If the image of Trump as Christ helps to educate the Christian leadership that his role is neither Christian nor leadership, so be it. But that image must be removed ASAP. And America stands with Pope Leo. Meanwhile, are there really NO GOP Senators or Congresspeople who will stand up to this leader and limit the escalation of this war?!!! This must be our #1 message today.
I think I would explain what's going on with the Rs in evolutionary terms. As Simon has told us many times, they've been very successful politically for a long time by emphasizing the strong/weak, winner/loser contrast. So long, in fact, that they've become invested in it all the way down to their DNA, and their leadership has become self-selected and selected for belief in the strategy, immersion in it, and ability to execute it, with Trump as its apotheosis.
And to be fair, it makes a lot of sense for them. They are the minority party in terms of the size of their base, the little fish. When you're the little fish it makes sense to puff yourself up, make yourself big(ger), and even more sense to do it with spines all over your surface (like a pufferfish), ready to stab and slice (like they do at the slightest, most superficial "provocation").
The problem is that in evolution, the more successful a strategy is, the more likely, paradoxically, it is to fail, catastrophically; at some point (with one notable exception, for sure**). Because the more successful a strategy is, by definition, the more perfectly attuned to the current environment it is. And the one thing we know for sure about environments is that they change.
Brazening, bluffing, exuding confidence and swag has worked so long and is so attuned to who they culturally and personally actually are, they may well be incapable psychologically of changing course (any more than the celebrities who can't see, let alone accept, that the 15 minute moment has passed and the music has stopped, no matter how many times they've seen that movie before.
As for all those Republicans talking to reporters off the record about their concerns, how many people have we known who have predicted a bad outcome to something over and over, and yet when it actually happens are as shocked as anyone else, sometimes even more so? The people who murmur "I never thought it would actually happen."
Often the magical thinking Simon alludes to extends to the worriers as well, who believe that by acknowledging the danger out loud, publicly(if anonymously), they've innoculated themselves and their compatriots against it happening, like those of us who carry umbrellas to prevent it from raining, jokingly, we say, but not really.
So if I were a betting man who actually knew what he was talking about, I'd go onto Polymarket and wager they're going to go right over the cliff without even leaving skid marks, that catastrophic failure is their only realistic way forward.
**--the exception is the generalist strategy, which pretty much always wins in the end, via everyone else's attrition and their own increasing mastery of the environmental elements that, in the abstract, at least, more or less never change, and their ecumenical approach to the world, which, to the extent it's possible, neutralizes or eliminates chahge as a variable with any traction or friction. Via core elements like their multicultural approach and big tent philosophy, the Dems are much closer to a generalist approach than the GOP. The only thing that can wipe out generalists is an asteroid‐ type event that wipes out pretty much everyone. Unfortunately, that's the type of event that a strategy like the GOPs is the most likely to engender--unless we can precipitate their catastrophic failure first..
I think Republicans overlook the fact that many Americans are appalled by their defense of Trump’s erratic, cirrupt, repugnant behavior. Those of us with morals aren't going to vote R no matter what prices are. They have failed to conduct their duties to put checks and balances on Trump.
Rhetorical question: What happens when one of the ships our Navy tries to stop in international waters is Chinese-flagged?
Interesting to watch if/when Rs try to pass ICE/DHS/CBP funding--with or without SAVE Act provisions attached, with or without a supplemental for war spending attached--solely with R votes through reconciliation.
Yeah that is a good and scary question. The Chinese could send a few frigates to escort ships. My understanding is we only have about 5 ships there which could be used for interdiction, and they have to cover a LOT of water.
Well, Simon the arrival of Jesus, Jesus Trump that is, is proof positive that the Republican MAGA Congress and the Republican MAGA Supreme Court majority are as delusional as Mr. Donald J. Trump, and all three (MAGA Congress, MAGA justices, and the crazy man in the Oval Office) are unqualified to be in any position of responsibility.
A friend who escaped an evangelical cult (on the local level, led by family members making it harder) notes that the Armageddon concept is both real and gruesome. As we see - Hedgy having declared that's the goal, at least to the military. I'm wondering if the Trump as Christ imagery is meant to invoke the AntiChrist, which is supposed to appear before it. I sometimes have the mean thought of contact Lauren's Lapdog (our GOP Rep) and telling him the Rapture already happened and he was #144,001 on the list (144,000 is supposed to be the number that "ascends")
Emily, I quit speaking to a long time friend because she became an Evangelical and started attending a Trump supporting church. She even chided me by saying I lost my faith in God. I told her I didn't lose my faith in God but in people who call themselves Christian and support Trump. We haven't spoken in 3 1/2 years. I guess when three failed marriages and psychotherapy hasn't worked you turn to religion. I just made my calls to my two AZ senators. Every pay period I have been rotating my donations to the Hopium recommended candidates. Hungary's win for change is inspiring.
Well said and nicely put, Gary! Well, the Bible tells us the Antichrist will fool the faithful into believing he's the Second Coming, which both tracks and explains--if you believe there is an Antichrist, of course, and you believe that it is he. The Gospel of Thomas has been described as Christ without the miracles, making it remarkably (and coincidentally?) similar to Thomas Jefferson's Bible. If there can be a Christ without miracles,** why not an Antichrist without Hell?
**--At least as conventionally defined--the movie Millions makes the case that the miracle of the loaves and fishes is that the whole crowd is generous, good-hearted, and self-disciplined enough to successfully share the small amount of food on order.
Read Kristen Du Mez. Her book Jesus and John Wayne helps to explain the history of the White Evangelicals in the United States, and how they corrupted a religion and fractured our country at the same time. This has been a 50 year + playbook. And we are living with the fruits of their labor: Trump and the GOP. Hard to break into their bubble: home school the kids and “Christian” colleges, and listen only to our tv and radio stations and buy from our publishing company. High control religion. And the price of leaving is high
Wrote to all 3 national reps today, signed up for 2 phone banks for VA... Next week I attend pollworker training. Doin' what I can. Going to enjoy the rest of this day and pretend it's 2015.
So much good news that Simon ran out of room to note recent CNN polling on JDVance. He’s gone from +3 net approval at start of Trump 2.0 to -18, a 21 point fall in approval. According to CNN, he now has lowest net approval at this point in term for any VP in 21st century.
Not only are midterms looking better and better, but this augers well for 2028!
After reading this it reminds me in away of the end of the Third Reich..The denial that anything’s wrong, that the Nazis were losing. I say Nazis and not Germans because not all Germans were Nazis at least those that survived the Gestapo. AKA ICE. Right up to the end Hitler’s blamed the German people kind of like Trump, refusing to take any responsibility for his destructive Behavior! He’s a Full Narcissist thru and thru. I don’t see him ever admitting he made any mistakes no it’s probably all our, American peoples fault for any failures. He has dementia and keeping him in the Oval office is very dangerous, what idiotic ideas will he come up with next. As for those Tarifs we the American people were going to see in our wallets, I understand Trump has them, who is surprised about that?
I was having similar thoughts, though my mind went to the movie "The Death of Stalin." When Stalin was found collapsed in his room (having had a massive stroke), having lost control of his bowels, the people who found them could not bring themselves to call a doctor. Their collective learned helplessness meant the only thing they could do was call in more and more of the Soviet Leadership in hopes one of them would decide to call a doctor, fearing that if THEY called for a doctor and Stalin died, they would be held responsible for Stalin's death since they called the doctor.
Is the central figure ascending to heaven the Statue of Liberty in military fatigues? I can't quite tell what the AI produced, but does the image depict America being dead from a war?
Has anyone else seen the movie "The Death of Stalin" and see parrallels with Congressional Republicans? Between ideological rigidity and ruthless demands to conform they exhibit a learned helplessness that renders them unable to act independent of what Trump and the Reich Wing Media machine tell them to do?
In the first few months of TRex’ and Co.’s reign of terror, I would write a verse or two depicting each days horror using Woody Guthrie’s Worried Man Blues as my template. I call the collection my “Worried Girl Blues,” and the horrors got too overwhelming to keep up the practice. I would advocate that you keep at it. :)
Signed up for the Thursday phonebook. Will be post carding as usual, currently to AZ voters.
I think the ratchet of fascism only turns one way. So they will just continue to get more extreme, and then hope a large amount of cash and negative campaigning will work. It's up to everyone else to prove them wrong. I also think that you can see the divisions, and that is going to get worse for them. MTG and Massie, Rand Paul occasionally. So they are in real trouble and are about to get their collective asses handed to them.
There is no reason on Earth why American voter turnout should be any lower than Hungary’s. Our people have just as much if not more on the line. In fact, the entire world has a huge stake in our elections!
But I would be content if turnout for Democratic and Independent voters reaches 80% in every state and precinct – while Republican turnout remains at 60–65% or so (and many of those vote Blue!).
This is the first time I have posted something that may be even mildly controversial on here, so I am readying myself for some anger, or abuse and I really do not want to lower the mood, or distract from the important work, but...
I do hope Simon will at least touch on the Swalwell situation at some point. It is pretty shocking and seems fairly likely to lead to expulsion from the House if reporting is correct.
Maybe it is too early to comment, but he was given a platform on Hopium more than once and so I do hope we will get to have a discussion/hear thoughts about it at some point.
Seeing a few Dems (mostly women) saying absolutely the right things, which is great, but I hope we don't fall into the trap of attempting to ignore things that are inconvenient/uncomfortable and painful to discuss or acknowledge. We have to be better than that and better than them.
Thought long and hard about posting this, but morally felt it was necessary to raise. If that gets me excommunicated/banned then so be it and I will just have to accept it.
Takes a lot of courage to post what you did, props.
I’m of the mind that the right thing happened (eventually) and I’m most interested in keeping our guns trained on the fascists. Save the introspection for later.
Love the live shot of Congress back in action after their vacation 🙄
If the image of Trump as Christ helps to educate the Christian leadership that his role is neither Christian nor leadership, so be it. But that image must be removed ASAP. And America stands with Pope Leo. Meanwhile, are there really NO GOP Senators or Congresspeople who will stand up to this leader and limit the escalation of this war?!!! This must be our #1 message today.
I think I would explain what's going on with the Rs in evolutionary terms. As Simon has told us many times, they've been very successful politically for a long time by emphasizing the strong/weak, winner/loser contrast. So long, in fact, that they've become invested in it all the way down to their DNA, and their leadership has become self-selected and selected for belief in the strategy, immersion in it, and ability to execute it, with Trump as its apotheosis.
And to be fair, it makes a lot of sense for them. They are the minority party in terms of the size of their base, the little fish. When you're the little fish it makes sense to puff yourself up, make yourself big(ger), and even more sense to do it with spines all over your surface (like a pufferfish), ready to stab and slice (like they do at the slightest, most superficial "provocation").
The problem is that in evolution, the more successful a strategy is, the more likely, paradoxically, it is to fail, catastrophically; at some point (with one notable exception, for sure**). Because the more successful a strategy is, by definition, the more perfectly attuned to the current environment it is. And the one thing we know for sure about environments is that they change.
Brazening, bluffing, exuding confidence and swag has worked so long and is so attuned to who they culturally and personally actually are, they may well be incapable psychologically of changing course (any more than the celebrities who can't see, let alone accept, that the 15 minute moment has passed and the music has stopped, no matter how many times they've seen that movie before.
As for all those Republicans talking to reporters off the record about their concerns, how many people have we known who have predicted a bad outcome to something over and over, and yet when it actually happens are as shocked as anyone else, sometimes even more so? The people who murmur "I never thought it would actually happen."
Often the magical thinking Simon alludes to extends to the worriers as well, who believe that by acknowledging the danger out loud, publicly(if anonymously), they've innoculated themselves and their compatriots against it happening, like those of us who carry umbrellas to prevent it from raining, jokingly, we say, but not really.
So if I were a betting man who actually knew what he was talking about, I'd go onto Polymarket and wager they're going to go right over the cliff without even leaving skid marks, that catastrophic failure is their only realistic way forward.
**--the exception is the generalist strategy, which pretty much always wins in the end, via everyone else's attrition and their own increasing mastery of the environmental elements that, in the abstract, at least, more or less never change, and their ecumenical approach to the world, which, to the extent it's possible, neutralizes or eliminates chahge as a variable with any traction or friction. Via core elements like their multicultural approach and big tent philosophy, the Dems are much closer to a generalist approach than the GOP. The only thing that can wipe out generalists is an asteroid‐ type event that wipes out pretty much everyone. Unfortunately, that's the type of event that a strategy like the GOPs is the most likely to engender--unless we can precipitate their catastrophic failure first..
I think Republicans overlook the fact that many Americans are appalled by their defense of Trump’s erratic, cirrupt, repugnant behavior. Those of us with morals aren't going to vote R no matter what prices are. They have failed to conduct their duties to put checks and balances on Trump.
Rhetorical question: What happens when one of the ships our Navy tries to stop in international waters is Chinese-flagged?
Interesting to watch if/when Rs try to pass ICE/DHS/CBP funding--with or without SAVE Act provisions attached, with or without a supplemental for war spending attached--solely with R votes through reconciliation.
Yeah that is a good and scary question. The Chinese could send a few frigates to escort ships. My understanding is we only have about 5 ships there which could be used for interdiction, and they have to cover a LOT of water.
Well, Simon the arrival of Jesus, Jesus Trump that is, is proof positive that the Republican MAGA Congress and the Republican MAGA Supreme Court majority are as delusional as Mr. Donald J. Trump, and all three (MAGA Congress, MAGA justices, and the crazy man in the Oval Office) are unqualified to be in any position of responsibility.
A friend who escaped an evangelical cult (on the local level, led by family members making it harder) notes that the Armageddon concept is both real and gruesome. As we see - Hedgy having declared that's the goal, at least to the military. I'm wondering if the Trump as Christ imagery is meant to invoke the AntiChrist, which is supposed to appear before it. I sometimes have the mean thought of contact Lauren's Lapdog (our GOP Rep) and telling him the Rapture already happened and he was #144,001 on the list (144,000 is supposed to be the number that "ascends")
I don’t know for sure if Trump
is the anti-Christ; but I’m
pretty sure that the anti-Christ will look and sound like Trump.
The fact that Trump has church-going followers defies my human understanding…
…it tells you a great deal about those churches, some of whom would believe TRex has the spiritual gift of healing …
I can make the provocative case that one cannot be a Christian- and support Trump. I have a dozen elements to make that case by connecting the dots.
I left a Trump-supporting church for that very reason, Gary. It wasn’t even a charismatic, or particularly fundamentalist church.
Emily, I quit speaking to a long time friend because she became an Evangelical and started attending a Trump supporting church. She even chided me by saying I lost my faith in God. I told her I didn't lose my faith in God but in people who call themselves Christian and support Trump. We haven't spoken in 3 1/2 years. I guess when three failed marriages and psychotherapy hasn't worked you turn to religion. I just made my calls to my two AZ senators. Every pay period I have been rotating my donations to the Hopium recommended candidates. Hungary's win for change is inspiring.
Dear God,
I am so happy I live in an East Coast Elite Bubble.
I'd be a serial killer otherwise.
It's pretty bad for Christian circles when Trump's word salad speeches are considered speaking in tongues!
I apologize, Peach. I edited my earlier remark to remove the reference.
he is the anti christ 100%
But try to convince church-going Trumpers …
They are too far gone. I liken them to the Jim Jones followers. They will drink the poison
Well said and nicely put, Gary! Well, the Bible tells us the Antichrist will fool the faithful into believing he's the Second Coming, which both tracks and explains--if you believe there is an Antichrist, of course, and you believe that it is he. The Gospel of Thomas has been described as Christ without the miracles, making it remarkably (and coincidentally?) similar to Thomas Jefferson's Bible. If there can be a Christ without miracles,** why not an Antichrist without Hell?
**--At least as conventionally defined--the movie Millions makes the case that the miracle of the loaves and fishes is that the whole crowd is generous, good-hearted, and self-disciplined enough to successfully share the small amount of food on order.
…it tells you a great deal about those churches, some of whom probably believe TRex does have the spiritual gift of healing…
Watch Elmer Gantry and it’ll make sense.
Read Kristen Du Mez. Her book Jesus and John Wayne helps to explain the history of the White Evangelicals in the United States, and how they corrupted a religion and fractured our country at the same time. This has been a 50 year + playbook. And we are living with the fruits of their labor: Trump and the GOP. Hard to break into their bubble: home school the kids and “Christian” colleges, and listen only to our tv and radio stations and buy from our publishing company. High control religion. And the price of leaving is high
Wrote to all 3 national reps today, signed up for 2 phone banks for VA... Next week I attend pollworker training. Doin' what I can. Going to enjoy the rest of this day and pretend it's 2015.
that's great! I wish I had time to be a poll worker. Will do what I can.
So much good news that Simon ran out of room to note recent CNN polling on JDVance. He’s gone from +3 net approval at start of Trump 2.0 to -18, a 21 point fall in approval. According to CNN, he now has lowest net approval at this point in term for any VP in 21st century.
Not only are midterms looking better and better, but this augers well for 2028!
After reading this it reminds me in away of the end of the Third Reich..The denial that anything’s wrong, that the Nazis were losing. I say Nazis and not Germans because not all Germans were Nazis at least those that survived the Gestapo. AKA ICE. Right up to the end Hitler’s blamed the German people kind of like Trump, refusing to take any responsibility for his destructive Behavior! He’s a Full Narcissist thru and thru. I don’t see him ever admitting he made any mistakes no it’s probably all our, American peoples fault for any failures. He has dementia and keeping him in the Oval office is very dangerous, what idiotic ideas will he come up with next. As for those Tarifs we the American people were going to see in our wallets, I understand Trump has them, who is surprised about that?
Not us sane Americans but too many in the MAGA cult 🤮
I was having similar thoughts, though my mind went to the movie "The Death of Stalin." When Stalin was found collapsed in his room (having had a massive stroke), having lost control of his bowels, the people who found them could not bring themselves to call a doctor. Their collective learned helplessness meant the only thing they could do was call in more and more of the Soviet Leadership in hopes one of them would decide to call a doctor, fearing that if THEY called for a doctor and Stalin died, they would be held responsible for Stalin's death since they called the doctor.
People Magazine has picked up the Trump as Jesus story! This is so great, because they reach an audience that the NYT does not.
And he has deleted the post now.
No backing down for anyone though!!
Is the central figure ascending to heaven the Statue of Liberty in military fatigues? I can't quite tell what the AI produced, but does the image depict America being dead from a war?
JVL's analysis of this image is worth a read. It will give you a chuckle!
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trumps-god-complex
Has anyone else seen the movie "The Death of Stalin" and see parrallels with Congressional Republicans? Between ideological rigidity and ruthless demands to conform they exhibit a learned helplessness that renders them unable to act independent of what Trump and the Reich Wing Media machine tell them to do?
Great play/movie
I normally don't do poetry (and I'll stop now) but this one popped into my head after Sunday's news.
Dumpty Trumpty sat on his throne.
His polls were in tatters, economy blown.
So he sent off to Hungary his knaves and yes-men.
But they couldn't get Orbán elected again.
Splendid, Doc! Splendid.
Grazie, Emily. Will quit while I'm ahead.
In the first few months of TRex’ and Co.’s reign of terror, I would write a verse or two depicting each days horror using Woody Guthrie’s Worried Man Blues as my template. I call the collection my “Worried Girl Blues,” and the horrors got too overwhelming to keep up the practice. I would advocate that you keep at it. :)
Signed up for the Thursday phonebook. Will be post carding as usual, currently to AZ voters.
I think the ratchet of fascism only turns one way. So they will just continue to get more extreme, and then hope a large amount of cash and negative campaigning will work. It's up to everyone else to prove them wrong. I also think that you can see the divisions, and that is going to get worse for them. MTG and Massie, Rand Paul occasionally. So they are in real trouble and are about to get their collective asses handed to them.
Our opponents must really think their money and information dominance is going to carry them through… let’s make that a bad idea!
Made my calls today.
HUNGARY – fun facts
– Voter turnout in Hungary’s election was 79.55%.
– Compared to the 2022 election, Fidesz/KDNP gained ground in four (4) municipalities, relative to the main opposition list.
– However, Tisza gained ground relative to Fidesz in 3,151 municipalities!
(Caveat: that’s with 98.9% of the votes counted.)
if we can get 80% turn out in mid terms, we can turn this around!!! and stop all fraud allegations in their tracks!
There is no reason on Earth why American voter turnout should be any lower than Hungary’s. Our people have just as much if not more on the line. In fact, the entire world has a huge stake in our elections!
But I would be content if turnout for Democratic and Independent voters reaches 80% in every state and precinct – while Republican turnout remains at 60–65% or so (and many of those vote Blue!).
This is the first time I have posted something that may be even mildly controversial on here, so I am readying myself for some anger, or abuse and I really do not want to lower the mood, or distract from the important work, but...
I do hope Simon will at least touch on the Swalwell situation at some point. It is pretty shocking and seems fairly likely to lead to expulsion from the House if reporting is correct.
Maybe it is too early to comment, but he was given a platform on Hopium more than once and so I do hope we will get to have a discussion/hear thoughts about it at some point.
Seeing a few Dems (mostly women) saying absolutely the right things, which is great, but I hope we don't fall into the trap of attempting to ignore things that are inconvenient/uncomfortable and painful to discuss or acknowledge. We have to be better than that and better than them.
Thought long and hard about posting this, but morally felt it was necessary to raise. If that gets me excommunicated/banned then so be it and I will just have to accept it.
When feet of clay are exposed, it is fair game to point them out. I’ll “white ball” keeping you in, Thomas.
I was dismayed and horrified, but am relieved that he dropped his bid for governor. Now he should do the decent thing and leave his job.
Takes a lot of courage to post what you did, props.
I’m of the mind that the right thing happened (eventually) and I’m most interested in keeping our guns trained on the fascists. Save the introspection for later.
My two cents…