Want to understand what Trump is doing? Part 2

MaizieD said, "Russia is an authoritarian kleptocracy."

That's the way America is going.

Bernie Saunders is the voice of sanity in a mad world.

I have not gotten caught up today yet. For my sanity, I have designated Sundays a day off.

Tomorrow is a day of protest in all 50 states. It is President's Day and we want to give him the largest crowds he has ever seen. Against him.

Trying to catch up with news:

The Trump regime cuts all communication means on Friday for top prosecutors

"Multiple top prosecutors appointed by former President Joe Biden to federal districts across the country were left without official means to communicate Friday after their government-issued phones and email accounts were deactivated, two sources familiar with the move tell CNN.

The United States attorneys were provided no explanation why their electronic communications suddenly stopped working, sources said, and as of Sunday they still had not received a response from the Office of the Deputy Attorney General seeking details

Why this matters While it is not unusual for an incoming administration to replace chief prosecutors, who serve as Senate-confirmed political appointees, the sudden inability of US attorneys still serving to communicate presents a potential threat to public safety, sources said.

In addition to managing the daily functions of their respective offices, US attorneys are key players in the government’s response to urgent national security incidents such as a terrorist attack, where their approval may be needed in order for investigators to seek emergency court authorizations.

* although we know the cuts in DEI mean that race or gender issues are no longer to get support, something more sinister is starting to happen in. education:
Education Department threatens to revoke funding over consideration of race in most aspects of student life, in other words removing the histories of structural oppression and from education itself - think - no histories is slavery, the Jim Crow Laws, Martin Luther King...

Trump administration's first appeal to Supreme Court will centre on firing of government watchdog
President Donald Trump will ask the Supreme Court to allow him to fire the head of a government ethics watchdog agency in the first appeal from his litigious second term to reach the nation’s highest court.

At the center of the appeal is Hampton Dellinger, who leads the Office of Special Counsel and whom Trump fired this month despite protections enacted by Congress, which require an administration to show cause for dismissing someone from the post before their five-year term has ended.

A federal district court temporarily blocked Dellinger’s dismissal while it considers his case, and the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit late Saturday declined to overrule that decision. The Justice Department prepared its appeal to the Supreme Court within hours of that decision.

Thank you for posting the link, Claremont. Calm, detailed analysis from Saunders. Ironically, a man dismissed by the Trump camp as a communist.

Vance has been lecturing Europe on freedom of speech.

AP has been banned from the WH for continuing to use Gulf of Mexico.

Oh, dammit, should have previewed. The first sentence quotes from Lovetopaint's post.

^ As for Trump! It’s amazing that he is now Putins best friend. Not so long ago anyone in America thought to be remotely sympathetic to socialism was ostracised. Yet there he is arranging the world with Russia’s leader.^

I am very puzzled that anyone would think that Russia is in the slightest bit socialist (well, communist really). That all ended in the 1980s with Gorbachev embracing Western neo-liberal free market beliefs.

The vast riches of the oligarchs and the poverty of swathes of the population, and the repressive totalitarian rule of Putin indicate to me that Russia is an authoritarian kleptocracy. There is absolutely no way that the description 'socialist' could be applied to Russia...

Great Sanders post. Solid analysis (as ever), not so easy for those unaccustomed to political analysis at theory level would grasp it all. But he's clear in other speeches he's got an agenda for those most in need in the USA.

My view of the video posted by Mr Sanders?
He is correct in every detail.
Who in the USA will listen?

Casdon

I looked online at the USA YouGov and other survey sites for the political ratings PoliticsNerd. Performance is ranked highly by Americans currently. I would hope for it to change soon, but as far as the public there are concerned, they consider that he is living up to what he promised.

I think the so far small step back and the reasons for it give us some hope. Also other democracies don't seem to offer a psudo king position, although I don't know as much about other countries with Presidents.

I will be interested to hear what you and others think of Bernie
Sanders video.

Chocolatelovinggran

imaround, please keep us informed, and, please look after yourself in these worrying times.
Britain needs you!

I second that.
Your observations from the US are much needed.

PoliticsNerd

Whitewavemark2

Or of course you could read politicsnerd post😊😊

So sorry Whitewave. The post took ages to write and cross check and I nipped off to get some breakfast on before posting and missed your post.

Well done PoliticsNerd. So much I recall and you have set it out so well. It’s very much like what my dh has been going on about when then”special relationship” is mooted. As for Trump! It’s amazing that he is now Putins best friend. Not so long ago anyone in America thought to be remotely sympathetic to socialism was ostracised. Yet there he is arranging the world with Russia’s leader. Wonder what Putin has on him! Remember the scandal not so long ago associated with Trump’s behaviour and filmed in Russia? As for Farage who has admitted his admiration for Putin, well he instigated the pressure to achieve Brexit which was just what Putin wanted. Then again he is also Trump ‘s best buddy. The best we and the rest of Europe can do is buoycot American goods, invest in the European film industry and stick firmly together in the one message to Trump. What you are doing is being closely watched and we stand united.

Casdon

I looked online at the USA YouGov and other survey sites for the political ratings PoliticsNerd. Performance is ranked highly by Americans currently. I would hope for it to change soon, but as far as the public there are concerned, they consider that he is living up to what he promised.

He certainly is delivering what he promised but what he promised is in many cases pretty awful.
I suppose once those who supported such awful policies feel the hurt as well his popularity will naturally wane.

Thank you claremont. He us so on the nail.

We thankfully don't have Presidents either nanna8.

Bernie Sanders explains the situation so well.

It is a FB link- so probably some of you won't be able to access it, And probably some of you won't want to watch it. But he explains the reality of the very serious situation will all face- not 'just' the USA.

fb.watch/xNt6_RKdfC/

He is still fairly popular, certainly compared with some other leaders including our Australian PM ( who I actually like ). He is seen as someone who does what he says he will do unlike many others. It is difficult to judge by our different standards because he would not have been elected here or the UK. We don’t have that many fundamental Christian voters and we don’t have extreme right wing candidates ( or extreme left wing,either)

He is, so they are right but the polls are very much either or. I find the reports from focus groups (and my family) more nuanced and detailed.

I looked online at the USA YouGov and other survey sites for the political ratings PoliticsNerd. Performance is ranked highly by Americans currently. I would hope for it to change soon, but as far as the public there are concerned, they consider that he is living up to what he promised.

Casdon

GrannyGravy13 is right though. Trump is currently riding high with his US supporters, because he is doing what he promised. How long that satisfaction will last is anybody’s guess. Probably until people are hit hard in the pocket and/or his lack of reconnaissance catches up with him.

Where have you observed evidence of his popularity maintained with all hus voters in the USA? There appears to be some benefit for him "doing something" among his voters, but they disapprove of his cruelty and believe he goes too far in how he demonises and speaks about people. They find his speech unkind, or simply not decent.

American culture is less nuanced than British culture, and therefore, they tend to believe that what you say is what you mean. Decency is high on their list of expectations.

They are also beginning to learn of people they know being affected, or beginning to see how they themselves might lose out. While they haven't abandoned him in large numbers, they have become much more wary.

imaround, please keep us informed, and, please look after yourself in these worrying times.
Britain needs you!

I understand that the weather on the island of Elba is very pleasant this time of year.
It could be a charming holiday spot for an Emperor.

Today's post was chilling. It is a rallying cry to his base. He knows we are starting to rise up against him. Massive protests are planned for Monday in all 50 states and 200,000 people just lost jobs this week and aren't happy. They keep losing in court.

I suspect this is going to start getting dangerous. I really want to be wrong.

Of course, it was a European alliance that defeated Napoleon. One hardly dares hope we could do something similar with Trump 🤔

Hannibal Lector?

Yes, I think Trump would much prefer being Emporer.