When I look at who the South is sending to vote against our lives, I question who won that war: Tommy Tuberville, Katie Britt, Marsha Blackburn, Lindsey Graham, Nancy Mace, Rick Scott, Thom Tillis, Tim Scott, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Roger Wicker, Bill Cassidy, Tom Cotton, Marjorie Greene. I could go on, but we’re running out of time.
As cordial as the surrender of General Lee was, I believe the growth of far right political movements, terrorist groups like the Proud Boys, and evangelical "Christian" extremism is a consequence of the South being unable to accept their defeat. Too many Southern politicians and their followers took this resentment out as discrimination and violence against Black residents and calls for restricting the power of the federal government. That is why we have MAGA today and it is clearly evident in the carrying of the Confederate flag by so many Magats.
All the more reason to fund education to the max, teach civics, history (not erase it) provide healthcare to all citizens, create meaningful jobs with increased minimal wage and build a trustworthy government and nation EVERY citizen wishes to support. We must provide opportunity and HOPE for everyone!
And yet they will still hang on to their eff'ing "lost cause" fantasy that they have already maintained for 160 years.
I live in NW Iowa and our folk all fought for the Union. Still, I will occasionally spot someone with the stars and bars displayed on their vehicles or their homes and I think, "WTF". This is Iowa for doG's sake.
I just have a huge problem with who we are electing. People like Marsha Blackburn and Katie Britt are part of the trad wife movement. Blackburn has voted against equal pay laws for women. Both have considerable support from women down here. Maybe I am out of the loop, but do women here want to be relegated to the kitchen? Given these two win the female vote by large numbers in their states, it would appear the answer is yes.
Following the Civil War, confederates were voted right back into positions of power in Washington. And were newly swarn in members of the KKK. Sadly some things never change.
A college friend from the South told me in the 1980s that a common expression among Southerners was, "We lost the war, but we were never defeated." I don't know if they still utter those words behind closed doors.
Would that such civility were anywhere present in the US government today. Instead we have hate, vengeance, and a scorched earth policy driven by a petty little man with not a modicum of intelligence, a shred of dignity, or a drop of empathy for his country or the citizens he pretends to lead. He has surrounded himself with like-minded fools who, along with himself, have no sense of history and who act like three year olds who lost a game on the playground and protest by taking their ball, stomping their feet, gritting their teeth, and going home only to return to the playground armed with the tools to dismantle it and set it afire.
Recent examples of Trump acting as you describe him, "a petty little man with not a modicum of intelligence, a shred of dignity, or a drop of empathy for his country or the citizens he pretends to lead":
(This comment makes me cringe. It has sexual overtones and I am sick of him claiming so many call him "sir.")
“Adam Schifty Schiff. Can you believe this guy? He’s got the smallest neck I’ve ever seen. And the biggest head. We call him watermelon head. How can that big fat face stand on a neck that looked like this finger? It’s the weirdest thing. It’s a mystery. Nobody can understand it.” The felon-in-chief, speaking last night at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s annual black tie gala. https://www.joemygod.com/2025/04/trump-schiff-has-watermelon-head-and-big-fat-face/
Does this egotistical jerk think telling European leaders they are "kissing" his "ass" will result in them caving into his demands? Do evangelicals still believe this is the man ordained by "god" to save us?
Evangelicals like many others throughout the world believe in a god of some sort which is the single most egregious reason we men, not women and children, have been fighting among ourselves and until we approach reality at face value there is no reason real or imagined that will bring this madness to a halt.
War is, as it has always been, a selfish older male pursuit fought by youthful men who are impressed against their will or brainwashed.
It is no wonder the men in Congress keep educational opportunities at bay while denying women equal rights.
I agree completely. I said it before and I'm saying it again, religion is not the solution, it is the problem.
All religions look at those who believe in another religion as blasphemers or even atheists when they believe the gods of other religions do not exist. Only their god is "real." Some believe the existence of other religions threatens their offspring with eternal pain in the "afterlife;" should they be seduced by a "false" religion. So religious wars have existed throughout history. Many in positions of power don't believe in their own religious dogmas, but find it useful in controlling and exploiting the less well-educated.
" The European Union hit back at President Donald Trump’s steel tariffs Wednesday, approving levies up to 25 percent on a broad list of U.S. products, as European leaders attempt a carrot-and-stick approach to bring Washington to the negotiating table."
Thanks, Steve, for reminding us what TRUE “American Greatness“ looks like. Grant was one of our greatest Americans. Thanks for reminding all of us of him in the current cruelty, chaos and insanity. We need a Lincoln or a Grant to lead us out of this wilderness we wandered into of our own volition. I will never understand Election Day 2024, ever. We chose evil willingly and apparently happily. Shame on those 77 MILLION people. God help us. We need it.
"There is no Scott Jennings or warped corporate media filter necessary to interpret or explain Grant’s account."
About two weeks ago I sat in the waiting room of a car dealership service department. An ABC News feed played on the large monitor. J.D. Vance was in Greenland that day and the reporter covered the event as if the Veep had stopped by Fenway Park for a hot dog. After that, news of the looming tariffs were treated as if they were serious policy from a serious man.
When I left the room I wondered if the next story was going to be: "Is life better than death? Experts disagree". I often wish I lived in far more rational times where men like Grant and Lee could settle an irrational war in a rational way.
Many of us are having sleepless nights, due to the constant nightmarish barrage of horrendous daily news. It feels like all respected traditions and norms of civilized governance are being discarded, along with citizens’ dignity and inalienable rights, with the mere stroke of a Sharpie. It’s like we have fallen down the rabbit hole and the Mad Hatter is dictating policy, with neither thought nor care for the consequences. And Trump’s emotionless surrogate Elon Musk, via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is ransacking programs and peoples’ lives, with robotic disregard. I am overwhelmed with sadness, for the lives that will be lost, the diseases that won’t be prevented and the research for cures that will be stymied, by the freezing of USAID funds. It’s difficult to fathom the abject cruelty behind stranding millions of tons of emergency rations rotting in shipping containers abroad and in U.S. farmers’ warehouses, while children are dying from malnutrition. Trump has also signed an Executive Order (EO), withdrawing The United States from the World Health Organization. This administration has an empathy-free protocol. The appointment of vaccine denier Robert Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health, further serves to emphasize Trump’s lack of concern for the health of the nation. I am appalled by the disrespect and lack of compassion for veterans, who have seen the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) stripped of personnel and resources. The recent budget and staff cuts enacted by DOGE, greatly limit programs devised to provide lifelong resources to vets and their families, including therapy and suicide counselling. I’m disgusted by the blatantly displayed racism behind ending the Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiative. D.E.I. exists to give everyone a fair chance at education and employment, regardless of race, sex or physical limitations. Trump would have us believe its purpose is to steal placements from white men, to put it simply. The extent of his discrimination is so cancerous that attempts have been made to erase the historical records of accomplishments by minorities. I am flabbergasted by the utter stupidity in disregarding the importance of departments like The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAH). Trump’s actions to eliminate clean energy incentives and environmental protection regulations are to accommodate his “drill baby drill” declaration. This short-sighted attitude of greed and climate change denial, has also resulted in withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. The flood of irresponsible and detrimental policy changes and E.O.s, flowing like toxic sewage from the Oval Office is extensive. The self-serving actions of Musk’s DOGE, are to wreak havoc, and to protect himself from a myriad of pending lawsuits, by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Installing corrupt cronies to oversee these government agencies, also facilitates Trump’s crypto scams and stock manipulations, by removing any semblance of oversight. The Supreme Court majority has virtually surrendered its vigilance of constitutionally mandated laws, with last year’s verdict giving Trump immunity, for most of his actions, while in power. Just today SCOTUS allowed the Trump administration to temporarily maintain the suspension of $65 million in teacher training grants, due to DEI concerns raised by the Education Department. Universities across the country are being threatened with defunding, if they don’t comply with Trump’s agenda. All politically unaffiliated department heads of the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice have been replaced by inept MAGA toadies, who have sworn allegiance to Trump, over loyalty to their country. Trump wasted no time activating those agencies in a personal witch hunt of retribution and extortion, against anyone involved in trying to bring him to justice, for his multitude of past crimes. Law firms are being blackmailed into refusing representation to anyone challenging his edicts. As an added insult, Trump not only pardoned the entire despicable cast of the January 6th insurrection, he is floating the idea of compensating them. Meanwhile, students are being illegally deported and imprisoned without due process, for exercising their rights to peacefully protest. Minorities with tattoos are being renditioned to a El Salvador prison, and kept in sub-human conditions, on the judgemental whims of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The recently announced illogical tariffs, which already threaten to tank the economy, are instrumental in achieving the end result of rendering the American public penniless and powerless. Trump reportedly posted on Truth Social Friday, April 4th, that his strategy is “ALREADY WORKING” and “MY POLICIES WILL NEVER CHANGE,” according to The New York Times. While it may seem that an unhinged demented President is steering the ship with a malfunctioning compass, there is method to the madness. Demoralizing and overwhelming the public into a sense of helplessness, is essential to the unfolding plot line scripted in Project 2025. That 900 plus page guide to presidential transition is based loosely on the beliefs of Curtis Yarvin, that democracy is doomed, and the population should be ruled by a Monarch or C.E.O. It was produced by The Heritage Foundation and other ultra conservative groups, as a blueprint for Trump’s return to office, and suggests the President should have absolute power over all branches of government. Project 2025 is Yarvin on steroids. Trump tried to publicly distance himself from it before the election, but since his inauguration in January, his actions and E.O.s have echoed The Heritage Foundation’s guidance. There can be no doubt, that a coup is underway, and rapidly approaching fruition. The systematic dismantling of checks and balances of power, is pretty much accomplished. Cowardly Republicans and supine Democrat Congressional Representatives’ voices of dissent have been absent, but for a few rarities. The hope for a blue wave of dissent in 2026, to alter the present course of mayhem, will fade into the vapour of fantasy, if they don’t collectively condemn this administration. Courageous people will stand up and be heard in massive nationwide demonstrations. I anticipate their cries of outrage will be thunderous. I pray their voices will be heard and heeded, for their cause is righteous. Their success is crucial. Thanks for reading.
This moment — this MAGA de-flowering of all of us in the form of Trump — is another gasp of that awful civil war, that awful original sin. I am of the South. My county schools desegregated when I was in second grade. I have strong memories of my school bus passing the school bus with African American students going in the opposite direction each morning when I was in first grade. Fast forward to now, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, MLK all 60 years behind and yet we persist to tolerate and even fetishize white supremacy and dilute our best selves and acts. We’ve again divided ourselves monstrously because we’ve not properly recognized, repented and surpassed our original monstrosity. Maybe this time, this inevitable reckoning and recovery some 160 years later? I dearly hope so. Thank you, Steve, for reintroducing us to U.S. Grant in his own words. Invaluable.
Thank you for this post. It is such a shame that men of honor and dignity no longer seem to be in power. I was almost convinced that we had grown as a country and we had reached a point of growth where all people were capable of just and fair treatment. I was foolish and naïve to think that we had risen beyond thoughts of segregation, and malice towards at least our own brothers and sisters. I am embarrassed today to realize how backward we still are, how greedy and self indignant we are as a country. I hope we are able to find our way and reach the mountaintop of Peace, Love, understanding and Yes even justice.
I think it is an error to praise Grant’s respect for Lee’s stoicism and functioning as a soldier fighting for his cause as mistaken “ civility”. It is praise for a soldier without appropriate condemnation, or consequences for the cause that he fought for- greed and slavery,
Sounds too much like Schumer’s response to trump. Too much empathy without realizing just how dangerous the emery is. It seems very naive and ill informed,
“I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse” Grant
Why would Grant not rejoice at the Union’s over slavery, and a divided united states?
That is the sentiment that did not allow the United States to purge white supremacist ideology then and there , but allowed it to remain somehow glorified, There should never have been statues of Lee and Confederates or confederate flags, etc to continue to encourage that ideology in the United States. They lost, and their ideas should never have been allowed to continue to fester and infect our populace.
Holding people in high regard who fought, destroyed families, lives, property, a united union so they could own other people as slaves so they could make more money is an abomination, this false civility, this supposed respect for a man just because he fought for what he believed in has allowed the Confederate white supremacist ideology to stay alive and rear it”s ugly head again with a vengeance today and this time it may win.
Thank you. I wish our education system and the politicians that control it had embraced a history curriculum rich with these kinds of anecdotes and made it come alive for students who are innately drawn to
I judge the soundness and quality of a truth seeking journalist by the content and character of the replies and comments to his/her journals and these reflections are outstanding!
I have tried to get through Grant's memoirs. It's a bit of a slog. You picked out the best parts, though. Point made. When I rewatch Ken Burns' doc, The Civil War, I get angrier every time. I don't think the south will ever get over what happened to them during the Civil War -- A WAR THEY STARTED.
That being said, 126 years later on April 9, my second son, a peace-loving man, was born. (I was born 17 years to the day after England and France declared war on Germany in 1939.)
The market today will adsorb the Chinese tariff addition. A total of 84% on U.S. goods and agriculture. One good thing, there is plenty of room for our stock market to fall. And don’t forget to think about the cruelty from 5 men on the Supreme Court. If my brother were in that El Salvadoran prison, I don’t see how 5 men could still be on the court. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/cruel-capriciously-smelly-supreme?r=3m1bs
There is plenty of room for the stock market to fall, but the tariffs will have a more consequential impact, according to Bill Blain, a conservative-leaning British financial analyst with many decades' experience and the writer of "Bill Blain's Morning Porridge: Financial Commentary for Smart People":
"Trump has put 104% tariffs on China – which will directly impact US consumers. Shutting the door on global trade will inevitably trigger consequences. The biggest risk is to the bond market – and a stressed Treasury market when the US has $15 trillion to refinance in next 20 months is a really, really bad idea."
And:
"However, the real threats are longer-term – how the global economy is increasingly vulnerable not just to trade and economics, but also the growing weakness and unravelling of US military might. The implications for global security could change everything."
Rosemary, the market surprised me today. I expected a serious drop. I think that Trump is playing the big bully game to make other countries grovel. This is disgusting.
I think other countries will capitulate, but I wish they would call his bluff and retaliate instead. I also think Trump is such a sociopath that he enjoys seeing Wall Street sweat over the volatility. I, too, expected a drop today, but at this juncture nothing could coax me back into the market.
I have studied both men for decades. The myth surrounding Lee became central in the Confederate dominated histories of the Civil War in the early 20th century in which Grant was derided as little more than a butcher. He and Lincoln are two of the greatest Americans whoever lived, while Lee remains a traitor whose military skills are completely overrated. I don’t have more time to go into detail, but I write about it in my second book which my agent is currently working on getting a publisher for.
To we remember the surrender at Appomattox, and knowing that after Trump’s regime comes crashing down that we and our descendants will need to deal with the consequences. One thing that I learned from Grant, Lee, Joshua Chamberlain and Ely Parker at Appomattox was is the need for reconciliation between the foes when the conflict is over. They understood it as did Lincoln. Sadly, when Lincoln was assassinated the best opportunity for reconciliation died with him as Andrew Johnson became President with a completely different vision. I wrote this last night and hope that you will get a chance to read it.
When I look at who the South is sending to vote against our lives, I question who won that war: Tommy Tuberville, Katie Britt, Marsha Blackburn, Lindsey Graham, Nancy Mace, Rick Scott, Thom Tillis, Tim Scott, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Roger Wicker, Bill Cassidy, Tom Cotton, Marjorie Greene. I could go on, but we’re running out of time.
As cordial as the surrender of General Lee was, I believe the growth of far right political movements, terrorist groups like the Proud Boys, and evangelical "Christian" extremism is a consequence of the South being unable to accept their defeat. Too many Southern politicians and their followers took this resentment out as discrimination and violence against Black residents and calls for restricting the power of the federal government. That is why we have MAGA today and it is clearly evident in the carrying of the Confederate flag by so many Magats.
All the more reason to fund education to the max, teach civics, history (not erase it) provide healthcare to all citizens, create meaningful jobs with increased minimal wage and build a trustworthy government and nation EVERY citizen wishes to support. We must provide opportunity and HOPE for everyone!
Universal healthcare NOW!
Citizen’s united bullshit gone NOW !!
Publicly funded elections NOW !!
Just thinking about what comes after all this bullshit.
There are State Legislators in North Carolina who are card-carrying members of the Proud Boys.
They were looking for a fight now they have it, they will lose again for all the same reasons.
And yet they will still hang on to their eff'ing "lost cause" fantasy that they have already maintained for 160 years.
I live in NW Iowa and our folk all fought for the Union. Still, I will occasionally spot someone with the stars and bars displayed on their vehicles or their homes and I think, "WTF". This is Iowa for doG's sake.
I just have a huge problem with who we are electing. People like Marsha Blackburn and Katie Britt are part of the trad wife movement. Blackburn has voted against equal pay laws for women. Both have considerable support from women down here. Maybe I am out of the loop, but do women here want to be relegated to the kitchen? Given these two win the female vote by large numbers in their states, it would appear the answer is yes.
Keep `em barefoot and pregnant...
Good Lord...
Confederates: The sorest losers in history.
Incredible; or, it should be.
The legislator here who sponsored the new felony abortion bill does not even deny that he is a member.
Following the Civil War, confederates were voted right back into positions of power in Washington. And were newly swarn in members of the KKK. Sadly some things never change.
A college friend from the South told me in the 1980s that a common expression among Southerners was, "We lost the war, but we were never defeated." I don't know if they still utter those words behind closed doors.
Anthony, very well said.
And I did not even mention Mitch McConnell, who has been waging war on the American people for five decades.
Would that such civility were anywhere present in the US government today. Instead we have hate, vengeance, and a scorched earth policy driven by a petty little man with not a modicum of intelligence, a shred of dignity, or a drop of empathy for his country or the citizens he pretends to lead. He has surrounded himself with like-minded fools who, along with himself, have no sense of history and who act like three year olds who lost a game on the playground and protest by taking their ball, stomping their feet, gritting their teeth, and going home only to return to the playground armed with the tools to dismantle it and set it afire.
Recent examples of Trump acting as you describe him, "a petty little man with not a modicum of intelligence, a shred of dignity, or a drop of empathy for his country or the citizens he pretends to lead":
“President Donald Trump has said countries are ‘kissing my ass’ trying to make a deal with the United States after he imposed sweeping tariffs on trading partners across the world.” https://www.newsweek.com/trump-countries-kissing-my-ass-tariffs-2057223
"They are, they are dying to make a deal. Please, please, sir, make a deal. I'll do anything."
https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/trump-claims-countries-calling-up-1080685
(This comment makes me cringe. It has sexual overtones and I am sick of him claiming so many call him "sir.")
“Adam Schifty Schiff. Can you believe this guy? He’s got the smallest neck I’ve ever seen. And the biggest head. We call him watermelon head. How can that big fat face stand on a neck that looked like this finger? It’s the weirdest thing. It’s a mystery. Nobody can understand it.” The felon-in-chief, speaking last night at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s annual black tie gala. https://www.joemygod.com/2025/04/trump-schiff-has-watermelon-head-and-big-fat-face/
Does this egotistical jerk think telling European leaders they are "kissing" his "ass" will result in them caving into his demands? Do evangelicals still believe this is the man ordained by "god" to save us?
Evangelicals like many others throughout the world believe in a god of some sort which is the single most egregious reason we men, not women and children, have been fighting among ourselves and until we approach reality at face value there is no reason real or imagined that will bring this madness to a halt.
War is, as it has always been, a selfish older male pursuit fought by youthful men who are impressed against their will or brainwashed.
It is no wonder the men in Congress keep educational opportunities at bay while denying women equal rights.
I agree completely. I said it before and I'm saying it again, religion is not the solution, it is the problem.
All religions look at those who believe in another religion as blasphemers or even atheists when they believe the gods of other religions do not exist. Only their god is "real." Some believe the existence of other religions threatens their offspring with eternal pain in the "afterlife;" should they be seduced by a "false" religion. So religious wars have existed throughout history. Many in positions of power don't believe in their own religious dogmas, but find it useful in controlling and exploiting the less well-educated.
There's saying, "Religion was created by man to control man." In my opinion, man needs to mind his own business.
" The European Union hit back at President Donald Trump’s steel tariffs Wednesday, approving levies up to 25 percent on a broad list of U.S. products, as European leaders attempt a carrot-and-stick approach to bring Washington to the negotiating table."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/04/09/eu-tariffs-trump-steel/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp
"They are, they are dying to make a deal. Please, please, sir, make a deal. I'll do anything."
Yet another "Sir" story that implicates TFG's arrogance and stupidity.
He doesn't realize that in his case, SIR is an acronym for Stupid, Ignorant, and Repulsive.
Excellent observation.
Thanks, Steve, for reminding us what TRUE “American Greatness“ looks like. Grant was one of our greatest Americans. Thanks for reminding all of us of him in the current cruelty, chaos and insanity. We need a Lincoln or a Grant to lead us out of this wilderness we wandered into of our own volition. I will never understand Election Day 2024, ever. We chose evil willingly and apparently happily. Shame on those 77 MILLION people. God help us. We need it.
"There is no Scott Jennings or warped corporate media filter necessary to interpret or explain Grant’s account."
About two weeks ago I sat in the waiting room of a car dealership service department. An ABC News feed played on the large monitor. J.D. Vance was in Greenland that day and the reporter covered the event as if the Veep had stopped by Fenway Park for a hot dog. After that, news of the looming tariffs were treated as if they were serious policy from a serious man.
When I left the room I wondered if the next story was going to be: "Is life better than death? Experts disagree". I often wish I lived in far more rational times where men like Grant and Lee could settle an irrational war in a rational way.
Chaos And Confusion Are The Tactics.
Distraction And Disillusion Are The Goals.
Many of us are having sleepless nights, due to the constant nightmarish barrage of horrendous daily news. It feels like all respected traditions and norms of civilized governance are being discarded, along with citizens’ dignity and inalienable rights, with the mere stroke of a Sharpie. It’s like we have fallen down the rabbit hole and the Mad Hatter is dictating policy, with neither thought nor care for the consequences. And Trump’s emotionless surrogate Elon Musk, via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is ransacking programs and peoples’ lives, with robotic disregard. I am overwhelmed with sadness, for the lives that will be lost, the diseases that won’t be prevented and the research for cures that will be stymied, by the freezing of USAID funds. It’s difficult to fathom the abject cruelty behind stranding millions of tons of emergency rations rotting in shipping containers abroad and in U.S. farmers’ warehouses, while children are dying from malnutrition. Trump has also signed an Executive Order (EO), withdrawing The United States from the World Health Organization. This administration has an empathy-free protocol. The appointment of vaccine denier Robert Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health, further serves to emphasize Trump’s lack of concern for the health of the nation. I am appalled by the disrespect and lack of compassion for veterans, who have seen the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) stripped of personnel and resources. The recent budget and staff cuts enacted by DOGE, greatly limit programs devised to provide lifelong resources to vets and their families, including therapy and suicide counselling. I’m disgusted by the blatantly displayed racism behind ending the Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiative. D.E.I. exists to give everyone a fair chance at education and employment, regardless of race, sex or physical limitations. Trump would have us believe its purpose is to steal placements from white men, to put it simply. The extent of his discrimination is so cancerous that attempts have been made to erase the historical records of accomplishments by minorities. I am flabbergasted by the utter stupidity in disregarding the importance of departments like The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAH). Trump’s actions to eliminate clean energy incentives and environmental protection regulations are to accommodate his “drill baby drill” declaration. This short-sighted attitude of greed and climate change denial, has also resulted in withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. The flood of irresponsible and detrimental policy changes and E.O.s, flowing like toxic sewage from the Oval Office is extensive. The self-serving actions of Musk’s DOGE, are to wreak havoc, and to protect himself from a myriad of pending lawsuits, by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Installing corrupt cronies to oversee these government agencies, also facilitates Trump’s crypto scams and stock manipulations, by removing any semblance of oversight. The Supreme Court majority has virtually surrendered its vigilance of constitutionally mandated laws, with last year’s verdict giving Trump immunity, for most of his actions, while in power. Just today SCOTUS allowed the Trump administration to temporarily maintain the suspension of $65 million in teacher training grants, due to DEI concerns raised by the Education Department. Universities across the country are being threatened with defunding, if they don’t comply with Trump’s agenda. All politically unaffiliated department heads of the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice have been replaced by inept MAGA toadies, who have sworn allegiance to Trump, over loyalty to their country. Trump wasted no time activating those agencies in a personal witch hunt of retribution and extortion, against anyone involved in trying to bring him to justice, for his multitude of past crimes. Law firms are being blackmailed into refusing representation to anyone challenging his edicts. As an added insult, Trump not only pardoned the entire despicable cast of the January 6th insurrection, he is floating the idea of compensating them. Meanwhile, students are being illegally deported and imprisoned without due process, for exercising their rights to peacefully protest. Minorities with tattoos are being renditioned to a El Salvador prison, and kept in sub-human conditions, on the judgemental whims of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The recently announced illogical tariffs, which already threaten to tank the economy, are instrumental in achieving the end result of rendering the American public penniless and powerless. Trump reportedly posted on Truth Social Friday, April 4th, that his strategy is “ALREADY WORKING” and “MY POLICIES WILL NEVER CHANGE,” according to The New York Times. While it may seem that an unhinged demented President is steering the ship with a malfunctioning compass, there is method to the madness. Demoralizing and overwhelming the public into a sense of helplessness, is essential to the unfolding plot line scripted in Project 2025. That 900 plus page guide to presidential transition is based loosely on the beliefs of Curtis Yarvin, that democracy is doomed, and the population should be ruled by a Monarch or C.E.O. It was produced by The Heritage Foundation and other ultra conservative groups, as a blueprint for Trump’s return to office, and suggests the President should have absolute power over all branches of government. Project 2025 is Yarvin on steroids. Trump tried to publicly distance himself from it before the election, but since his inauguration in January, his actions and E.O.s have echoed The Heritage Foundation’s guidance. There can be no doubt, that a coup is underway, and rapidly approaching fruition. The systematic dismantling of checks and balances of power, is pretty much accomplished. Cowardly Republicans and supine Democrat Congressional Representatives’ voices of dissent have been absent, but for a few rarities. The hope for a blue wave of dissent in 2026, to alter the present course of mayhem, will fade into the vapour of fantasy, if they don’t collectively condemn this administration. Courageous people will stand up and be heard in massive nationwide demonstrations. I anticipate their cries of outrage will be thunderous. I pray their voices will be heard and heeded, for their cause is righteous. Their success is crucial. Thanks for reading.
This moment — this MAGA de-flowering of all of us in the form of Trump — is another gasp of that awful civil war, that awful original sin. I am of the South. My county schools desegregated when I was in second grade. I have strong memories of my school bus passing the school bus with African American students going in the opposite direction each morning when I was in first grade. Fast forward to now, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, MLK all 60 years behind and yet we persist to tolerate and even fetishize white supremacy and dilute our best selves and acts. We’ve again divided ourselves monstrously because we’ve not properly recognized, repented and surpassed our original monstrosity. Maybe this time, this inevitable reckoning and recovery some 160 years later? I dearly hope so. Thank you, Steve, for reintroducing us to U.S. Grant in his own words. Invaluable.
Thank you Steve. I appreciate the thoughtful context of this addition to your substack.
When cruelty and revenge abound we can say, this is not who we are. I can only hope others can recognize that.
Thank you for this post. It is such a shame that men of honor and dignity no longer seem to be in power. I was almost convinced that we had grown as a country and we had reached a point of growth where all people were capable of just and fair treatment. I was foolish and naïve to think that we had risen beyond thoughts of segregation, and malice towards at least our own brothers and sisters. I am embarrassed today to realize how backward we still are, how greedy and self indignant we are as a country. I hope we are able to find our way and reach the mountaintop of Peace, Love, understanding and Yes even justice.
I think it is an error to praise Grant’s respect for Lee’s stoicism and functioning as a soldier fighting for his cause as mistaken “ civility”. It is praise for a soldier without appropriate condemnation, or consequences for the cause that he fought for- greed and slavery,
Sounds too much like Schumer’s response to trump. Too much empathy without realizing just how dangerous the emery is. It seems very naive and ill informed,
“I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse” Grant
Why would Grant not rejoice at the Union’s over slavery, and a divided united states?
That is the sentiment that did not allow the United States to purge white supremacist ideology then and there , but allowed it to remain somehow glorified, There should never have been statues of Lee and Confederates or confederate flags, etc to continue to encourage that ideology in the United States. They lost, and their ideas should never have been allowed to continue to fester and infect our populace.
Holding people in high regard who fought, destroyed families, lives, property, a united union so they could own other people as slaves so they could make more money is an abomination, this false civility, this supposed respect for a man just because he fought for what he believed in has allowed the Confederate white supremacist ideology to stay alive and rear it”s ugly head again with a vengeance today and this time it may win.
You missed the whole point, I’m suggesting you go back and read it again, I consider your post trite.
Amazing account! A display of human dignity and magnanimity we don’t see in our leaders today.
Please sign and help circulate The People’s Articles of Impeachment Against Donald J. Trump:
https://chng.it/mXLxNB9nRH
Thank you. I wish our education system and the politicians that control it had embraced a history curriculum rich with these kinds of anecdotes and made it come alive for students who are innately drawn to
I judge the soundness and quality of a truth seeking journalist by the content and character of the replies and comments to his/her journals and these reflections are outstanding!
I have tried to get through Grant's memoirs. It's a bit of a slog. You picked out the best parts, though. Point made. When I rewatch Ken Burns' doc, The Civil War, I get angrier every time. I don't think the south will ever get over what happened to them during the Civil War -- A WAR THEY STARTED.
That being said, 126 years later on April 9, my second son, a peace-loving man, was born. (I was born 17 years to the day after England and France declared war on Germany in 1939.)
The market today will adsorb the Chinese tariff addition. A total of 84% on U.S. goods and agriculture. One good thing, there is plenty of room for our stock market to fall. And don’t forget to think about the cruelty from 5 men on the Supreme Court. If my brother were in that El Salvadoran prison, I don’t see how 5 men could still be on the court. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/cruel-capriciously-smelly-supreme?r=3m1bs
There is plenty of room for the stock market to fall, but the tariffs will have a more consequential impact, according to Bill Blain, a conservative-leaning British financial analyst with many decades' experience and the writer of "Bill Blain's Morning Porridge: Financial Commentary for Smart People":
"Trump has put 104% tariffs on China – which will directly impact US consumers. Shutting the door on global trade will inevitably trigger consequences. The biggest risk is to the bond market – and a stressed Treasury market when the US has $15 trillion to refinance in next 20 months is a really, really bad idea."
And:
"However, the real threats are longer-term – how the global economy is increasingly vulnerable not just to trade and economics, but also the growing weakness and unravelling of US military might. The implications for global security could change everything."
Rosemary, the market surprised me today. I expected a serious drop. I think that Trump is playing the big bully game to make other countries grovel. This is disgusting.
I think other countries will capitulate, but I wish they would call his bluff and retaliate instead. I also think Trump is such a sociopath that he enjoys seeing Wall Street sweat over the volatility. I, too, expected a drop today, but at this juncture nothing could coax me back into the market.
https://substack.com/@resistmaga/note/c-107307078?r=3m1bs&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
Steve,
I have studied both men for decades. The myth surrounding Lee became central in the Confederate dominated histories of the Civil War in the early 20th century in which Grant was derided as little more than a butcher. He and Lincoln are two of the greatest Americans whoever lived, while Lee remains a traitor whose military skills are completely overrated. I don’t have more time to go into detail, but I write about it in my second book which my agent is currently working on getting a publisher for.
To we remember the surrender at Appomattox, and knowing that after Trump’s regime comes crashing down that we and our descendants will need to deal with the consequences. One thing that I learned from Grant, Lee, Joshua Chamberlain and Ely Parker at Appomattox was is the need for reconciliation between the foes when the conflict is over. They understood it as did Lincoln. Sadly, when Lincoln was assassinated the best opportunity for reconciliation died with him as Andrew Johnson became President with a completely different vision. I wrote this last night and hope that you will get a chance to read it.
https://dundas.substack.com/p/after-this-civil-war-will-there-be
Be safe and watch your six. Thank you for this article.
Steve Dundas
Alll
Loved that, thank you!