Been there, Done that. RIFed in 1995 after the Taliban takeover of Congress in the midterm. No science in THEIR book, so out the window with federal science funding, across the board. That was NOTHING, compared to what this (CALL IT WHAT IT IS!!) Fascist oligarchy COUP!! is up to.
Former President of Poland Lech Walesa wrote the following letter to Trump.
Your Excellency, Mr. President,
We watched the report of your conversation with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, with fear and distaste. We find it insulting that you expect Ukraine to show respect and gratitude for the material assistance provided by the United States in its fight against russia. Gratitude is owed to the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed their blood in defense of the values of the free world. They have been dying on the front lines for more than 11 years in the name of these values and the independence of their homeland, which was attacked by Putin’s russia.
We do not understand how the leader of a country that symbolizes the free world cannot recognize this.
Our alarm was also heightened by the atmosphere in the Oval Office during this conversation, which reminded us of the interrogations we endured at the hands of the Security Services and the debates in Communist courts. Prosecutors and judges, acting on behalf of the all-powerful communist political police, would explain to us that they held all the power while we held none. They demanded that we cease our activities, arguing that thousands of innocent people suffered because of us. They stripped us of our freedoms and civil rights because we refused to cooperate with the government or express gratitude for our oppression. We are shocked that President Volodymyr Zelensky was treated in the same manner.
The history of the 20th century shows that whenever the United States sought to distance itself from democratic values and its European allies, it ultimately became a threat to itself. President Woodrow Wilson understood this when he decided in 1917 that the United States must join World War I. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood this when, after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he resolved that the war to defend America must be fought not only in the Pacific but also in Europe, in alliance with the nations under attack by the Third Reich.
We remember that without President Ronald Reagan and America’s financial commitment, the collapse of the Soviet empire would not have been possible. President Reagan recognized that millions of enslaved people suffered in Soviet russia and the countries it had subjugated, including thousands of political prisoners who paid for their defense of democratic values with their freedom. His greatness lay, among other things, in his unwavering decision to call the USSR an “Empire of Evil” and to fight it decisively. We won, and today, the statue of President Ronald Reagan stands in Warsaw, facing the U.S. Embassy.
Mr. President, material aid—military and financial—can never be equated with the blood shed in the name of Ukraine’s independence and the freedom of Europe and the entire free world. Human life is priceless; its value cannot be measured in money. Gratitude is due to those who sacrifice their blood and their freedom. This is self-evident to us, the people of Solidarity, former political prisoners of the communist regime under Soviet russia.
We call on the United States to uphold the guarantees made alongside Great Britain in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which established a direct obligation to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity in exchange for its relinquishment of nuclear weapons. These guarantees are unconditional—there is no mention of treating such assistance as an economic transaction.
Signed,
Lech Wałęsa, former political prisoner, President of Poland
Thanks so much for this post!! We can only hope that something will occur to disable the dictator(s) in waiting and wake up not only our country but the world. Maybe the market meltdown might shake things up!! How ironic it may happen the week Trump addresses his Maga Congress.
Democracy was gutted in 6 months in the Philippines.. we could be on an even faster track.
WHERE IS OUR FEROCIOUS OPPOSITION!? Krauze is spot on!!
And, predictably the markets are down, down, down... Where are our former Presidents? Where are Bush, Clinton, and Obama -- we need to hear and see them IMHO
I just emailed Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, representative, Sean Casten, City Of elmhurst, mayor of Illinois, Illinois, state, senators, Marty Dieter, governor, JB pits Pritzker of Illinois, the attorney, general of Illinois, Secretary of State of Illinois and Susie, Chloe attic state, senator of Illinois the following
Hello
Thank you for all you do.
Please go on Record this week as follows:
. Condemn Trump’s embrace of Putin.
. Condemn Trump’s turning his back on Ukraine.
. Condemn Trump’s Destruction of the US government.
. Condemn Trump’s elimination of vital health research.
. Condemn Trump’s mistreatment of federal workers.
It is time for the Democrats in the House to pressure a few Republicans, especially those whose districts are being hurt worst by Trusk, into joining a motion to impeach. 1. Trump is selling out our security by normalizing and joining with Putin, selling out Ukraine, selling of Europe and NATO.
2. Trump is violating the Constitution by taking power from Congress, making himself a one man government by decimating Congress and Congressionally authorized federal agencies, decimating USAID and the help it provides world-wide, attacking free speech, including deciding which media have access and starting a witch hunt at VOA, harming medical care and stopping vital medical research. If Republicans won't join in filing a motion, the Democrats should bring their own motion and hold televised hearings. Johnson be damned.
Did impeachment work when Democrats were in the majority? Wait...Americans are losing their jobs, the markets are cratering, our allies have been pushed aside.Republicans are already getting screamed at in town halls and it will get worse if he goes ahead with tariffs. Let's not get in the way of Wile Coyote going off a cliff.
I don’t know about waiting; to your mind, how long do we wait? I don’t think waiting for families to start starving to death in the USA is a good plan.
It won't be long. We are the ones with the power if we work together. We can work a great deal faster than Congress. And do get real about impeachment. We do not have the house, you need 60 votes in the Senate we don't even have 50. We couldn't do it when we had both chambers. The economy has started to slow down, the tariffs will do a great deal of damage. There will be a 10% increase on fuel from Canada ( all New England states get their gasoline from Canada). As far as starving, my family would be one of the first ones and I am even more afraid of being homeless with my autistic son. So, I am doing my utmost to work in community with others to prop up Democrats and have the Republicans split from Dear Leader. With the very public cozying up to Putin, I think that privately some Republicans are hoping that Democrats will be able to bail them out of the corner they have got themselves into.
And an FYI, RFK, Jr. has backtracked on the measles vaccine. Today he encouraged parents to get their kids the MMR vaccine. Saints be praised! He has been an anti-vaxer for years. Never thought I'd see that happen.
Speaking of a fascist oligarch coup - tomorrow night is the State of the Union. How Democrats show up to such a thing given where we’re at is a hard one to parse. Here are my thoughts and I’m interested to see where others land here - and of course, what Simon thinks about it:
If Democrats treat this like it’s just another “State of the Union” that would be a deep, deep disappointment. I’m not feeling much in the mood for decorum and would have no problem with booing tho others in my activist circle have suggested complete & utter silence. What we all agree on is the entire Democratic contingent getting up and walking out at the appropriate moment. And then having a well choreographed press conference outside the House chambers. THAT would break through in a media landscape that seems mostly disinterested in Democrats & democracy
Pamsy, I understand that you are not happy with me, and that's fine. But to argue that I am not allowing free and open discourse here is false and malicious. Come here to be constructive or leave. Most of your engagement here now is combative, and it's a waste of all of our time.
This is what Ezra Levin, leader of Indivisible says about this:
One last thing before I get to the weekly action items below: Tomorrow is Trump’s joint address to Congress -- a televised public relations dance featuring hundreds of the highest ranking federal electeds. This is an opportunity for congressional Democrats to demonstrate they’ve gotten the message from the historic wave of anti-Musk, anti-Trump grassroots energy bubbling up around the country. Given congressional Democrats' approval currently stands at 21%, and 60% of Democrats want to see them fight back harder, it’s an opportunity they really should take.
So I’m reminded in this moment of the incomparable Representative John Lewis, the former “conscience of Congress.” I don’t think he ever recommended Democrats “rollover and play dead,” but he was known for taking advantage of symbolic public moments like this to create a little good trouble. We’ll be watching. And I for one hope for a good surprise.
And, in the meantime, here are your weekly to-dos from the Indivisible team.
Sent notes to Obama and Kamala asking them, again, where the hell they are. Signed up for the MoveOn counter programming state of the union. Wrote to McCormick. Found a way to protest at a nearby Tesla. Reporting in as unspeakably angry.
I am taking this post down. Senator Slotkin is an American patriot and important emerging leader for our country. This post is an insult to this community. Do better or find some other place to hang out. Thank you.
What an excellent, thoughtful, and terrifying dialogue. You and Michael Mann really managed to tie together a lot of threads for me. The Russian disinformation comments and history really rang true. I saw it clearly in my field of fire research from my first (of many) trips to Russia in 1993 when I started to see how vastly under-reported the extent of wildfires was.... It is unfortunately all a part of the same story. I loved working there and getting to know Russian scientists, but the tug of disinformation was always there in the background.
Simon - Thank you so much for this interview with Dr. Mann. We in my very small book group read his book last year. We only read current events. The interview today sent chills down my spine. "The Republican Party is complicit in Putin's agenda." I will watch this interview again and take more notes to use in calls and contact form emails.
Today it became more dangerous in America to have a business — will you stand up for your constituents:
- US businesses can no longer make longterm investments due to instability in the market driven by irrational decisions out of the White House — specifically inflationary tariffs against our allies;
- Hospitals + Clinics are at risk of closing due to reductions in Medicaid;
- You voted to dangerously increase the debt;
- You voted for a massive transfer of wealth and resources from poor people and the middle class to the billionaires and corporations.
Why are you allowing this?
Please — stand up against the dangerous decisions putting America at risk.
I was in my past a healthcare provider and am presently a lecturer to healthcare professional students and health care providers in the U.S and abroad. I am appalled at what we are seeing occurring here. I am so glad you had this interview with Dr. Mann who represents the best the scientific community offers. I have written an email that I sent to some Senators but also would like to send it to Marco Rubio and many others. Do you have suggestions as to whom and to send it. I realize the politicians may never get to to see them.
I can’t help but feel that our leaders in Congress the Democratic leaders in Congress are not doing enough speaking out enough. This is going down so fast. It does make me feel that it’s going to be hard to recover from this unless someone has the strength to lead us I don’t know what the Democratic power brokers have in mind but whatever they’re doing it’s nowhere near sufficient and they don’t seem to be changing their approach,
I understand what you are feeling but a lot of the blame is on the media- they are ambulance chasers. And Trump knows this. If I were a member of Congress I would dress in black and wear a flag pin upside down- the universal sign of distress. Actually, I will be joining the MoveOn program tomorrow evening as I want to hear what Chris Murphy has to say.
The Berlin Wall didn't come down because Gorbachev tore it down, or because Reagan demanded it but because the people did not give up, they tore it down. I remember it well. I was a grad teaching assistant at UMass(Amherst). We had the radio on so we could hear the process as the people tore it down and for the first time in decades East Berliners could breathe free!
I have a suggestion for a little bit of ACTIVISM that each of us can do before tomorrow night. Here’s my idea: Trump’s address to Congress tomorrow night is a chance for Democrats to make a big, unified statement before the nation. We ask them to bring sunflowers and make our side of the aisle a blazing yellow symbol of support for Ukraine.
Call your Congressman and your Senators and ask them to stand together with *all* Democrats in this action and then SHARE on all your socials.
I posted this with a beautiful photo of a bouquet of sunflowers. And I’ve posted it on all the facebook group pages of every local activist group I know!!
Sorry i read this too late for my reps to get this message. What an incredible idea and it would have made an international as well as national outcry.
Excellent interview with Dr Mann. I have seen the grassroots being poisoned by anti science throughout my career as a mathematician and teacher of undergraduates. I have watched the innumerate crap be promoted and grow in noise from Reagan on. God help us all.
Been there, Done that. RIFed in 1995 after the Taliban takeover of Congress in the midterm. No science in THEIR book, so out the window with federal science funding, across the board. That was NOTHING, compared to what this (CALL IT WHAT IT IS!!) Fascist oligarchy COUP!! is up to.
Former President of Poland Lech Walesa wrote the following letter to Trump.
Your Excellency, Mr. President,
We watched the report of your conversation with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, with fear and distaste. We find it insulting that you expect Ukraine to show respect and gratitude for the material assistance provided by the United States in its fight against russia. Gratitude is owed to the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed their blood in defense of the values of the free world. They have been dying on the front lines for more than 11 years in the name of these values and the independence of their homeland, which was attacked by Putin’s russia.
We do not understand how the leader of a country that symbolizes the free world cannot recognize this.
Our alarm was also heightened by the atmosphere in the Oval Office during this conversation, which reminded us of the interrogations we endured at the hands of the Security Services and the debates in Communist courts. Prosecutors and judges, acting on behalf of the all-powerful communist political police, would explain to us that they held all the power while we held none. They demanded that we cease our activities, arguing that thousands of innocent people suffered because of us. They stripped us of our freedoms and civil rights because we refused to cooperate with the government or express gratitude for our oppression. We are shocked that President Volodymyr Zelensky was treated in the same manner.
The history of the 20th century shows that whenever the United States sought to distance itself from democratic values and its European allies, it ultimately became a threat to itself. President Woodrow Wilson understood this when he decided in 1917 that the United States must join World War I. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood this when, after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he resolved that the war to defend America must be fought not only in the Pacific but also in Europe, in alliance with the nations under attack by the Third Reich.
We remember that without President Ronald Reagan and America’s financial commitment, the collapse of the Soviet empire would not have been possible. President Reagan recognized that millions of enslaved people suffered in Soviet russia and the countries it had subjugated, including thousands of political prisoners who paid for their defense of democratic values with their freedom. His greatness lay, among other things, in his unwavering decision to call the USSR an “Empire of Evil” and to fight it decisively. We won, and today, the statue of President Ronald Reagan stands in Warsaw, facing the U.S. Embassy.
Mr. President, material aid—military and financial—can never be equated with the blood shed in the name of Ukraine’s independence and the freedom of Europe and the entire free world. Human life is priceless; its value cannot be measured in money. Gratitude is due to those who sacrifice their blood and their freedom. This is self-evident to us, the people of Solidarity, former political prisoners of the communist regime under Soviet russia.
We call on the United States to uphold the guarantees made alongside Great Britain in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which established a direct obligation to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity in exchange for its relinquishment of nuclear weapons. These guarantees are unconditional—there is no mention of treating such assistance as an economic transaction.
Signed,
Lech Wałęsa, former political prisoner, President of Poland
Telling like it IS!
Thanks so much for this post!! We can only hope that something will occur to disable the dictator(s) in waiting and wake up not only our country but the world. Maybe the market meltdown might shake things up!! How ironic it may happen the week Trump addresses his Maga Congress.
Democracy was gutted in 6 months in the Philippines.. we could be on an even faster track.
WHERE IS OUR FEROCIOUS OPPOSITION!? Krauze is spot on!!
@Karen Meneghin thank you so much for sharing the letter from Lech Walesa.
And, predictably the markets are down, down, down... Where are our former Presidents? Where are Bush, Clinton, and Obama -- we need to hear and see them IMHO
And what is the Democratic Party doing, RGHT NOW?? Capitulate!!!
No, they are not. I posted a link yesterday about some of the things they are doing.
me too
They are doing a lot actually. Problem is we aren’t hearing about it enough.
I just emailed Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, representative, Sean Casten, City Of elmhurst, mayor of Illinois, Illinois, state, senators, Marty Dieter, governor, JB pits Pritzker of Illinois, the attorney, general of Illinois, Secretary of State of Illinois and Susie, Chloe attic state, senator of Illinois the following
Hello
Thank you for all you do.
Please go on Record this week as follows:
. Condemn Trump’s embrace of Putin.
. Condemn Trump’s turning his back on Ukraine.
. Condemn Trump’s Destruction of the US government.
. Condemn Trump’s elimination of vital health research.
. Condemn Trump’s mistreatment of federal workers.
Thank you for your support!
Hope you neglected to cc pino & Vlad, the impaler!
Would mean a one way trip to frozen Siberia!
Don't forget Trump's allowing Musk to run rampant with his "Doge," firing good American workers from so many important Federal agencies.
It is time for the Democrats in the House to pressure a few Republicans, especially those whose districts are being hurt worst by Trusk, into joining a motion to impeach. 1. Trump is selling out our security by normalizing and joining with Putin, selling out Ukraine, selling of Europe and NATO.
2. Trump is violating the Constitution by taking power from Congress, making himself a one man government by decimating Congress and Congressionally authorized federal agencies, decimating USAID and the help it provides world-wide, attacking free speech, including deciding which media have access and starting a witch hunt at VOA, harming medical care and stopping vital medical research. If Republicans won't join in filing a motion, the Democrats should bring their own motion and hold televised hearings. Johnson be damned.
Did impeachment work when Democrats were in the majority? Wait...Americans are losing their jobs, the markets are cratering, our allies have been pushed aside.Republicans are already getting screamed at in town halls and it will get worse if he goes ahead with tariffs. Let's not get in the way of Wile Coyote going off a cliff.
I don’t know about waiting; to your mind, how long do we wait? I don’t think waiting for families to start starving to death in the USA is a good plan.
It won't be long. We are the ones with the power if we work together. We can work a great deal faster than Congress. And do get real about impeachment. We do not have the house, you need 60 votes in the Senate we don't even have 50. We couldn't do it when we had both chambers. The economy has started to slow down, the tariffs will do a great deal of damage. There will be a 10% increase on fuel from Canada ( all New England states get their gasoline from Canada). As far as starving, my family would be one of the first ones and I am even more afraid of being homeless with my autistic son. So, I am doing my utmost to work in community with others to prop up Democrats and have the Republicans split from Dear Leader. With the very public cozying up to Putin, I think that privately some Republicans are hoping that Democrats will be able to bail them out of the corner they have got themselves into.
And an FYI, RFK, Jr. has backtracked on the measles vaccine. Today he encouraged parents to get their kids the MMR vaccine. Saints be praised! He has been an anti-vaxer for years. Never thought I'd see that happen.
Speaking of a fascist oligarch coup - tomorrow night is the State of the Union. How Democrats show up to such a thing given where we’re at is a hard one to parse. Here are my thoughts and I’m interested to see where others land here - and of course, what Simon thinks about it:
If Democrats treat this like it’s just another “State of the Union” that would be a deep, deep disappointment. I’m not feeling much in the mood for decorum and would have no problem with booing tho others in my activist circle have suggested complete & utter silence. What we all agree on is the entire Democratic contingent getting up and walking out at the appropriate moment. And then having a well choreographed press conference outside the House chambers. THAT would break through in a media landscape that seems mostly disinterested in Democrats & democracy
Tracy please don't set you or us up for "deep disappointment" on something that is not an easy call.
Why is it not an easy call? And why isn’t she, or any of us, entitled to our opinions?
This is Simon's substack. According to the Substack platform "writers are responsible for moderating their own communities as they see fit."
Pamsy, I understand that you are not happy with me, and that's fine. But to argue that I am not allowing free and open discourse here is false and malicious. Come here to be constructive or leave. Most of your engagement here now is combative, and it's a waste of all of our time.
This is what Ezra Levin, leader of Indivisible says about this:
One last thing before I get to the weekly action items below: Tomorrow is Trump’s joint address to Congress -- a televised public relations dance featuring hundreds of the highest ranking federal electeds. This is an opportunity for congressional Democrats to demonstrate they’ve gotten the message from the historic wave of anti-Musk, anti-Trump grassroots energy bubbling up around the country. Given congressional Democrats' approval currently stands at 21%, and 60% of Democrats want to see them fight back harder, it’s an opportunity they really should take.
So I’m reminded in this moment of the incomparable Representative John Lewis, the former “conscience of Congress.” I don’t think he ever recommended Democrats “rollover and play dead,” but he was known for taking advantage of symbolic public moments like this to create a little good trouble. We’ll be watching. And I for one hope for a good surprise.
And, in the meantime, here are your weekly to-dos from the Indivisible team.
- Ezra Levin
Sent notes to Obama and Kamala asking them, again, where the hell they are. Signed up for the MoveOn counter programming state of the union. Wrote to McCormick. Found a way to protest at a nearby Tesla. Reporting in as unspeakably angry.
We need someone like Mayor Pete to go on the Joe Rogan show. And others to go to present our side.
I am taking this post down. Senator Slotkin is an American patriot and important emerging leader for our country. This post is an insult to this community. Do better or find some other place to hang out. Thank you.
What an excellent, thoughtful, and terrifying dialogue. You and Michael Mann really managed to tie together a lot of threads for me. The Russian disinformation comments and history really rang true. I saw it clearly in my field of fire research from my first (of many) trips to Russia in 1993 when I started to see how vastly under-reported the extent of wildfires was.... It is unfortunately all a part of the same story. I loved working there and getting to know Russian scientists, but the tug of disinformation was always there in the background.
Simon - Thank you so much for this interview with Dr. Mann. We in my very small book group read his book last year. We only read current events. The interview today sent chills down my spine. "The Republican Party is complicit in Putin's agenda." I will watch this interview again and take more notes to use in calls and contact form emails.
Dear Congressman Calvert CA-41 -
Today it became more dangerous in America to have a business — will you stand up for your constituents:
- US businesses can no longer make longterm investments due to instability in the market driven by irrational decisions out of the White House — specifically inflationary tariffs against our allies;
- Hospitals + Clinics are at risk of closing due to reductions in Medicaid;
- You voted to dangerously increase the debt;
- You voted for a massive transfer of wealth and resources from poor people and the middle class to the billionaires and corporations.
Why are you allowing this?
Please — stand up against the dangerous decisions putting America at risk.
Respectfully,
Franklin Lee Moulton
I was in my past a healthcare provider and am presently a lecturer to healthcare professional students and health care providers in the U.S and abroad. I am appalled at what we are seeing occurring here. I am so glad you had this interview with Dr. Mann who represents the best the scientific community offers. I have written an email that I sent to some Senators but also would like to send it to Marco Rubio and many others. Do you have suggestions as to whom and to send it. I realize the politicians may never get to to see them.
Dr. Z
I can’t help but feel that our leaders in Congress the Democratic leaders in Congress are not doing enough speaking out enough. This is going down so fast. It does make me feel that it’s going to be hard to recover from this unless someone has the strength to lead us I don’t know what the Democratic power brokers have in mind but whatever they’re doing it’s nowhere near sufficient and they don’t seem to be changing their approach,
I understand what you are feeling but a lot of the blame is on the media- they are ambulance chasers. And Trump knows this. If I were a member of Congress I would dress in black and wear a flag pin upside down- the universal sign of distress. Actually, I will be joining the MoveOn program tomorrow evening as I want to hear what Chris Murphy has to say.
Exactly, We have to become the ambulance!! We must..our "leaders" must capture the narrative. We need to be chased by the media.. FEROCIOUS OPPOSITION
The Berlin Wall didn't come down because Gorbachev tore it down, or because Reagan demanded it but because the people did not give up, they tore it down. I remember it well. I was a grad teaching assistant at UMass(Amherst). We had the radio on so we could hear the process as the people tore it down and for the first time in decades East Berliners could breathe free!
Me too.
I have a suggestion for a little bit of ACTIVISM that each of us can do before tomorrow night. Here’s my idea: Trump’s address to Congress tomorrow night is a chance for Democrats to make a big, unified statement before the nation. We ask them to bring sunflowers and make our side of the aisle a blazing yellow symbol of support for Ukraine.
Call your Congressman and your Senators and ask them to stand together with *all* Democrats in this action and then SHARE on all your socials.
I posted this with a beautiful photo of a bouquet of sunflowers. And I’ve posted it on all the facebook group pages of every local activist group I know!!
Sorry i read this too late for my reps to get this message. What an incredible idea and it would have made an international as well as national outcry.
Excellent interview with Dr Mann. I have seen the grassroots being poisoned by anti science throughout my career as a mathematician and teacher of undergraduates. I have watched the innumerate crap be promoted and grow in noise from Reagan on. God help us all.
https://youtu.be/nZocqZvcYn8?si=7kfqIRw6ywPEkbMi