This is THE moment for America's oligarchy, and they know it

[stopbush]

Everything is in place and aligned for the oligarchy to destroy American democracy in one fell swoop. They own the entire government, and they are dismantling and neutering those parts of government that might stop their plans.

With tRump in the WH, any bill passed by the R-controlled Congress will become law. Rights are being stripped from the commoners and fear is being instilled big time. The New Deal is being destroyed, and we are heading backwards to the pre-FDR vision of America.

The only thing standing in the way is the judicial branch of government. Once the SCOTUS reverts to a R majority, all bets are off. Lower courts will put up a fight, but if the ultimate arbiter of American law is a R-dominated SCOTUS, it's over. It would come down to people on an individual level - Roberts, Kennedy and the heads of the CIA and FBI to keep democracy alive. The chances of this happening are only 50-50, and as tRump can simply fire the heads of the CIA and FBI, it's up to the conservatives on the SCOTUS to preserve what's left of American democracy.

We're in Pet Rock territory, where everyone knows the mania is nuts, and that the fad will eventually peter out, but that weird things are accepted as being normal (or even strived for) while the mania is hot.

The oligarchy knows that they cannot let this moment pass, lest the winds begin blowing the other way. They will be bringing tremendous pressure on the Congressmen they own to not get in the way, and to let them take over the running of this nation.

We're all in some deep doodoo here.

[Cosmocat]

1. The fat lady is singing

Trump is like the flu vaccine, where you inject a small dose to build up immunity.

His daily absurdities have inoculated the country AGAINST resistance to fascism.

We were creeping this way from republican group think for a quarter century, but it has been a warp speed transition to an emergent authoritarian, fascist state from the moment he came down the stairs.

What has been exposed already now relative to Russia is 100 times more than enough to not have had him elected and post election to have congress put the stops on everything until it has been aggressively investigated.

But, nothing ... As David Frum has noted, Rs know this is their opportunity to hammer all of their insane shit legislatively and to deconstruct the federal government, they are down right gleeful about it and aren't going to screw it up by doing their constitutional duty in regard to a POTUS who is Russia's bitch.

More, worse, is going to come out, there will clear evidence of his collusion with Russia during the election, and it will be a miracle if they do anything about it.

This and next fall are the last stands ...

[ymetca]

2. The problem with the oligarchs

is that they are secretly so in debt they cannot unload it all. Hence the constant usury to accommodate their hidden bankruptcy. Last time they got the Fed to create $16 trillion in fiat currency (literally "out of thin air&quot in order to keep the system afloat. Speculative debt now eclipses the global GDP, which is entirely unsustainable. The jig is up. But we keep playing the game, pretending that its all working smoothly again. The rude awakening coming will be much worse this time, as citizens all over the world are going to revolt if the money runs out again, which it will.

It's Jubilee time!

[Initech]

3. The problem with republicans is they can't spell the word "oligarchy".

[guillaumeb]

4. Perhaps the chalk broke?

Very funny.

[hunter]

5. Frank Zappa:

“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.”