Trump is counting on the idea that there will be nothing left of the government we've become accustomed to and relied upon by the time our judicial system gets around to doing anything about it. That's the point of the speed with which he's moving.
For his entire life, he's used the mechanism of the law against itself. He used and continues to use the law's built-in safeguards to destroy fairness and evade justice. Finally, he hopes to use to the law as a puppet to enact his wishes.
If the destruction continues unabated, even if the legal system holds, even if the current GOP is repelled, repair on both the national and global scale will take an incalculable amount of time.
I would like to see more of our senators and representatives with their hair on fire.
Joyce, and Russell above, I admire your well-thought-out comments and your restraint. I worked in federal court for one extremely honorable and restrained federal judge the last nearly 20 years of my career and was a total believer in the rule of law until this psychopath showed up on the scene and blew it all to smithereens. I am afraid I am one of those people whose hair is on fire and I don’t have such articulate restraint.
Oh, I certainly agree; that first. But for the rest of us, the size of our protesting crowds pale to those in Europe. Likely their national memory of occupation entrenched a rebellious instinct into their character. Except for our brave Representative Al Green, I think Senators' and Representatives' thoughtful restraint is not admirable, no matter how planfully they may be strategizing. I believe their decorum in the Continental Congress would have attracted as little attention — or enthusiasm — as it does now. If their hair was on fire, it might help to ignite outrage in our generally somnambulistic population.
Russell, you are right here. Those who just sit and wait no matter how they think it will do something positive will not be remembered or appreciated for their decorum. Those who stir the pot, make noise, demand their rights, do the unexpected are the ones who make a difference. We should be taking a lesson from the Toddler-Trump himself. He has nothing to offer anyone but sure gets enormous attention for his appalling behavior, disregard for the law, and general ignorance as he tears through what is accepted behavior. We don't need to follow his stupidity, but certainly his activism and in the best case, outrage and willingness to stir things up.
Every day I call senators and representatives, some of them I can't leave a message or talk to one of their staff, because I think they are tired of the calls and are cowards!
Swalwell says they are afraid for themselves and their families. All mango mussolini or his puppet master need to do is post on their social media and death threats will ensue
An interesting comment from a call-in yesterday on The Ink… My recollection of her comment was that our congressional representatives were elected because of the “genetics” of DNA behaviors and responses over time. Our party, over time, has elected a group of representatives who consider problems for thoughtful reactions, reason through change and eventual outcomes, respond within a “follow-the-rules” mentality. As I look at AOC, Crockett, and Frost, I see the real value for change in the natural selection of young people to succeed if our party is to survive.
"I’d rather see their constituents finally freed of their MAGA trance, pushing the Oath Breakers to the curb" Dave - I think you will wait quite a while for that, if not forever more. Just as the "Greatest generation" had an evil side lurking underneath their patriotism (e.g. racism among other things), today's MAGGOTs have a great big similar dark side, that in previous years could not be exercised except in closed circles. That dark side is manifested in all sorts of ways, is very American, and can be seen in things like the Madison Square garden rally just before the last election. They are thrilled today to be able to bring their darker sides out into the open. It's now OK to openly reject climate change, to openly go after the entire "woke agenda", to openly "own the libs", to openly attack anyone different, to openly display the bully mentality. That is what Trump is doing, and he is their god, so it's more than OK. It's now the thing. Criticism just rolls off their backs. MOF it makes them double down. Just when do you think they will see the light? They are enjoying this immensely.
“Hair on fire”, how I’ve been feeling for weeks (exhausting), is just NOT what I’m sensing from most of the Democrats in congress, with a few exceptions (Jamie Raskin, I love you!). They seem to be opting for business as usual.
SCOTUS has already lost significant credibility. It's justices are partisan and unethical. At least 2 of its justices should be investigated. It started showing signs of incredible bias starting with the Citizens' United decision, if not before. It's responsible for a good deal of the destruction of our government today. Can't trust them to make just decisions. Certainly do not care much for precedent although during the confirmation process, most say they do.
Amen. I'd also like the powers behind Cheetolini who is simply a tool identified and this 5 alarm fire be attributed to the true perps...oligarchs funding the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation.
The damage that has been done to our justice system grows into a mountain of shame and disgrace to our country.
It is beyond comprehension for me to understand how much it would take to right the ship. Is it even possible for the next generation to fix enough to even resemble a democracy I once knew as I graduated from high school in 1967.
Class of 1973 .... unbelievable that our country has disintegrated so quickly since this January, expect 2 decades to repair this damage by end of my lifetime.
I remind myself that I never attended a racially integrated school until I entered college in 1961, seven years after Brown v Board of Education, and those public schools remained segregated for several years after that. Selective application of the law has long been a factor in many places where MAGA reigns today.
It will be happening with the companies and people who can afford to buy exemptions to the tariffs as well. I am sure the pause on cars and auto parts was a gift to Musk.
The original EO on the buildings also covers all real property, so timber, mineral, water, and grazing rights as well as the federally owned land itself.
The amount of graft that Trump has engineered into the system is breathtaking.
"The original EO on the buildings also covers all real property, so timber, mineral, water, and grazing rights as well as the federally owned land itself."
This may be of a piece with his EO to create a "sovereign wealth fund". As the country is in so much debt, the only source of money to set up such a fund would be by selling our public assets, from national parks to government buildings.
Yesterday’s EO was about the strategic bitcoin reserve, another grift, but it will be initially “capitalized with all BTC held by the Department of the Treasury that was finally forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings or in satisfaction of any civil money penalty imposed by any executive department or agency (agency)” It’s never supposed to be sold, but “shall be maintained as reserve assets of the United States utilized to meet governmental objectives in accordance with applicable law.” There are several statutes that list uses of the fund based on how reserves from forfeitures under drug laws—primarily through the Treasury and Justice Departments for things like paying informants, and contractors. So my bet is this becomes a slush fund for paying informants and migrant hunting vigilantes that is not appropriated through Congress. Trump is counting on the crypto to increase significantly in value so he can buy his own private militia force. Or he could distribute it to other agencies and use it to pay off Musk on government contracts, so that his favored contractors get the appreciation. He pays Musk for Starlink in crypto, and Musk expects it to go up 40% in a year…
JD Vance was introduced to Yarvin by Peter Thiel when Vance was involved in Thiel's hedge fund. Vance has admitted that he is a fan of Yarvin's theories. I bet that Trump gets just past the midterms, and then Vance takes over, so he has a shot at a "legal" 10-year reign. I think Musk's drug-addled, undisciplined brain is doing poorly in the implementation phase, so he will not be long for his position. The self-dealing with Musk and Trump is far too obvious. JD will ride to the rescue with his devout Catholic persona to play anti-corruption crusader, assume power, and then the corruption will be better hidden.
Heritage has built its somewhat less bold agenda since Reagan. What we are seeing now is the injection of the really far-right stuff. Thiel wants the riches without the people. For a while he was trying to build his own aquatic separate society. And, of course, Musk wants to leave Earth behind and colonize Mars, populated only by morbidly rich, high intellect people and robots/AI.
This is why calling for impeachment and conviction or the implementation of the 25th Amendment is a poor decision. In both instances we end up with JD (I refuse to use his last name out of abundant respect for Professor Vance) for the remainder of Trompe's term.
There is no existing universe where the necessary 2/3 requirement of the Senate to vote to remove an impeached Trump from office could be accumulated let alone the 2/3 of BOTH houses of Congress required to remove Trump under the 25th.
Unfortunately, you are absolutely right. I can't imagine even one Republican voting in favor of impeachment of Trump. They are going to act in their own interests, not in the interests of our country. Explanations for their behavior are strange - fear of death threats? fear of not being re-elected (and having to find other employment? fear of having kompromat exposed?
Churchill once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Sadly, "we the people" have good reason to fear the cowardice of our elected representatives, the greed of the wealthy and their disdain for the working class, and the Trump-worship exhibited by the MAGA crowd and far too many members of the judicial system. Maybe we ARE screwed. Damn it.
Which is why I think they really don't care about public health or Medicaid/ Medicare, or veterans. The more of us who die off, the less baggage for them. And without public schools, who will be around to challenge them?
Georgia re”Heritage has built its somewhat less bold agenda since Reagan. What we are seeing now is the injection of the really far-right stuff. Thiel wants the riches without the people. For a while he was trying to build his own aquatic separate society. And, of course, Musk wants to leave Earth behind and colonize Mars, populated only by morbidly rich, high intellect people and robots/AI.”
Kinda sounds like Ayn Rand lives permanently in their heads, “a secret society in the folds of the Colorado Rockies inhabited by “their kind” of people, self sufficient and basking in the independence of Rand’s ignorance of supply chains and the human “others” that provide the Mudsill labor as “the missing link”
I have visions of this colony on Mars. High intellect and morbidly rich does not translate to practical. Exactly how would they survive on Mars. They probably have no idea how to grow plants, would not choose veganism, and yet the picture of them on a space ship with a herd of cows (creating lots of methane gas, not to mention the lack of space for feed) is ludicrous. The whole idea is ludicrous. If you're going to create a colony somewhere you need people with practical skills. Money does not make up for practical skills, and besides, what use would money be on Mars…??
The Mars thing is really just promotional BS for Musk. It gets the space nerds with no concept of politics behind him because he is interested in "cool stuff".
I had a friend who worked at Tesla early on who was mesmerized by Musk and left a great job to get paid 2/3 of what he was making and lots of stock options. When Tesla had its first down turn he was laid off (like many) and his stock ended up mostly worthless after having slaved 3 years doing 60 hour weeks. Musk like most rich owners has little interest in the people who work for him except when it benefits him.
Yes, I think that is part of what we're seeing. I've seen a few commentaries on Substack (and probably elsewhere - I can't keep track) about Yarvin and his ideas, particularly regarding Vance's promotion of them. But the Nerd Reich writeup you linked is the most specific I've read in terms of how to implement them in the current administration. Frightening.
Powerful column which is clearly constructed and well written. Worth subscribing to..support Gil if you can. Eventually, independent journalists will be the only place that Americans can get the truth.
Unfortunately they are all charging WAY too much money. I had subscriptions to the SF Chronicle and the NY Times which cost me about $300 a year. Now each individual author on Substack is charging between $50 and $150 a year. I subscribe to two of them but would like to do more but can't afford it.
Thanks for sharing some of the historical details of the Main Justice building, especially the eye-catching wall mural. What a sad day in this country, in a procession of sad days since ELON/FELON took over the government, wreaking havoc and unrestrained by a complicit Congress.
The mural depicted in this post is titled "Contemporary Justice and the Child." It took 4 yrs (1936-1940) to create and was awarded by competition by the Public Works Art Project. The creator was a Russian Jew whose family immigrated to the US in the early years of the 20th century.
On tonight’s show, Rachel had a list of addresses of the buildings that were supposedly on the For Sale list. Among them: the Department of Justice and some building in northern Virginia, aka the CIA. That’s right. Whoever drew up this list targeting federal buildings for sale, landed on the idea of selling the CIA HQ in Langley.
What could be more perfectly symbolic for this admin than literally selling Main Justice. My father was an FBI Agent in the 50's/60's. While he spent most of his career detailed to the Senate Racketeering Committee his office was at the Old Post Office Building - also formerly known as the Trump Hotel. As a native Washingtonian who works in politics and still spends a lot of time in DC all of this is so distressing. How better to pervert justice than to sell the building that has represented the very essence of justice in America for decades.
So, if Main Justice aka the Kennedy Building is sold, where will the AG, the deputy AG, the solicitor general and all the current occupants move? Into the White House???
I suspect the SCOTUS gift of presidential immunity shields Trump, so if he is selling federal buildings, that could be argued is a presidential duty. If there is any corruption in the conditions of the sale, SCOTUS could say he is immune. Whether the other party to the transaction could be indicted hasn't been tested.
Then there is the lovely tip issue. If you get a "gratuity" after you do something then it isn't a bribe.
I would love to hear Joyce's comments on these and the memecoin payoffs to Trump and their legality.
How about what will happen when Trump has sold everything off and is pimping out the military as mercenaries to the highest bidder and then the money from the people is gone because the high earners are gone and then the Christian Nationalists take over everything and the country is just run by gangs and thieves what power will Trump have them?
Just like stupid fox news warned the maga dummies about for years... remember 'Sharia' law and all that stuff 15-16 years ago? The threat of gangs crossing the border, can't remember their call sign... now we have all these goons with gross beards, big dumb trucks with big flags--more misogynistic behaviors. The republicans created this all for money and power, and they would run the country like the mafia, which they've already been doing--using their magat army as their 'made men' to scare and shakedown people. Who knows where the power will land?
Georgia I hope so, but things are happening so rapidly I don't know that we won't see this in September, or June, or May, or April. Here is the Project 2025 tracker.
Thanks to the US now being a Kleptocracy theft of everything from the people is happening really fast. We need a French style revolution to overturn it. Viva la Liberté!
Musk wants to get to Mars on our dime. That will be the only money this administration puts out where I will say, "Well spent!" That is conditional on it being a one way ticket. Can some people dupe Musk into thinking that the air on Mars leads to longevity? Hopefully he will take Thiel, Bezos and Zuckerberg with him. How about renaming Mars the Billionaires Planet. Or how about the Trillionaires planet, and saying only Trillionaires will be allowed to go.
Great ending too. I can just see Trump on that new planet being eaten by.one of the native creatures. Ala Meryl Streep! I would laugh except it isn't funny.
Trump is counting on the idea that there will be nothing left of the government we've become accustomed to and relied upon by the time our judicial system gets around to doing anything about it. That's the point of the speed with which he's moving.
For his entire life, he's used the mechanism of the law against itself. He used and continues to use the law's built-in safeguards to destroy fairness and evade justice. Finally, he hopes to use to the law as a puppet to enact his wishes.
If the destruction continues unabated, even if the legal system holds, even if the current GOP is repelled, repair on both the national and global scale will take an incalculable amount of time.
I would like to see more of our senators and representatives with their hair on fire.
Joyce, and Russell above, I admire your well-thought-out comments and your restraint. I worked in federal court for one extremely honorable and restrained federal judge the last nearly 20 years of my career and was a total believer in the rule of law until this psychopath showed up on the scene and blew it all to smithereens. I am afraid I am one of those people whose hair is on fire and I don’t have such articulate restraint.
I like that line, "Justice is For Sale." Hum... Thinking about it.
If you are an immigrant and have $5 million you can become a citizen overnight. Justice is for sale. Who can afford it? Drug cartel bosses.
I am with you. I feel no means inside me to find restraint.
Russell “I would like to see more of our senators and representatives with their hair on fire.”
I’d rather see their constituents finally freed of their MAGA trance, pushing the Oath Breakers to the curb
Oh, I certainly agree; that first. But for the rest of us, the size of our protesting crowds pale to those in Europe. Likely their national memory of occupation entrenched a rebellious instinct into their character. Except for our brave Representative Al Green, I think Senators' and Representatives' thoughtful restraint is not admirable, no matter how planfully they may be strategizing. I believe their decorum in the Continental Congress would have attracted as little attention — or enthusiasm — as it does now. If their hair was on fire, it might help to ignite outrage in our generally somnambulistic population.
Russell, you are right here. Those who just sit and wait no matter how they think it will do something positive will not be remembered or appreciated for their decorum. Those who stir the pot, make noise, demand their rights, do the unexpected are the ones who make a difference. We should be taking a lesson from the Toddler-Trump himself. He has nothing to offer anyone but sure gets enormous attention for his appalling behavior, disregard for the law, and general ignorance as he tears through what is accepted behavior. We don't need to follow his stupidity, but certainly his activism and in the best case, outrage and willingness to stir things up.
Pressure Congressional Republicans to abide by the oath. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/p/remove-impeach-impeach
Every day I call senators and representatives, some of them I can't leave a message or talk to one of their staff, because I think they are tired of the calls and are cowards!
Some of them hear it from their own familiies, their donors.
Their oath is to GOP POWER. Nothing more
Never up, never in.
I do not understand the restraint. Who is threatening them? Why are they so docile? Trump Muck is breaking every rule of decorum
Swalwell says they are afraid for themselves and their families. All mango mussolini or his puppet master need to do is post on their social media and death threats will ensue
An interesting comment from a call-in yesterday on The Ink… My recollection of her comment was that our congressional representatives were elected because of the “genetics” of DNA behaviors and responses over time. Our party, over time, has elected a group of representatives who consider problems for thoughtful reactions, reason through change and eventual outcomes, respond within a “follow-the-rules” mentality. As I look at AOC, Crockett, and Frost, I see the real value for change in the natural selection of young people to succeed if our party is to survive.
"I’d rather see their constituents finally freed of their MAGA trance, pushing the Oath Breakers to the curb" Dave - I think you will wait quite a while for that, if not forever more. Just as the "Greatest generation" had an evil side lurking underneath their patriotism (e.g. racism among other things), today's MAGGOTs have a great big similar dark side, that in previous years could not be exercised except in closed circles. That dark side is manifested in all sorts of ways, is very American, and can be seen in things like the Madison Square garden rally just before the last election. They are thrilled today to be able to bring their darker sides out into the open. It's now OK to openly reject climate change, to openly go after the entire "woke agenda", to openly "own the libs", to openly attack anyone different, to openly display the bully mentality. That is what Trump is doing, and he is their god, so it's more than OK. It's now the thing. Criticism just rolls off their backs. MOF it makes them double down. Just when do you think they will see the light? They are enjoying this immensely.
Both
Exactly. Roy Cohn taught him well.
And Roy Cohn died a sad death lying and denying to the end. But the grim reaper does not hear lies- he just does his job.
“Hair on fire”, how I’ve been feeling for weeks (exhausting), is just NOT what I’m sensing from most of the Democrats in congress, with a few exceptions (Jamie Raskin, I love you!). They seem to be opting for business as usual.
SCOTUS has already lost significant credibility. It's justices are partisan and unethical. At least 2 of its justices should be investigated. It started showing signs of incredible bias starting with the Citizens' United decision, if not before. It's responsible for a good deal of the destruction of our government today. Can't trust them to make just decisions. Certainly do not care much for precedent although during the confirmation process, most say they do.
Amen. I'd also like the powers behind Cheetolini who is simply a tool identified and this 5 alarm fire be attributed to the true perps...oligarchs funding the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation.
My head is on fire. I just got a prescription for some cream to help tame the reaction
So exactly right Russell..
A tale of two cities, Washington DC before and after January 20, 2025.
Bring out the guillotines.
The damage that has been done to our justice system grows into a mountain of shame and disgrace to our country.
It is beyond comprehension for me to understand how much it would take to right the ship. Is it even possible for the next generation to fix enough to even resemble a democracy I once knew as I graduated from high school in 1967.
Same here. Class of 1968.
Class of 1973 .... unbelievable that our country has disintegrated so quickly since this January, expect 2 decades to repair this damage by end of my lifetime.
Steve - "Is it even possible for the next generation to fix enough to even resemble a democracy I once knew as I graduated from high school in 1967."
...Or I when graduated from high school in 1964...
I remind myself that I never attended a racially integrated school until I entered college in 1961, seven years after Brown v Board of Education, and those public schools remained segregated for several years after that. Selective application of the law has long been a factor in many places where MAGA reigns today.
Sure, that works. In 68, 69, I was a grunt serving in Nam
Thank you for your service. I don't know how many of my classmates (1962) were lost in that war.
Sure, then also
It will be happening with the companies and people who can afford to buy exemptions to the tariffs as well. I am sure the pause on cars and auto parts was a gift to Musk.
The original EO on the buildings also covers all real property, so timber, mineral, water, and grazing rights as well as the federally owned land itself.
The amount of graft that Trump has engineered into the system is breathtaking.
https://georgiafisanick.substack.com/p/trump-sells-america
"The original EO on the buildings also covers all real property, so timber, mineral, water, and grazing rights as well as the federally owned land itself."
This may be of a piece with his EO to create a "sovereign wealth fund". As the country is in so much debt, the only source of money to set up such a fund would be by selling our public assets, from national parks to government buildings.
Yesterday’s EO was about the strategic bitcoin reserve, another grift, but it will be initially “capitalized with all BTC held by the Department of the Treasury that was finally forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings or in satisfaction of any civil money penalty imposed by any executive department or agency (agency)” It’s never supposed to be sold, but “shall be maintained as reserve assets of the United States utilized to meet governmental objectives in accordance with applicable law.” There are several statutes that list uses of the fund based on how reserves from forfeitures under drug laws—primarily through the Treasury and Justice Departments for things like paying informants, and contractors. So my bet is this becomes a slush fund for paying informants and migrant hunting vigilantes that is not appropriated through Congress. Trump is counting on the crypto to increase significantly in value so he can buy his own private militia force. Or he could distribute it to other agencies and use it to pay off Musk on government contracts, so that his favored contractors get the appreciation. He pays Musk for Starlink in crypto, and Musk expects it to go up 40% in a year…
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/establishment-of-the-strategic-bitcoin-reserveand-united-states-digital-asset-stockpile/
The worst of times, these.
Tragic news. Appreciate the photo of the building, the art, the bear! and you and your colleagues Joyce.
What do I hear for Justice? Come on folks ...step right up just one dime, only 1/10th of a dollar,
SOLD! to that Orange fellow with long red tie ☭.
https://www.thenerdreich.com/reboot-elon-musk-ceo-dictator-doge/
This may be another part of what we see happening but don't know the backstory of
JD Vance was introduced to Yarvin by Peter Thiel when Vance was involved in Thiel's hedge fund. Vance has admitted that he is a fan of Yarvin's theories. I bet that Trump gets just past the midterms, and then Vance takes over, so he has a shot at a "legal" 10-year reign. I think Musk's drug-addled, undisciplined brain is doing poorly in the implementation phase, so he will not be long for his position. The self-dealing with Musk and Trump is far too obvious. JD will ride to the rescue with his devout Catholic persona to play anti-corruption crusader, assume power, and then the corruption will be better hidden.
Heritage has built its somewhat less bold agenda since Reagan. What we are seeing now is the injection of the really far-right stuff. Thiel wants the riches without the people. For a while he was trying to build his own aquatic separate society. And, of course, Musk wants to leave Earth behind and colonize Mars, populated only by morbidly rich, high intellect people and robots/AI.
This is why calling for impeachment and conviction or the implementation of the 25th Amendment is a poor decision. In both instances we end up with JD (I refuse to use his last name out of abundant respect for Professor Vance) for the remainder of Trompe's term.
It's also a fool's errand.
There is no existing universe where the necessary 2/3 requirement of the Senate to vote to remove an impeached Trump from office could be accumulated let alone the 2/3 of BOTH houses of Congress required to remove Trump under the 25th.
ITS. NOT. GONNA. HAPPEN!
Unfortunately, you are absolutely right. I can't imagine even one Republican voting in favor of impeachment of Trump. They are going to act in their own interests, not in the interests of our country. Explanations for their behavior are strange - fear of death threats? fear of not being re-elected (and having to find other employment? fear of having kompromat exposed?
Churchill once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Sadly, "we the people" have good reason to fear the cowardice of our elected representatives, the greed of the wealthy and their disdain for the working class, and the Trump-worship exhibited by the MAGA crowd and far too many members of the judicial system. Maybe we ARE screwed. Damn it.
I’m all for sending Musk to Mars at once, without a return ticket.
Which is why I think they really don't care about public health or Medicaid/ Medicare, or veterans. The more of us who die off, the less baggage for them. And without public schools, who will be around to challenge them?
Georgia re”Heritage has built its somewhat less bold agenda since Reagan. What we are seeing now is the injection of the really far-right stuff. Thiel wants the riches without the people. For a while he was trying to build his own aquatic separate society. And, of course, Musk wants to leave Earth behind and colonize Mars, populated only by morbidly rich, high intellect people and robots/AI.”
Kinda sounds like Ayn Rand lives permanently in their heads, “a secret society in the folds of the Colorado Rockies inhabited by “their kind” of people, self sufficient and basking in the independence of Rand’s ignorance of supply chains and the human “others” that provide the Mudsill labor as “the missing link”
"High intellect rich people".
Isn't this an oxymoron?
Not who I would pick, but who, given his megalomania who Musk would pick along with all 14?? of his kids. I can’t keep up with the tally.
I always thought that when God said "Go forth and multiply" He was talking about math!
(And no, I am NOT religious in any way!)
I have visions of this colony on Mars. High intellect and morbidly rich does not translate to practical. Exactly how would they survive on Mars. They probably have no idea how to grow plants, would not choose veganism, and yet the picture of them on a space ship with a herd of cows (creating lots of methane gas, not to mention the lack of space for feed) is ludicrous. The whole idea is ludicrous. If you're going to create a colony somewhere you need people with practical skills. Money does not make up for practical skills, and besides, what use would money be on Mars…??
The Mars thing is really just promotional BS for Musk. It gets the space nerds with no concept of politics behind him because he is interested in "cool stuff".
I had a friend who worked at Tesla early on who was mesmerized by Musk and left a great job to get paid 2/3 of what he was making and lots of stock options. When Tesla had its first down turn he was laid off (like many) and his stock ended up mostly worthless after having slaved 3 years doing 60 hour weeks. Musk like most rich owners has little interest in the people who work for him except when it benefits him.
Informative 'view from the porch ...'.
Yes, I think that is part of what we're seeing. I've seen a few commentaries on Substack (and probably elsewhere - I can't keep track) about Yarvin and his ideas, particularly regarding Vance's promotion of them. But the Nerd Reich writeup you linked is the most specific I've read in terms of how to implement them in the current administration. Frightening.
Powerful column which is clearly constructed and well written. Worth subscribing to..support Gil if you can. Eventually, independent journalists will be the only place that Americans can get the truth.
Unfortunately they are all charging WAY too much money. I had subscriptions to the SF Chronicle and the NY Times which cost me about $300 a year. Now each individual author on Substack is charging between $50 and $150 a year. I subscribe to two of them but would like to do more but can't afford it.
Horrifying…did you read Thom Hartmann’s Substack? Also horrifying.
https://hartmannreport.com/p/could-russia-win-a-war-against-america-608
Yikes.
Yes, the "Nerd Reich".
They’re going to turn it into a giant Lawmart where you can buy your way out of trumped up charges.
Thanks for sharing some of the historical details of the Main Justice building, especially the eye-catching wall mural. What a sad day in this country, in a procession of sad days since ELON/FELON took over the government, wreaking havoc and unrestrained by a complicit Congress.
The mural depicted in this post is titled "Contemporary Justice and the Child." It took 4 yrs (1936-1940) to create and was awarded by competition by the Public Works Art Project. The creator was a Russian Jew whose family immigrated to the US in the early years of the 20th century.
Mural by Symeon Shimin
Contemporary Justice and the Child
Tempera on Canvas, 1936-1940
https://www.symeonshimin.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symeon_Shimin
They'll probably paint over the mural because it's too woke. Things of that nature are already being erased. It's part of the authoritarian playbook.
On tonight’s show, Rachel had a list of addresses of the buildings that were supposedly on the For Sale list. Among them: the Department of Justice and some building in northern Virginia, aka the CIA. That’s right. Whoever drew up this list targeting federal buildings for sale, landed on the idea of selling the CIA HQ in Langley.
It’s sickening! These are our property and they’re stealing them!
The precipitous sale of government buildings would seem to serve several purposes for the anti-government brigades:
1. To lock in the reductions in employees before the court cases have been decided
2. To punish Washington DC for having stood up to Trump during the BLM protests
3. To erase the iconic and historic value of the buildings, which are the physical representation of the people's will
What could be more perfectly symbolic for this admin than literally selling Main Justice. My father was an FBI Agent in the 50's/60's. While he spent most of his career detailed to the Senate Racketeering Committee his office was at the Old Post Office Building - also formerly known as the Trump Hotel. As a native Washingtonian who works in politics and still spends a lot of time in DC all of this is so distressing. How better to pervert justice than to sell the building that has represented the very essence of justice in America for decades.
So, if Main Justice aka the Kennedy Building is sold, where will the AG, the deputy AG, the solicitor general and all the current occupants move? Into the White House???
Into a DC Trump Tower, of course. I am waiting to see if the Pentagon goes on the block to be turned into luxury condos.
The courts should stop him.
I suspect the SCOTUS gift of presidential immunity shields Trump, so if he is selling federal buildings, that could be argued is a presidential duty. If there is any corruption in the conditions of the sale, SCOTUS could say he is immune. Whether the other party to the transaction could be indicted hasn't been tested.
Then there is the lovely tip issue. If you get a "gratuity" after you do something then it isn't a bribe.
I would love to hear Joyce's comments on these and the memecoin payoffs to Trump and their legality.
Maybe we will have to have another country help us fight our own government! The more I learn what Trump/Vance/Musk are doing, the angrier I get.
Courts can't really do ANYTHING unless a case is brought to them. And even then enforcement of their decisions is up to the executive branch.
At extremely high, off-market rents. The grift continues. GSA is ineffective here.
The GSA is run by Trump. It is part of the executive branch.
You're talking about what will happen to the buildings, right?
They won't be needed anymore. No election in 2 years. Mark my word
That’s kind of how I see it too, Jack.
it is a fear
Mar a Lago or Doral,Florida once they clear out all the Venezuelans that voted for Trump.
How about what will happen when Trump has sold everything off and is pimping out the military as mercenaries to the highest bidder and then the money from the people is gone because the high earners are gone and then the Christian Nationalists take over everything and the country is just run by gangs and thieves what power will Trump have them?
Just like stupid fox news warned the maga dummies about for years... remember 'Sharia' law and all that stuff 15-16 years ago? The threat of gangs crossing the border, can't remember their call sign... now we have all these goons with gross beards, big dumb trucks with big flags--more misogynistic behaviors. The republicans created this all for money and power, and they would run the country like the mafia, which they've already been doing--using their magat army as their 'made men' to scare and shakedown people. Who knows where the power will land?
Yes. We see what is coming because it is already here!
He will be dead by then. The trillionaires will go with Elon to Mars.
Georgia I hope so, but things are happening so rapidly I don't know that we won't see this in September, or June, or May, or April. Here is the Project 2025 tracker.
https://www.project2025.observer/
Thanks to the US now being a Kleptocracy theft of everything from the people is happening really fast. We need a French style revolution to overturn it. Viva la Liberté!
Good. A soulless place for soulless people.
Musk wants to get to Mars on our dime. That will be the only money this administration puts out where I will say, "Well spent!" That is conditional on it being a one way ticket. Can some people dupe Musk into thinking that the air on Mars leads to longevity? Hopefully he will take Thiel, Bezos and Zuckerberg with him. How about renaming Mars the Billionaires Planet. Or how about the Trillionaires planet, and saying only Trillionaires will be allowed to go.
Remind me of the movie "do not look up". 😂
Great ending too. I can just see Trump on that new planet being eaten by.one of the native creatures. Ala Meryl Streep! I would laugh except it isn't funny.