Cyrano
Cyrano's JournalWe fear they will win. Yet, they don't fear us, the majority.
The wingnut factor of the Republican Party has been with us for centuries. From slavery, through the Civil War, to the Klan's dominance in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, to the American Nazis who wanted us to side with Germany during WWII, to the McCarthy Congressional hearings of the 1950's, thru Jim Crow, thru Nixon's "Southern Strategy." thru Reagan's amiable bigoted ignorance, to the SCOTUS appointing George W. president in 2000, and now, through the Trump era of insanity.
They have always been a vocal minority, backed by the interests of some of the most malignant members of the ultra-wealthy and powerful.
Today, they are in a position where their goal is in reach. The destruction of democracy. Trump is so ignorant that he isn't even aware that they exist and that he is the fulcrum they've always wanted. Nonetheless, they are more than willing to use a clueless, ignorant buffoon to accomplish their ends.
And now, Trump, their unknowing puppet, has turned the entire Republican Party into a cult that dares not betray him in public. He has told us what he will be and do if/when he wins (steals) the presidency. And we are living in fear of that.
Why aren't they living in fear? Because we don't make threats? Because we don't openly carry arms? Because we don't adorn ourselves and our vehicles to proclaim our patriotism? IMO, they are greatly underestimating us. After the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese admiral who planned and lead the deadly attack said:
"I believe all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve."
Is the fascist element of American society making this same deadly error?
IMO, yes.
Why would any reputable, competent lawyer work for Trump?
Yes, Trump can afford to pay "the best lawyers." But why would any of them want to represent him at this time?
It's not the money. "The best lawyers" can be paid just as much by clients who won't abuse or taint them. It's not for the notoriety. "The best lawyers" already have good reputations among their peers. And they must know that in becoming Trump's legal representatives, they are diving into a sewer. They will be forced to obey their client's insane demands, and wade through whatever shit he demands they wade through on a daily/hourly basis.
Why would any reputable lawyers put themselves in such a position? Fame? All they'll end up with is the disdain of their more principled colleagues. (And perhaps getting stiffed unless they're paid up front.)
I really don't get it, unless Trump's dumpster divers have dug up something salacious or illegal on some of "the best lawyers." Short of that, does anyone have an answer as to why any respectable, competent, principled lawyer would want to defend him? Not to mention having to daily sit next to the stench of his body and soul in a courtroom?
If the judge jails Trump on contempt,
Will he be supplied with Depends?
Will he be given the supplies he needs to groom and hold that bird's nest firmly on his head?
Will he be given a supply of orange makeup?
Not to mention all the other realities that a 77 year old narcissist has to deal with?
Does he really believe all of his jailers will keep silent about these things?
Just asking.
A MAGA wearing camouflage
I stopped at Dunkin" Donuts this morning and saw a guy dressed in camouflage colored pants and shirt and wearing a red MAGA hat. I guess he is all ready for Civil War 2.0.
The purpose of camouflage wear is to make one less visible. It's effective in jungles, but in a suburban setting it makes you stand out as though you were wearing a clown costume.
I wondered where he was going. No one goes to work dressed like that except for military personnel, and no soldier would wear a field uniform with a MAGA hat. Maybe he was going home to do, ... whatever it is MAGAs do at home. Then again, this is a fairly liberal neighborhood and he may have been on his own little "reconnaissance mission."
Whatever. Everyone at Dunkin' Donuts looked at him and then turned away. I'm sure that many shared my thought that he may have been armed, or had an assault rifle in his car. -- Do you suppose we'll ever get back to being a country that doesn't have far too many potentially dangerous assholes roaming among us?
Will Other Trump VP Wannabees Follow Kristi Noem's Lead?
By now, everyone knows she murdered her puppy. Many pundits are saying she did it to show that she was tough and brutal enough to be chosen by Trump to be his Vice Presidential running mate.
To outdo her, wannabee candidates will need to find the Hannibal Lector in themselves: They may need torture chambers, live creatures, or masochistic volunteers, and go as far as possible without breaking the law.
So this is where the Republican Party is. This is what they've turned into. This is now who they are. Pretty, ain't it?
When Trump won (stole?) the presidency in 2016, many knew it would be a bad four years. Now, his lawyers are arguing before the SCOTUS, that a president can do anything he wants and not be held responsible. So it makes sense that Kristi Noem would audition to be Eva Braun.
Yet, in spite of all of this, tens of millions of Americans are ready to go out and vote for the demented leader of the cult.
America is badly broken. And every day, I wonder if and when sanity will return. I wonder if the next generation will consider this "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" to be the norm. Right now, we're all focused on this year's election. But even if Joe wins and we take the House and Senate, Trumpism isn't going away. Those who seek to "own us" are going to be around for the foreseeable future. Welcome to another century in which humanity causes much of it's own grief.
It takes 60 Senate votes to enlarge the Supreme Court.
IMO, at least four of the Supreme Court justices are thugs in robes. They are MAGAs who are trying to help their "Dear Leader."
If we have a blue wave this year, it's going to have to be a tsunami to get 60 Democratic senators.
Further, many want to see Clarence Thomas impeached for (at a minimum) "Conflict of interest." A Democratic House might impeach him, but it takes a two thirds vote in the senate to convict and remove him.
In short, we're going to need a massive majority in congress to make changes to the Supreme Court. And that doesn't seem likely. Looks like we're screwed until the grim reaper catches up with some of them. And when that happens, let's hope it's at a time the Democrats control the Senate and the presidency so that moderate/sane judges can be appointed and confirmed.
Every business/service I deal with emails me a survey. Why?
I receive email survey requests from every service company and major business I've dealt with and has my email address. They want to know if I'm satisfied with them. And if I don't reply, they send it again. And again. -- Why?
It's not for a mailing list they can sell. They already have my email address.
I know that many (all?) are not looking for my actual satisfaction. But they all emphasize how important my satisfaction is to them. They're obviously looking for something else. (I never reply.)
I'm sure many of you get these same emails. Does anyone know what they're really looking for?
What does a vehicle flying two flags say about the driver?
I occasionally see a car in my neighborhood bearing American flags on each side above the front doors. The windows are tinted, so I've never seen who's inside. But I tend to make certain assumptions about the car's owner:
* The owner is a male.
* He considers himself to be a patriot.
* He needs to make a very public statement about his "patriotism."
* He considers himself to be far more patriotic than others.
* He's a Republican and perhaps a MAGA.
It's possible that all of my assumptions are wrong. However I personally believe that anyone who has the need to fly two American flags from their car is a screaming asshole.
What assumption(s) would you make about the owner of the car?
(PS: Yes, I know this post is trivia. I just needed to change the topic from the guy on trial.)
Trump can't use a mobster's usual courtroom props.
You know what they are: An oxygen tank, a wheel chair, a doctor seated nearby, etc. (You saw it all in the movie "Casino".) He can't use any of them because it wouldn't fit with the image of him that he's cultivated with his followers. After all, Jesus didn't have an oxygen tank, a wheel chair, or any ancient medical assistance while he was dragging that cross.
You've been hoisted by your own petard, Donald. And while your followers look on in grief, sane people are relieved that you are finally being held to account for the first time in your life.
For the next two or three months, you are going to have to sit there with your mouth shut while others testify about who and what you are. And if you "lose it" and have an outburst, the judge can hold you in contempt of court, (and can even have you held in a jail cell for contempt of court if he so chooses).
Welcome to the real world, Donald. If you somehow win/steal the presidency in November, we will all live in fear of your revenge. If you don't/can't, win/steal it, you've got a lot more courtroom time ahead of you.
Hopefully, we will have a blue tidal wave this November that will exact an enormous price on you and your version of reality.
Is Trump guilty of involuntary manslaughter?
I need you lawyers here on DU to chime in on this. Did he commit involuntary manslaughter and should he stand trial for it?
When Covid showed up, he had the best experts in the world advising him of the dangers. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta is one of the most reliable sources in the world for warning of and dealing with pandemics. And he had Dr. Anthony Fauci who was the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 to 2022.
But rather than viewing Covid as a medical issue, he saw it as a political one. He tried to minimize it, and at one point he told us it would be over in two weeks. He suggested that people inject themselves with bleach. He told America that masks were a waste of time. (Yet, when he caught Covid, he got the best treatment in the world at Bethesda Naval Hospital.)
Any halfway sane person would have realized that what he was doing was irresponsible and would lead to people dying. And as ignorant and uncaring as he is, he had to know this was a deadly threat to hundreds of thousands of people. As it turned out, over a million Americans died from Covid.
And then there are those who died on January 6th, 2021. There deaths were a direct result of an insurrection for which he was responsible.
So let me ask this question again. Do Trump's actions, and inactions, qualify as involuntary manslaughter (or worse)? Should he be put on trial for it?
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Gender: MaleHometown: Palm Beach County, Florida
Member since: Fri Apr 16, 2004, 02:36 PM
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