Thank you, Timothy, for expressing the feelings of what I guess is now the "other" US. As a member of Pussy Riot said during the first Trump administration, now we Americans have to learn what the Soviet system was like in so many ways. Actually, the enabling conditions for these shocking developments have been a long time coming, but it's still almost impossible to orient oneself. Terrible grief, especially for our relations with so many countries and peoples--and the betrayal of Ukraine is unbearable. Already difficult to get through each day--how do we say "sorry" to everyone who is being betrayed?
By standing up for ourselves in any way we can to prove that this country hasn't just rolled over for Felon 47, The Musk and Sir Vancelot. We're made of sterner stuff and have our country and its values to protect.
Many American's hearts are breaking, though the fight for our democracy is truly strong, we share in your anger, disgust, and question how we can defeat PINO and Musk's rats that have turned our country 180 degrees towards autocracy and a love of all that is oligarchy.
Never did we see how doge would come and destroy our country from the bottom up, firing civil service workers, denying aid to the world, especially Ukraine.
At 70 years of age I feel broken, but will fight for our democracy any way I can.
Indivisable is helping by bringing our voices to the streets and town halls.
The justice department and judges are holding, for now.
Republicans are afraid to be challenged both by their constituency and fear the wrath of trump and musk as they fear losing their power, and some, I suppose, their lives. They have failed us.
I am amazed that this has happened so quickly. Even Hitler and Stalin took years to reveal their true totalitarianism. Trump must be Putin’s poodle. However, we are in no position to respond quickly enough to influence events so, like Ukraine, we will have to take the time available to do what we can. What absolute despicable behaviour to remove the intelligence from Ukraine that enabled them to defend themselves. In 1938 when Chamberlain signed off the borders of Czechoslovakia to Hitler, he returned home and doubled aircraft production in one year. In 2025 there is no such opportunity except to increase production of what arms and munitions we could use if able to put boots on the ground. No spy satellites are possible, nor RN Ships to blockade the harbours of Russia and prevent the export of oil. That warm blanket, NATO, under which we sheltered for nearly 80 years is taken away with two months. It is difficult to imagine how Western Europe is going to respond to the obvious threat.
And we need to do this urgently and not by taking from those who have the least but by fair taxation and borrowing. This is not a time to keep to what were always stupid fiscal promises even before Trump’s evil treachery on Ukraine.
Actually, it took only 53 days from Hitler's installation as Chancellor until the abolition of the Weimar Constitution, democracy, freedom of expression, and protection of human rights.
This, too, has taken years. There has always been a strain of both isolationism and anti-democratic feeling in America. It rises and falls with time and circumstance. We might remember that in the depths of the Great Depression both American intellectuals and ordinary Americans toyed with communism. Trump himself would have felt right at home as a southern slaveowner, and Vance probably would have fully been board on the ‘keep the franchise away from all those childless cat women’.
Abraham LIncoln understood it back in 1838, “As a nation of free men, we shall live through all time, or die by suicide”.
His more modern ‘counterpart’, the cartoon character Pogo once put it a bit more succinctly, “We have met the enemy, and they is us”.
Circumstances change, but the divisions have always been there. One of democracy’s greatest weaknesses is its tendency to eat itself alive from the inside out.
We are being severely tested, as we have been several times before. The outcome has never been certain, and it isn’t now.
More than anything else, we need to remember and to embrace the most salient fact about America and Americans. We are both the inheritors of and the participants in the most extraordinary, the most crucial, the riskiest, and the most complex experiment in human government ever attempted. WE need both comprehend and to celebrate that.
90 years ago (WWII was in the making well before 1938) there was no internet and my hope is that, as quick as this is happening, proper resolution will take place with equal speed. 🤨
It’s one thing to read about it happening in the past, it’s another to watch it happen elsewhere, and still another to experience it happening yourself in real time. Appalling to be reminded what humans can be like—everywhere, everywhen. 😩
This encapsulates the feelings of so many people I speak to. Having read your articles over many years, usually reserved and thoughtful, I was shocked by the passion and anger expressed. However, it confirmed and helped to justify my own feelings.
I too have been to the USA many times and have a son and family there. The lack of any serious push back by leaders from any sector of society with honourable exceptions, has been deeply depressing. Not just from the political world but from business too.
Thank you, Timothy, for expressing the feelings of what I guess is now the "other" US. As a member of Pussy Riot said during the first Trump administration, now we Americans have to learn what the Soviet system was like in so many ways. Actually, the enabling conditions for these shocking developments have been a long time coming, but it's still almost impossible to orient oneself. Terrible grief, especially for our relations with so many countries and peoples--and the betrayal of Ukraine is unbearable. Already difficult to get through each day--how do we say "sorry" to everyone who is being betrayed?
How can Americans vote for Trump’s insanity you ask? Unfortunate, the answer is simple. Joe Biden promised to be a middle-of-the-road one-term president - but instead went waaaay too far DEI-left AND attempted to run for a second term in 2024. These catastrophic stupidities allowed not only for Trump to sneak in vary narrowly on the popular vote, but also for Dems to lose the House & Senate. Jill Biden and Joe’s advisors have done grave hard to this nation. Let’s hope it’s not irreparable.
No one has expressed European anger at Trump's behavior and betrayal of its allies and its own constitution better than French Senator Claude Mathuret, who delivered a blistering critique of Trump to the French Senate. He refers to Washington under Trump as "Nero's Court". Here is the speech in its entirety, in French, courtesy of RFI. There are plenty of other sources with English text to accompany it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-lh0TUTtvI
Yes, America is hitting bottom from its addiction brought by a long dose of excess collective wealth, even as it gets more concentrated at the top. The majority realize they will not ever “make it” on the current trajectory so next best thing? A “tear it down”energy motivated subconsciously. A vote for Trump, or a non-vote, were both acting out the aforementioned impulse. Like a miserable addict on a last-resort high risk crime spree. Time for detox but can’t quite face it!
The war is lost. Russia was and is not defeated. Trump is not Hitler, he is Gorbatchev trying to salvage a declining empire. It’s European clients need to grow up and realize the status quo is over. No amount of pearl clutching about our shared values will change that.
At best (with a lot of wishful thinking) an unreliable ally, all too predictably so; at worst, an enemy. Why are we still sharing intelligence with them? Should we still be hosting their military bases?
Thank you, Timothy, for expressing the feelings of what I guess is now the "other" US. As a member of Pussy Riot said during the first Trump administration, now we Americans have to learn what the Soviet system was like in so many ways. Actually, the enabling conditions for these shocking developments have been a long time coming, but it's still almost impossible to orient oneself. Terrible grief, especially for our relations with so many countries and peoples--and the betrayal of Ukraine is unbearable. Already difficult to get through each day--how do we say "sorry" to everyone who is being betrayed?
By standing up for ourselves in any way we can to prove that this country hasn't just rolled over for Felon 47, The Musk and Sir Vancelot. We're made of sterner stuff and have our country and its values to protect.
Many American's hearts are breaking, though the fight for our democracy is truly strong, we share in your anger, disgust, and question how we can defeat PINO and Musk's rats that have turned our country 180 degrees towards autocracy and a love of all that is oligarchy.
Never did we see how doge would come and destroy our country from the bottom up, firing civil service workers, denying aid to the world, especially Ukraine.
At 70 years of age I feel broken, but will fight for our democracy any way I can.
Indivisable is helping by bringing our voices to the streets and town halls.
The justice department and judges are holding, for now.
Republicans are afraid to be challenged both by their constituency and fear the wrath of trump and musk as they fear losing their power, and some, I suppose, their lives. They have failed us.
Unfortunately, there are some who love this. Ugh.
I just don't get that.
I'm not turning my back on America, yet.
I am amazed that this has happened so quickly. Even Hitler and Stalin took years to reveal their true totalitarianism. Trump must be Putin’s poodle. However, we are in no position to respond quickly enough to influence events so, like Ukraine, we will have to take the time available to do what we can. What absolute despicable behaviour to remove the intelligence from Ukraine that enabled them to defend themselves. In 1938 when Chamberlain signed off the borders of Czechoslovakia to Hitler, he returned home and doubled aircraft production in one year. In 2025 there is no such opportunity except to increase production of what arms and munitions we could use if able to put boots on the ground. No spy satellites are possible, nor RN Ships to blockade the harbours of Russia and prevent the export of oil. That warm blanket, NATO, under which we sheltered for nearly 80 years is taken away with two months. It is difficult to imagine how Western Europe is going to respond to the obvious threat.
we respond by using our own satellites and reopening our own weapons factories. its not rocket science
Exactly!
And we need to do this urgently and not by taking from those who have the least but by fair taxation and borrowing. This is not a time to keep to what were always stupid fiscal promises even before Trump’s evil treachery on Ukraine.
It will take years. At Alamein most of Montgomery’s tanks were American.
Perhaps
Actually, it took only 53 days from Hitler's installation as Chancellor until the abolition of the Weimar Constitution, democracy, freedom of expression, and protection of human rights.
"I am amazed that this has happened so quickly. Even Hitler and Stalin took years to reveal their true totalitarianism. Trump must be Putin’s poodle."
You Really need to stay away from Corporate Media.
What is Corporate Media?
ABC,CBS,NBC, AP,UPI, BBC, Do I need to go on?
This, too, has taken years. There has always been a strain of both isolationism and anti-democratic feeling in America. It rises and falls with time and circumstance. We might remember that in the depths of the Great Depression both American intellectuals and ordinary Americans toyed with communism. Trump himself would have felt right at home as a southern slaveowner, and Vance probably would have fully been board on the ‘keep the franchise away from all those childless cat women’.
Abraham LIncoln understood it back in 1838, “As a nation of free men, we shall live through all time, or die by suicide”.
His more modern ‘counterpart’, the cartoon character Pogo once put it a bit more succinctly, “We have met the enemy, and they is us”.
Circumstances change, but the divisions have always been there. One of democracy’s greatest weaknesses is its tendency to eat itself alive from the inside out.
We are being severely tested, as we have been several times before. The outcome has never been certain, and it isn’t now.
More than anything else, we need to remember and to embrace the most salient fact about America and Americans. We are both the inheritors of and the participants in the most extraordinary, the most crucial, the riskiest, and the most complex experiment in human government ever attempted. WE need both comprehend and to celebrate that.
90 years ago (WWII was in the making well before 1938) there was no internet and my hope is that, as quick as this is happening, proper resolution will take place with equal speed. 🤨
It’s one thing to read about it happening in the past, it’s another to watch it happen elsewhere, and still another to experience it happening yourself in real time. Appalling to be reminded what humans can be like—everywhere, everywhen. 😩
This encapsulates the feelings of so many people I speak to. Having read your articles over many years, usually reserved and thoughtful, I was shocked by the passion and anger expressed. However, it confirmed and helped to justify my own feelings.
I too have been to the USA many times and have a son and family there. The lack of any serious push back by leaders from any sector of society with honourable exceptions, has been deeply depressing. Not just from the political world but from business too.
Thank you, Timothy, for expressing the feelings of what I guess is now the "other" US. As a member of Pussy Riot said during the first Trump administration, now we Americans have to learn what the Soviet system was like in so many ways. Actually, the enabling conditions for these shocking developments have been a long time coming, but it's still almost impossible to orient oneself. Terrible grief, especially for our relations with so many countries and peoples--and the betrayal of Ukraine is unbearable. Already difficult to get through each day--how do we say "sorry" to everyone who is being betrayed?
Thanks Timothy, for encapsulating how many of us feel. Exactly so.
Five quotes from Karl Kraus:
- How someone lies can be more revealing than the truth spoken by another.
- Evil thrives best under the cover of a lie.
-The falsest news can generate the truest hatreds.
-His talent? A lack of character.
-They judge that they be not judged.
How can Americans vote for Trump’s insanity you ask? Unfortunate, the answer is simple. Joe Biden promised to be a middle-of-the-road one-term president - but instead went waaaay too far DEI-left AND attempted to run for a second term in 2024. These catastrophic stupidities allowed not only for Trump to sneak in vary narrowly on the popular vote, but also for Dems to lose the House & Senate. Jill Biden and Joe’s advisors have done grave hard to this nation. Let’s hope it’s not irreparable.
Sorry for the typos.
No one has expressed European anger at Trump's behavior and betrayal of its allies and its own constitution better than French Senator Claude Mathuret, who delivered a blistering critique of Trump to the French Senate. He refers to Washington under Trump as "Nero's Court". Here is the speech in its entirety, in French, courtesy of RFI. There are plenty of other sources with English text to accompany it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-lh0TUTtvI
With a jester high on Ketamine
The administration continues to lie and preen
DC has become the court of Nero
with nobody within stepping up to be a hero
Bur Dems have Crockett AOC
and Sanders
who rise up to their false propaganda
We have Al Green who raised his cane
As the words coming from Trump were insane
The MAGAs clapped devoutly
For the boasts he proclaimed proudly
Trump is a traitor without redemption
We need an emergency impeachment proclamation!
Thanks to Senator Malhuret of French Republic for the genesis of this poem!
The citizens of the US need the experience, strength and hope learned from resisting authoritarianism.
Yes, America is hitting bottom from its addiction brought by a long dose of excess collective wealth, even as it gets more concentrated at the top. The majority realize they will not ever “make it” on the current trajectory so next best thing? A “tear it down”energy motivated subconsciously. A vote for Trump, or a non-vote, were both acting out the aforementioned impulse. Like a miserable addict on a last-resort high risk crime spree. Time for detox but can’t quite face it!
The war is lost. Russia was and is not defeated. Trump is not Hitler, he is Gorbatchev trying to salvage a declining empire. It’s European clients need to grow up and realize the status quo is over. No amount of pearl clutching about our shared values will change that.
Brillant Analysis! But what to do now for Europe?
At best (with a lot of wishful thinking) an unreliable ally, all too predictably so; at worst, an enemy. Why are we still sharing intelligence with them? Should we still be hosting their military bases?
It’s Putin/Musk/Vance/Trump. Putin the expert on chaos. FSB commands.