Mike, you are absolutely right. And if your governors and their AGs etc are in lock-step with the power plays, it gets even scarier. Here in TX Abbott has called in troops ahead of the No King protests to crack down on cities with a more liberal bent. Normalized.
I just hope your population hasn’t bought into it like the majority of people here. All of our “normal” Republicans are getting run out of office. Crooked AG Paxton is trying to primary Cornyn. It’s been since the Tea Party over here that we’ve been under the shadow. Decades, and it’s baked in now. I’m curious how the protests go here. I’ll be in a deep red mid-size town of 100k that day and am curious to see if there is any wake up calls here at all. I’ll report back.
All true, Mike. Trumps approval continues to slide, in spite of the full-on assault from Right-wing media. A good friend of mine, with a Trump/MAGA loving husband that lives 20 miles from downtown L.A., told me the other day that her husband actually said out loud..."Trump is wrong with what he is doing in L.A."...because he knows L.A. well enough to see that what he is being fed on Fox is BS. For the most part, ICE is in blue areas, but that will change, and it will get more personal for people. As Trump and Miller overplay their hand, public opinion will continue to sink his approval. Let's face it, the effects of his tariffs have not really kicked in yet. Small businesses are losing their ass and corporations are laying people off. They are deporting people that bring food to the table. Once the Trump Economy hurts more Americans, more will be like my friend's husband and see Trump for the loser he is. He cannot take on the whole world and two-thirds of the country all at once...the house of cards will have to fall. It will get worse, before it gets better because Trump loves his power to create another spectacle.
To the Kool-Aid drinkers...Whatever they do to People you HATE, they will eventually do to YOU.
To the No Kings Protesters...thank you for getting out, be peaceful, be safe...Trump knows we are making a difference, or he wouldn't be coming after us.
To the Jewish Space Laser people that control the weather...let it rain cats and dogs on his parade.
IMPEACH AND DUMP TRAITOR , NAZIS , FELONS, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE. YES CON REPUBLICONS, CLIMATE CHANGE IS DANGEROUS, REAL, DISRUPTIVE WORLDWIDE, COSTLY, AND PREVENTABLE. STOP DENYING CLIMATE CHANGE AND FACE THE SCIENCE . DUMP THE CON RTRUMP AND CRONIES. DEPORT RTRUMP'S WIFE AND RELATIVES.
I actually believe that some of these Black Block Anarchists are funded by Right Wing groups to discredit Progressive action going all the way back to Seattle in 1999. Another problem is the Corporate Media's tendency to "Scoop first & retract or Correct Later" which has been evident going back to the Anti-War 60's. All it takes is one misreported situation to unleash a torrent in Right Wing Media with the rest filled in by mistruths & out right fabrications.
Please don’t forget that it’s also a diversion to get the press attention 3000 miles away from the situation in D.C.. The Senate has the “Big Beautiful mess of a Bill” that they must debate, amend and pass then return to the House for another round there. This diversion seems to be working out for conservative networks like FOX that play the same bad issues going on in just a few blocks of L.A. among otherwise peaceful protesters. All this happening in a city/county of over a million people
Meanwhile as I said D.C. has its own problems. Not just what’s happening in Congress but what’s about to happen on Saturday when the U.S. Army celebrates its 250th Birthday. Trump has ordered a show of military service members with tanks etc. to march on the National Mall. He unfortunately calls the Army “his Army”’. Forgetting that he’s not a King.
That's Correct Calvan... DJT's Grandfather left German Barvaria, because he did not want to Serve in even a PEACETIME Military.... After Friedrich made enough $$$ in "Hospitality Services", and Gambling in the Canadian, and Alaska Far North, Friedrich tried to return to Barvaria. but because of this unfulfilled obligation, the Bavarian Prince wouldn't have him back... So much for the dRumps....
When you ignore all the abnormalities…THIS is what you end up with. Calling out Democrats for saying “This is not normal” and accepting the previous “not normal “ behavior as “no big deal” you end up with Dick A’la Orange and this level of Cruelty and Destruction. It is going to escalate, buckle up.
This all started with white fear!! The title of Roland Martin's book! The idea of whites not being the majority in a few years meant not being in control of everything! So... you get in bed with the Devil, but at the same time... you call yourself a Christian. You don't care if he's a convicted felon, con man, thief, murderer, pedophile, Russian asset, white supremacist, which most of his supporters are... just as long as he gets rid of those OTHER people. California is first and foremost a BLUE state. Trump hates all blue states. California has the largest economy in America of 4.1 trillion!! Than there's Gavin Newsom... a star in the Democratic Party! Trump has to tarnish that star!! So he has to create chaos where there is none. Sending in the National Guard without the governor's consent. Sure this isn't normal, because Trump and his DEI hired administration that isn't normal! His MAGA base aren't normal people!! Oh... and please... let's not mention race!! Even though some people here on Substack don't want to say out loud what this really is. So... let me say it for you! This is the Confederacy being allowed to flourish in America over the years. Because white people never wanted to have serious discussion about race in America. So... here we are with Black history being erased without must fan fair from mainstream media. WOKE is a dangerous word! DEI is code for targeting a certain group when in really white women have benefited the most!! As a matter of fact, more poor white people have benefited more from these so called social programs than Blacks. But, powerful people in this country start sewing division and hate that those same poor whites will vote against their own interests? God help America before it's too late!!
P.S... I not a professional writer so my thoughts aren't broken down by paragraphs.
Hello Kenneth... From my Perception, California, the most Diverse State in the Country, is starting to Unite... People don't like to see Thugs wearing Black Masks invade their Neighborhood, and Drag their Friends & Neighbors away... Rob Bonta, Alex Padilla, and Gavin Newsom are Arising to this Challenge from this Incompetent Wannabe Dictatorship...
Sadly, your inability to see trends, consequences, clear patterns of behavior, the reasons for 'the way things normally are' has been all too common among the main stream media and in fact most people.
Yes, things are bad, people are desperate and demanding change. Democrats definitely did not aim high enough on the change they were pushing for, thinking 'moderates' would be the swing votes, but you do not FIX things by taking a chainsaw to them. It is easy to assume the 'system', much as we rail against it, will always be there. We take so much of it for granted. Just as many took it for granted that Trump's attack on immigrants did not mean ALL immigrants and certainly not those nice neighbors...
Yes, Governments have fallen before and ours is not immune. Your inability to see that or to grasp the consequences was sadly all too common, but here we are, finally, at a point where you are starting to see the beginning of where this is going. It will only get worse until it is stopped. Do not blame the democrats for not aiming high enough, or for not being 'good enough', or for warning you 'too many times'. When the far off whistle of the train is heard in the distance, it is time to get off the tracks. When the whistle gets louder, move now! When you feel the vibration in the ground and on the tracks, get the heck out of there! When it turns the corner and is coming fast straight for you ... Finally you grasp the concept that maybe you ought to do something...
You've stated the obvious. It's time to earn your accolades. Detail what can be done to reverse our drift toward an authoritarian state, how it can be done, and who are the best candidates that, with our support, can do it. I'm a devoted supporter of Amy Klobuchar. I'm looking for others to support financially. I am physically limited, so I cannot participate in person. As a scientist, I find this political game a frustratingly hopeless quest for certainty. But as a citizen who appreciates what it means to be a Yank, I have to play it.
You lost me at your first sentence. Maybe if more folks listened and acted every time Dems complained we wouldn’t be in this predicament. While everything you say is true, the problem is it’s probably too late to stop Trump and the Republicans. We’ve let the cancer spread.
"I’ve been critical of Democrats over the years for constantly shouting “this isn’t normal” every time Trump does something outrageous"
So are you willing to admit now that we were right all along?
What's happening now isn't a surprise. Trump and MAGA have telegraphed it for years. Would the world be better off if progressives had remained silent this whole time?
The Trumpies are making great hay over the "Massive Invasion" of Los Angeles by violent rioters--the only proof they have is video of 2 self-driving cars on fire which they show constantly. How did self-driven cars get into the middle of a demonstration, and who rented and programmed them? Demonstraters would never do that because the rental office would have all of their personal info. It could only be a False Flag operation.
Mike, you seem like a smart, thoughtful guy. I generally think you make great points. That said, it is a "tad" obnoxious to think that only you can determine when something is "not normal." Perhaps the Democrats and I might add legal scholars who kept saying that it wasn't normal earlier than your own "aha moment" saw a dangerous trend developing that you didn't see or failed to see. Ever think of that? This mobilization of the military against US citizens didn't just come out of nowhere.
Mike, you are absolutely right. And if your governors and their AGs etc are in lock-step with the power plays, it gets even scarier. Here in TX Abbott has called in troops ahead of the No King protests to crack down on cities with a more liberal bent. Normalized.
It’s completely transparent what they’re trying to do here
I just hope your population hasn’t bought into it like the majority of people here. All of our “normal” Republicans are getting run out of office. Crooked AG Paxton is trying to primary Cornyn. It’s been since the Tea Party over here that we’ve been under the shadow. Decades, and it’s baked in now. I’m curious how the protests go here. I’ll be in a deep red mid-size town of 100k that day and am curious to see if there is any wake up calls here at all. I’ll report back.
Exactly!
All true, Mike. Trumps approval continues to slide, in spite of the full-on assault from Right-wing media. A good friend of mine, with a Trump/MAGA loving husband that lives 20 miles from downtown L.A., told me the other day that her husband actually said out loud..."Trump is wrong with what he is doing in L.A."...because he knows L.A. well enough to see that what he is being fed on Fox is BS. For the most part, ICE is in blue areas, but that will change, and it will get more personal for people. As Trump and Miller overplay their hand, public opinion will continue to sink his approval. Let's face it, the effects of his tariffs have not really kicked in yet. Small businesses are losing their ass and corporations are laying people off. They are deporting people that bring food to the table. Once the Trump Economy hurts more Americans, more will be like my friend's husband and see Trump for the loser he is. He cannot take on the whole world and two-thirds of the country all at once...the house of cards will have to fall. It will get worse, before it gets better because Trump loves his power to create another spectacle.
To the Kool-Aid drinkers...Whatever they do to People you HATE, they will eventually do to YOU.
To the No Kings Protesters...thank you for getting out, be peaceful, be safe...Trump knows we are making a difference, or he wouldn't be coming after us.
To the Jewish Space Laser people that control the weather...let it rain cats and dogs on his parade.
IMPEACH AND DUMP TRAITOR , NAZIS , FELONS, AND CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE. YES CON REPUBLICONS, CLIMATE CHANGE IS DANGEROUS, REAL, DISRUPTIVE WORLDWIDE, COSTLY, AND PREVENTABLE. STOP DENYING CLIMATE CHANGE AND FACE THE SCIENCE . DUMP THE CON RTRUMP AND CRONIES. DEPORT RTRUMP'S WIFE AND RELATIVES.
I actually believe that some of these Black Block Anarchists are funded by Right Wing groups to discredit Progressive action going all the way back to Seattle in 1999. Another problem is the Corporate Media's tendency to "Scoop first & retract or Correct Later" which has been evident going back to the Anti-War 60's. All it takes is one misreported situation to unleash a torrent in Right Wing Media with the rest filled in by mistruths & out right fabrications.
Please don’t forget that it’s also a diversion to get the press attention 3000 miles away from the situation in D.C.. The Senate has the “Big Beautiful mess of a Bill” that they must debate, amend and pass then return to the House for another round there. This diversion seems to be working out for conservative networks like FOX that play the same bad issues going on in just a few blocks of L.A. among otherwise peaceful protesters. All this happening in a city/county of over a million people
Meanwhile as I said D.C. has its own problems. Not just what’s happening in Congress but what’s about to happen on Saturday when the U.S. Army celebrates its 250th Birthday. Trump has ordered a show of military service members with tanks etc. to march on the National Mall. He unfortunately calls the Army “his Army”’. Forgetting that he’s not a King.
Hello Timothy... DJT also ignores the fact that DJT is a 5X Draft Evader who forbade Don Jr. from serving in the Military...
His family came here because his ancestor was dodging military service in Germany.
That's Correct Calvan... DJT's Grandfather left German Barvaria, because he did not want to Serve in even a PEACETIME Military.... After Friedrich made enough $$$ in "Hospitality Services", and Gambling in the Canadian, and Alaska Far North, Friedrich tried to return to Barvaria. but because of this unfulfilled obligation, the Bavarian Prince wouldn't have him back... So much for the dRumps....
When you ignore all the abnormalities…THIS is what you end up with. Calling out Democrats for saying “This is not normal” and accepting the previous “not normal “ behavior as “no big deal” you end up with Dick A’la Orange and this level of Cruelty and Destruction. It is going to escalate, buckle up.
This all started with white fear!! The title of Roland Martin's book! The idea of whites not being the majority in a few years meant not being in control of everything! So... you get in bed with the Devil, but at the same time... you call yourself a Christian. You don't care if he's a convicted felon, con man, thief, murderer, pedophile, Russian asset, white supremacist, which most of his supporters are... just as long as he gets rid of those OTHER people. California is first and foremost a BLUE state. Trump hates all blue states. California has the largest economy in America of 4.1 trillion!! Than there's Gavin Newsom... a star in the Democratic Party! Trump has to tarnish that star!! So he has to create chaos where there is none. Sending in the National Guard without the governor's consent. Sure this isn't normal, because Trump and his DEI hired administration that isn't normal! His MAGA base aren't normal people!! Oh... and please... let's not mention race!! Even though some people here on Substack don't want to say out loud what this really is. So... let me say it for you! This is the Confederacy being allowed to flourish in America over the years. Because white people never wanted to have serious discussion about race in America. So... here we are with Black history being erased without must fan fair from mainstream media. WOKE is a dangerous word! DEI is code for targeting a certain group when in really white women have benefited the most!! As a matter of fact, more poor white people have benefited more from these so called social programs than Blacks. But, powerful people in this country start sewing division and hate that those same poor whites will vote against their own interests? God help America before it's too late!!
P.S... I not a professional writer so my thoughts aren't broken down by paragraphs.
Hello Kenneth... From my Perception, California, the most Diverse State in the Country, is starting to Unite... People don't like to see Thugs wearing Black Masks invade their Neighborhood, and Drag their Friends & Neighbors away... Rob Bonta, Alex Padilla, and Gavin Newsom are Arising to this Challenge from this Incompetent Wannabe Dictatorship...
Sadly, your inability to see trends, consequences, clear patterns of behavior, the reasons for 'the way things normally are' has been all too common among the main stream media and in fact most people.
Yes, things are bad, people are desperate and demanding change. Democrats definitely did not aim high enough on the change they were pushing for, thinking 'moderates' would be the swing votes, but you do not FIX things by taking a chainsaw to them. It is easy to assume the 'system', much as we rail against it, will always be there. We take so much of it for granted. Just as many took it for granted that Trump's attack on immigrants did not mean ALL immigrants and certainly not those nice neighbors...
Yes, Governments have fallen before and ours is not immune. Your inability to see that or to grasp the consequences was sadly all too common, but here we are, finally, at a point where you are starting to see the beginning of where this is going. It will only get worse until it is stopped. Do not blame the democrats for not aiming high enough, or for not being 'good enough', or for warning you 'too many times'. When the far off whistle of the train is heard in the distance, it is time to get off the tracks. When the whistle gets louder, move now! When you feel the vibration in the ground and on the tracks, get the heck out of there! When it turns the corner and is coming fast straight for you ... Finally you grasp the concept that maybe you ought to do something...
You've stated the obvious. It's time to earn your accolades. Detail what can be done to reverse our drift toward an authoritarian state, how it can be done, and who are the best candidates that, with our support, can do it. I'm a devoted supporter of Amy Klobuchar. I'm looking for others to support financially. I am physically limited, so I cannot participate in person. As a scientist, I find this political game a frustratingly hopeless quest for certainty. But as a citizen who appreciates what it means to be a Yank, I have to play it.
You lost me at your first sentence. Maybe if more folks listened and acted every time Dems complained we wouldn’t be in this predicament. While everything you say is true, the problem is it’s probably too late to stop Trump and the Republicans. We’ve let the cancer spread.
Maybe, but I also think we tend to cry wolf a lot in the eyes of regular people
You’re probably right. I’m just so tired of these “regular” people who seem to want to burn everything down. To what end?
"I’ve been critical of Democrats over the years for constantly shouting “this isn’t normal” every time Trump does something outrageous"
So are you willing to admit now that we were right all along?
What's happening now isn't a surprise. Trump and MAGA have telegraphed it for years. Would the world be better off if progressives had remained silent this whole time?
The Trumpies are making great hay over the "Massive Invasion" of Los Angeles by violent rioters--the only proof they have is video of 2 self-driving cars on fire which they show constantly. How did self-driven cars get into the middle of a demonstration, and who rented and programmed them? Demonstraters would never do that because the rental office would have all of their personal info. It could only be a False Flag operation.
Nice Post Mile...
Mike, you seem like a smart, thoughtful guy. I generally think you make great points. That said, it is a "tad" obnoxious to think that only you can determine when something is "not normal." Perhaps the Democrats and I might add legal scholars who kept saying that it wasn't normal earlier than your own "aha moment" saw a dangerous trend developing that you didn't see or failed to see. Ever think of that? This mobilization of the military against US citizens didn't just come out of nowhere.
Excellent writing Mike N