Never in my lifetime did I ever expect the words of my grandfather to come true, but now have. He told me at about 8 years of age as he told me about the set down strike that he participated in circa 1935 at the General Motors Leeds plant in Kansas City that "one day you will have to fight for your rights all over again." He thought at the time that Richard Nixon was the worst threat to American democracy that the country could ever have. He would have been absolutely horrified at Trump and his cronies. That a billionaire and convicted felon could, would be elected president in this country would have boggled his mind. However, people from our "Greatest Generation" who had lived, worked, and fought their way through the Dust Bowl days here in Kansas, the Great Depression, and World War 2 had a different outlook on life than the spoiled masses that populate this country now. WE are the most spoiled people in the world, insulated from the rest of the world's poor by an average lifestyle that would make a person a king in many countries. Only the poorest of our poor have room to complain in my opinion, me included. WE decry the state of the economy and raise Hell because we don't have enough to get by, when getting by means that we need not one but two $80,000 SUV's in the driveway of our half a million dollar home. WE have to have our thousand dollar a ticket concert tickets or sports tickets, and every modern convenience and toy imaginable, and eat out every chance we get at $50 a plate. Now, democracy is being routed as all immigrants and even citizens are at risk for being deported and jailed in El Salvador's super max by another dictator. Every one who speaks up against Trump is taking a chance on reprisals by him or some radical supporter. All aid around the world and even food banks are cut off so he can give more to his wealthy supporters and he uses the justice department as is own personal Gestapo. The ist goes on and on as he does all he can to challenge the Constitution making his oath to keep it's principles a joke. He read American society like a book and found support from every discriminatory and even downright hateful organization and sector of society, all mad that either they didn't have enough security, luxury, or power in their life OR that they had some grudge or stood against something above all else. He said he would be a dictator on day one. Once you get a dictator you seldom get rid of one without violence. It has been about 100 days of one now and already many who voted for him have lost their jobs, all i the name of doing away with waste and fraud. How many of those people realized that they had become a waste, or that they were defrauding the government. It's hard for me to sympathize with them, but I had the great advantage of being raised to recognize those who lie and cheat the people by using rhetoric to deny truth itself. No, Nixon wasn't the worst. He was an amateur crook who get caught, but letting him off with a pardon set the one we have now with a precedent of immunity. This one is pushing that to the limit. God help us all, especially the poor, the elderly, the disabled, the immigrant, basically anybody not like him, a white rich man and those who support his agenda.
There are answers out there …in the UK, Wales is in the process of legislating to prevent autocracy with a simple but innovative and quietly radical legal solution…
Thank you for this thoughtful piece outlining how important nonprofits are and how attempts to shut them down are bad for all of us and illegal. Did you bury the lead? We need immediate removal. We can't wait for the Republicans to impeach. They're high on crypto dark money and hiding tawdry things. The "deal" to impeach when the fascist-stacked polls get to a certain level, which we all know will never happen, because they control distribution and whatever you want to call their poll-like international betting markets; has been identified. We counter with immediate removal. The oath means something. We all know it. He can't represent us at the Pope's funeral. It's already bad enough - they quite literally are satanic. Somebody needs to do their job and uphold the Constitution. I'll do my part until I'm renditioned if you don't get off your ass.
this is already happening :( I used to work as a nonprofit lawyer and the loan forgiveness program has been saving grace for us public interest lawyers but now they’re changing it so people who work at “nonprofits” that aid unamerican things like criminals , immigration, etc won’t qualify. so i’m guessing public defense(what I did) would be one that would not be covered
This is a marvelous piece! Thank you Ian. It not only describes the autocrat's play book, referencing Orban in Hungary, but also predicts what Trump will continue attempting to do to kill democracy in the U.S. Forwarned is forearmed! That is, "prior knowledge of possible dangers or problems gives one a tactical advantage." We will not be duped.
In Robert's putrid immunity decision he states the following:
"If the President claims authority to act but in fact exercises mere"individual will" and "authority without law." the courts may say so.
Is what, you describe, in his attempts to quash people or things he wishes or dislikes, personally, "mere will without authority"? I am still unsure he has actual policy.
Musk operates on this level. I opine.
I am always going back to "the thing" that was decided on Fed 70 (and Robert's love of the UET), a civil precedent, and executive privilege in responding to prosecutorial demands for documents. How much energy does making origami ducks take in one's average day?
I don't think it wise to have done this, 45 days-ish AFTER the criminal conviction, was handed down by a jury, on 34 counts of what led to election influence/interference, to a criminal.
Hello! It's already happening!
Hasn’t this already occurred?
“IRS making plans to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status”, CNN, 4/16/25
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/16/politics/irs-harvard-tax-exempt-status/index.html
Never in my lifetime did I ever expect the words of my grandfather to come true, but now have. He told me at about 8 years of age as he told me about the set down strike that he participated in circa 1935 at the General Motors Leeds plant in Kansas City that "one day you will have to fight for your rights all over again." He thought at the time that Richard Nixon was the worst threat to American democracy that the country could ever have. He would have been absolutely horrified at Trump and his cronies. That a billionaire and convicted felon could, would be elected president in this country would have boggled his mind. However, people from our "Greatest Generation" who had lived, worked, and fought their way through the Dust Bowl days here in Kansas, the Great Depression, and World War 2 had a different outlook on life than the spoiled masses that populate this country now. WE are the most spoiled people in the world, insulated from the rest of the world's poor by an average lifestyle that would make a person a king in many countries. Only the poorest of our poor have room to complain in my opinion, me included. WE decry the state of the economy and raise Hell because we don't have enough to get by, when getting by means that we need not one but two $80,000 SUV's in the driveway of our half a million dollar home. WE have to have our thousand dollar a ticket concert tickets or sports tickets, and every modern convenience and toy imaginable, and eat out every chance we get at $50 a plate. Now, democracy is being routed as all immigrants and even citizens are at risk for being deported and jailed in El Salvador's super max by another dictator. Every one who speaks up against Trump is taking a chance on reprisals by him or some radical supporter. All aid around the world and even food banks are cut off so he can give more to his wealthy supporters and he uses the justice department as is own personal Gestapo. The ist goes on and on as he does all he can to challenge the Constitution making his oath to keep it's principles a joke. He read American society like a book and found support from every discriminatory and even downright hateful organization and sector of society, all mad that either they didn't have enough security, luxury, or power in their life OR that they had some grudge or stood against something above all else. He said he would be a dictator on day one. Once you get a dictator you seldom get rid of one without violence. It has been about 100 days of one now and already many who voted for him have lost their jobs, all i the name of doing away with waste and fraud. How many of those people realized that they had become a waste, or that they were defrauding the government. It's hard for me to sympathize with them, but I had the great advantage of being raised to recognize those who lie and cheat the people by using rhetoric to deny truth itself. No, Nixon wasn't the worst. He was an amateur crook who get caught, but letting him off with a pardon set the one we have now with a precedent of immunity. This one is pushing that to the limit. God help us all, especially the poor, the elderly, the disabled, the immigrant, basically anybody not like him, a white rich man and those who support his agenda.
There are answers out there …in the UK, Wales is in the process of legislating to prevent autocracy with a simple but innovative and quietly radical legal solution…
https://open.substack.com/pub/justhinkin/p/has-wales-found-the-solution-to-autocracy?r=3cs2wr&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Nonprofit advocacy organizations are—appropriately— preparing for the worst.
Hearing thiel is handling this
spying and threatening to follow thanks to 🤡 🤖 🖥️ 📳 🪫 🎃 🌮 🚪
“My revenge will be success!” Well, it looks like we have nothing to fear, because trump has never been successful at anything in his life.
Thank you for this thoughtful piece outlining how important nonprofits are and how attempts to shut them down are bad for all of us and illegal. Did you bury the lead? We need immediate removal. We can't wait for the Republicans to impeach. They're high on crypto dark money and hiding tawdry things. The "deal" to impeach when the fascist-stacked polls get to a certain level, which we all know will never happen, because they control distribution and whatever you want to call their poll-like international betting markets; has been identified. We counter with immediate removal. The oath means something. We all know it. He can't represent us at the Pope's funeral. It's already bad enough - they quite literally are satanic. Somebody needs to do their job and uphold the Constitution. I'll do my part until I'm renditioned if you don't get off your ass.
this is already happening :( I used to work as a nonprofit lawyer and the loan forgiveness program has been saving grace for us public interest lawyers but now they’re changing it so people who work at “nonprofits” that aid unamerican things like criminals , immigration, etc won’t qualify. so i’m guessing public defense(what I did) would be one that would not be covered
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/restoring-public-service-loan-forgiveness/
This is a marvelous piece! Thank you Ian. It not only describes the autocrat's play book, referencing Orban in Hungary, but also predicts what Trump will continue attempting to do to kill democracy in the U.S. Forwarned is forearmed! That is, "prior knowledge of possible dangers or problems gives one a tactical advantage." We will not be duped.
In Robert's putrid immunity decision he states the following:
"If the President claims authority to act but in fact exercises mere"individual will" and "authority without law." the courts may say so.
Is what, you describe, in his attempts to quash people or things he wishes or dislikes, personally, "mere will without authority"? I am still unsure he has actual policy.
Musk operates on this level. I opine.
I am always going back to "the thing" that was decided on Fed 70 (and Robert's love of the UET), a civil precedent, and executive privilege in responding to prosecutorial demands for documents. How much energy does making origami ducks take in one's average day?
I don't think it wise to have done this, 45 days-ish AFTER the criminal conviction, was handed down by a jury, on 34 counts of what led to election influence/interference, to a criminal.
My mind doesn't wrap well. Thanks.