Every day, we Americans awake to another assault on the foundations of our governing system. As we attend to each day’s news, each day’s effort to deconstruct constitutional government, we are in danger of losing the big picture, the scope of the losses we’re suffering.
I don’t know whether this “firehose” approach is a conscious strategy; Trump’s already substandard intellect and mental health are declining at such a rapid rate that restraints on his impulsiveness–never strong–are similarly declining. Intentional or not, however, it’s working to distract us.
We simply cannot allow the rapidity with which MAGA is dismantling American government to obscure the big picture, the overall damage. Recently, Heather Cox Richardson included that overview in one of her essential “Letters,” and her description is worth citing:
Six months into the second Trump administration, on the sixtieth anniversary of the law that symbolized the modern American state by establishing Medicare and Medicaid, it’s clear we are indeed in a revolution designed to destroy the government we have known in favor of the radical right-wing government envisioned by those who wrote Project 2025.
From the beginning, the administration declared war on the words that protected equal rights for all Americans, fired women and racial minorities from leadership positions, and attacked transgender Americans. It worked to replace civil servants with loyalists who embraced the tenets of Project 2025, putting people like former Fox News host Pete Hegseth at the head of government agencies. Yesterday Greg Jaffe and Maggie Haberman of the New York Times reported that in a break with past practices, Hegseth, now secretary of defense, is requiring nominees for four-star general positions in the U.S. military to meet personally with Trump.
It worked to dismantle the government by refusing to release the money Congress had appropriated to fund the existing government. Thanks to billionaire Elon Musk at the “Department of Government Efficiency” and Russell Vought—another author of Project 2025—at the Office of Management and Budget, the administration illegally impounded funds, slashing through funding for foreign aid, cancer research, veterans’ benefits, air traffic control staffing, and so on, claiming to be eliminating “waste, fraud, and abuse.” That fight is ongoing.
Richardson proceeded to enumerate the extent to which MAGA is implementing Project 2025–shrinking or abolishing government programs that serve ordinary people while further enriching the wealthy. The party of “limited government” is dramatically expanding government’s power.
The administration set out to purge the country of what extremists claimed was “leftist” influence in law firms, media, and universities. It illegally blocked lawyers from law firms that represented Democrats from access to federal buildings, making it impossible for them to represent their clients. It sued media outlets for alleged bias, and it withheld congressionally appropriated funds for universities.
There’s much more, as we all know– that daily firehose of assaults on the government of We the People, assaults aimed at replacing the America we thought we knew. substituting cronies for civil servants so that “royal court” can invite bribery and engage in open corruption with impunity.
We the People need to keep that big picture in mind. We need to ignore the self-engrossed pundits mucking around in the weeds, criticising various Democrats and focusing on perceived past errors. We have one job. ONE JOB. We need to take Congress back from the GOP invertebrates who will go down in history either as complicit fascists or disgraceful quislings.
ONE JOB. Saving America.
Shiela-In January, that distinguished American sophist Steve Bannon called it “flooding the zone.” (Which reminds of when Summer Associate Bill submitted a memo on an antitrust question that prompted the partner to say, “Bill, you’ve really distinguished yourself with this.” When I smiled, he said, “Bill, the word ‘distinguished’ cuts both ways!”
And the “people” allowed this to happen. These poxy bastards TOLD US what they were going to do and 82 million registered voters stayed home and let them have it. There’s no hope for the 78 million who voted for our own destruction from within. They are so stupid as to accept the self-immolation because … because they were told that Democrats are evil and bad. Well, maybe among those 82 million un-caring “patriots” there are some Democrats who are evil and bad. But how many of those 78 million who voted for our utter destruction of democracy also carry that moniker?
As this horror show continues, it’s becoming clearer every day that we deserve what we’re getting.
1. Why presume that the 2026 National Elections will be held unless there is Confidence that the results are what DT wants,
2. Why presume that if elections are held that results will be respected/accepted if/when the results are Not what DT wants,
3. Why presume that the Supreme Court and Lower Courts will be “fair” and “impartial” in many, if not most cases – related to – bringing cases before – Horrific judges as has been done – related to Particular Texas and S.C. (I think) judges – as well as that Amy C.B. and + Roberts – will – Block/Accept – “rational” arguments in many, if not most Key cases?
4. Why presume that the Democrats as a whole and individually for many will stand up for Us more than nominally?
We need to have hope and to have resilence and to not rely upon past precedents – and to rely upon ourselves and each other – to RESIST!
“Hegseth, now secretary of defense, is requiring nominees for four-star general positions in the U.S. military to meet personally with Trump.”
Any military commander that accepts a four-star general nomination under these circumstances is clearly stating that they choose themselves over their country.
Why is Texas the only state playing the redistricting game?
Time for the Blue States to play the game. I do like the TX Dems walking out. It draws attention to the games.
It’s clearer every day that Miller and Vance are running the country while Trump cheats at golf and gets patched up by doctors.
Miller wants blind loyalty in case the military gets instructions under martial law to stop the 26 and then 28 elections. The people need a practice run through now on how we will respond to this potential Miller/Trump decision.
Are you saying we need to run a con,before the next election? Why, how can that happen? I just heard from the President that we’re doing well, in so many ways. That must be true, right? He’s only been recruiting the best people, from that deep bench over at FAUX NEWS.
It’s crunch time now! If we ALL don’t know that by now, shame on us. Wake up, get up lend your voice, your time, or your money. Let’s show the world we deserve better. And,if we’re not deserving of so much more we can’t saw we never thought it could happen here. We’ve been warned.
Todd, it’s not just Texas. Several red states are considering doing the same thing with gerrymandering. It’s like those cheating idiots have discovered a new toy … again. The Republican party is SO corrupt, SO stupid and SO cruel, that retaining power at any cost is their total thing. Governing for the people …? Not at all.
Find what the Texas AG Ken Paxton’s sewer he calls a mouth just said today.
Discouraging for sure. I agree wholeheartedly with Peggy Hannon, it is time for us to raise our voices, take the time , and to invest our money to ensure the survival of our Democracy.
“ONE JOB. Saving America.“ That is it, Sheila and from what are we saving America, you and Heather make it abundantly clear. I was thinking that Teddy Roosevelt must be turning over in his grave, given what he faced with a corrupt civil service which, with the help of able people, he replaced and launched the foundation for the the Civil Service we have known and cherished since his time only to have Trump and his side-kicks trample it for their own ends, and with the complicity of those who will profit from the Project 2025 crowd, and those who will lose because they ignore what is taking place before their eyes or they simply go with it because, after all, Trump “has their back.” Have they been looking for evidence lately? I doubt it. They may get there but, in time?
Todd–TX is just taking the lead. Pritzker is threatening to do the same in Illinois if Texas follows through and will be advocating for the same tactic w/ other ‘Blue’ states.
“Hope and Change.” “We are not red states or blue states we are the United States!” We are in desperate need of a leader who can unite this divided, ailing country.
The governors in California, and New York have talked about doing their own gerrymandering. Let’s hope that works out well.
Trump’s influence is shredding g much of what awe used to think of as wholesome, across the planet, and it will continue to destroy cultures for decades to come, I’m sorry to say.