“L’etat, ce moi”–meaning, “the state, it is me– is a French phrase attributed to King Louis XIV, who probably never said it. Nevertheless, it represents the foundational concept of absolute monarchy, a regime in which the king has total authority over the state.
I am confident that Donald Trump, the least educated President in history, never encountered the phrase, but its meaning clearly animates his conception of the Presidency. Law–in Trump’s limited and inaccurate view–is whatever he says it is. It certainly doesn’t exist as a separate framework.
In recent articles, the New York Times has outlined how this wholly unAmerican approach to the Presidency is undermining the rule of law, as our would-be monarch decides what rules should be ignored in the corrupt interests of his pocketbook and those of his plutocratic cohorts.
The most vicious and far-reaching attempts to thwart the laws of the land have come as part of Trump’s racist efforts to root out D.E.I. and other measures aiming to ameliorate discrimination. Trump has ordered government offices to simply stop enforcing numerous civil rights provisions. According to a Times newsletter (link unavailable), the Labor Department will no longer investigate employers who allegedly underpaid women or awarded promotions based on race. The administration has abandoned hundreds of pending cases under the fair housing law–abandoning efforts to prosecute landlords who keep out gay people or owners who refuse to sell to people of a different faith. Trump has also instructed the government to nix the “disparate-impact” test, which looked at whether minority groups were affected differently by criminal background checks, credit checks, zoning regulations and other facially neutral laws.
And recognizing that direct orders are not the only way to stymie the enforcement of laws on the books, Trump has slashed budgets and head counts, which has a similar effect. As the Times accurately noted, laws work only if people are there to enforce them. So the EPA has been eviscerated under this administration; its ability to enforce environmental measures crippled. Employment at the IRS has been cut, severely limiting the ability of that agency to pursue tax cheats (like the President himself). Etc.
Mainstream media sources routinely describe measures taken by the Trump administration as “authoritarian.” That is, of course, accurate–but it tends to obscure the effects of the measures described above (and the many similar ones)–tends to make the very real harms seem somewhat abstract. (Theoretically, after all, an authoritarian leader could impose measures that advanced the public good–authoritarianism is the process, not the consequence.)
The same problem arises when pundits and bloggers like yours truly bemoan the daily assaults on the rule of law. Rule of law, too, is an abstraction. What isn’t abstract is when ICE thugs ignore the constitutional rights of those they are intimidating and snatching off the streets, or when the administration refuses to comply with the terms of its prior research grants.
A significant body of research confirms that a troubling percentage of the American public actually wants an authoritarian government–a ruler who relieves them of the burden of exercising thoughtful and responsible citizenship. Whether that desire to be ruled rather than governed is a result of inadequate civic education or personal intellectual/emotional deficit is unknown; it is also unknown whether those who prefer a monarchy to a democracy approve of the way the current Mad King and his Congressional enablers/courtiers are conducting–or refusing to conduct– the affairs of state.
That Times newsletter did readers a favor by discarding the abstractions and pointing out the specifics of an authoritarianism that manifests its contempt for fundamental fairness and the rule of law every day.
MAGA cult members are likely to be surprised when their chosen authoritarian’s “policies” further enrich the plutocrats while tanking the economy, instituting stagflation, closing rural hospitals and throwing grandma off Medicaid. That’s the problem with allowing someone–anyone, but especially this bloated, ignorant and embarrassing buffoon–to believe that he is “the state.”
As you pointed out, It is about time to realize Trump, his cabinet and his appointees are all evil!
“The most vicious and far-reaching attempts to thwart the laws of the land have come as part of Trump’s racist efforts to root out D.E.I. and other measures aiming to ameliorate discrimination. Trump has ordered government offices to simply stop enforcing numerous civil rights provisions. According to a Times newsletter (link unavailable), the Labor Department will no longer investigate employers who allegedly underpaid women or awarded promotions based on race. The administration has abandoned hundreds of pending cases under the fair housing law–abandoning efforts to prosecute landlords who keep out gay people or owners who refuse to sell to people of a different faith. Trump has also instructed the government to nix the “disparate-impact” test, which looked at whether minority groups were affected differently by criminal background checks, credit checks, zoning regulations and other facially neutral laws.”
Yes to all of the above, but let’s include ignoring PLACA which holds manufacturers of products liable for injury due to product faults. The gun manufacturers are IMMUNE from this law, so don’t expect any lawsuits against the gun industry – even though mentally ill people can acquire firearms as easily as buying a pack of gum. Notice how the administration shifted to transgender, mental illness regarding the killing of the Minnesota school children.
This pseudo-monarchy is being directed, funded and operated by The Heritage Foundation and evil money like Koch Industries. Project 2025 is the operations instructions book for turning our government and the rule of law inside out for the benefit of the very few. It is the WORST fascist takeover in world history because so many people are adversely affected and there is SO much money involved.
Speaking of criminals at this early hour … How about the use of taxpayer money to turn Ashlii Babbitt into a martyr. You remember her, the former USAF member and MAGA invader of the capitol on January 6th. She was shot and killed by a law officer trying to save our government from this fetid invasion. Now the orange shit pile is going to have the AF give her an honorable funeral and/or memorial event. Our “king” honors criminals and traitors. Why would he do that.
Oh. Actually, Harry Truman was our least educated President of the modern era. Thing is, Harry had infinitely more character, moral fiber and smarts that the deteriorating psychopath now occupying the White House. Harry “only” graduated from high school, but was a voracious reader – something the current festering carbuncle doesn’t do at all.
When we lost the Supreme Court to Mitch McConnell’s formation of the Catholic majority we began losing America to “Christian Nationals”. McConnell is retiring from the official political scene but will be in his “Old Kentucky Home” as adviser to those sitting in Congress as well as those aspiring to be elected to Senate or House to replace those booed out of office. He has been the source of strength behind both Senate and House in the Legislature and the Supreme Court branch; his playbook is keeping the Trump/MAGAs strong and the weak Republicans mute and idle.
“A significant body of research confirms that a troubling percentage of the American public actually wants an authoritarian government…” I AM A MEMBER OF THAT UNHEARD “SIGNIFICANT BODY” OF AMERICANS WHO WANTED THE AUTHORITAN GOVERNMENT WE ONCE HAD IN PLACE TO UPHOLD THE REGULATIONS SET IN PLACE TO PROTECT US FROM THE DESTRUCTION BY ONE DICTATORSHIP WE ARE NOW LIVING WITH. Ignoring violations of EPA regulations to maintain profit margins of the wealthiest Americans was and is one of the worst lapses in control; now we are facing the deregulation of health codes and the loss of scientific medical research and the ability to use the recent discoveries of medical science to save lives and to debunk the Trump Covid-19 protection mindset of injecting Clorox. Now we live with the medical corporations following RFK.,Jr.’s dispensing with medical care at all levels and ending research which is our only hope of survival. We are looking at a “Soylent Green” future; secure in McConnell’s takeover of all three main branches of our government.
Our queerish governor and Lt Gov are spending $32 thousand a day on a committee to gerrymander Indiana districts, which have already been gerrymandered to eliminate nearly all Democratic representation. It’s a waste of money, but it shows King Trump that they are part of the MAGA team – butt snorkelers – ass kissers, extraordinar!
While the public sentiment reflects the ignorance of the masses in desiring an authoritarian, I suppose they also wish to end any representational process? What’s the point of voting when King Trump rules the land?
What I find interesting is that if Trump truly believed he was so popular with the simple people, why is he asking governors to cheat for him? Why do they need to gerrymander districts or use voter-suppressing tactics? Why try to use federal funding to control the states?
Hasn’t Stephen Miller figured out the odds of this backfiring against MAGA? The last time I checked, the Blue States account for over 75% of federal funding. Without the Blue States, which can seek legal ways to withhold their share of income to the federal government, the Red States, specifically like Indiana, would be in peril overnight.
Lastly, what happens if California, Illinois, and New York work together to challenge Trump and the Federal Government? A simple check with Gemini AI reveals four powerful strategies that can cripple partnerships between the federal and state governments. And, as I’ve said from Day One, Trump’s Butt Snorkelers better make sure their plans are foolproof because what happens if a strong Democrat lands in the Monarch’s chair?
SCOTUS may be one of the busiest branches of government in the land, but last I checked, we are the United States of America. Not sure what good that will do when our Judicial Branch is so corrupt.
Todd: “Butt Snorklers”! Are you sure there isn’t a place for you on Madison Avenue? LOL.
Vern and Todd; I have my own definition of BFF and it sure ain’t “Best Friends Forever”. Todd’s “Butt Snorklers” is close to my definition; my first word is “Butt” and my last word is “Friends”, it is that middle “F” where my definition differs.
On the ground, most of the people in this country stop learning anything about civics, if they ever did at all, when they left school. When the local media reports nothing but crime, sports and charity works, they know even less about their own community’s operations. They are more than primed to consider themselves victim of progressives than the very people to whom they cede control of their lives, almost always to their detriment.
LBJ was right. “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket…” Racism/xenophobia and misogyny/homophobia underpin all of the victimization rhetoric.
That they fall for it every single time is no surprise. Ignorance, well fed by propaganda, makes it easy to manipulate the hate into active revenge. We are watching it happen every day. Will it take another war to change things? How many have to die to make it happen?
JD, Well summarized. If I live long enough, I fully expect to see some form of our next civil war. And, ironically, it will once again be a race war promulgated by racists in charge of a racist government. This next one, however, will have an opposition that will be majority white fighting alongside the oppressed people of color.
Then, having said all that, I fall make on one of my favorite memes: I’m glad I’m old and have hobbies. The sadness is for the children, though. Tragically, maybe the 2 kids who died in Minneapolis were the lucky ones.
Vernon, that is sad, but perhaps accurate.
“Butt Snorklers” is close to genius.
One of those snorklers, RFK, Jr. just the other day said that he can tell, by their faces alone, that certain children have “mitochondrial” issues. WTF!!!!!!!!! Either he is delusional, just wants to flaunt a new big word, or both.
When poor white people see how Democratic politicians are both condescending and pretend we know what they feel and want, they are more open to MAGA lies. When Black and Brown People see how we, for example say “get an education “- and it in their Segregated environments is mediocre + they are important only at election time they don’t vote
I think you are correct, right up until you note “MAGA cult members are likely to be surprised.” For the most part, they won’t notice. And _if_ they do notice that the policies and practices of the Trump/Project 2025 regime are hurting them, they’ll rationalise the hurts. They’ll think: “Wow! How bad would this have been under Kamala? Lucky we have Trump!” Or: “Imagine if we hadn’t gotten rid of DEI (or “all those immigrants”)? What a disaster that would have been! Lucky we have our guy in charge!”
Expecting rationality is a mistake.
What RFK, Jr. doesn’t know about mitochondria and would make all of MAGA vomit is that those little energy factories contain DNA also. And that particular DNA is inherited from everyone’s MOTHER since there are no mitochondria in sperm cells. That said, the extension of that knowledge leads us back to the mitochondria of African women. It’s the same stuff. So – get ready for this all you creationists – EVE WAS AFRICAN.
No wonder these drug-addled assholes are Republicans. Science scares the crap out of them because it exposes what they really and actually don’t know.
“MAGA cult members are likely to be surprised when their chosen authoritarian’s “policies” further enrich the plutocrats while tanking the economy, instituting stagflation, closing rural hospitals and throwing grandma off Medicaid.”
Paul Krugman, a former NY Times economist, wrote an interesting article yesterday about why the markets haven’t crashed yet. He pointed out that even in last several financial crisis, it took months for the markets to react even when the signs were obvious. He said investors don’t react to the potential future, they react to how other investors are reacting and as long as enough people are headed in the same direction, there’s no worries.
So if the markets haven’t tanked yet, it’s not because it isn’t grim. It’s just not grim enough for the herd to go along.
I’m waiting to see which MAGA rat is the first to abandon the sinking Trump ship. I don’t think Todd Young has the balls to jump. Jim Banks is blind to anything but Trump, even his most offensive and destructive “policies”. Jefferson Shreve loves to be photographed helping the little people by doing the very demanding work of inspecting the new postal sorting facility, and being obedient to the king.
They all ignore the warnings from voters who want something better. It wouldn’t surprise me if Todd Young suddenly decided he wants to spend more time with his family. Banks and Shreve are going down with the ship.
Here is bit of good news. Utah passed a voter referendum to create an independent voter redistricting commission sometime before 2020. In 2021, the legislature ignored the maps from the commission. and gerrymandered the one competitive district out of existence. The Utah Supreme court has declared the maps illegal and said the legislature cannot ignore the will of the people and the maps must be redrawn in time for the next election.
I am deeply saddened to read the crude name calling by the intelligent, caring commentators here and the related cheering for doing so. It seems somehow symbolic of the larger culture that has spawned MAGA.
When they go low….
Lester, we’re all “crude” underneath the thin veneer of civilized discourse. Would you care to define your personal understanding of when somebody crosses the line between your idea of civilized and being crude?
Sometimes you just gotta call a spade a f***ing shovel.
We have stumbled into a situation where our government is set up to fail in its basic constitutional duties. One reason is that they are unsure of the specific duties. Another is that they don’t understand or support the Constitution’s framework for governance. Another is that they have a strong sense of entitlement, believing they are superior to others. The list of their faults could go on. They are greedy, racist oligarchs.
The Declaration of Independence tells us what we must do when a government like this takes power. Our founders were familiar with the situation because they had experienced it under King George III.
By election day next year, I believe that the failure of this government will be evident to enough of us to make blue turnout overwhelming. It’s up to the DNC to offer a slate of candidates who are powerful speakers, who support every word of the Constitution, and can articulate it in plain, straightforward language.
The restoration of constitutional government has already started here and in many other places.
the MAGA team – butt snorkelers – ass kissers, extraordinar!
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Thanks for a most unexpected laugh in the midst of drama.
What a nice surprise
That made my day
I thought it was Snoopy who said, ‘L’Etat, Ce Moi’
I see other off-the-radar forces in the U.S. being potentially more threatening, e.g. NY State Rep. Liz Krueger, who in Sept., 2024 (before U.S. presidential election was decided) began floating the idea of secession and joining with Canada for states of MA, VT, NY, and CT.
It is not widely remembered that Krueger’s father, Harvey M. Krueger, was the CEO of the investment bank Kuhn, Loeb & Co., a bank that is affiliated with the London-based banking house S. G. Warburg & Co., Ltd.
In U.S. history has there been any previous attempt by the British to get U.S. states to secede, pursuing a strategy of divide and conquer? E.g. the 1861 Civil War?
Okay everyone, now tell us how you really feel😁. I’m wondering how we should interpret SCOTUS’S ruling on immunity in light of the fact that much of what Orange Jesus has done is actually not his duty, rather contrary to his duty.. His duty is to defend and protect the Constitution and to faithfully execute the laws of the nation.
It is not within the purview of the President to change the Constitution, nor tell law firms, universities, and private entities what policies they must have regarding who and how they recruit employees.
One more question, if I may. Could a group of citizens sue the Congress for dereliction of their duty of oversight?
I realize that most Hoosiers did not choose French for their required language, but it’s actually “L’etat, c’est moi” Just to set things straight. Otherwise, I agree with all comments…
I agree with Peggy that citizens should have the right to sue the government for malpractice/dereliction of duty and causing unnecessary harm to citizens. All the firings, threats, hostile takeover of agencies, confiscating personal data by unknown entities, along with detaining people without due process and withholding appropriated funds to communities are just some of the current government’s corruption. We used to deal with unsatisfactory officials by voting them out, but now with unfair strengthening of gerrymandering and other election suppression methods our rightful ways are being taken away. Maga government officials are selling off our freedoms and rights and creating/causing a threatening environment to most Americans. We’re damned tired of it!
Quite right! Mea culpa!