Two weeks of chaos and retreat

Donald Trump has been president a couple weeks and it feels like two years of misery. The chaos is by design… confuse, confound, overwhelm everyone. It is all about revenge and retribution. The Constitution… who cares? The rule of law… doesn’t apply to me! Government by the people… they are peons who don’t matter. The psychopath at the helm doesn’t give a shit about much else than himself and his perverse fantasies.

Trump places tariffs of Mexico and withdraws them claiming victory but it was hollow. Announces plans for a U.S. takeover of Gaza only to have aides walk it back the next day. His policies are a bad joke of empty rhetoric.

Courts are stepping in to block his birthright citizenship, firing of government workers, and other lawless atrocities. I applaud those judges. But what if Trump and the sidekick who bought unwarranted influence during the election, refuse to obey? Who enforces the courts decisions? The House of Representatives could impeach… ha ha… a bunch of compliant pussies.Things will change with the 2026 elections… maybe so, but with gerrymandered districts and lots of dark money will they change that much? Would the Senate convict? Not likely. On the unlikely chance they did find the criminal guilty and ordered his removal from office… would he leave? If he didn’t what could anybody do?

Trump is a psychopath. Musk an evil and greedy power grabbing bastard. Our constitutional checks and balances were supposed to block such men. But when an entire political party… the Republicans… are so smitten with power, so devoid of a moral barometer, and so castrated after bending the knee can ther truly be meaningful checks and balances? I fear for American democracy.

Meanwhile the price of eggs soars.

February. The truth no longer marches on.

February 1, 1862. “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,” the Atlantic Monthly published Julia Ward Howe’s “ Battle Hymn of the Republic” harkening the righteous cause of freedom during the early days of the Civil War. “His truth is marching on.”

February 1, 1865. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Joint Resolution by which Congress sent the Thirteenth Amendment to the states for ratification. The Amendment abolished slavery. The hopes and dreams of equality expressed that day were crushed in the coming years by segregation, lynchings, and Jim Crow laws.

February 1, 1960. Students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University sat down at the lunch counter at F. W. Woolworths in Greensboro, North Carolina. They ordered donuts and coffee but were refused service. They were joined by more protesters in the next couple days and protests spread across the South over the following months. In July, after losing profits, Woolworths served four Blacks (actually employees of the store in street clothes) and the death of Jim Crow was beginning.

February 1, 1976. President Gerald Ford designates February as Black History Month to honor the neglected accomplishments of Black Americans.

February 1, 2025. President Donald Trump has revoked a decades old executive order that protected equal opportunity. His administration has ended diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the federal government and is bullying states, localities, and private industry to end them also. The State Department and the Defense Department no longer recognize Black History Month.The president falsely blames the tragic accident over the Potomac on DEI.

The lies are marching on. The Lord weeps.

Chaos. Confusion. Division.

Just over a week into the second Trump administration and it feels like a year… or more. His buyout “offer” is sowing chaos and confusion across the Commonwealth’s 145,000 federal employees. Have a couple of those employees in my family! Governor Youngkin, an erstwhile Trump lackey, says this it what voters wanted in the last election. Meanwhile Senator Tim Kaine in a fiery senate speech (reported in the Richmond Times-Dispatch) told federal workers the President has absolutely no authority to offer the buyout and the budget has no money for people who don’t show up to work. “ Don’t be fooled… If you accept that offer and resign, he’ll stiff you just like he stiffed those contractors… He doesn’t have any authority to do this.”

In another story, Costco is standing up to the administration’s demand to end DEI policies and initiatives. So, of course another Trump boot licker, Attorney General Jason Miyares (along with GOP peers in other states) is pressuring Costco “to end all unlawful discrimination imposed” by the retailer’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies. I’m heading to Costco this morning and I just  contacted their customer service to state my support for the policies and urging them to stand up to bullies. Many other retailers caved without a whimper. 

GOP… Grand Old Party. Not so grand anymore. Pitiful. Hateful. Divisive. Deceptive. Appeasing an authoritarian. Nope, not very grand!  

Fifty Three Days and the Death of Democracy

On January 30, 1933 Adolph Hitler became chancellor of the Weimar Republic and immediately began an assault on that constitutional republic. As recounted by Timothy Ryback's fascinating history, "How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days" published in The Atlantic, Adolph Hitler "systematically disabled and then dismantled his country’s democratic structures and processes in less than two months’ time—specifically, one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes. The minutes, as we will see, mattered." 

Hitler swore an oath to uphold the constitution but almost from the beginning began talking about his mandate from the German people to carry out his plans. He began firing government officials and replacing them with loyalists and withdrawing from international commitments. The chancellor wanted to purge the county of foreigners, revive the economy, and drain the 'parliamentarian swamp." 

Before long Hitler's opponents and skeptics began to fall in line or remain silent. They barely protested when National Socialists convicted of crimes and treason were released and became heroes. Concerns about an independent judiciary, press freedom, and citizens rights were brushed aside, after all, Hitler was building the economy and securing the borders. One politician expressed concerns about the dictatorial powers being granted to Hitler under the enabling act, but the announced, to laughter, that he and his party would be supporting it.

In less than two months Adolph Hitler had destroyed democracy. And we all know what came next...!

Fifty three days. Donald Trump's inaugural address with filled with lies and angry threats directed at political opponents and other nations such as Panama.

Fifty three days. Donald Trump has been in office less than a week and he's already pardoned January 6 rioters and insurrectionists who committed treason by storming the Capitol and interfering with the constitutional duties of Congress. Many of them attacked, injured, and even cause deaths of police offices. Trump has regularly praised these criminals and now has his brownshirts ready to act on his every utterance. 

Fifty three days. Donald Trump has illegally fired dozens of inspectors general in a number of different agencies. These watchdogs are tasked with assuring the agencies follow the law, don't waste taxpayers money, and meet ethical standards. The inspectors general are Senate approved and can be removed only with 30 day notice to that body.

Fifty three days. Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship is an attempt to rewrite the United States Constitution. Fortunately a federal judge... a Reagan appointee... has blocked the illegal order for now, but it is bound to end up before a Trump-friendly Supreme Court.

Fifty three days. Already nearly every Republican (including lapdog Ben Cline) in the House of Representatives is licking his boots and doing what is puppet Speaker Johnson wants. Most Republican Senators are marching in lockstep or keeping their views under wrap – evidence – nearly every Republican Senator voted to approve Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Never mind that Hegseth is clearly unqualified and corrupt, there are serious questions about his commitment to women's role in our armed forces, his alcoholism, abuse of women. His only qualification, it seems, is being a total Trump toady. 

Stay tuned as we count down fifty three days... we are under a week into the second Trump atrocity. Trump's billionaire buddies are jockeying for position of influence in the Trump White House. Elon Musk gives the Nazi salute. There is indeed "Rot at the Top."

Not. My. President

 American (Rotten) Pie

Long, long time ago 

I can still remember how history used to make me smile 

And I knew if we had a chance that government by the people could make those people dance 

And maybe they'd be happy for a while 

But January 6 made me shiver 

With all the hate MAGA Brownshirts could deliver

Bad news on the doorstep 

I couldn't take one more step 

I do remember that I cried 

When I read about his election pride

Then something touched me deep inside 

The day American democracy died

So bye-bye, Miss American Pie 

Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry 

And them MAGA boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye 

Singin', January 20 will be a day of lies

This'll be the day that truth dies

This’ll be the day that democracy dies.

With apologies to the great Don McLean

Convicted. Felon.

 

Convicted Felon Donald Trump

Donald Trump will be the first convicted felon in the White House. Nevertheless, the “rule of law” failed the U.S.A. No punishment for the felon. He skated on the January 6 treasonous insurrection case and on the theft and retention of classified documents case. Donald, Sam, and Clarence are conspirators. He will take office and commit more felonies under the shroud of dubious immunity. Trump’s pawns like Bobblehead Ben crow and pledge to support his every atrocity.

The big joke on democracy is 

that it gives its mortal enemies the means for its own destruction.

                                           ~Joseph Goebbels

Bobblehead Ben’s propaganda machine

Bobblehead Ben Cline and his congressional staff are budding masters of the propaganda machine. Or maybe it is the House propaganda MAGA-machine that gives them the juice? Anyhow, Bobblehead’s “Sixth District Perspectives” isn’t so much news of interest to all constituents as it is a series of propaganda pieces that would make the Joesph’s… McCarthy and Goebbels… proud.

His recent production included this picture from the propaganda-on-steroids machine known as X. 

I think Bobblehead Ben supported the bipartisan bill originally put forth by the Speaker. Then power-behind-the-throne Elon Musk (followed later in the day by DJT) came out in opposition and the bill fell short of the necessary 2/3s majority (and a simple majority). The “slimmed down” bill passed the next day.

The deception in the picture is grotesque… it implies the CR that passed spends just a fraction of the money as the original. Not true! There are some savings to be sure… but.the major saving was in the number of pages in the bill! Why? Well one item cut was restrictions on pharmacy managers… yep the guys and gals who frequently overcharge and screw over sick Americans. Those restrictions are very technical and required lots of ink… hence a much longer bill.

Also eliminated were certain restrictions of American investments in China that could have serious national security implications. Musk wanted them gone. Cha Ching. Elon should send you a Christmas card, Ben.

Back to Bobblehead Ben. His entire “Perspectives” email was self-serving propaganda. Most casual readers of his communications likely aren’t aware of Ben’s misdirection and deceit. There is very little media in the Shenandoah Valley willing to research and challenge him. So he cultivates an image as a budget hawk and responsible conservative. 

Let’s see how Ben reacts to raising the debt limit next year and to Trump’s likely budget busting spending and tax cuts.