Trump 2.0 declared war on the entire country on January 20, this is just the biggest battle in the campaign so far. California is an Allied stronghold under attack by Trump's Axis powers. Hopefully it will end up as well as Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union, but also hopefully with far less casualties.
49.8% of the electorate "declared war" on November 5, 2024. We would not be where we are if not for the unseriousness and moral vacuity of the electorate.
CA could deal an instant death blow in this war by withholding federal taxes. We could economically collapse the US government is days, if not hours. You know what the military likes? Paychecks. Without CA's tax contribution, the US won't make the next pay cycle.
No riots—no big protest—it’s actually small compared to many others. These Repubs aren’t actually the patriotic type —they’re the autocrats and losers.
If I ever hear a Democrat running for president talk about helping or assisting Red State Republicans in any way they will lose my vote. To me the greatest enemy of this country is not Russia or Iran. It's the Republican party and Red States
Yeah, sweet, old fashioned Biden thought he could make inroads in red states by actually providing chip manufacturing for high paying jobs. Nice try. He didn’t realize that hate is a more profound currency than actual currency.
It is a binary choice. We have a two party system. That is not going to change anytime soon. Of those two parties, Republicans unilaterally suck. They don’t care if you have clean air, or clean water, or trees or bees. What they care about is making money for themselves or their donors. Then you have the Democrats that are not perfect, however… if you want a better world, you should vote for the Democrats. Every election, every level of government.
I think the whole, “I won’t voted for a Democrat who tries to work with Republicans.” Is the issue? We have Trump 2.0 because of a bunch of whiny babies that couldn’t vote for Kamala Harris, for whatever reason they wanted to comfort themselves with as they sat on their hands. Personally, I hope they all suffer for it.
“I don’t think that the president had any choice,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). “These weren’t just protests—these were riots. And it was clear that the governor and the mayor—the mayor’s idea of containment was to give them a hug and a cup of hot cocoa. And the president did what he had to do.”
This idiot isn't competent to be a Senator. There were no riots in L.A. He must get all his news from Fox News, which passes along the bullshit from the White House. You'd expect a Senator to check his sources before making such an inflammatory claim.
[There's a bizarre rumor floating around the Internet that the Senate offices are being infected with bird flu. I find that highly improbable, and have no idea how that could be accomplished, but it would solve a serious problem we're confronting...]
Republican Senators don't give two shits about any West Coast state, they'd happily authorize air strikes on downtown Portland, Seattle, LA or San Francisco. It's appalling and they're only making a bad situation worse- they won't and will never be a restraint on Trump. Given that some, like Cotton and Cruz, are openly salivating at (any) protestors being shot, I'm afraid this may go downhill very quickly.
In my calls to my Iowa senators I have been informing them that our son now lives in LA and #1, I know the city in NOT aflame and #2, I care a LOT about tRump’s ridiculous lies regarding LA as he scrambles to change the subject from Elon/Murder Bill opposition. Let these GOP lickspittle nitwits know that a lot of their red state constituents will not accept trumpian attacks against California because it’s personal.
Are you really surprised that the Republican Senators think what Trump is doing in LA is just fine. A much more effective use of your time would have been to interview the Senate Democrats and the few Californian Republicans left in the House to see how they feel. For example ,Darryl Issa, not famous for keeping his mouth shut has suddenly gotten laryngitis; and the former and decidedly unlamented Speaker of the House seems to have moved out of State .The 3 or 4 remining Republicans in New York have already baulked on SALT and they seem unaware that Trump is trying the same thing in New York that he is trying in California. What Trump and the stooges are doing in California ---and indeed in ALL the Blue States---is not only Unconstitutional and immoral; it is political stupidity. Instead of wasting your time telling me how the Democrats are doing things wrong, I would like---just for once---some explanation of why the Republicans are determined to divest themselves of the largest , best educated and wealthiest States in the country, without which there will be no USA.
They are hoping that when the dust clears, all that will be left of the populace is people who look and think exactly like them. They don't really care how we get to that point, but if violence against "libs" is part of the deal, they will happily support it.
I think you may be right but I would like some explanation , especially from Sykes or David Brooks etc. who claim to be true "conservatives" why they have not called this out and why the Magas think it will succeed.
Agree. I’m sick of all the talk about political strategies for the midterms as if these are normal times. We need to start voicing, loudly, the prospect that Trump will manufacture a crisis requiring cessation of voting. I fear we will be caught flat footed, when the signs are real clear, right now.
Talk to your neighbors about mutual aid and defense. We need to build community with each other because our elites are mostly corrupt and/or cowardly people.
You’re exactly right. After Trump’s inauguration I quit all my political donations through Act Blue, and instead focused on local community needs. That, and supporting Substack independent journalism, although the NYT is doing better now that the knives are out.
I would love to know former VP Pence’s thoughts on this Los Angeles action taken by the current president. At the Jan 6 insurrection, now known as the love fest, those participants who were tried, convicted, and since pardoned, called for VP Pence’s life to be taken. Please refresh my memory how many National Guard and how many Marines were called in then.
In the latter half of Oct 2024, the current president described Jan 6 as a “day of love”; I paraphrased it as ‘love fest’. I think your ‘ginormous cosplay’ comment is a riot! As for Mike Pence being out of the public eye, at one time, that was protocol or decorum; former public officials stepped back out of respect for current governance. The difference between then and now is that there was decorum then and it is sorely lacking now.
I just read the following from the New York Times, by Amanda Holpuch and Kirsten Noyes, June 10, regarding Natl Guard actions in DC on Jan 6, 2021:
“In 2021, officials in Washington initially requested 340 National Guard members to help respond to planned protests on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, according to the military.
“As the protests on Jan. 6 against the 2020 presidential election results deteriorated, with a violent mob attacking police officers and the Capitol, the mayor of Washington D.C., Muriel Bowser, requested assistance, and 1,100 D.C. National Guard members were sent. Later that night, the acting defense secretary at the time, Chris Miller, mobilized 6,200 more National Guard members from other states to ensure peace in the days leading up to former President Joseph R. Biden’s
Thank you, Mr Ian V. If my understanding of your information is correct, on Jan 6, 2021, then Pres Trump was reportedly, sitting in the White House, watching the insurrection on TV. He chose to make no calls. I feel safe in concluding the Jan 6 insurrection, aka “day of love”, was allowed to unfold due to Trump’s inaction.
The U.S. Capitol Building was being destroyed, Capitol police and protestors were being harmed and killed, but no call was made by the MAGA Pres. even though it was within his job duties to call in the Natl Guard. In contrast, for the past few days, which pale in comparison to the destructive and murderous intents of those at the Capitol on Jan 6, the LAPD was very competently handling protests and the MAGA Pres decided to use it as a political opportunity, without regard to life or limb or property, to put it mildly. He and his gang have no decency and no honor.
The Nationl Guard were very slow to be called in on January 6. That is because Washington DC is not a State and the Guard is in that one instance under the command of the President of the US. Pelose and even Kevin McCarthy kept calling the Pentagon to get the Guard in as the Capital Police were being overrun. the DOD officials—-Trump appointees—-were slow to respond because of what were claimed to be “optics.” The Maryland National Guard actually were called into DC before the optics cleared Apparently, there is a different rule for calling out the Guard depending upon who is protesting and where the protest is taking place.
Explain the difference between a riot and protest? Don’t think those senators would be so anxious to see military take over their states or for that matter DC(Jan6).so much talk to sound tough when they have no skin in the game
Yep. Beating cops with flagpoles is an act of patriotism when MAGA does it. When Democrats block access during a protest it’s an offense for the Marines to handle.
Remember that Newsom might run against the Republicans in the next election, and he is very popular. T is trying to drum up and foment problems to use in the next election.
For those who dislike him, “slick” is a lot of the reason why, and it covers a lot of territory. Still, Democratic voters are desperate for someone to play the hero and stand up to Trump. Politics isn’t always about truth and reality . . . Obviously.
Donald Trump has begun turning the National Guard into the Nazi-nal Guard and the Marines into a pack of storm troopers. As someone who enlisted to serve on active duty and later served for more than a decade (enlisted and officer, including as a JAGC lawyer) in National Guard units in several states, this degeneration appalls me.
I have some advice for current members of the National Guard, particularly the Army National Guard. If you're eligible for retirement, do so quickly. If you're eligible to resign or leave, do so quickly. If you have to stay, be prepared to identify and refuse illegal orders; contact a lawyer familiar with military law (for example, a volunteer lawyer through the ACLU or similar legal organization) for advice. If you remain in the Guard under the Trump reich, you will almost certainly be put in a position where you'll be ordered to commit acts qualifying as crimes against humanity, perhaps even war crimes if Trump invokes the Insurrection Act. Even if you escape legal liability, you won't escape humanity's moral judgment and condemnation. The more you participate, the more you'll contribute to the degradation of the public's respect for the military, to the degradation of your soul, and to the rise of a military dictatorship on American soil.
This advice applies to active-duty troops as well.
Republican senators, by capitulating to Trump, share responsibility for the collapse of American democracy, and the accompanying collapse of the American economy. Trump craves power and self aggrandizement, but he remains an idiot. His tariffs will continue to cripple trade and impoverish working people. Unemployment will soar. Medical costs will rise for those with private health insurance as health care providers are forced to shift the cost of uncompensated care onto the rest of their patients, and the cuts to SNAP will push millions deeper into poverty and hunger. And of course, the federal courts will be rendered irrelevant by provisions which prevent courts from holding the federal government in contempt, unless plaintiffs to post bond before hand.
The collapse of our government institutions is well underway. We are headed for another Great Depression, brought on by the same selfishness, ideological extremism, and ignorance that precipitated the last one. Will democracy be restored with the collapse or will the fascists rule America for the next 50 years?
They could have ended it. There is no way mcconnell could not have come up with the requisite number of senators to convict the petty bully for Jan 6. Democrats aren't perfect, but Republicans (and their mendacious media that brainwashed voters) are COMPLETELY responsible for the state we are in.
Protesters need to throw the insurrection claim in the regime's face. Use people power in the day and project video and images of J6 onto the federal buildings where the military is assigned at night. Show MAGA beating police. Show the mob crawling all over the Capitol building, Show the Confederate flag inside the rotunda. Show Trump's violence. Deflate the propaganda and show the hypocrisy.
Trump and the Republicans have declared war on California. Treat is as such.
Trump 2.0 declared war on the entire country on January 20, this is just the biggest battle in the campaign so far. California is an Allied stronghold under attack by Trump's Axis powers. Hopefully it will end up as well as Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union, but also hopefully with far less casualties.
49.8% of the electorate "declared war" on November 5, 2024. We would not be where we are if not for the unseriousness and moral vacuity of the electorate.
Then can we try them as war criminals later? Been wondering the last few days. Seems any war rhetoric makes them culpable.
CA could deal an instant death blow in this war by withholding federal taxes. We could economically collapse the US government is days, if not hours. You know what the military likes? Paychecks. Without CA's tax contribution, the US won't make the next pay cycle.
That would be a smart move, and one I hope Newsom opts for. Nonviolent, but very, very painful!
The state isn't a payment processor for federal taxes. It would be great, but it doesn't work that way.
They’ve always wanted to. A paradox, or just the law of politics, that this is an opportunity for Newsom to shine up his tarnished reputation.
It is an unintended consequence for sure.
Unfortunately the California winters won’t stop much, but maybe our summer and fall fires can.
No riots—no big protest—it’s actually small compared to many others. These Repubs aren’t actually the patriotic type —they’re the autocrats and losers.
Never let a crisis go to waste management…
If I ever hear a Democrat running for president talk about helping or assisting Red State Republicans in any way they will lose my vote. To me the greatest enemy of this country is not Russia or Iran. It's the Republican party and Red States
Yeah, sweet, old fashioned Biden thought he could make inroads in red states by actually providing chip manufacturing for high paying jobs. Nice try. He didn’t realize that hate is a more profound currency than actual currency.
And they luuuuuv it.
That’s pretty ill thought out, that’s exactly how we got here in the first place.
And how, exactly, did we get here? Was it by the Republicans negotiating and legislating in good faith?
It is a binary choice. We have a two party system. That is not going to change anytime soon. Of those two parties, Republicans unilaterally suck. They don’t care if you have clean air, or clean water, or trees or bees. What they care about is making money for themselves or their donors. Then you have the Democrats that are not perfect, however… if you want a better world, you should vote for the Democrats. Every election, every level of government.
I think the whole, “I won’t voted for a Democrat who tries to work with Republicans.” Is the issue? We have Trump 2.0 because of a bunch of whiny babies that couldn’t vote for Kamala Harris, for whatever reason they wanted to comfort themselves with as they sat on their hands. Personally, I hope they all suffer for it.
“I don’t think that the president had any choice,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). “These weren’t just protests—these were riots. And it was clear that the governor and the mayor—the mayor’s idea of containment was to give them a hug and a cup of hot cocoa. And the president did what he had to do.”
This idiot isn't competent to be a Senator. There were no riots in L.A. He must get all his news from Fox News, which passes along the bullshit from the White House. You'd expect a Senator to check his sources before making such an inflammatory claim.
[There's a bizarre rumor floating around the Internet that the Senate offices are being infected with bird flu. I find that highly improbable, and have no idea how that could be accomplished, but it would solve a serious problem we're confronting...]
Oh, Kennedy is smart - but plays the Foghorn Leghorn "aw shucks" thing as it suits him.
He's a snake.
And he may have bird flu... who knows?
Would serve him right after cancelling the contract for a vaccine...
Kennedy is among many who can always be counted on the do the wrong thing, ethically and morally
That’s very generous of you. Kennedy isn’t misinformed, he’s simply lying.
Yep, but that Tommy Tuberville, now there's a true idiot.
He's just a liar.
That, too
Same as he’s always been, ever was, will always be
Republican Senators don't give two shits about any West Coast state, they'd happily authorize air strikes on downtown Portland, Seattle, LA or San Francisco. It's appalling and they're only making a bad situation worse- they won't and will never be a restraint on Trump. Given that some, like Cotton and Cruz, are openly salivating at (any) protestors being shot, I'm afraid this may go downhill very quickly.
In my calls to my Iowa senators I have been informing them that our son now lives in LA and #1, I know the city in NOT aflame and #2, I care a LOT about tRump’s ridiculous lies regarding LA as he scrambles to change the subject from Elon/Murder Bill opposition. Let these GOP lickspittle nitwits know that a lot of their red state constituents will not accept trumpian attacks against California because it’s personal.
I really wish Washington, my Oregon, and California could form a tail as part of Canada ... then we wouldn't have to move...
In Washington, couldn't agree more.
Thanks for speaking the ugly truth.
Are you really surprised that the Republican Senators think what Trump is doing in LA is just fine. A much more effective use of your time would have been to interview the Senate Democrats and the few Californian Republicans left in the House to see how they feel. For example ,Darryl Issa, not famous for keeping his mouth shut has suddenly gotten laryngitis; and the former and decidedly unlamented Speaker of the House seems to have moved out of State .The 3 or 4 remining Republicans in New York have already baulked on SALT and they seem unaware that Trump is trying the same thing in New York that he is trying in California. What Trump and the stooges are doing in California ---and indeed in ALL the Blue States---is not only Unconstitutional and immoral; it is political stupidity. Instead of wasting your time telling me how the Democrats are doing things wrong, I would like---just for once---some explanation of why the Republicans are determined to divest themselves of the largest , best educated and wealthiest States in the country, without which there will be no USA.
They are hoping that when the dust clears, all that will be left of the populace is people who look and think exactly like them. They don't really care how we get to that point, but if violence against "libs" is part of the deal, they will happily support it.
I think you may be right but I would like some explanation , especially from Sykes or David Brooks etc. who claim to be true "conservatives" why they have not called this out and why the Magas think it will succeed.
Fascists will not be peacefully removed. The sooner we come to grips with that and start organizing, the better.
Agree. I’m sick of all the talk about political strategies for the midterms as if these are normal times. We need to start voicing, loudly, the prospect that Trump will manufacture a crisis requiring cessation of voting. I fear we will be caught flat footed, when the signs are real clear, right now.
Talk to your neighbors about mutual aid and defense. We need to build community with each other because our elites are mostly corrupt and/or cowardly people.
You’re exactly right. After Trump’s inauguration I quit all my political donations through Act Blue, and instead focused on local community needs. That, and supporting Substack independent journalism, although the NYT is doing better now that the knives are out.
I don't support any corporate media with my money. Fuck all of those greedy complicit bastards.
"Trump has fantasized about using the military against citizens for much of his political career." When do we get to stop playing out men's fantasy's?
I would love to know former VP Pence’s thoughts on this Los Angeles action taken by the current president. At the Jan 6 insurrection, now known as the love fest, those participants who were tried, convicted, and since pardoned, called for VP Pence’s life to be taken. Please refresh my memory how many National Guard and how many Marines were called in then.
In the latter half of Oct 2024, the current president described Jan 6 as a “day of love”; I paraphrased it as ‘love fest’. I think your ‘ginormous cosplay’ comment is a riot! As for Mike Pence being out of the public eye, at one time, that was protocol or decorum; former public officials stepped back out of respect for current governance. The difference between then and now is that there was decorum then and it is sorely lacking now.
wait... love fest or ginormous cosplay tour group?
Pence has been MIA (again) for a bit
Just read Will Saletan's article where he "refreshes our memory."
Mike is focused on the abortions of people he doesn't know.
I just read the following from the New York Times, by Amanda Holpuch and Kirsten Noyes, June 10, regarding Natl Guard actions in DC on Jan 6, 2021:
“In 2021, officials in Washington initially requested 340 National Guard members to help respond to planned protests on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, according to the military.
“As the protests on Jan. 6 against the 2020 presidential election results deteriorated, with a violent mob attacking police officers and the Capitol, the mayor of Washington D.C., Muriel Bowser, requested assistance, and 1,100 D.C. National Guard members were sent. Later that night, the acting defense secretary at the time, Chris Miller, mobilized 6,200 more National Guard members from other states to ensure peace in the days leading up to former President Joseph R. Biden’s
inauguration.”
Thank you, Mr Ian V. If my understanding of your information is correct, on Jan 6, 2021, then Pres Trump was reportedly, sitting in the White House, watching the insurrection on TV. He chose to make no calls. I feel safe in concluding the Jan 6 insurrection, aka “day of love”, was allowed to unfold due to Trump’s inaction.
The U.S. Capitol Building was being destroyed, Capitol police and protestors were being harmed and killed, but no call was made by the MAGA Pres. even though it was within his job duties to call in the Natl Guard. In contrast, for the past few days, which pale in comparison to the destructive and murderous intents of those at the Capitol on Jan 6, the LAPD was very competently handling protests and the MAGA Pres decided to use it as a political opportunity, without regard to life or limb or property, to put it mildly. He and his gang have no decency and no honor.
Thank you for your clarification.
The Nationl Guard were very slow to be called in on January 6. That is because Washington DC is not a State and the Guard is in that one instance under the command of the President of the US. Pelose and even Kevin McCarthy kept calling the Pentagon to get the Guard in as the Capital Police were being overrun. the DOD officials—-Trump appointees—-were slow to respond because of what were claimed to be “optics.” The Maryland National Guard actually were called into DC before the optics cleared Apparently, there is a different rule for calling out the Guard depending upon who is protesting and where the protest is taking place.
Breshnahan is such a hypocrite. Rather like Captain Renault in Casablanca...except that Claude Raines was less noxious.
I am financial advisor, I offer suggestions on trades (mostly mutual funds and ETFs) and rebalancing.
If a client wants a specific buy or sell, my role is to offer the pros and cons of the transaction.
Ultimately, it's the client's portfolio, not my own. So I proceed on his/her wishes to buy or sell.
While Breshnahan may have a broker making the trades, he is making the choices for those trades.
He has proven that one can be both "transparent" and "a lying sack of shit."
Explain the difference between a riot and protest? Don’t think those senators would be so anxious to see military take over their states or for that matter DC(Jan6).so much talk to sound tough when they have no skin in the game
A protest is what the right does. A riot is what the left does. Simples!
Yep. Beating cops with flagpoles is an act of patriotism when MAGA does it. When Democrats block access during a protest it’s an offense for the Marines to handle.
Remember that Newsom might run against the Republicans in the next election, and he is very popular. T is trying to drum up and foment problems to use in the next election.
I travel to CA often to visit family and friends. Newsom is another guy who wants publicity. No like. He may be the lesser evil though.
Right now I don't have the time or luxury to split hairs about Denocrats.
He’s very popular inside California; the rest of the country seems to enjoy using California (and by association, Newsom) as a whipping boy.
I live in CA. Newsom is very slick & polished but his record is mediocre at best. Jerry Brown our previous governor was 50x better.
For those who dislike him, “slick” is a lot of the reason why, and it covers a lot of territory. Still, Democratic voters are desperate for someone to play the hero and stand up to Trump. Politics isn’t always about truth and reality . . . Obviously.
Living in CA I've not been impressed by Newsom, hard to get past the slick veneer.
But the last few days he's come through.
Donald Trump has begun turning the National Guard into the Nazi-nal Guard and the Marines into a pack of storm troopers. As someone who enlisted to serve on active duty and later served for more than a decade (enlisted and officer, including as a JAGC lawyer) in National Guard units in several states, this degeneration appalls me.
I have some advice for current members of the National Guard, particularly the Army National Guard. If you're eligible for retirement, do so quickly. If you're eligible to resign or leave, do so quickly. If you have to stay, be prepared to identify and refuse illegal orders; contact a lawyer familiar with military law (for example, a volunteer lawyer through the ACLU or similar legal organization) for advice. If you remain in the Guard under the Trump reich, you will almost certainly be put in a position where you'll be ordered to commit acts qualifying as crimes against humanity, perhaps even war crimes if Trump invokes the Insurrection Act. Even if you escape legal liability, you won't escape humanity's moral judgment and condemnation. The more you participate, the more you'll contribute to the degradation of the public's respect for the military, to the degradation of your soul, and to the rise of a military dictatorship on American soil.
This advice applies to active-duty troops as well.
Craven cowards, the whole lot.
But with "safety in number," which makes their cowardice pure evil.
Republican senators, by capitulating to Trump, share responsibility for the collapse of American democracy, and the accompanying collapse of the American economy. Trump craves power and self aggrandizement, but he remains an idiot. His tariffs will continue to cripple trade and impoverish working people. Unemployment will soar. Medical costs will rise for those with private health insurance as health care providers are forced to shift the cost of uncompensated care onto the rest of their patients, and the cuts to SNAP will push millions deeper into poverty and hunger. And of course, the federal courts will be rendered irrelevant by provisions which prevent courts from holding the federal government in contempt, unless plaintiffs to post bond before hand.
The collapse of our government institutions is well underway. We are headed for another Great Depression, brought on by the same selfishness, ideological extremism, and ignorance that precipitated the last one. Will democracy be restored with the collapse or will the fascists rule America for the next 50 years?
They could have ended it. There is no way mcconnell could not have come up with the requisite number of senators to convict the petty bully for Jan 6. Democrats aren't perfect, but Republicans (and their mendacious media that brainwashed voters) are COMPLETELY responsible for the state we are in.
Protesters need to throw the insurrection claim in the regime's face. Use people power in the day and project video and images of J6 onto the federal buildings where the military is assigned at night. Show MAGA beating police. Show the mob crawling all over the Capitol building, Show the Confederate flag inside the rotunda. Show Trump's violence. Deflate the propaganda and show the hypocrisy.