine]: “What Peter does know..is that without foreign-born workers, his dairy could not stay afloat. Americans are understandibly reluctant to perform dirty, dnagerous and demanding work…In a 2012 study, Watson estimated..if Idaho cut its supply of foreign-born, less-educated labor by 50%, the state’s G.D.P. would fall by $905 million. In 2024..that number would only be bigger..”

5]. “Where Trump Leads, Immigrants Crucial” [Maya Rao; 10/20/24; Minnesota Star Tribune]: “Farm owner John Rosenow credits immigrant labor with sustaining his business, estimating..at least 90% of workers on Wisconsin dairy farms are unauthorized. He turned to Mexican migrants 25 years ago..when he could no longer find American citizens to do the work.” He believes if Trump does mass deportations, “It would devastate the $45 billion dairy industry in America’s second largest milk processing state.”

6]. “You’re Fired! Trump’s Deportation Plan Would Gut Half Ag Labor Force” [Alan Guebert; 9/1/24; The Progressive Populist]: “That’s a hard truth Trump and his political allies never talk about. Deporting all, most, or even a small number of thrse laborers doesn’t mean thise now-open jobs will be filled by unemployed Americans…”
“The vast economic research..Natasha Sarin.told U.S. News, “suggests just the opposite…GDP would actually fall and inflation would rise under Trump’s plan…The key reason for the job loss is the American labor force isn’t static, it’s dynamic; jobs are interconnected across industries…”
“The Congressional Budget Office..calculated the U.S. labor force will likely grow by 5.2 million people and $7 trillion by 2033 “thanks especially to net immigration..”
***Corroboration: “Immigrant surge steers economy around a recession” [Paul Wiseman, Gisela Salomon, Christopher Rugaber; 4/14/24; Associated Press] – native-born American workers, 25-54 dropping because so many aged out/retiring – “filling the gap has been a wave of immigrants’

******Suggestion: Read. “What If Trump Actually Deports 11 Million People?” – Mother Jones, September-October, 2024

Again – the PROBLEM is this: FEAR. over FACTS. – a recurrent FAR-RIGHT practice, 1980 – 202XXX – THINK!!!