Weekly Update - 11/6/24

I can only hope and pray that it won't be the disaster I fear is coming.

Tlk2me

Stay well. Did you see the cartoon with the Statue of Liberty walking in the ocean back to France?

Admiral Ale

I'm sorry to read that his election has so deeply affected you. While I'm on the opposite side it's not my desire to see those I disagree with politically so distressed. Politics should not have the power to induce such negative emotions. I'm hoping that whatever it is your concerned about will not come to pass. I did hear of a practice last night I'm going to start doing. The idea is to write down on paper whatever I'm most afraid of happening. Then set it aside and return to it every few months or so to see if my fears or anxiety have come to pass, or if I've moved closer to them. If I haven't then I will be able to ask myself if my fears were justified, where they came from, and why. I suspect for me it's going to be useful as I seek to remain balanced.

Daniel

When has he said he intends to imprison the press, or his political enemies? He joked about locking up Hilliary but did he? Did he even try to? What political enemies did he go after? Who did he silence? I wish he would go after those who broke the law because we need one standard for everyone but so far he hasn't been inclined to do so. As for the "false charges" they were thrown out on the basis of standing, not on whether they where correct or not. That question hasn't been adjudicated. The need for hundreds of people to work together happens everyday so I'm not sure what relevance that has to whether or not he's guilty of anything or conversely whether his charges are correct. The political charges refer back to the falsified document case which had a conflict of interest repeated bias in rulings, and was dependent on one of three underlying crimes that they didn't need to agree on, nor did it need to have actually been done, only that he intended it to be done. This case was brought only after he decided to run, and I fully expect it to be overturned. I don't find the story from 20+ years ago of rape to be credible. I don't trust the lawyer or the timing of the case. The appeals are on going, if they fail then I'll accept that he's guilty. But at this point the people involved have not earned the benefit of the doubt.

Daniel

If you find someone despicable, then of course anything they do is going to be terrible. In this case setting loyalty as a priority. You may recall that Trump's first term was hampered by people who were supposed to be working for him, but instead worked against him. This includes among others Generals, FBI agents, NSA advisers, and the state department. If the point is to follow through with your agenda because as Obama says elections have consequences, then of course your going to want people who are loyal around you otherwise your going nowhere. Personally I don't think the government does much well anyways so I'm not expecting terrific employees, but if you don't have loyalty none of the rest matters. Just image if it was a company how disloyalty would work out there.

Daniel

I am fine with Roe v Wade being overturned. It was a bad decision by an activist court. Now the decision is once again with the people where it belongs. As for the 20+ women. I have no way of verifying that claim. But of course I care about not only the adult women, but the unborn ones as well. That's the point of being pro life. Should I accuse you of not caring about the babies left to die from failed abortions because your pro choice? Or for that matter the ones that die from successful ones? Roe v wade was bad law. Courts shouldn't make up rights. As for the results. Abortions have increased since it's repeal. That's the power of choice in action. People not judges are choosing how they want to govern. Maybe you don't like their choices but that doesn't mean they don't have the right to make them.

Daniel

I appreciate the chance to hear a different point of view. What I'm gleaning from your comment is. 1. You believe that professional civil servants are not currently subject to any party or personal loyalty other then presumably the American people. 2. That in general the burdens currently shouldered by the Federal civil service should remain with the Federal civil service. 3. That there is no deep state or conspiracy against any particular group, party, or ideology. My response is based on those assumptions but feel free to correct me. 1. I do not believe in an impartial civil service. At the very least I'm going to be concerned about decisions that could affect my families ability to eat. I also believe that right now there are people in government that are loyal to the ideas supported by past presidents. For example in the state department that made the evacuation of Christians extremely hard a few years ago while seemingly having no problem bringing in people who shared their favored religious belief. I have also observed the slow walking of non profit status for conservative groups and the fast tracking of others. 2. I'd prefer to have a lot of the work done at the federal level either returned to the states, or the people 10 amendment style. If I can't have that I'm all for dilution. The solution to pollution is dilution. I recall reading in an early federalist paper the argument that a center government would protect from local corruption unfortunately we have career D.C people so the central government has become it's own center for corruption. Hence the booming D.C economy of the last few decades. 3.We had at least one general lying to the President concerning troops in Syria. Two FBI agents texting each other about how they were going to thwart Trump's presidency in 2016. Another person acting like deep throat character in the white house. A leak of a red phone conversation between Trump and the leader of Ukraine. Deception regarding a certain laptop. The perpetuation of a Russia hoax that the FBI knew was a lie from the beginning. And these are just the examples that come to mind. You are right that there are a lot of positions that need to be filled. Regardless of Trump's desires the heritage foundation isn't about creating loyalists to him so I'm not worried about any leads they may provide. Nor am I concerned about them putting out a policy paper like so many other groups do. Finally as to the government working better I'm of the motto from "on the duty of civil disobedience" That government is best which governs least.

Daniel

Daniel - there are always a number of jobs filled by the President's many campaign people and friends, including Ambassadorships, Oval Office staff, press secretaries and staff, cabinet officers and batches of staff reporting to them. With over 2 million Federal employees based in DC, across the nation and overseas, l am not surprised if 4-5000 of them are these Presidential appointees. Which means less than 1%. However, in 2020 Trump attempted to implement Schedule F, a plan stripping civil service appointment status from around 50,000 more jobs and to turn them into plum political appointments for people loyal only to the current President. He also sought to move thousands of jobs out of DC and scatter them across the country, putting people loyal to the President in jobs across each State - another form of political patronage popular in a by-gone era. Apparently those guys with Project 2025 that you don't think have any connection with Trump liked those ideas, and low and behold, an attack on the civil service system of testing for jobs and hiring qualified applicants to fill them, without regard to political party preference, will be again put forth with the new Administration. From conservative website, "The Hill" on October 21st: "A long time ago, patronage determined who worked in the U.S. government. Jobs were awarded based not on merit and expertise but on a person’s political connections to the sitting president or his party. The result was “rampant incompetence and cronyism,” so Congress reformed the system in 1883 by creating a professional, merit-based civil service system. More than 2 million civilians work in the federal government today. Donald Trump believes that many are “rogue bureaucrats” in a mythical deep state. “They’ve got to be held accountable,” Trump has said. “They’re destroying this country. They’re crooked people. They’re dishonest people.” The former president plans to revive the spoils system by firing as many as 50,000 careerists and replacing them with loyalists. He also plans to move 100,000 federal jobs out of Washington, D.C. Forced relocations in the past resulted in many workers choosing to leave federal service rather than uproot their families. The plan is spelled out in Project 2025 (which Trump says he has “nothing to do with,” despite his ties to many of the project’s authors) and a bill in the House of Representatives, the Public Service Reform Act. It would allow the president or his appointees to fire any federal worker “for good cause, bad cause, or no cause at all.” Employees would have no right to appeal, even if fired because they refused to break a law or execute an unethical order. The plan has nothing to do with making government work better. The return to cronyism is part of Trump’s strategy to suppress government work that contradicts his often unrealistic and dangerous views."

WSV

Also, FWIW, I may have survived 2016-2020, but someone I went to school with was the parent of one of the women who died being refused medical care because of Roe v. Wade being overturned. Lives are being lost here. So no, I can't just 'get on with it.' I'm tired of women dying for no reason other than because some sick old white man says he gets to decide whether or not a woman can get medical care or not.

Corrupting Power

"list of appointments" - the only requisite for being an appointment under Trump is loyalty. Not skill, not capability, not ability to do the goddamn job - just loyalty. That's as grift as you can get.

Corrupting Power

If you're fine with Roe v. Wade being overturned, then apparently you're also fine with the 20+ women that have been killed by being refused medical treatment in the short span of time since that happened. That's not pro-life - that's anti-woman.

Corrupting Power

Except that Trump has made it explicitly clear he intends to imprison the press that criticizes him, his political opponents, those who were trying to hold him accountable to the law... The man filed 40+ false charges of election tampering, which were thrown out by over two dozen judges. Your so called 'political' charges would involve a conspiracy involving over hundreds of people. Or, more likely, the guy committed the crimes.

Corrupting Power

I think "robert" is old Brainworm himself, RFK, who has said scientists don't know best when it comes to science, and one disproven study about vaccines trumps 50 years of research.

Corrupting Power

I have no idea who Tulsia or Robert are supposed to be. There are no Democratic leaders with those names in a position to have stepped in for Biden. Kamala Harris was really the only person positioned to run - and turned out to be a great, joyful candidate who captured all parts of the party - which still wasn't enough apparently. Now I realize that if you were thinking of Tulsi Gabbard - she was wholly rejected by Democrats in 2020 and was already supporting Trump in 2024. Had it gone to a wide-open pick in August, the only credible contenders besides Harris would have been Pete Buttigieg, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Whitmer probably would have declined because Harris was in a stronger spot for women. Newsom would have declined because Harris is a fellow Californian. Buttigieg would have declined because a VP outranks a Dept. Secretary and would have been in the stronger position. In 2028, however, those are now three of the four most likely favorites - the other being Gov. Josh Shapiro. Still don't know who Robert is???

WSV

I hear you CP. I've shut down for most of two days, after working over 14+ hours as an election judge Tuesday, to find out shortly after, the turn the election took that night. For my own mental well-being and frankly, safety, as a partisan Democrat and union leader in my community, I've decided to resign roles, and close ranks for a while. I'll concentrate on sports and word puzzles, stories and television shows to catch up on, and see if I can restore some equilibrium after this unexpected result. I have been running a Facebook group for about 5 1/2 years now, focused on news in my County (with a liberal bent to contrast the majority conservative views in my area). Without having seen your opening here, you might appreciate my very similar statement to that group yesterday: "In light of the result of the 2024 Presidential contest electing a convicted criminal and sex offender, who will no longer suffer, after January, from the efforts to try him in the court of law for his criminal actions shortly before his previous term ended and as he transitioned into private status after the 2021 inauguration, and who has declared his intentions to act undemocratically as a dictator on Day 1 of the new term of office, I am greatly concerned with the safety and well-being of many of the users and followers of this Facebook group, and very concerned with my own safety and well-being under that leadership. Therefore, I am taking at least a short term (which may become long term) pause from the mission and activity of Eye on ----- County. This means I will not be posting here, at least for a time. No County Board updates, no news updates..."

WSV

Millions of people *didn’t* survive the first Trump presidency after he wouldn’t tell them to mask up, and told them to drink bleach to cure Covid. And no one in 2020-2024 was trying to deny you and your family basic human rights just because of your sexual preference or gender identify. The 2 parties are NOT the same

Jeffrey

Fair. you of course don't have to explain yourself to me or anyone else. For the record I believe the charges are false, political and will be overturned. If I believed otherwise I'd want him to serve his time. My biggest desire is that Trump would force us to stop automatically calling each other names. I don't think Americans should hate people we don't know. For example i could be a terrible person immune to reason or I could be a decent guy but how would you know withoutgetting to know me? We have problems and they won't get fixed without each other. We will see if that's possible. I'm hopeful.

Daniel

Guilt by association. If you are Ok with a rapist and convicted felon being in office (and OK means that he was the one you voted for), you will never recognize compelling arguments of those that do NOT want to be associated with that kind of person. You are the very last person I'm going to be explaining myself to. It obviously makes no difference, as 70+ million Americans let the world know what they will accept. I hope you and those that think the way you do have the next 4 years you deserve.

Gary Coleman

I have a similar voting record to you. For myself I fell for the lesser of the two evils line one to many times but I've grown since then. The media is crazy. I think we are being turned against each other for profit and power and that sucks. No one should be freaking out over government. It's clearly to powerful if that is the case. I think Biden has dementia, and Kamala was a uniquely bad candidate. Had it been Tulsia or Robert, it might have gone a different way. My hope is that government can shrink enough so we ultimately don't care who is president.

Daniel

I haven't heard of this book your referring to so I can't look it up. I still stand by the statement that it's not the Trump plan. From what I recall the only part that I was interested in is the list of appointments. Apparently are gov is so big there are 4k+ positions to be filled. I'd prefer then to go away or barring that be filled with people who don't want to control my life. Any help finding people like that is good in my opinion.

Daniel

JD Vance wrote the introduction to the BOOK the heritage foundation leader put out explaining how to implement Project 2025.

Gary Coleman

I am a Moderate Independent who looks at politics like this. You survived 2016-2020, I survived 2020-2024, we will survive 2024-2028. The only thing that I see hurting everyone is all the bias from the media. I'm old enough to remember REAL NEWS coming from men like Walter Cronkite. What came from them was real. Cronkite never let his personal beliefs get in the way of his reporting. With that said let me add a personal tidbit. I voted for Bill Clinton, twice. I voted for Obama the first time. He didn't do anything in my opinion his first 4 years, so I voted for Mitt Romney because I was going to give him a chance, although I would have liked a better choice. I voted for Trump against Hillary Clinton because she was just wrong on so many counts. I voted for Biden because I felt 4 years of Trump was enough. I felt he did a fair job, not good, but fair. I was disappointed in Biden. I would have voted for anyone over Trump, if only Obama and his crew had chosen ANYONE else but Harris (Yes, I believe Obama made a Democrat Party coup ousting Biden). She was her own worst enemy. Anyone else would have beaten Trump easily, she couldn't and didn't. Now that this crap show of a President election is over we can get on with our lives. Okay, getting off my soapbox now.

Randy Stapler

Why do you believe that people you don't know and have never met or heard from, where motivated by either racism or misogyny? What evidence leads you to believe that anyone actually cared about that other then one video of one black man in a store? Isn't it possible that people don't like the border crisis, or the gun ban comments, or the anti fraking statements, or the support for rioters, or the jailing of parents for the truancy of their children? Couldn't people have a problem with her ideas regardless of her color or gender? I think people shouldn't be convicted without evidence.

Daniel

I just downloaded the pdf from project2025.org Foreword by Kevin D. Roberts, PhD. I listened to an interview with one of the authors. Is wasn't done with anyone that i recognize from the Trump campaign. If you have a better source the then agenda itself please let me know. I listen to the right all the time no one has talked about the project since it became a talking point. People may be poking you right now but it's not a topic that comes up. The convicted felon thing. You said you watched it but that would only be possible if you were in the court because it wasn't telivised. Jury instructions. they could convict if they thought he might be guilty of one of three possible "unlawful means" in relation to campaign fiance laws that would extend statue of limitations. " Unlawful Means” Although you must conclude unanimously that the defendant conspired to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means, you need not be unanimous as to what those unlawful means were". This allows for theories to be put forward that do not need to be proven so long as you accept one of them. I also am glad Roe vs Wade was overturned. Not because I'm pro life which I am, but because it was an example of judicial activism. The states should decide, not judges. The poisioning the blood comment is followed with only two examples. Mental patients, and convicts. That isn't a class of people as he goes on to say by referring to the whole world, it's a particular type of person. I don't know what Hitler said so I'll take your word for it that he used that phrase. I suspect he was referring to a race though, not mental patients and convicts. The day one thing was in response to a question about dictatorship. He said he would be a dictator only on day one not starting on day one. He would do so for two reasons. 1 close the border. 2 drill drill drill. He has said that we need to fight the enemy within. He didn't say persecute, though if people committed crimes I would hope there could be prosecutions. As for his first term prior to covid I was doing pretty good as I recall. There was plenty of work and prices weren't crazy. Home ownership was up, new business were up, people seemed to be okay. Project warp speed was a major mistake though and I hope he doesn't screw up like that again. Finally as I said I was here two so unless you were hanging out with him, we both have personal experience of 2016-2020. Mine is nor more valid, but it is obviously different.

Daniel

That's another thing that has me slightly concerned. The Republicans spent the last four years saying they were going to make sure anyone who "shouldn't be able to vote" (by their definition) couldn't, and then 14M less people vote? I suspect we might be looking at some severe voter suppression, but I'm also willing to chalk some of it to people staying home, because apparently nobody understands direct causality anymore... *sigh* We're so fucked.

Corrupting Power

Then you chose to contribute to a Trump win, and you have to remember that for the next four years. If I provide you with a choice between drinking a soda you don't like and getting punched in the face, and you choose neither, and everyone else votes to punch you in the face, you had a chance to voice your opinion. You need to remember that. You decided that instead of voting for a person you "lacked confidence in," you allowed a convicted felon and convicted rapist to take the highest office in the land and decide what your rights are for the next four years. Just sayin'.

Corrupting Power

If you think that Project 2025 isn't going to be implemented in some way, I don't know how much more overwhelming evidence I can show you, other than the fact that dozens of people in the Trump campaign worked on the project, co-authored the project, Vance wrote the intro to it, and nearly every head Maga Republican is gloating right now about how they're already starting to implement it. Beyond that, Trump's a convicted felon. He's a convicted rapist. He's said he's proud of overturning Roe v. Wade. You know how I know all of these things? I've watched Trump in court, I've watched Trump say them and I've heard him speak. You can pick any of the hundreds of speeches he's given over the past year, and you can hear him talk about how his enemies are "poisoning the blood of the country," which is an exact quote from Adolf Hilter. He's said he's going to be a dictator on day one. He's said he's going to persecute his political enemies. The hope is that he's full of shit and that he's not going to do any of the horrible things he's said he's going to do, but after all the horrible things that happened from 2016-2020, I don't have any faith in that. Sorry, this is personal experience speaking, and first hand, not someone "keeping (me) tribal." Trump's guilty of that on all his lonesome.

Corrupting Power

The shocker for me is that the USA is more misogynist than it is racist as a man no matter how depraved was more palatable than a decent woman and in all honesty the world needed Tim Walz to be Americas dad and show what a real man is

Spacecadet5380

I'd say misogynist, considering 14M people stayed home / didn't vote compared to 2020. Trump received roughly the same number of votes, but Harris pulled 14M less than Biden.

Larry Brian Woodroof

That's fair Tulsia or Robert would have really made me think. One because of war, the other because of health.

Daniel

Hey CP - hang tough man. Make sure you keep getting some exercise and keep talking to us. Not everyone will agree with you but that’s what makes this America - you can voice your opinions. And there’s plenty of your fans here willing to chat about it. I have my own opinions that are probably outside the thoughts of most people likely to read this (and I guarantee it’s not the way you think) so I will keep them to myself. I will say I was shocked to see the result this morning. There’s something fundamentally wrong with journalism in our nation to keep getting it wrong like they have. I’m always a message away if you need an extra round or two with someone willing to listen.

SP Rupert

You know, although I didn’t like him then let alone now, and voted for neither (D) or (R) this time around mainly because I didn’t like either option. I didn’t have enough confidence in her to vote how I normally would (D). Her track record politically and in positions with decision making powers were less than stellar, and in some cases made what she set out to do even worse. Did I do an exhaustive full length investigation no. But I watched enough of her content, her speaking, etc., that I lost confidence in her and she did nothing to sway me back to who I would normally vote for (D). On one side you have some one that has been gaming the system for years, speaks his mind, is a complete and utter asshole. Do I have confidence in him, hell no. I lack any confidence right now in the choices we had available to us and wish (D) Party would have picked a stronger candidate for the position. 😕

Roadspill

I'm on the otherside of this debate. I realize that you believe yourself to be in possession of the facts and therefore justifiably derive the moral clarity to judge millions as stupid. But perhaps your wrong, you can be wrong right or is that impossible? Can you entertain the idea of falibility? You mention project 2025. That was made by an outside group called rhe heritage foundation. They put out plans all the time just like the WEF does (example WEF project 2020, and 2030) Trump hasn't read the plan, doesn't endorse it, expressly said he wouldn't read it or use it. The lead author was fired as I recall, and it's not in any way affiliated. So who benefits from you not knowing that? Who benefits from your anger or fear? Who benefits from keeping you tribal?

Daniel

Kittens make everything better.

Stephen

Funny how this was my exact same fucking reaction this morning! But not fucking funny!!! I just can't believe how stupid my fellow countrymen can be. 'Make America great again'? Let's see how that's working for us in four. Fucked!!

Bart

You mean the ones that say anything defined as 'pornography' will be illegal, and anyone who makes it will be imprisoned, and anyone consuming it will be fined if not also imprisoned? Look at what you're reading. That's me. That's you.

Corrupting Power

The other half can tell me how electing a convicted felon and convicted rapist is in any way sane. This isn't apples and oranges - this is apples and dead corpses.

Corrupting Power

I understand your frustration i really do but think of the the other half that felt that way the last 4 years. Just playing devils advocate.

Psychopuppy

JV

Hey, look on the bright side! The whole idea for Quaranteam only exists because of the stupid decisions made during Trump's first term. Maybe something stupid he does this time around will spawn some new, equally entertaining story idea!

Rea