The fires continue to rage in California, while a tide of ill will for the Golden State is rising inside the MAGA Congress, where the Christian nationalist House Speaker has made clear that he will hold California hostage.
I worry about California and I worry about conditions here in this part of North Carolina. We have had very cold weather and the communities and churches are doing everything possible to shelter the homeless. The homeless level in our country is at the highest level ever recorded and the homeless here are in danger of freezing to death. I am asking the oligarchs to get off their collective yachts and help us save lives.
Our almost-fully-corrupted and decades-in-the-making authoritarian right-wing kleptocratic oligarchy almost complete. We’ve been sleep-walking through the most epic wealth shift ever in history, taking from 343-ish million and amplifying about one million. Despicable, shameful, horrific pilfering of American treasure and fair-minded power.
And here we are. Six days to go. Praying for California, the nation, the globe, humanity.
Interestingly, the rise of a man like Trump supported by gullible ordinary American citizens was predicted over a century ago. We were warned about the allure of a MAGA-like movement led by a man like Trump in the year 1920. Although his character was flawed by the common bigotry and racism of his age, H.L. Mencken’s assessment of the “plain folks” has proven to be accurate a century later with the election of 2024:
“As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron.” H.L. Mencken, The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920
Unacceptable for any leader not to impulsively and instinctively react with leadership in support, comfort, reassurance of financial aid to any state in America during catastrophic emergency time of need.
Among all Democrat party leaders’ stellar examples of “no politics here,” Obama didn’t hesitate a lick to support NJ’s Governor Christie in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy, nor Biden after Hurricane Ian hit FL in 2022.
Why does one in this nation’s two party system always lie, politic, gaslight, game play with peoples’ lives and communities?
JUMP GOP, EFFIN JUMP TO HELP AMERICAN PEOPLE! NEVER ASK HOW THE VOTERS VOTE!!!
That's not what I'm observing. You're assuming the cabal will be fair and just to its own. It's worse than that. The cabal begrudges anything to anyone but themselves. Let the good times roll !!!!!
Agreed, it is worse than that . We’ve spiraled very deep down the black hole of corrupt billionaire-entwined political power. They lie with impunity whilst changing the rules and digging in elbow-deep to America’s treasure in flagrant and epic wealth shift to themselves. And now, our dumbed down electorate has voted to worsen the epic failing shit-show.
Said cabal is not the fictitious, lied-about GOP conspiracy, pizza-gate yarn of baby-eating, liberal politicians, woke donors, Hollywood celebs. That Q-anon lie is more GOP projection. The real cabal, a dark club of GOP billionaires and political super elite, dares us not to speak truth to power or they’ll primary the politician, shut down the press organization, jail the CEO.
The six-times bankrupt, oily-orange, gaslighting, epically grifting, sociopathic cult leader and his enablers appear to be sticking it to California. It is stunning to witness, pathetic, sick and outrageous.
American people will revolt if “he” does anything, but act with leadership, principle and grace as America’s chief executive. I urge appointment of a Special Master to a next generation Marshall Plan for L.A., a plan that commences federal management in development and distribution of emergency aid, rebuilding stimulus grants, fair lending m, jobs programs, temporary housing and more.
I wrote yesterday, immediately after hearing of and investing in an annual subscription to the Contrarian, I view my continued and ever-increasing investment in factual journalism as a very high-priority charitable cause. Thus because the subject of the cause is in mortal danger - American democracy is very ill, she’s sick, she’s dying, she’s on life support and needs our investment of dollars, minutes, brain cells, clear-eyed discernment.
Good luck and stay safe to what remains of our free and fair press.
In an argument on TV with Joe Scarborough after he went to kiss the ring, Michael Steele (one of my favorite pundits), cut to the chase as he usually does. So why is everyone so eager to make nice with trump, when it's a one way street? When is it Trump's turn to make nice? (My paraphrase). To this day, Trump has not offered one word of sympathy, prayers and thoughts or anything similar to LA.
Michael Steele, former RNC chairman, a man I admire greatly, was the real Republican, not Trump and his corrupt and incompetent worshipers. They are the true RINO's.
Yes yes yes. And other republicans, like Olivia Troye and Sarah Matthews. Who believe in the conservative values: small government, strong international alliances, fiscal responsibility. The MAGA’s don’t even know those ideas, and trump is the antithesis of all of them.
I can only say amen. Mike Johnson is a pseudo-Christian and evil nationalist. He is playing with fire, and when the next Category 4 or 5 Hurricane hits Louisiana, he had better hope that people from other states are more caring and compassionate than him. Gustave Gilbert, an American Army psychologist assigned to the major Nazi War criminals at Nuremberg said something that is absolutely true of Trump, Johnson, Musk, the oligarchs and MAGA: “In my work with the defendants (at the Nuremberg Trails 1945-1949) I was searching for the nature of evil and I now think I have come close to defining it. A lack of empathy. It’s the one characteristic that connects all the defendants, a genuine incapacity to feel with their fellow men. Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.”
Mike Johnson - so very “Christian” of you to demean the blue state of California. So much for “helping” out our fellow man. Our Devine maker is watching. I doubt red verses blue states, pitting one against the other, is truly part of the grand plan. Our planet earth was a gift. How about we all start taking care of it “together”because if it’s gone, it really won’t matter what state you live in.
The governor of Texas has ordered flags to be flown at full staff on inauguration day. No surprise there - we always knew he was a T**** sycophant. As for me, mine will be flown at half-staff, but upside down.
Economist Paul Krugman reported yesterday that in 2022, the most recent year in which this analysis could be done, California paid $83 billion dollars more in taxes than funds it received. We are literally subsidizing the Federal government. If MAGA wants to attach conditions to funding our recovery from the LA county fires, I say fine. We’ll keep our surplus, thank you very much. And please don’t visit. Vermin are not welcome here.
I’m grateful for access to real and relevant news from you Steve, Heather Cox Richardson and now the Contrarian.
Homelessness in our country is a national disgrace. My husband was a Seabee in the Navy. They could build a small town in a week that provided housing, food, water, sanitation, medicine and power. They are temporary, but, fully functioning communities. I’m sure many retired Seabees would happily volunteer. The government can also obtain cruise ships to house residents. The rich will always have housing. Wage workers are the ones who keep businesses, schools, hospitals and cities operating and need housing to continue to contribute. Once we provide safe temporary housing, we can focus on subsidizing permanent affordable housing. We need to stop acting like a third world country that can’t or won’t provide dignity to its citizens.
I do support their decisions not to bow at the alter of Trump. I have not watched MSNBC or CNN since shortly after the election. I have not found a media outlet I trust will not lie to me or capitulate to MAGA. I would rather be blind and deaf to the political world than bow or give up my independence.
That's exactly what we cannot afford to do: stick our heads in the sand. Get out of your self-imposed vacuum. We need all hands on deck for this one. The possibility of real war (civil) is not out of the question, if these g..d...d Republican thugs get out of hand.
The next 4 years with Trump are going to be a living nightmare!! Especially for California! We cannot let up now!! Listen to Steve Schmidt - he really cuts through the BS!!! Where are the Dems???
Where are the Dems indeed? There is a multi-million dollar push by the Heritage Foundation et al to get Hegseth confirmed. Imagine my shock to read about who he really is, not in an American newspaper but in English newspaper. Hegseth should be on an FBI watch list instead of in position to take over the military.
He literally wants death to anyone on the left and he said as much in his various books. And he wants it to come at the hands of our own military.
In this article, The Guardian quotes him at length and I feel like I'm reading Mein Kamph by Adolf Hitler. Destroying the left, including its culture, politicians, protests, etc., is at the center of his reason for living. He will most assuredly get confirmed because even MAGA politicians are being threatened. I fear for the dark times ahead.
Where is our Dem leadership? Read him in his own words...
Trump’s Pentagon pick Hegseth wrote of US military taking sides in ‘civil war’
Like many, I’d just like to put my head in the sand for four years and pretend the MAGA tidal wave of insane governance that’s coming will just pass by, not impacting me much. But it’s already here and impacting hundreds of thousands of us. It’s really unthinkable: our leaders are withholding aid because it’s a blue state. Disgusting and evil. We’ve got to spread the word … tell our friends in red states to get vocal; to threaten to vote out anyone who makes disaster aid politically conditional. Do red state voters really want a system in which disasters are only given help if the state has leaders in the same party as who’s in power?? That would mean if a hurricane hits Florida when democrats are in charge, Florida would get no aid? Preposterous. So tell anyone you know in a red state to start telling their elected officials this is an anti-American way of governing. And get ready to resist MAGA for four years … because it affects ALL of us, not just California.
Maybe California should retaliate and refuse to send its federal tax dollars going forward. What would happen to all those third-rate southern red states who California helps? Fight fire with fire.
If ever there was a moment of collective wisdom this is it! All of our minds and hearts have to be on deck to battle this disease of billionaires vision of their futures.
I worry about California and I worry about conditions here in this part of North Carolina. We have had very cold weather and the communities and churches are doing everything possible to shelter the homeless. The homeless level in our country is at the highest level ever recorded and the homeless here are in danger of freezing to death. I am asking the oligarchs to get off their collective yachts and help us save lives.
Our almost-fully-corrupted and decades-in-the-making authoritarian right-wing kleptocratic oligarchy almost complete. We’ve been sleep-walking through the most epic wealth shift ever in history, taking from 343-ish million and amplifying about one million. Despicable, shameful, horrific pilfering of American treasure and fair-minded power.
And here we are. Six days to go. Praying for California, the nation, the globe, humanity.
Interestingly, the rise of a man like Trump supported by gullible ordinary American citizens was predicted over a century ago. We were warned about the allure of a MAGA-like movement led by a man like Trump in the year 1920. Although his character was flawed by the common bigotry and racism of his age, H.L. Mencken’s assessment of the “plain folks” has proven to be accurate a century later with the election of 2024:
“As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron.” H.L. Mencken, The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920
Another comment attributed to Mencken (although I do not have the cite) is:
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and
deserve to get it good and hard."
I'm afraid that the next 4 years may well be that hard.
Somewhat freaking as the clock ticks down…
God save us.
North Carolina will get the help that those of us in California can only hope for. It's that red state/blue state thing, after all.
Unacceptable for any leader not to impulsively and instinctively react with leadership in support, comfort, reassurance of financial aid to any state in America during catastrophic emergency time of need.
Among all Democrat party leaders’ stellar examples of “no politics here,” Obama didn’t hesitate a lick to support NJ’s Governor Christie in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy, nor Biden after Hurricane Ian hit FL in 2022.
Why does one in this nation’s two party system always lie, politic, gaslight, game play with peoples’ lives and communities?
JUMP GOP, EFFIN JUMP TO HELP AMERICAN PEOPLE! NEVER ASK HOW THE VOTERS VOTE!!!
Remember the ration of crap Christie got from the rethugs because he and Obama hugged? Oh, the fake outrage was hilarious!
Sad but true! This vile thing taking office soon has nothing but vindictiveness in his cold heart!!
That's not what I'm observing. You're assuming the cabal will be fair and just to its own. It's worse than that. The cabal begrudges anything to anyone but themselves. Let the good times roll !!!!!
Agreed, it is worse than that . We’ve spiraled very deep down the black hole of corrupt billionaire-entwined political power. They lie with impunity whilst changing the rules and digging in elbow-deep to America’s treasure in flagrant and epic wealth shift to themselves. And now, our dumbed down electorate has voted to worsen the epic failing shit-show.
Said cabal is not the fictitious, lied-about GOP conspiracy, pizza-gate yarn of baby-eating, liberal politicians, woke donors, Hollywood celebs. That Q-anon lie is more GOP projection. The real cabal, a dark club of GOP billionaires and political super elite, dares us not to speak truth to power or they’ll primary the politician, shut down the press organization, jail the CEO.
The six-times bankrupt, oily-orange, gaslighting, epically grifting, sociopathic cult leader and his enablers appear to be sticking it to California. It is stunning to witness, pathetic, sick and outrageous.
American people will revolt if “he” does anything, but act with leadership, principle and grace as America’s chief executive. I urge appointment of a Special Master to a next generation Marshall Plan for L.A., a plan that commences federal management in development and distribution of emergency aid, rebuilding stimulus grants, fair lending m, jobs programs, temporary housing and more.
I will donate and volunteer.
Praying for L.A.
I wrote yesterday, immediately after hearing of and investing in an annual subscription to the Contrarian, I view my continued and ever-increasing investment in factual journalism as a very high-priority charitable cause. Thus because the subject of the cause is in mortal danger - American democracy is very ill, she’s sick, she’s dying, she’s on life support and needs our investment of dollars, minutes, brain cells, clear-eyed discernment.
Good luck and stay safe to what remains of our free and fair press.
You are right, it is expensive but essential. Still, my support has to be measured because my income is limited.
In an argument on TV with Joe Scarborough after he went to kiss the ring, Michael Steele (one of my favorite pundits), cut to the chase as he usually does. So why is everyone so eager to make nice with trump, when it's a one way street? When is it Trump's turn to make nice? (My paraphrase). To this day, Trump has not offered one word of sympathy, prayers and thoughts or anything similar to LA.
We should use the term “Scarboroughing” to symbolize obeying in advance.
Oh, I LOVE that!
"He pulled a scarborough."
Even better!
How about "Bezosing", "Zuckering", "Fettering" and "ABC'ing" as well?
Michael Steele, former RNC chairman, a man I admire greatly, was the real Republican, not Trump and his corrupt and incompetent worshipers. They are the true RINO's.
Yes yes yes. And other republicans, like Olivia Troye and Sarah Matthews. Who believe in the conservative values: small government, strong international alliances, fiscal responsibility. The MAGA’s don’t even know those ideas, and trump is the antithesis of all of them.
Steve,
I can only say amen. Mike Johnson is a pseudo-Christian and evil nationalist. He is playing with fire, and when the next Category 4 or 5 Hurricane hits Louisiana, he had better hope that people from other states are more caring and compassionate than him. Gustave Gilbert, an American Army psychologist assigned to the major Nazi War criminals at Nuremberg said something that is absolutely true of Trump, Johnson, Musk, the oligarchs and MAGA: “In my work with the defendants (at the Nuremberg Trails 1945-1949) I was searching for the nature of evil and I now think I have come close to defining it. A lack of empathy. It’s the one characteristic that connects all the defendants, a genuine incapacity to feel with their fellow men. Evil, I think, is the absence of empathy.”
All the best. Stay safe, and watch your six.
Steve Dundas
Mike Johnson - so very “Christian” of you to demean the blue state of California. So much for “helping” out our fellow man. Our Devine maker is watching. I doubt red verses blue states, pitting one against the other, is truly part of the grand plan. Our planet earth was a gift. How about we all start taking care of it “together”because if it’s gone, it really won’t matter what state you live in.
The governor of Texas has ordered flags to be flown at full staff on inauguration day. No surprise there - we always knew he was a T**** sycophant. As for me, mine will be flown at half-staff, but upside down.
Permanently. Upside-down is the current true meaning!
Signed up just after they made their announcement! Happy to see this happening!
Economist Paul Krugman reported yesterday that in 2022, the most recent year in which this analysis could be done, California paid $83 billion dollars more in taxes than funds it received. We are literally subsidizing the Federal government. If MAGA wants to attach conditions to funding our recovery from the LA county fires, I say fine. We’ll keep our surplus, thank you very much. And please don’t visit. Vermin are not welcome here.
I’m grateful for access to real and relevant news from you Steve, Heather Cox Richardson and now the Contrarian.
Homelessness in our country is a national disgrace. My husband was a Seabee in the Navy. They could build a small town in a week that provided housing, food, water, sanitation, medicine and power. They are temporary, but, fully functioning communities. I’m sure many retired Seabees would happily volunteer. The government can also obtain cruise ships to house residents. The rich will always have housing. Wage workers are the ones who keep businesses, schools, hospitals and cities operating and need housing to continue to contribute. Once we provide safe temporary housing, we can focus on subsidizing permanent affordable housing. We need to stop acting like a third world country that can’t or won’t provide dignity to its citizens.
I do support their decisions not to bow at the alter of Trump. I have not watched MSNBC or CNN since shortly after the election. I have not found a media outlet I trust will not lie to me or capitulate to MAGA. I would rather be blind and deaf to the political world than bow or give up my independence.
That's exactly what we cannot afford to do: stick our heads in the sand. Get out of your self-imposed vacuum. We need all hands on deck for this one. The possibility of real war (civil) is not out of the question, if these g..d...d Republican thugs get out of hand.
The next 4 years with Trump are going to be a living nightmare!! Especially for California! We cannot let up now!! Listen to Steve Schmidt - he really cuts through the BS!!! Where are the Dems???
Where are the Dems indeed? There is a multi-million dollar push by the Heritage Foundation et al to get Hegseth confirmed. Imagine my shock to read about who he really is, not in an American newspaper but in English newspaper. Hegseth should be on an FBI watch list instead of in position to take over the military.
He literally wants death to anyone on the left and he said as much in his various books. And he wants it to come at the hands of our own military.
In this article, The Guardian quotes him at length and I feel like I'm reading Mein Kamph by Adolf Hitler. Destroying the left, including its culture, politicians, protests, etc., is at the center of his reason for living. He will most assuredly get confirmed because even MAGA politicians are being threatened. I fear for the dark times ahead.
Where is our Dem leadership? Read him in his own words...
Trump’s Pentagon pick Hegseth wrote of US military taking sides in ‘civil war’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/22/trump-defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-book?CMP=share_btn_url
I subscribed to The Contrarian the moment I learned about it. No capitulation here!
Like many, I’d just like to put my head in the sand for four years and pretend the MAGA tidal wave of insane governance that’s coming will just pass by, not impacting me much. But it’s already here and impacting hundreds of thousands of us. It’s really unthinkable: our leaders are withholding aid because it’s a blue state. Disgusting and evil. We’ve got to spread the word … tell our friends in red states to get vocal; to threaten to vote out anyone who makes disaster aid politically conditional. Do red state voters really want a system in which disasters are only given help if the state has leaders in the same party as who’s in power?? That would mean if a hurricane hits Florida when democrats are in charge, Florida would get no aid? Preposterous. So tell anyone you know in a red state to start telling their elected officials this is an anti-American way of governing. And get ready to resist MAGA for four years … because it affects ALL of us, not just California.
Thank the universe we have you, Steve, and The Bulwark and now the Contrarian. I will signing up with the latter soon!
Maybe California should retaliate and refuse to send its federal tax dollars going forward. What would happen to all those third-rate southern red states who California helps? Fight fire with fire.
If ever there was a moment of collective wisdom this is it! All of our minds and hearts have to be on deck to battle this disease of billionaires vision of their futures.