“What sits with me this morning more than anything else is just how much of an impulsive fuck‑up Trump is.” That’s it. That’s the entire story of the past 10+ years. 10+ years stuck under a toddler‑king whose every tantrum has body counts, price tags, and constitutional collateral damage. 10+ years stuck under a third‑rate arsonist who keeps tossing lit matches at the world and then acting surprised when everything catches fire. 10+ years of self‑victimization, where every half‑baked stunt leaves the rest of us scrambling to contain the damage while he shuffles off to find his next target. Seriously, fuck Trump and fuck everyone who enables him.
You summed that up nicely, and I couldn't agree with you more. I've been sick in bed this week, which gave me time to follow comments on an Instagram post about old people, like myself, swearing at the TV whenever numbnuts showed up. Some people had never heard their parents or grandparents use the f-word before, and it was quite a revelation. I imagine there are armies of us out there doing that right now.
My sweet 91 year old mother; Nebraska born and raised, pastor’s wife, never had a bad word to say about anyone until the orange one. When they test her cognition and get to the question, “Who is the president?” She scowls and says, “I know who it is but I won’t say his name.” 😁
Good for her. My Ohio grandmother was in her nineties when I saw her last and a little demented. We brought her hard candies wrapped in cellophane because she had difficulty swallowing. Like your mother, she never said a bad word about anyone. But I remember her unwrapping those candies and saying, "Just like twisting necks, just like I'd like to do to some people I know."
Simon, thank you for your great discussion last night.
More and more, Trump reminds me of a guy I used to work with who would come up with some legal argument, fall in love with it, and never stop to ask, "And then what does the other side do? What counterarguments will they make?" I think part of the reason is that they just don't really see other people as real, as independent actors with their own interests. You can see how Trump wound up bankrupting not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but six different businesses.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen about ICE and the need to regularly bring up Trump's declining mental capacities. I'm writing postcards to Virginia voters about redistricting.
Dr. Ben-Ghiat always talks about how autocrats don't see people, they see objects to exploit for their aims. We are only there to do the bidding, and we are expendable.
She is a go-to and her conversation with Timothy Snyder yesterday on her Substack LUCID, was Outstanding!! Along with Simon, we have got some great folx in this fight!!
When it comes to the 🍊💩, no good deed goes unpunished. So, it pains me to see Ukraine helping the US at this moment when Trump will almost certainly express his "gratitude" by spitting on Zelensky while the traitorous bastard does everything in his power to forward Putin's aims. I realize that Zelensky is likely playing 3-D chess with an addled toddler, but the "thanks" he's likely to receive grieves me, nonetheless. I know, I really do need to stop candy-coating my feelings!
SUCH GOOD NEWS! Voter turnout exceeding our expectations needs to continue but we can't rest on our laurels. And we need to protect VOTER RIGHTS as this will scare the GOP big time. Here's to a BLUE TSUNAMI!
Hi y'all - posted this late yesterday. If you do nothing else, take the time to watch/listen to this convo between two great minds - Timothy Snyder & Ruth Ben-Ghiat - it is one of the most inspiring, though-provoking, and incisive conversations on what's going on that we'll probably hear, like, ever. The Dynamic Duo https://lucid.substack.com/p/my-conversation-with-timothy-snyder
Thanks for this Lisa. Its a great perspective, brings a bit of calm to the chaos including some hopium to temper the realistic threats of the mad king.
Thanks for highlighting this. At one point they talk about how fascists historically used foreign wars to consolidate their power, but go on to opine that this bunch of keystone kops (my term) isn’t capable of pulling that off. Takes discipline, planning, organization. Reinforces Simon’s point this morning about what a screw-up the 🍊💩 is.
I think the best thing about the Anderson Clayton interview and the NC election results is the CONSEQUENCES, for those incumbant, veto over-riding, DINOs getting overwhelmingly defeaed.
Hi all - Anderson Cooper is the face of the new Democratic Party. She is on fire. I love giving her money knowing that she is doing everything right. She is SO articulate and her enthusiasm is off the charts. I'd love to meet her. Just donated again to her.
I'm pretty angry this morning about the War Resolutions Act vote yesterday. I thought we had ALL learned that the hubris and vain-gloriousness of our country attempting regime change in the Middle East was not only a loser, but robs us of beautiful young men and women in the military. It's incredibly painful to see again. As a 70 year old Vietnam-era child, the loss of lives pains me deeply. How many will die before we can stop him with no Republican willing to cross him? It's sickening.
Happy third anniversary, Simon and friends. Thank you for helping me ratchet up my participation for democracy. Kent
The video is sickening. Kudos to the bystander who called the senator a coward. There should be an all-out media blitz on Senator Sheehy condemning his actions and demanding that he resign immediately. Fuck that guy!
Sheehy is all about performative acts. Like skydiving out of a plane with others while holding an American flag, or in this case, 'helping' the Capitol Police. But when it comes to actually doing the job of Senator, like resisting illegal unconstitutional wars and other acts of treason, he's functionally AWOL. A real tragedy that this showboat was elected in place of workhorse Senator Jon Tester. Sheehy is nothing but an embarrassment to our great state.
For some good Montana news, MAGA Representative Ryan Zinke and MAGA Senator Steve Daines have both announced they will retire at the end of their terms, 2026.
Hi David. See my note below on the Senate race. Strongest candidate for the House - MT District 1 (IMO) would be Democrat Ryan Busse, who ran for Governor in 2024. He has a Substack to which I subscribe. Some polls showed him ahead of Zinke and I think he was miffed when Zinke dropped out. Montana has been trending R for the past decade, apparently due to large-scale immigration to the State by party loyalists. Ugghh! We used to be pretty independent and had two 2-term D governors leading up to 2020. Former R governor Marc Racicot has been an outspoken advocate for democracy.
I can only speculate. Maybe he saw some private polling that wasn't positive. Our town is a blue dot in a sea of red but he got hammered constantly by negative letters (including mine) to our local newspaper. No doubt lots of calls, too. He lives here and I don't think will be very welcome on his return.
That is good news. I would like to see Tester run again. I grew up in western North Dakota, so I traveled through Montana frequently. It’s a beautiful state, and I appreciate its historically fierce independent streak.
I'm with you on Tester, although I think he's had enough of the Senate B.S. I believe he's supporting former Univ. president and independent Seth Bodnar. Former Gov. Steve Bullock would also be a strong candidates, but I don't think he's up for it either. I don't recall who all may be running in the Democratic primary.
Tester has a substack with a journalist - don't recall name, occasionally get notice and find it fascinating. Anyway, so good to see he looks so well these days. such a great guy.
Today, March 5, is the anniversary of the Boston Massacre. I'm going to a vigil for those who've been killed by ICE later today in the town next door, Dedham MA, "Speak Their Names: A Boston Massacre Anniversary Vigil." So many sighs follow that sentence.
Formally young, not you Simon, you are forever young in the way that you mentor and support the younger generation to stay at one with their values and do the work of bringing the country into the future.
“What sits with me this morning more than anything else is just how much of an impulsive fuck‑up Trump is.” That’s it. That’s the entire story of the past 10+ years. 10+ years stuck under a toddler‑king whose every tantrum has body counts, price tags, and constitutional collateral damage. 10+ years stuck under a third‑rate arsonist who keeps tossing lit matches at the world and then acting surprised when everything catches fire. 10+ years of self‑victimization, where every half‑baked stunt leaves the rest of us scrambling to contain the damage while he shuffles off to find his next target. Seriously, fuck Trump and fuck everyone who enables him.
It is how you make 3 casinos go bankrupt. That and all the money laundering which was probably the real point.
ding ding ding - and the state of NJ let him walk away. Thanks, Christie Whitman! GRRRR.
the woman who told 9/11 clean up workers the air was safe.....and she knew it wasn't.
You summed that up nicely, and I couldn't agree with you more. I've been sick in bed this week, which gave me time to follow comments on an Instagram post about old people, like myself, swearing at the TV whenever numbnuts showed up. Some people had never heard their parents or grandparents use the f-word before, and it was quite a revelation. I imagine there are armies of us out there doing that right now.
True story: the only time I have ever heard either of my 90+ year old parents utter the word "asshole" is in reference to Big Rotting Orange.
That’s another good one. Now back to coffee and cuss’n.
My sweet 91 year old mother; Nebraska born and raised, pastor’s wife, never had a bad word to say about anyone until the orange one. When they test her cognition and get to the question, “Who is the president?” She scowls and says, “I know who it is but I won’t say his name.” 😁
Good for her. My Ohio grandmother was in her nineties when I saw her last and a little demented. We brought her hard candies wrapped in cellophane because she had difficulty swallowing. Like your mother, she never said a bad word about anyone. But I remember her unwrapping those candies and saying, "Just like twisting necks, just like I'd like to do to some people I know."
Anderson Clayton always makes me feel hopeful.
I hope Trump and Vance take the time to say THANK YOU to Zelenskky. Not expecting it. Zelenskky apparently has the cards we don’t have.
I will kick in to Talarico today. Sending about 50 postcards on Saturday.
Thankful in their HEARTS perhaps but not on their LIPS!
Zelensky becomes a power player . . . who knew?
They have hearts?
I break into an involuntary smile whenever she's doing an interview.
Simon, thank you for your great discussion last night.
More and more, Trump reminds me of a guy I used to work with who would come up with some legal argument, fall in love with it, and never stop to ask, "And then what does the other side do? What counterarguments will they make?" I think part of the reason is that they just don't really see other people as real, as independent actors with their own interests. You can see how Trump wound up bankrupting not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but six different businesses.
I called Congressman Raskin and Senators Alsobrooks and Van Hollen about ICE and the need to regularly bring up Trump's declining mental capacities. I'm writing postcards to Virginia voters about redistricting.
Dr. Ben-Ghiat always talks about how autocrats don't see people, they see objects to exploit for their aims. We are only there to do the bidding, and we are expendable.
She is a go-to and her conversation with Timothy Snyder yesterday on her Substack LUCID, was Outstanding!! Along with Simon, we have got some great folx in this fight!!
Thanks for posting the interview with Tom Snyder and Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat. It is so helpful to hear from them.
I don't know what I would do without her weekly call.
I'm watching, too, and forwarded it on. Two brilliant minds. Thank you, Lisa.
When it comes to the 🍊💩, no good deed goes unpunished. So, it pains me to see Ukraine helping the US at this moment when Trump will almost certainly express his "gratitude" by spitting on Zelensky while the traitorous bastard does everything in his power to forward Putin's aims. I realize that Zelensky is likely playing 3-D chess with an addled toddler, but the "thanks" he's likely to receive grieves me, nonetheless. I know, I really do need to stop candy-coating my feelings!
As Hopium turns 3 this Saturday, I'm appreciating Simon's strategic thinking and acting,
backed by the money we raise and
taught to all of us to incorporate in our own organizing and communicating.
Simon (and everyone else in Hopium) has taught me how to be a better version of myself.
N.C. is such an amazing success story. It's so encouraging. It's so hope inducing!!
SUCH GOOD NEWS! Voter turnout exceeding our expectations needs to continue but we can't rest on our laurels. And we need to protect VOTER RIGHTS as this will scare the GOP big time. Here's to a BLUE TSUNAMI!
Hi y'all - posted this late yesterday. If you do nothing else, take the time to watch/listen to this convo between two great minds - Timothy Snyder & Ruth Ben-Ghiat - it is one of the most inspiring, though-provoking, and incisive conversations on what's going on that we'll probably hear, like, ever. The Dynamic Duo https://lucid.substack.com/p/my-conversation-with-timothy-snyder
Thanks for this Lisa. Its a great perspective, brings a bit of calm to the chaos including some hopium to temper the realistic threats of the mad king.
Thanks for highlighting this. At one point they talk about how fascists historically used foreign wars to consolidate their power, but go on to opine that this bunch of keystone kops (my term) isn’t capable of pulling that off. Takes discipline, planning, organization. Reinforces Simon’s point this morning about what a screw-up the 🍊💩 is.
Anderson is amazing!
I am proud to be part of this community. Thank you to Hopium and thank you Simon.
I think the best thing about the Anderson Clayton interview and the NC election results is the CONSEQUENCES, for those incumbant, veto over-riding, DINOs getting overwhelmingly defeaed.
This is what democracy looks like...
Hi all - Anderson Cooper is the face of the new Democratic Party. She is on fire. I love giving her money knowing that she is doing everything right. She is SO articulate and her enthusiasm is off the charts. I'd love to meet her. Just donated again to her.
I'm pretty angry this morning about the War Resolutions Act vote yesterday. I thought we had ALL learned that the hubris and vain-gloriousness of our country attempting regime change in the Middle East was not only a loser, but robs us of beautiful young men and women in the military. It's incredibly painful to see again. As a 70 year old Vietnam-era child, the loss of lives pains me deeply. How many will die before we can stop him with no Republican willing to cross him? It's sickening.
Happy third anniversary, Simon and friends. Thank you for helping me ratchet up my participation for democracy. Kent
For me, right now, there is no more accurate portrayal of just how abjectly immoral and willfully inconsiderate of the well-being of our service members and veterans than the cowardly Senator Sheehy cosplaying as security and breaking the arm of a Marine who was exercising his 1st Amendment rights: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/tim-sheehy-iran-war-protester-senate-b2932413.html
The video is sickening. Kudos to the bystander who called the senator a coward. There should be an all-out media blitz on Senator Sheehy condemning his actions and demanding that he resign immediately. Fuck that guy!
Sheehy is all about performative acts. Like skydiving out of a plane with others while holding an American flag, or in this case, 'helping' the Capitol Police. But when it comes to actually doing the job of Senator, like resisting illegal unconstitutional wars and other acts of treason, he's functionally AWOL. A real tragedy that this showboat was elected in place of workhorse Senator Jon Tester. Sheehy is nothing but an embarrassment to our great state.
For some good Montana news, MAGA Representative Ryan Zinke and MAGA Senator Steve Daines have both announced they will retire at the end of their terms, 2026.
I'm very interested in this. Are there any promising Democratic candidates right now?
For me, the closest competitive open seat may end up being in Montana.
Hi David. See my note below on the Senate race. Strongest candidate for the House - MT District 1 (IMO) would be Democrat Ryan Busse, who ran for Governor in 2024. He has a Substack to which I subscribe. Some polls showed him ahead of Zinke and I think he was miffed when Zinke dropped out. Montana has been trending R for the past decade, apparently due to large-scale immigration to the State by party loyalists. Ugghh! We used to be pretty independent and had two 2-term D governors leading up to 2020. Former R governor Marc Racicot has been an outspoken advocate for democracy.
Thanks for the inside perspective, Doc
De nada, Michael.
what is the story behind Daines's sudden decision - hours before filing deadline??
I can only speculate. Maybe he saw some private polling that wasn't positive. Our town is a blue dot in a sea of red but he got hammered constantly by negative letters (including mine) to our local newspaper. No doubt lots of calls, too. He lives here and I don't think will be very welcome on his return.
That is good news. I would like to see Tester run again. I grew up in western North Dakota, so I traveled through Montana frequently. It’s a beautiful state, and I appreciate its historically fierce independent streak.
I'm with you on Tester, although I think he's had enough of the Senate B.S. I believe he's supporting former Univ. president and independent Seth Bodnar. Former Gov. Steve Bullock would also be a strong candidates, but I don't think he's up for it either. I don't recall who all may be running in the Democratic primary.
Tester has a substack with a journalist - don't recall name, occasionally get notice and find it fascinating. Anyway, so good to see he looks so well these days. such a great guy.
Grounded podcast with Maritsa Georgiou. They are a good team.
Yeah, just found out about that. He needs to be censured at the very least, if not resign.
Do you think Chief Justice Roberts might be regretting some of his choices?
Today, March 5, is the anniversary of the Boston Massacre. I'm going to a vigil for those who've been killed by ICE later today in the town next door, Dedham MA, "Speak Their Names: A Boston Massacre Anniversary Vigil." So many sighs follow that sentence.
Formally young, not you Simon, you are forever young in the way that you mentor and support the younger generation to stay at one with their values and do the work of bringing the country into the future.