Exactly! All you need is Child Psychology 101 in college to understand this guys pathology. He is the definition of a spoiled, depraved adolescent! And this is me being diplomatic!..:)
Dave, granted, he is very immature vacillating between toddlerhood and junior high level drama, and yet the people who voted for him have given him permission to release Nuclear Armageddon if he wishes. Let us hope he does not seriously want to do that. Neither a toddler nor someone in the full throes of puberty should be trusted with such power.
I agree. I remember reading about candidate DJT in 2016 at some forum asking out loud; what is the use of having so many nuclear weapons if you can't use them. What a terrifying statement! Why Hillary never made an issue of it was baffling. She should have dusted off the famous daisy aid and an a-bomb explosion. (that only ran once during the 1964 campaign against Goldwater)
Yes. Tonight my Political book club, which has just finished reading Orwell's "1984" were discussing the Appendix which explains "Newspeak" the language of to us.
NEWSPEAK: is a politically constructed language designed to reduce the range of thought by shrinking vocabulary, eliminating nuance, and encoding ideology directly into word structure. The official language of Oceania, created by the Party to meet the ideological needs of Ingsoc and to eliminate the possibility of heretical thought. Newspeak is designed not to expand expression but to diminish it by reducing vocabulary, stripping words of secondary meanings, and collapsing complex concepts into simplified forms. Its ultimate purpose is to make alternative political and moral ideas literally unthinkable once Oldspeak disappears. Eventually to replace Oldspeak.
What Donald Trump uses from Newspeak is "Doublespeak" The guy is a natural born fascist, or at least a cultivated one.
Doublespeak is language that deliberately obscures, disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms , in which case it is primarily meant to make the truth sound more palatable. It may also refer to intentional ambiguity in language or to actual inversions of meaning. In such cases, doublespeak disguises the nature of the truth.
That is why I understand that Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" is really a "Board of War." Countries would be well advised to stay away because once in the claws of a fascist they will not let go without retribution.
In our book club we were discussing that the group of which I started a branch is considered a "terrorist" organization by the Trump government, and he is spreading these lists to leaders of other countries. I am a member of Indivisible Abroad, and that makes me a terrorist even though our group is about non-violence. In fact, I started my local branch. We were discussing what does "terrorist" mean, and in Doublespeak it would mean "peacemaker."
Trumpism has always revolved around a transparently false portrayal of a vile and absurd sociopath. The other day, I saw a highly educated person claim that the Trump administration is earnestly committed to "seeking truth" whereas we can't expect that from other presidents (especially Democrats).
To be a Trump defender requires either a lot of cynicism or some form of insanity.
I don't think he's wrong. Canada and Europe can't afford to assume Trump is bluffing or joshing about Greenland, or tariffs, or cutting off Ukraine, or reneging on our NATO obligations. Although I suspect they are trying their best not to overreact to every insane thing that comes out of his mouth, evidence shows they are taking Trump quite seriously. Just not in the way Rubio's handlers want.
James, I believe that Trump is serious about what he cares about because it keeps coming up. We see this with ICE. How about Greenland? How about Venezuela? These are not mature wishes, or reasonable, but they are serious.
I think that Rubio wants to be Trump's successor, but in Europe I think many would rather deal with Newsom and AOC. In fact, I live in Germany and a friend whose husband is a former German diplomat told me that the German politicians were fawning over AOC after her talk. In fact, I watched her speak both at the Munich Security Conference and then at the Technical University in Berlin on Sunday night. That audience was particularly enthusiastic since they had gotten one of the 1100 tickets available, and those tickets, offered to all of the students at any public university in Berlin, went in under 20 minutes. I wrote a piece about it which includes a link to her talk.
Linda, thank you for the link to your article and the embedded links to the talks. I listened to "A Conversation with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at TU Berlin" in its entirety, and it is amazing. She is the smartest and most articulate politician we have in the US.
Republicans have done their best to label her a far-left radical wingnut. Instead of supporting her, the gerontocracy that still controls the Democratic party has tried to undermine her. AOC talks about this at the 1:34 mark in the video. AOC says they attacked her because of her values, but that is being kind. The Democratic leadership was pissed because she defeated a 20-year member of congress in a primary in a safe district. Once in congress, she made the rest of them look bumbling and out of touch by comparison. They are jealous of her intellect and ability to communicate. Nancy Pelosi used her power to make sure AOC couldn't become the ranking member on the oversight committee in 2024, in deference to a guy more than twice her age who died a year later. They are still pissed because she won't shut up and "wait her turn."
The increasing concentration of wealth among the few has destabilized the political system in the US. We can't go back to the old equilibrium. One choice is to institutionalize the authoritarian dictatorship that is rapidly expanding its power. Once firmly in place, these are remarkably stable governments. The governments established by Mao and Stalin are still here. The other choice is a populist democracy as described by AOC. I don't think there is a third option. The clock is ticking.
James, I agree with you wholeheartedly about your characterization of AOC and what she brings to the table. You felt the way we all felt after hearing her, and you could see how the audience was relieved too. It is seldom that one hears a politician speak with such intelligence and clarity on what needs to happen. I already felt that way about hearing her at the MSC on a couple of panels.
It is a point of anger among many Americans I know who are in Democrats Abroad that the party leadership is so dismissive of anyone who is not corporate. I am also a member of Indivisible Abroad, where many who vote Democratic are not part of DA because they hate the party so much. They still want to get rid of Trump and his regime.
Donald Trump has made sure that my retirement is busy. Then there is the AfD is which is running a close second for demands of my time. Of course Putin is a constant threat in Europe because he is already engaged in WW3 in a hybrid way. Let us hope the dummies that follow Trump along with Trump mess up because they are ultimately so filled with hate that they are not strategic now that they are in power. I felt that the questions students asked helped round out what she was talking about. It was brilliant that the last person called on asked about the Epstein files. They should come up in every conversation about the US at this point. Each day new horrors are revealed, and the biggest horror is that everyone is clued in on the fact that the rich and powerful are a bunch of sick and evil people. The wealth corrupts them and the society allows this. AOC made me hopeful and I hope she imparted some of her hopefulness to you too.
I was struck by the number of commenters and commentators who likened Rubio's standing ovation to a battered woman saying of her abuser, "Oh, he still loves me! He hurts me because he loves me and wants me to be great!". Really struck by that. European leaders as battered women. What a thought.
Behaving as abusers has been the playbook for the GOP, MAGAts, the Trump administration, Rush Limbaugh (but still dead), conservative news, influencers (what else is the term “soy boy”?) for years, if not decades. Think Gingrich, W, maybe even Ronnie. Not for nothing has Jon Ossoff’s use of the term “Epstein class” resonated.
Unfortunately I can tell you. (You can stop reading if you wish). Negging is a term from pickup artists that claims a guy should pack little insults amongst the compliments into a conversation with a woman he's trying to pick up. That it motivates her to find favor in his eyes, since he is not slobbering all over her and saying how wonderful she is. It's a challenge. While sexist, there is a phenomenon where many people try hardest to please those that do not like them. Not limited to women of course. As Groucho Marx once said (comedically): I wouldn't join a club that would have me as a member.
I think the term "Epstein class" should become a staple every time a Dem politician opens their mouth. Let's start some back branding to those Repugnants who use that technique all the time and to great effect.
The obvious, but absent, continuation is, "The latter disapates with time, wind and hot air, while the former lingers much longer as a guaranteed, biological requirement."
I still see a difference. Rubio's only returns when he decides to repeat his scented screed. Shit is a permanent need and comes out of whatever orifice the Felon has open at the moment, admittedly, some being more biologically required than others, but the guaranteed repetition is the point.
Agree- repetition isn’t one size fits all- but I think your scatalogical example and multiplication still fit the aphorism; the insanity would lie in the expectation of a different outcome.
I don't know about Rubio. I mean, compared to JD Vance, he seems basically normal, not a nasty psycho. And perhaps if a trump wasn't in the picture, he might have been like another Bush as a Repub politician. But his incredible ability to kiss trump's ass on every subject every time pretty much diminishes anything he has to say to the point of insignificance.
The New Yorker profile pretty much said he's yet another more-or-less mainstream Republican who decided to sell his soul for a shot at power. Besides, this way he gets to crap on Cuba.
You could literally see him struggling with his decision.
I really wish he had gone the other way, gone against them, sort of like MTG did. I thought he had presidential ambitions. I don't see him as a good candidate but I didn't see Trump as one either. I think Vance postures a lot, he is weak minded with his flip-flopping. He's a pure opportunist created by Peter Thiel, who is also the owner of Palantir Tech. Isn't that the company that has all of our stolen information from Musk? Oh, and Thiel is another billionaire who is also in the Epstein files.
These people are all horrible and being protected by this administration, what a joke they are. All that bluster about exposing the Epstein files and acting as if Democrats were hiding it, and well, now they spoon feed out redacted copies, little by little and it is turning out that some of Maga's biggest donors are in there.
Rubio made a choice to conform to Maga for power. He knows and realizes how nasty maga has let themselves become, all so drunk with power, and he doesn't like it. You could see embarrassment all over his face during the Trump and Vance bullying of Zelensky. But he's literally sold his soul to where you can see the stress and pain of it. He is not going to be remembered fondly in history now, and that bothers him too.
That said, if he's not strong enough to push off someone else's idea of who he should be, than he's a coward. None of the men and women in the trump administration are "good" people, they are all phonies and have compromised themselves terribly in some way to be "in with" this gang of bullies.
I think it should be blatantly obvious by now that Trump does not wipe his own ass and so has someone else perform this odious, odoriferous, disgusting and repugnant service for him. Li'l Marco seems, if he doesn't actually relish doing so, at least at peace and ease with this part of his role in service to Trump and America.
"Over the weekend, emails purportedly from the Judge Advocate Recruiting Office to this year’s crop of JAG candidates began circulating on X: “The Department of Defense will no longer pay for candidates to attend these moderate or high risk schools,” the email reads. “You will have to apply and be accepted to a law school that is not in the moderate or high risk category, and is not listed below. This needs to be done immediately, particularly as we know that some application deadlines have passed, and that you also have a very short turn to try and submit (or re-submit) applications to other schools.”"
So let me get this straight. The Secretary of Defense has the freedom to be a lecherous, drunken piece of shit who gets aroused by committing war crimes, but the military does not have the right to pursue education at institutions SecDef considers "high risk"? Even though SecDef attended two of those "high risk" institutions himself? What risk does MIT pose? That it will teach students the most efficient way to implement a method of moments or FDTD algorithm? Woke electromagnetics?
Hegseth is functionally a fascist, and fascists insist on conformity and disdain critical thinking because it poses an unacceptable risk to conformity. I swear to God, sometimes I feel that he's the narrator in the Metallica song "Disposable Heroes".
OK Mike, now that you have been outed, are any of those five (heaven forbid) RED? I mean, if you, aren't you worried now about your licensure there if they learn your secret "perversion" of posting in this place? (Sorry, forgot the sarcasm alert.)
Method of moments (MoM). Short version is electromagnetics/radar engineers use MoM as a way to numerically solve something called the electric field integral equation as it pertains to "scattering" problems, i.e. what happens when an incident electric field scatters off an electrically conductive wire. You have to figure out what the scattered electric field is, and there's a bunch of mathematical tricks you can do to guesstimate that. I find it brutally hard. It's decidedly *not* easy to simply write MoM code. Thankfully, there is software in the public domain that implements MoM so you don't have to write it yourself.
My first reaction is the quote is not real because all Trump employees use the term "Department of War". It's like the "Gulf of America", NOBODY in his administration would dare use the proper term.
At least President’s Day hasn’t been corrupted by Donald Trump signing an executive order to call it Trump Day (yet … check back in a few hours).
But despite the evils that many past presidents have inflicted there was always a sense that even after Nixon the presidency was still about caring for the country’s ideals. That was shattered in 2016 the night the US elected Donald Trump. He brings all the worst attributes together: corrupt, sadistic, dishonest and unserious.
Bill makes the common mistake of failing to account for the ambiguity of common language. "Presidents Day" does not necessarily mean 'all Presidents'. It can just be 'more than one'. Which e.g. is what I always thought, i.e. just meaning that Washington and Lincoln were getting honored together instead of separately. All the newspaper ads I remember for Presidents Day sales had pics of both George and Abe, but no other POTUS. Isn't that why this is a shopping day? They're the guys with their mugs on the money, and those are the pics they use in the ads.
There are no coincidences - you can spell Barack Obama with the NYT spelling bee letters this morning , on presidents day . But the Bee refuses to accept it . Calling Candace Owen , I am not sure what this means . I am sure , though that its is very serious
Rubio, as Trump's emissary, no matter how reassuringly he tried to message, might as well given his speech in jeans and a wife beater t-shirt. Seriously!
It would be nice for MAGA to understand the impact of their votes. I suspect most of them will still wallow in their grievances, simply because the global elites are still out to get them.
Except for the fact that they voted for Trump, I think MAGA would be surprised how little (as in often) we do think of them. When Trump’s not around, I don’t think of those people at all!
That is a happy place to be. I only think of them when I read the news and opinions, because they are constantly brought up. Maybe not thinking about them allowed them to stew in their grievances, hate, conspiracy, etc.. Then Trump comes along and welcomes them from under their rocks.
High-level Trump apologists think he's doing an awesome job in the culture wars. They want their "Christian nationalist" ethno-state, but without much in the way of Christian virtues, even if means we're alone in the world and most of us are worse off.
I don’t expect any enlightenment, no matter how hot the stove and how many times they get burned. I’m trying to figure out how America ever achieved the heights we are now falling from.
The more we understand Trump and Trumpism the more we realize he's reignited a class war in America. He's on a mission to turn America into an exclusive low tax mecca for the rich, privileged and entitled. All above the law while America's workers toil away to keep our society going; reminiscent of the 18th-19th century's plantation and industrial systems.
But the GOOD news is that America is on to him and the GOP. Trump/MAGA is down 14% in its average approval ratings since Trump's inauguration. That equals 12,000,000 votes out of the 77,000,000 who mistakenly voted for the lying fascist rich boy and are now expressing remorse.
Coincidentally, it's funny how the GOP Budget numbers work. The $110 Billion the Trump/GOP has devoted to their ICE Gestapo secret police and prison camps is the amount of $s Americans need to refund our ACA healthcare subsidies.
The Constitution is coming for MAGA. We the people will win in Nov.
The idea that Trump truly cares about ordinary Americans was always transparently ludicrous, as was the notion that he's a truth-telling warrior against corruption and a stalwart champion of Christian values.
The claim that he is restoring "Americanism" is also a hollow sham, given that he prefers a dictatorship, dressed up with retro-patriotic symbols. He doesn't even "put America first," since he will obviously sell out the national interest to profit himself and his plutocratic allies.
Rubio. Elephant in the room! Hello there is a large animal sitting on your chest! Not a mention? No credibility. No integrity. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a continuing conflict that requires attention and more significant support of Ukraine.
Remember a month ago when all of right wing media from National Review to Fox News latched on to the shovel attack story as evidence that ICE was under attack by criminal violent illegals? There’s a reason why most of us rational thinkers didn’t believe a word said by Noem or the rest of Trump’s administration.
I’m happy we found out the story was false but most of their lies won’t be admitted. You can tell by their language that it’s just lying. If they were legitimately under attack or threat the language used would be more sober-minded and detailed. Instead everything is sensationalized into obvious lies. Protestors that blow whistles are called domestic terrorists interfering with ICE. Cars that violate minor traffic laws are called weapons intending to kill as many ICE officers by domestic terrorists.
The clownish statements of Noem have helped make most defenders of harsh immigration policy realize that’s not what’s going on. Unfortunately getting them to admit it doesn’t happen very much.
But the damage has already been done. Do you think FOX is going to be running stories about how the case was dropped and the officers placed on administrative leave? FOX will not do the follow up which doesn’t support their narrative — most media do very little follow up on these stories. There are many people who will believe the lie and never have heard it debunked.
The lesson I take is that they've gotten so used to lying that it doesn't bother them.
The cop that got hit with the sandwich testified, under oath, that the sandwich had "exploded" on him. There was a photo of the sandwich laying at his feet, unopened. That guy had no problem lying. Think it was his first time? I don't. And was there any sanction for him? Nope. Sandwich Guy walked, but that's not quite the same thing.
Yeah. Sandwich Guy got lucky that he threw the sandwich at a stupid cop, but Judge Box-o'-Wine indicted him on felony charges. If the cop had been a little more skilled in his lying or the photo hadn't existed, Sandwich Guy would be in prison right now.
This is serious stuff and I don't get the sense that people grasp it fully.
You do have to treat those Subway sandwiches with care, it’s best to get training as a combat engineer before attempting to unwrap one: if not you do so at your own risk and will suffer the consequences.
Kinda lazy of the Bulwark to just use the official lingo of 'contradicted by evidence' without elaborating. Based on witness observations reported in the press, the whole story of the ICE agent shooting the immigrant guy defensively while being attacked with broom and shovel was cock and bull. The witnesses said the guy was inside his apartment with ICE trying to get him and they shot him through the door.
The evidence contradicting the account is apparently the bullet hole in the door.
As near as I can tell -- I did not hear or see it all -- the Rubio speech was simply MAGA light, more of the same bullying of Europe with a new, slightly easier-on-the-eyes label wrapped around the can. We know who we are. They know who we are. There are no new tricks coming from this dog.
Those who want to hear a counterbalance to our current Washingtonspeak should read, listen to, or watch European media and comment forums, preferably in the original language as possible. They paint a very different image of our relations with the continent than what we are subjected to in official forums here, and with more depth and insight. We are unifying others who have trouble getting along ... through their disdain for the United States. That's not exactly what most foreign policy experts strive for.
The one ray of sunshine is that most observers there still differentiate between what our government is saying and doing, and what the typical American citizen represents. They know that MAGA is a minority voice. But with each passing day and each new attack on their values and standing, the behavior of the current regime threatens to stain us all with an ink that cannot be washed away, and with consequences for all of us, whether businesspeople, casual travelers, or otherwise. How long can we remain apart from that? I'd really rather not be forced to find out.
I think most people can make a distinction between a countries people and the policies emanating from its government, but at the end of the day, we get the governments we choose. The bigger loss is our reputation as a force for stability and the rule of law. Our power and much of our prosperity came from stable leadership who could be depended upon. An unstable US economy which swings wildly among policy preferences between presidents is not one they, or anyone, can count on to provide leadership and stability.
You are absolutely correct about reading or watching news from Europe and elsewhere on how these places see us.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: NATO countries shifting away from the U.S. will only work until more elect their own Trumps. Both the UK and France are on track to do it next time.
If Britain has it’s own MAGA turn it will be in part because Keir Starmer has been such a wimpy Prime minister. He came in with a strong mandate after years of Tory mismanagement, and yet he has not shown leadership or a willingness to use the powers of government to promote a Labour agenda. Note to Democrats whoever comes up in 2028 that person needs to have balls and not follow in Keir Starmer’s footsteps.
The UK is more than halfway there. It's so depressing watching them follow our MAGA timeline. Maybe JK Rowling now outed as being good friends with Epstein will get them to re-examine that the GENDER POLICE HARDER movement is always the tip of the fascist spear.
A little wish casting: within the next 20 years, the Presidents Day Holiday gets officially renamed “No Kings Day.” George Washington and Abraham Lincoln would certainly approve.
I interned at an air force base for a couple of summers, and I heard a story from someone there who had worked with a technical person who had worked at Area 51 (it was referred to as "the secret base in Nevada"). Evidently, the base had ruined a lot of marriages.
It was during the Cold War, and the U.S. government was paranoid about Soviet espionage, so evidently the people that worked there all had assumed identities. Also, the shuttle plane from Las Vegas that people would use to get to and from there on a daily basis was often missed if someone was in the middle of work, so having to stay overnight at the base was a not infrequent occurrence. If someone is coming back home the next day in the same clothes and they aren't allowed to tell their spouses why, what do you think the spouse is going to assume?
"President Trump demands seriousness ..."
I don't know if I've heard a less serious comment in my entire life.
Are you sure he didn’t write, “PRESIDENT TRUMP DEMANDS SERIOUSNESS! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!…:)
Just like a five year old spoiled brat
Exactly! All you need is Child Psychology 101 in college to understand this guys pathology. He is the definition of a spoiled, depraved adolescent! And this is me being diplomatic!..:)
And that is giving short shrift to five year old spoiled brats!
But, isn't a "spoiled brat" insufferable no matter what age? In fact, don't they get worse with age, like a cheese one left out too long?
Dave, granted, he is very immature vacillating between toddlerhood and junior high level drama, and yet the people who voted for him have given him permission to release Nuclear Armageddon if he wishes. Let us hope he does not seriously want to do that. Neither a toddler nor someone in the full throes of puberty should be trusted with such power.
I agree. I remember reading about candidate DJT in 2016 at some forum asking out loud; what is the use of having so many nuclear weapons if you can't use them. What a terrifying statement! Why Hillary never made an issue of it was baffling. She should have dusted off the famous daisy aid and an a-bomb explosion. (that only ran once during the 1964 campaign against Goldwater)
Yes. Tonight my Political book club, which has just finished reading Orwell's "1984" were discussing the Appendix which explains "Newspeak" the language of to us.
NEWSPEAK: is a politically constructed language designed to reduce the range of thought by shrinking vocabulary, eliminating nuance, and encoding ideology directly into word structure. The official language of Oceania, created by the Party to meet the ideological needs of Ingsoc and to eliminate the possibility of heretical thought. Newspeak is designed not to expand expression but to diminish it by reducing vocabulary, stripping words of secondary meanings, and collapsing complex concepts into simplified forms. Its ultimate purpose is to make alternative political and moral ideas literally unthinkable once Oldspeak disappears. Eventually to replace Oldspeak.
What Donald Trump uses from Newspeak is "Doublespeak" The guy is a natural born fascist, or at least a cultivated one.
Doublespeak is language that deliberately obscures, disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms , in which case it is primarily meant to make the truth sound more palatable. It may also refer to intentional ambiguity in language or to actual inversions of meaning. In such cases, doublespeak disguises the nature of the truth.
That is why I understand that Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" is really a "Board of War." Countries would be well advised to stay away because once in the claws of a fascist they will not let go without retribution.
In our book club we were discussing that the group of which I started a branch is considered a "terrorist" organization by the Trump government, and he is spreading these lists to leaders of other countries. I am a member of Indivisible Abroad, and that makes me a terrorist even though our group is about non-violence. In fact, I started my local branch. We were discussing what does "terrorist" mean, and in Doublespeak it would mean "peacemaker."
Trumpism has always revolved around a transparently false portrayal of a vile and absurd sociopath. The other day, I saw a highly educated person claim that the Trump administration is earnestly committed to "seeking truth" whereas we can't expect that from other presidents (especially Democrats).
To be a Trump defender requires either a lot of cynicism or some form of insanity.
Highly educated yet willfully ignorant. Sigh.
I have met a few of these people fairly recently. I find them extremely disappointing and disturbing.
Trump “seeking truth”?!!
OMG! What a joke.
The only reason Trump might be "seeking truth" is so he can club it to death with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire (or tell Miller to do it).
I vote for "insanity"!
I don't think he's wrong. Canada and Europe can't afford to assume Trump is bluffing or joshing about Greenland, or tariffs, or cutting off Ukraine, or reneging on our NATO obligations. Although I suspect they are trying their best not to overreact to every insane thing that comes out of his mouth, evidence shows they are taking Trump quite seriously. Just not in the way Rubio's handlers want.
The name “Trump” should always be replaced with “Miller” when referencing policy.
Partly. But the extortion, grift, and affinity to dictators is Trump all the way.
Yes, I’d agree with your description of Trump’s natural habitat.
And by "seriousness" he means flattery, bribery, and obedience.
James, I believe that Trump is serious about what he cares about because it keeps coming up. We see this with ICE. How about Greenland? How about Venezuela? These are not mature wishes, or reasonable, but they are serious.
I think that Rubio wants to be Trump's successor, but in Europe I think many would rather deal with Newsom and AOC. In fact, I live in Germany and a friend whose husband is a former German diplomat told me that the German politicians were fawning over AOC after her talk. In fact, I watched her speak both at the Munich Security Conference and then at the Technical University in Berlin on Sunday night. That audience was particularly enthusiastic since they had gotten one of the 1100 tickets available, and those tickets, offered to all of the students at any public university in Berlin, went in under 20 minutes. I wrote a piece about it which includes a link to her talk.
https://lindaweide.substack.com/p/aoc-had-a-berlin-audience-eating?r=f0qfn
Linda, thank you for the link to your article and the embedded links to the talks. I listened to "A Conversation with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at TU Berlin" in its entirety, and it is amazing. She is the smartest and most articulate politician we have in the US.
Republicans have done their best to label her a far-left radical wingnut. Instead of supporting her, the gerontocracy that still controls the Democratic party has tried to undermine her. AOC talks about this at the 1:34 mark in the video. AOC says they attacked her because of her values, but that is being kind. The Democratic leadership was pissed because she defeated a 20-year member of congress in a primary in a safe district. Once in congress, she made the rest of them look bumbling and out of touch by comparison. They are jealous of her intellect and ability to communicate. Nancy Pelosi used her power to make sure AOC couldn't become the ranking member on the oversight committee in 2024, in deference to a guy more than twice her age who died a year later. They are still pissed because she won't shut up and "wait her turn."
The increasing concentration of wealth among the few has destabilized the political system in the US. We can't go back to the old equilibrium. One choice is to institutionalize the authoritarian dictatorship that is rapidly expanding its power. Once firmly in place, these are remarkably stable governments. The governments established by Mao and Stalin are still here. The other choice is a populist democracy as described by AOC. I don't think there is a third option. The clock is ticking.
James, I agree with you wholeheartedly about your characterization of AOC and what she brings to the table. You felt the way we all felt after hearing her, and you could see how the audience was relieved too. It is seldom that one hears a politician speak with such intelligence and clarity on what needs to happen. I already felt that way about hearing her at the MSC on a couple of panels.
It is a point of anger among many Americans I know who are in Democrats Abroad that the party leadership is so dismissive of anyone who is not corporate. I am also a member of Indivisible Abroad, where many who vote Democratic are not part of DA because they hate the party so much. They still want to get rid of Trump and his regime.
Donald Trump has made sure that my retirement is busy. Then there is the AfD is which is running a close second for demands of my time. Of course Putin is a constant threat in Europe because he is already engaged in WW3 in a hybrid way. Let us hope the dummies that follow Trump along with Trump mess up because they are ultimately so filled with hate that they are not strategic now that they are in power. I felt that the questions students asked helped round out what she was talking about. It was brilliant that the last person called on asked about the Epstein files. They should come up in every conversation about the US at this point. Each day new horrors are revealed, and the biggest horror is that everyone is clued in on the fact that the rich and powerful are a bunch of sick and evil people. The wealth corrupts them and the society allows this. AOC made me hopeful and I hope she imparted some of her hopefulness to you too.
Trump Shits on Europe. Rubio Applies Perfume.
All headline writers in the era of Trump should learn from this headline. Well done.
I was struck by the number of commenters and commentators who likened Rubio's standing ovation to a battered woman saying of her abuser, "Oh, he still loves me! He hurts me because he loves me and wants me to be great!". Really struck by that. European leaders as battered women. What a thought.
Behaving as abusers has been the playbook for the GOP, MAGAts, the Trump administration, Rush Limbaugh (but still dead), conservative news, influencers (what else is the term “soy boy”?) for years, if not decades. Think Gingrich, W, maybe even Ronnie. Not for nothing has Jon Ossoff’s use of the term “Epstein class” resonated.
What can we expect from a movement that popularized “negging” as a way to get women to fall in love?
I don't even want to know what "negging" means. 😭
Unfortunately I can tell you. (You can stop reading if you wish). Negging is a term from pickup artists that claims a guy should pack little insults amongst the compliments into a conversation with a woman he's trying to pick up. That it motivates her to find favor in his eyes, since he is not slobbering all over her and saying how wonderful she is. It's a challenge. While sexist, there is a phenomenon where many people try hardest to please those that do not like them. Not limited to women of course. As Groucho Marx once said (comedically): I wouldn't join a club that would have me as a member.
Also known as “You’d be a lot prettier if you smiled more often.”
I think the term "Epstein class" should become a staple every time a Dem politician opens their mouth. Let's start some back branding to those Repugnants who use that technique all the time and to great effect.
This MAGA movement is attached at the hip to misogyny.
"Really struck by that."
<Ha. Sob.>
Pun not intended. 😭
I keep thinking of that AI video of him unleashing a load on NYC from a jet-plane. The image seems... apt.
The obvious, but absent, continuation is, "The latter disapates with time, wind and hot air, while the former lingers much longer as a guaranteed, biological requirement."
The continuation could be 'Both leave their mark.'
How do you mean "leave"?
Olfactory.
I still see a difference. Rubio's only returns when he decides to repeat his scented screed. Shit is a permanent need and comes out of whatever orifice the Felon has open at the moment, admittedly, some being more biologically required than others, but the guaranteed repetition is the point.
So to expect a different outcome from the guaranteed repetition = definition of insanity.
"Trump Shits on Europe Like They are His Pants in an Oval Office Meeting" would have been better
I came here to say the same thing!
Lipstick on a pig
Rubio applies dollar store perfume.
Agree- repetition isn’t one size fits all- but I think your scatalogical example and multiplication still fit the aphorism; the insanity would lie in the expectation of a different outcome.
I don't know about Rubio. I mean, compared to JD Vance, he seems basically normal, not a nasty psycho. And perhaps if a trump wasn't in the picture, he might have been like another Bush as a Repub politician. But his incredible ability to kiss trump's ass on every subject every time pretty much diminishes anything he has to say to the point of insignificance.
The New Yorker profile pretty much said he's yet another more-or-less mainstream Republican who decided to sell his soul for a shot at power. Besides, this way he gets to crap on Cuba.
I’ve never before seen a soul actually take flight in real time. It’s been unsettling.
I know, watching it go is disturbing isn't it!
You could literally see him struggling with his decision.
I really wish he had gone the other way, gone against them, sort of like MTG did. I thought he had presidential ambitions. I don't see him as a good candidate but I didn't see Trump as one either. I think Vance postures a lot, he is weak minded with his flip-flopping. He's a pure opportunist created by Peter Thiel, who is also the owner of Palantir Tech. Isn't that the company that has all of our stolen information from Musk? Oh, and Thiel is another billionaire who is also in the Epstein files.
These people are all horrible and being protected by this administration, what a joke they are. All that bluster about exposing the Epstein files and acting as if Democrats were hiding it, and well, now they spoon feed out redacted copies, little by little and it is turning out that some of Maga's biggest donors are in there.
Rubio has his finger in the wind, like Vance. He will shift directions as required to climb higher. Easier, now that he has jettisoned his soul.
Can’t jettison what he never had.
Rubio made a choice to conform to Maga for power. He knows and realizes how nasty maga has let themselves become, all so drunk with power, and he doesn't like it. You could see embarrassment all over his face during the Trump and Vance bullying of Zelensky. But he's literally sold his soul to where you can see the stress and pain of it. He is not going to be remembered fondly in history now, and that bothers him too.
That said, if he's not strong enough to push off someone else's idea of who he should be, than he's a coward. None of the men and women in the trump administration are "good" people, they are all phonies and have compromised themselves terribly in some way to be "in with" this gang of bullies.
He didn’t need to hitch himself to Trump. He’s young, had plenty of time.
Although perhaps he thinks some Trump voters would also vote for him in ‘28.
Rubio as Floridians know him: basically normal ... compared to Trump & Vance.
....and pudding' fingers
I think it should be blatantly obvious by now that Trump does not wipe his own ass and so has someone else perform this odious, odoriferous, disgusting and repugnant service for him. Li'l Marco seems, if he doesn't actually relish doing so, at least at peace and ease with this part of his role in service to Trump and America.
Rubio is a guy who publicly said he hated being a Senator and that he found the job boring. And then he chose to run for office again.
"Over the weekend, emails purportedly from the Judge Advocate Recruiting Office to this year’s crop of JAG candidates began circulating on X: “The Department of Defense will no longer pay for candidates to attend these moderate or high risk schools,” the email reads. “You will have to apply and be accepted to a law school that is not in the moderate or high risk category, and is not listed below. This needs to be done immediately, particularly as we know that some application deadlines have passed, and that you also have a very short turn to try and submit (or re-submit) applications to other schools.”"
So let me get this straight. The Secretary of Defense has the freedom to be a lecherous, drunken piece of shit who gets aroused by committing war crimes, but the military does not have the right to pursue education at institutions SecDef considers "high risk"? Even though SecDef attended two of those "high risk" institutions himself? What risk does MIT pose? That it will teach students the most efficient way to implement a method of moments or FDTD algorithm? Woke electromagnetics?
Hegseth is functionally a fascist, and fascists insist on conformity and disdain critical thinking because it poses an unacceptable risk to conformity. I swear to God, sometimes I feel that he's the narrator in the Metallica song "Disposable Heroes".
Even Pepperdine is too woke!
Which is saying something since it had Ken Starr (spit!) as dean for its school of law.
Well, it is located in Malibu. Woke is probably contagious out here.
Boston College, too. Apparently the Jesuits are "woke" now.
That is honestly pretty mind blowing to see
Never expected to see MoM cited in anything Bulwark!
LOL! There's a lot of really smart people here. Mike Lew, for example, is a professional engineer in five states.
And snarkastic in all states!
(I think you're making him blush)
Feeling stalked is more like it. 😀
OK Mike, now that you have been outed, are any of those five (heaven forbid) RED? I mean, if you, aren't you worried now about your licensure there if they learn your secret "perversion" of posting in this place? (Sorry, forgot the sarcasm alert.)
Ron DeSantis' name was on the letterhead of one state's correspondence. 😀
I’m definitely a stalker!🤗🤣
Don't tell my wife. 😀
The joke is on you if you think a PE license makes you smart. 😀
Damn I hoped something might make ME smart
If you figure it out, let me know. 😀
And you remembered that off the top of your head, why? 😀
Because you said you were the other day and I've got a pretty good memory. :)
Dropped my PE registration in all but one state when I retired.
One of our retired senior principal engineers is a PE and he was super smart.
What’s MoM? I can’t look it up, Google ignores case.
Method of moments (MoM). Short version is electromagnetics/radar engineers use MoM as a way to numerically solve something called the electric field integral equation as it pertains to "scattering" problems, i.e. what happens when an incident electric field scatters off an electrically conductive wire. You have to figure out what the scattered electric field is, and there's a bunch of mathematical tricks you can do to guesstimate that. I find it brutally hard. It's decidedly *not* easy to simply write MoM code. Thankfully, there is software in the public domain that implements MoM so you don't have to write it yourself.
Thanks. I did study physics in university but that was very long ago.
Method of Moments - numerical electromagnetics
Thank you!
My first reaction is the quote is not real because all Trump employees use the term "Department of War". It's like the "Gulf of America", NOBODY in his administration would dare use the proper term.
Republicans always complain about Democrats apologizing to the world, and then every time Republicans are in power they demonstrate why they have to.
It's like a DUI. Everything is fine till the D part.
At least President’s Day hasn’t been corrupted by Donald Trump signing an executive order to call it Trump Day (yet … check back in a few hours).
But despite the evils that many past presidents have inflicted there was always a sense that even after Nixon the presidency was still about caring for the country’s ideals. That was shattered in 2016 the night the US elected Donald Trump. He brings all the worst attributes together: corrupt, sadistic, dishonest and unserious.
Bill makes the common mistake of failing to account for the ambiguity of common language. "Presidents Day" does not necessarily mean 'all Presidents'. It can just be 'more than one'. Which e.g. is what I always thought, i.e. just meaning that Washington and Lincoln were getting honored together instead of separately. All the newspaper ads I remember for Presidents Day sales had pics of both George and Abe, but no other POTUS. Isn't that why this is a shopping day? They're the guys with their mugs on the money, and those are the pics they use in the ads.
Excuse me, President Obama, there are two people holding for you on line 1, their names are Mulder and Scully . . . . . . .
Poor President Obama. Didn't he realize the country went crazy and you can't mention anything without it becoming a conspiracy theory?
And just think, it was a scandal when he wore a brown suit!
To assume humans are the height of intelligent life and only exist on this planet shows Trumpian levels of hubris.
Especially given we live in an infinite universe, of which there may be many.
And would be very sad for the universe!
The truth is out there!
The truth is out there......
I want to believe.
There are no coincidences - you can spell Barack Obama with the NYT spelling bee letters this morning , on presidents day . But the Bee refuses to accept it . Calling Candace Owen , I am not sure what this means . I am sure , though that its is very serious
They can post on X.
Rubio, as Trump's emissary, no matter how reassuringly he tried to message, might as well given his speech in jeans and a wife beater t-shirt. Seriously!
Shut up! I love you! :)
as reaches for a pack of cigarettes in his t-shirt pocket since they no longer can be rolled up in cut-off sleeves.
Europe knows what time it is, and because of that they are rightly leaving us behind.
Hope this is what MAGA ultimately wanted. The find out phase sure is unpleasant, especially for those of us who opted out of the f*ck around phase.
It would be nice for MAGA to understand the impact of their votes. I suspect most of them will still wallow in their grievances, simply because the global elites are still out to get them.
There will always be a new scapegoat to blame!
How to choose, how to choose. The GOP will be happy to help with that.
Except for the fact that they voted for Trump, I think MAGA would be surprised how little (as in often) we do think of them. When Trump’s not around, I don’t think of those people at all!
That is a happy place to be. I only think of them when I read the news and opinions, because they are constantly brought up. Maybe not thinking about them allowed them to stew in their grievances, hate, conspiracy, etc.. Then Trump comes along and welcomes them from under their rocks.
High-level Trump apologists think he's doing an awesome job in the culture wars. They want their "Christian nationalist" ethno-state, but without much in the way of Christian virtues, even if means we're alone in the world and most of us are worse off.
I don’t expect any enlightenment, no matter how hot the stove and how many times they get burned. I’m trying to figure out how America ever achieved the heights we are now falling from.
The more we understand Trump and Trumpism the more we realize he's reignited a class war in America. He's on a mission to turn America into an exclusive low tax mecca for the rich, privileged and entitled. All above the law while America's workers toil away to keep our society going; reminiscent of the 18th-19th century's plantation and industrial systems.
But the GOOD news is that America is on to him and the GOP. Trump/MAGA is down 14% in its average approval ratings since Trump's inauguration. That equals 12,000,000 votes out of the 77,000,000 who mistakenly voted for the lying fascist rich boy and are now expressing remorse.
Coincidentally, it's funny how the GOP Budget numbers work. The $110 Billion the Trump/GOP has devoted to their ICE Gestapo secret police and prison camps is the amount of $s Americans need to refund our ACA healthcare subsidies.
The Constitution is coming for MAGA. We the people will win in Nov.
The idea that Trump truly cares about ordinary Americans was always transparently ludicrous, as was the notion that he's a truth-telling warrior against corruption and a stalwart champion of Christian values.
The claim that he is restoring "Americanism" is also a hollow sham, given that he prefers a dictatorship, dressed up with retro-patriotic symbols. He doesn't even "put America first," since he will obviously sell out the national interest to profit himself and his plutocratic allies.
That is the Truth!
Until Elon convinces the supreme court that his robots are as human as corporations and get to vote.
Convinces or pays off?
Rubio. Elephant in the room! Hello there is a large animal sitting on your chest! Not a mention? No credibility. No integrity. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a continuing conflict that requires attention and more significant support of Ukraine.
more like Dumbo
Remember a month ago when all of right wing media from National Review to Fox News latched on to the shovel attack story as evidence that ICE was under attack by criminal violent illegals? There’s a reason why most of us rational thinkers didn’t believe a word said by Noem or the rest of Trump’s administration.
I’m happy we found out the story was false but most of their lies won’t be admitted. You can tell by their language that it’s just lying. If they were legitimately under attack or threat the language used would be more sober-minded and detailed. Instead everything is sensationalized into obvious lies. Protestors that blow whistles are called domestic terrorists interfering with ICE. Cars that violate minor traffic laws are called weapons intending to kill as many ICE officers by domestic terrorists.
The clownish statements of Noem have helped make most defenders of harsh immigration policy realize that’s not what’s going on. Unfortunately getting them to admit it doesn’t happen very much.
But the damage has already been done. Do you think FOX is going to be running stories about how the case was dropped and the officers placed on administrative leave? FOX will not do the follow up which doesn’t support their narrative — most media do very little follow up on these stories. There are many people who will believe the lie and never have heard it debunked.
I'm sorry but if you are such a wimp that you are at risk from a broom handle, maybe you should go find another job.
It's amazing how all the way down the line they're all just learning to lie through their teeth. About everything.
The lesson I take is that they've gotten so used to lying that it doesn't bother them.
The cop that got hit with the sandwich testified, under oath, that the sandwich had "exploded" on him. There was a photo of the sandwich laying at his feet, unopened. That guy had no problem lying. Think it was his first time? I don't. And was there any sanction for him? Nope. Sandwich Guy walked, but that's not quite the same thing.
“exploded” was the giveaway that he was making it up. And he was too dumb to realize it.
Yeah. Sandwich Guy got lucky that he threw the sandwich at a stupid cop, but Judge Box-o'-Wine indicted him on felony charges. If the cop had been a little more skilled in his lying or the photo hadn't existed, Sandwich Guy would be in prison right now.
This is serious stuff and I don't get the sense that people grasp it fully.
Yup
You do have to treat those Subway sandwiches with care, it’s best to get training as a combat engineer before attempting to unwrap one: if not you do so at your own risk and will suffer the consequences.
Kinda lazy of the Bulwark to just use the official lingo of 'contradicted by evidence' without elaborating. Based on witness observations reported in the press, the whole story of the ICE agent shooting the immigrant guy defensively while being attacked with broom and shovel was cock and bull. The witnesses said the guy was inside his apartment with ICE trying to get him and they shot him through the door.
The evidence contradicting the account is apparently the bullet hole in the door.
As near as I can tell -- I did not hear or see it all -- the Rubio speech was simply MAGA light, more of the same bullying of Europe with a new, slightly easier-on-the-eyes label wrapped around the can. We know who we are. They know who we are. There are no new tricks coming from this dog.
Those who want to hear a counterbalance to our current Washingtonspeak should read, listen to, or watch European media and comment forums, preferably in the original language as possible. They paint a very different image of our relations with the continent than what we are subjected to in official forums here, and with more depth and insight. We are unifying others who have trouble getting along ... through their disdain for the United States. That's not exactly what most foreign policy experts strive for.
The one ray of sunshine is that most observers there still differentiate between what our government is saying and doing, and what the typical American citizen represents. They know that MAGA is a minority voice. But with each passing day and each new attack on their values and standing, the behavior of the current regime threatens to stain us all with an ink that cannot be washed away, and with consequences for all of us, whether businesspeople, casual travelers, or otherwise. How long can we remain apart from that? I'd really rather not be forced to find out.
I think most people can make a distinction between a countries people and the policies emanating from its government, but at the end of the day, we get the governments we choose. The bigger loss is our reputation as a force for stability and the rule of law. Our power and much of our prosperity came from stable leadership who could be depended upon. An unstable US economy which swings wildly among policy preferences between presidents is not one they, or anyone, can count on to provide leadership and stability.
You are absolutely correct about reading or watching news from Europe and elsewhere on how these places see us.
A polite version of JD Vance. Nothing more.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: NATO countries shifting away from the U.S. will only work until more elect their own Trumps. Both the UK and France are on track to do it next time.
If Britain has it’s own MAGA turn it will be in part because Keir Starmer has been such a wimpy Prime minister. He came in with a strong mandate after years of Tory mismanagement, and yet he has not shown leadership or a willingness to use the powers of government to promote a Labour agenda. Note to Democrats whoever comes up in 2028 that person needs to have balls and not follow in Keir Starmer’s footsteps.
The UK is more than halfway there. It's so depressing watching them follow our MAGA timeline. Maybe JK Rowling now outed as being good friends with Epstein will get them to re-examine that the GENDER POLICE HARDER movement is always the tip of the fascist spear.
A little wish casting: within the next 20 years, the Presidents Day Holiday gets officially renamed “No Kings Day.” George Washington and Abraham Lincoln would certainly approve.
I interned at an air force base for a couple of summers, and I heard a story from someone there who had worked with a technical person who had worked at Area 51 (it was referred to as "the secret base in Nevada"). Evidently, the base had ruined a lot of marriages.
It was during the Cold War, and the U.S. government was paranoid about Soviet espionage, so evidently the people that worked there all had assumed identities. Also, the shuttle plane from Las Vegas that people would use to get to and from there on a daily basis was often missed if someone was in the middle of work, so having to stay overnight at the base was a not infrequent occurrence. If someone is coming back home the next day in the same clothes and they aren't allowed to tell their spouses why, what do you think the spouse is going to assume?