I'm afraid of finding out what is really going on here.

[kacekwl]

This situation is not just trump and republicans vs. Obama, Hillary and the Democratic Party that I could understand. What I don't understand and am afraid of is why supposedly smart people are willing to condone obvious collusion and even surrender to a forgien country Russia (maybe others) who are adversaries if not enemies. This behavior is blatant as the facts show. What exactly is the end game ? It can't be just tax breaks and winning elections. It can't just be immigration or abortion or even gun rights because we know they really don't care about these issues. What is driving the republican party to become traitors to their own country ? I'm afraid when the reason comes out it will be so devious and unfathomable it will shake America to its core.

[Leith]

1. I've wondered the same thing

I can't imagine anything to explain the horrific actions they are taking. It is indescribable.

[DENVERPOPS]

25. this

how about a new world order, the likes of which has never been seen. Hitler was on his way there and we stopped him.
Who is going to stop Trump/Republicans?

The american public should be scared shitless right now................

[soldierant]

45. I thought it was fairly obvious

especially as they have been working toward it for at least 40 years. They cannot prevail in a democracy. Therefore, democracy must be destroyed. All of the Constitution except the Second Amendment has to go. We get closer daily, if not hourly.

[Bettie]

55. OH, the second amendment will go too

but it will be the last thing, they need the useful idiots who salivate at the idea of getting to go out and shoot them some lib'rals.

[erronis]

63. And that will be a fun show to watch. As the NeoCon police try to round up all the arms

that the NeoCons have been promoting to their "base".

Of course, the rest of us will be caught in the cross-fire. And they are thinking that's a good thing. Fewer non-privileged to clean up later.

[soldierant]

72. It's difficult to watch something,

let alone to have fun watching it, if one is dead before it happens.There won't be may, if any, of us alive at that point.

[KPN]

81. "Fewer non-privileged to clean up later."

THIS.

[orangecrush]

86. Ding! Ding! Ding!

[soldierant]

87. Thank ya. Thank ya ver' much.

[orangecrush]

88. ...

[maddiemom]

60. Remember all the Trumpers who said they preferred Russia to the Democrats?

I wished we could have sent them to Putin. I tried my best to instill critical thinking when I taught. It seemed to get more of a lost cause every year. There are still a lot of critical thinkers out there, but the (willfully) "poorly educated" that Trump so loves are very vocal and getting more out of control. Fox News is so EASY to follow. And so is Trump. The largest part of the trouble Trump has had (but others take the hits while he keeps on ticking) is his complete ignorance of Civics/government and history. Feels like "home"to the deplorables. Hillary is really hated because she's scary (and, ultimately, is usually proven right).

[certainot]

69. they're fucking dittoheads! it's a ridiculous question.

democrats trying to figure this out merely need to turn the radio onto to limbaugh and then multiply it by 1500 radio stations and 30 years and throw in 20 years of visual reinforcement from fox

this is really not hard to understand and ignoring it has been the biggest political mistake in history

it started out with the republican think tanks feeding limbaugh and sons to deregulate and beat dems and short circuit democracy with unchallenged repetition then at least 10 years ago the free market putin russians figure out how to feed limbaugh and other talk radio gods with through breitbart, etc and move it away from establishment republican - palin, tea party, climategate, debt default, benghazi, ebola, trump, deep state, etc and a lot of it was right up republican alley anyway

[Tumbulu]

73. Again, you are correct x 1000!!!

This is the dream of hate am radio. It’s now on the second generation of listeners.

Why don’t people understand how powerful this medium has been??????!!!!!

[certainot]

74. they live in cities and fox is the decoy. there's no polling, and no way to read it

AI suddenly makes it easy to digitize and read/search/monitor it but it's not happening

[certainot]

75. they live in cities and fox is the decoy. there's no polling, and no way to read it

AI suddenly makes it easy to digitize and read/search/monitor it but it's not happening

[KPN]

82. I think people do understand. It's apparent;

impossible to overlook for those who actually think and are looking. Our side does not have the resources to effectively counter it, nor the time. We’re too busy staving off direct hits on basic rights and equality to focus on the structurally foundational underlayments that enable GOP success. As a whole, we Democrat’s were asleep at the wheel while the powers behind the GOP were busy building and implementing a long-term plan. They were deliberate and cunning. As a result, we have been consistently on the defensive.

[Perseus]

94. "we have been consistently on the defensive." --- Very true

I agree, that point you make has been one of the bigger problems, which has been expressed with this quote: "Democrats think they can come to a knife fight with a bible."

Well said.

[pangaia]

83. started long before limbaugh III

mid-70s easily...

[certainot]

84. the money is always trying to beat democracy but before 1987 the fairness doctrine kept them

from forming the massive unchallenged coordinated talk radio propaganda operation dominating much of the country now. and all the other RW media operations are challenged from the 'other side'

only talk radio is a 95% monopoly and 600 of the 1200-1500 radio stations, many of the loudest in the country are dominated and policed by one racist liar. that's been a monopoly since the early 90s - no matter who owned the stations, and the dittoheads who couldn't get past the paid callers and the russian callers who the limnbaugh hannity call screeners jump to the front of the line end up calling all the other blowhards to make sure they all follow the limnbaugh line

it doesn't matter who owns the stations and before 1987 they couldn't have kept repeating the same lies over and over and over without challenge. and now they're still completely ignored because the left and dems have no clue what's been kicking their ass for 30 years and still ask questions like "how did we get here?", while blaming symptoms --- like fox or their reps for not having a backbone or money in politics or immigration or 'messaging' - all symptoms of a dysfunctional democracy incapable of recognizing it's being ratfucked by a few hundred coordinated dipshits on 1500 radio stations getting a free speech free ride to scream lies to 50 mil a week about any subject they're fed.

there's a new book out recently "talk radio's america, how an industry took over a political party that took over the united states of america" - i still haven't read it but if the title is any indication, it should help

[Tumbulu]

89. So correct, you always are.

There is no hope whatsoever until the fairness doctrines is revived. Or unless miraculously, people stop listening to am radio. But in rural far flung place, it is all there is.

[Perseus]

93. Its power, lifelong power, passed to their heirs.

One has to look at some of the Latin American countries where the experiment was conducted and, by their terms, it has been a gigantic success. These Latin American regimes have destroyed the countries, have split their societies into those who have the power (including the military power) and those who don't, who are hungry, who cannot defend themselves, who are victimized everyday by gangs that support and are empowered by the regime while police and military also fill their coffers. That is why we, as citizens, need to watch very closely what the military does, how/if they support republicans and the creature because if that starts happening then the real trouble is near.

It is no coincidence that trump is calling his "biker friends", the police and military to support and defend him, he is trying to get thugs as his own army to create chaos and fear within the population. Does anyone remember when the "Hell's Angels" were terrorizing towns in the 60's? When people heard those motorcycles coming people run to their houses as it happened in the movies of the "Old West" when the bad guys rode into town.

The good thing in the USA is that thugs in motorcycles can never succeed, people will not allow it, people will fight them off, but the plan of the creature is to create fear, panic, but again, these motorcycle thugs do not worry me, but a corrupt military does.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. Think of a Mob controlling the entire world.

Putin - Boss of Bosses
Trump - USA Syndicate
Johnson- UK Syndicate
Erdogen - Turkey Syndicate
Assad - Syrian Syndicate

Zelensky - Ukraine - does not want to join.


The way I see this playing out.

[dewsgirl]

5. Scary as he'll.

[DENVERPOPS]

35. All I can think

All I can think of right now is Nicholson screaming " you can't handle the truth"..... sorry, but may be he had something there......

I would bet that the public knows about one thousandth of what goes on behind our backs, organized by a select few to their own rewards.

This time: WASF

[dewsgirl]

37. I keep picturing the iceberg with a tiny bit poking out of the water.

We know more than the general public, but when it comes down to it, we really don't even half of it. Very scary situation.

[Silver1]

24. This is what I see too.

A world of oligarchs controlling all resources. Nationhood, history, culture, the environment, people, none of this matters to them, only wealth and power and domination. And they will say anything necessary to get the support they need from their constituents - while walking all over them.

I don't think anyone among these top-dog wanna bees is a leader just yet. They're still fighting the turf war.

[The_jackalope]

31. Small correction: Boss of Bosses is Semion Mogilevich

Putin is 2IC, Boss of Russian Syndicate and Chief Enforcer.

[Pachamama]

52. +1000000

This....

[WhiteTara]

42. Semion Mogilevich

Is the Boss of Bosses
All the rest is correct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semion_Mogilevich

[Lars39]

48. Yes, that's what I've also come to believe.

[TrishaJ]

56. That's what it looks like to me. International mafia control

over the planet's resources - most notably, oil. It is no secret that our Executive and Legislative Branches of government have been infiltrated by Russian mob money.

[MontanaMama]

77. Jeez. You may be right.

😳

[secondwind]

80. Don't forget South America.... Bolsonaro in Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela....and counting

[tblue37]

3. For most of them it's probably kompromat. nt

[Pluvious]

17. Exactly. Maria Butina Was surly not the only operative playing the game n/t

[DENVERPOPS]

36. maybe, just maybe

At least with Maria Butina maybe some of the treasonous old white men Republicans finally got laid........LOL

[erronis]

64. I love your play on the word "shirley"

She may have been really surly after she spent some time behind bars for playing a nice pretty thing for a while.



"Don't call me Shirley."

[Pluvious]

67. Heh. And now she's gonna sue us, and

Book deals, movie scripts, the works.

Why must we always be the stupid country ?!!

[dewsgirl]

4. I think you are correct. One thing is certain, it is going

to be very bad.

[triron]

8. The extremes they are going to indicate exactly that.

America better wake the fuck up and fast.

[Mike 03]

21. Even some of the supposedly "woke" people I know aren't taking this seriously enough.

We actually stand to lose everything. It's almost as if there's been a playbook since the late 90s they've patiently followed, seizing unexpected opportunities (like the election of an imbecile) as they arise. A mix of patient strategizing and improvisation. But we all see where it's leading and it's scary as hell.

[DENVERPOPS]

27. It's longer than the 90's

It started gaining momentum in 1980. And acknowledge that the common thread of the Republicans since even before 1980 was H.W.Bush. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Pearl and a hundred others in the Reagan admin got away squeaky clean and then proceeded to do a "full Rollout" for the next 30-40 years with no holds barred

WASF

[TrishaJ]

58. Agreed. I give the Bushes and their allies credit for

Donald Trump. They pushed the election fraud envelope without consequences to point where Trump does it openly and brazenly. Getting foreign help and suppressing votes and getting into voting data did not happen for the first time with Trump. Iran-Contra, Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004 were just the warm up for what the GOP and Vladimir Putin did for Trump.

on edit: Don't think for one minute that sending our troops into Iraq was to "spread democracy" and protect the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussain. It was for control of the oil fields and a windfall for Haliburton. Difference is, the Bushes hid their personal use of the military behind patriotism and American "values" and morality, etc, while Trump is using the military for his own personal financial gain right out in the open for all to see.

It was inevitable that someone would eventually drop the pretense, because there have been absolutely NO consequences. Example, Bill Barr goes back to early Bush. Not hard to see.

[erronis]

65. That's why the dump ordered the troops back to protect the Syrian oil fields.

We all know he has no idea about geography, politics, strategies, oil pipelines.

That's OK. He has someone whispering in his ear 24/7. Maybe threatening to take away some meds if he doesn't push this button or that.

[DENVERPOPS]

70. Actually

Barr goes back to Reagan and helping Reagan, Bush, et al escape treason charges back then.
A Bunch of Reagan's people were indicted anyway, then when H.W. was elected, his first day he pardoned all of them as I remember.

Anyone reading the Republican Manifesto titled Project New American Century will note a grandiose set of Republican wet dreams......It includes a statement "that of course with out something like pearl harbor, it will take much longer to accomplish all of this"

And surprisingly 9/11 occurred, giving them a dream come true. Of course the head of the FBI, Louis Freh?, conveniently ignored all the warnings from his agents in Arizona. The owners of flight schools were so frightened that they notified the FBI local office of the large number of mid eastern students that were in their schools and only interested in learning how to fly the commercial airliners, not the least bit interested in take offs or landings. They sent countless memos to the head office & they all disappeared.........
Louis Freh? was a somewhat recently appointed head of the FBI just before 9/11 and he resigned soon after 9/11 to spend more time with his kids.........

[CrispyQ]

90. This: Even some of the supposedly "woke" people I know aren't taking this seriously enough.

[DENVERPOPS]

32. Couldn't agree more Triron

Everything in this article and comments is dead on to our current situation. Period.

My fear is that their COUP is nearly completed and they will shove thru the final details within the next 12 months to once and for all establish their Fascist Tyranny over all americans.

Being so near to completing their COUP, don't think that they won't do absolutely positively anything needed to complete the Republican's ultimate Wet Dream. We are already seeing their panic and aggressiveness these past days or weeks or months for that matter. In the background I am sure they are preparing to Mount a tsunami to once and for all time totally wipe out Democrats, the U.S. nation's people, Democracy, and anyone or anything that stands in their way.

WASF

[Garrett78]

6. It's all of those things and more.

My thoughts, as I expressed in a recent thread: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212601796

[Native]

7. +1

[DENVERPOPS]

28. Dead on Garrett!

I hate to think where/when/how this will end.
It is NOT going to be pretty. In fact it will be the ugliest thing the world has ever scene.
Pure Evil.......

[erronis]

68. Great thread. I need a better way to stay abreast of these, other than Latest, Trending, Left Column

While I love DU there are a lot of things I wish were possible. But perhaps I just don't know where to look. A couple:

1. When someone comments to a sub-comment where I was in the original chain, I'd like to get some notification.

2. It would be great to have another voting system separate from the DURec. I may think that a particular OP is good for discussion, which is how I use it. However I may disagree with the content of the post (thumbs up/down). No way except to buy valentines or a silly extra post "+1000". And this should be applied to all posts, not just the OP.

[maxrandb]

9. Let's not forget that the Russians hacked the RNC as well

I'm thinking the Retrumplicans are in desperate survival mode.

By the time history is written, we are going to find out that an entire party sold their souls to try to save their asses.

The Retrumplicans are terrified of what Putin has on them. I bet it's existential stuff.

[alwaysinasnit]

14. Or even an accidental fall from a 4th floor balcony?

[Pluvious]

18. Threats against their children ? These are evil people. n/t

[Volaris]

10. They dont wanna go to prison, it's as simple as that.

They KNOW the NRA money was dirty Russian Mob State.

[DemocraticSocialist8]

11. Several things are happening...

1. Trump is such a clear criminal, we should really be talking about arresting him and his criminality is so extreme that when it all comes out, the notion of NOT arresting him will make a complete mockery of American governance. The GOP knows this and they know they're complicit. That's #1.

2. They're losing the electorate. I've mentioned this numerous times on Twitter. They don't have the numbers to be competitive in a representative democracy without drastically changing the priorities of their party. In a way, that's admitting defeat and shows that liberal/progressive ideas are more popular than conservative ones. The partisan hacks within them can't come to accept that.

3. An extension of #2 says that not only are they losing the electorate politically, but also racially/culturally. When you look at what Trump wanted to do with the Census, the immigration crisis, and inhumane child separation policy. There is a clear motivation to protect the White majority that very few people are talking about. This gets at the heart of the white supremacy within this administration. Not only is this a criminal admin, it's also a deeply racist one as well.

4. A LOT of right-wingers are beginning to show their true colors. They never believed in democracy and only did before because they had the numbers in the majority to control it. Now that it looks like Black and Brown people might begin to have a lot more influence because of demographic shifts, you're literally seeing the entire party embrace anti-democratic principles. This is being done to suppress the obviously rising multiracial progressive movement in the country. This is the same coalition that put Obama in office for 8 years.

[OldRed2450]

13. You are 100% right! This is it. I would only add...

They want our intel sources and methods to be exposed so that they can begin to burn it down. Bannon once said, "burn it all down and rebuild."

[Mike 03]

22. Great post.

There's also a consolidation taking place. Suddenly we are isolationist, withdrawing our world influence and using all that power to alter the tone and temperament of the country. It's like they are preparing to totally remake America to fit their particular image, rule of law be damned.

[byronius]

43. The Last Gasp of the Sixties -- in reverse.

Stained forever. The cult of conservatism is clutching hysterically at the grass as they slide backwards off the edge of history.

Great post.

They'll be back -- in about two and half generations. Some Reaganesque dickhead will start the cycle all over again.

And then some Trumpian murder-clown will end it.

Until the Future kicks it all to the curb.

[Grasswire2]

12. the end game for some is religion. End Timers stoking armageddon. Really.

Pence and Pompeo are Dominionists. Barr is Opus Dei. Evangelicals anointed Trump right in the Oval Office and expect that he will deliver their "rapture" with the fire and fury of the world's greatest military. These are true right wing nut jobs.

And others are fellow travelers hoping to cash in somehow.

[Nay]

19. Yep. People here would be astounded to realize the number of southerners (and others!)

who are full-on for Armageddon. They don't care WHAT happens or when, because they're sure they are going to be hoovered up into Heaven, and to hell with everyone else. Of course, until That Day, they want the Christian religion to rule over everyone because that's what the Buybull sez. Oh, and it would be fun to torture and shoot Democrats, POC, little kids, uppity women, etc., until the fateful day.

[triron]

23. Many fit this mold.

[Va Lefty]

30. The bible is 100% accurate

Especially when thrown at very close range.

[Missn-Hitch]

66. Hear, hear!!

Are you surprised at all when reading through the comments, religion is not even included in the conversation?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

34. religious extremists, right-wing extremists, extremely wealthy, supremacists

GOP is a coalition of extremists.

[SergeStorms]

15. Fascism comes to the United States.

The long goal is a fascist dictatorship, the end of democracy in the United States, and "Making America White Again".

[rusty quoin]

16. It's about power in which we've never experienced.

It’s about total corruption in which Putin is the composer.

He has a shit economy, but lucky for him he got Trump in there to change things.

They got rid of the hard fought Iran deal.

They got rid of the Kurds in a ethnic cleansing.

They point the gun at Ukraine and give them this or that.

There is not more corrupt

[ScratchCat]

20. Your watching the inevitable result

of a party who did not expect to win the POTUS in 2016. Everything they are allowing is because they see this is their last, unexpected chance to get their judges and whatnot in place before the "non-whites" take over.

[empedocles]

26. Not new. nixon and reagan, both qualified for treason - and extensive corruption

[Brawndo]

29. They are replacing our representative democracy

with fascist, theocratic, plutocratic, autocratic rule. They want a monarchy and don't care about ignoring/breaking laws because the tRump dynasty will be the only law. When seen through that lens, all of their actions make sense.

They will not be successful. We have the numbers and will stop them, with extreme prejudice.

[lillypaddle]

33. Money and power

in a nutshell.

[world wide wally]

38. Here is what MUST be understood

Trump will do anything to benefit Trump. Anything.
Point #2 Trump is evil incarnate. He has no conscience, no moral compass, and no soul whatsoever.

He does have submissive followers who will do anything for their cult leader and Barr is his #1 groupie.
You do the math.

[CharleyDog]

39. one answer lies in the report by

Guardian author Bobby Lewis, "What I learned watching Fox News."

He spells it out, worth reading, here's the short short take:

1. Fox News mainstreams white supremacy

2. Opinion, not news

3. Fox News poisons minds:

People who watch Fox News with an open mind can find themselves sucked into a destructive and alienating lifestyle.

4. News and opinions are blurred, but opinion wins.



My opinion? Until we can stop this hate channel poisoning minds, we will continue to loose our democracy. (radio hate shows too). It must be done. Other democracies DO NOT allow this shit, like Canada.

[kacekwl]

40. I get Hannity and Rush pounding trump till the end, they are

rich white guys with connections and think they will be included in the end prize. But what about the hundreds of other RW nut job radio hosts who parrot the party line. What do they think is in it for them?

[Mopar151]

47. It's all they've got.

Their skill base in the non-governmental world does not exist. Without "screeners", and backing, they're the angry little man who's been asked to leave.

[WestMichRad]

41. Uninterrupted power is their goal

Repub leaders see that they have the tools needed that they think can engineer the system so they'll be guaranteed a permanent majority and control of the executive (and thus the courts). They are already using these tools and honing their use to engineer election victories. They see a path to permanent control using the tools already at their disposal: unlimited dark money, gerrymandering, election shenanigans (and no functional Federal Elections Commission to rein them in), sleazy methods to remove citizens in "undesirable" demographic groups from being registered voters, anonymous outright blatant lying and mudslinging via social media to slander opponents and discourage potential voters, essentially unchecked foreign interference in our elections. They'll use any and all of these tools, whatever it takes to assure winning the elections. Then they'll use their power for money grabbing, even more than what our large corporations already do. With power they can "win" the corrupted game of capitalism.

They're not stupid. They can see the handwriting on the wall that we're headed for global catastrophe, and they think that with mountains of money it'll give them the means to secure necessary resources, so they'll be insulated from the damage; to hell with all the rest of the people, we're all replaceable.

Pardon my severe pessimism, but at this point, I'm having a hard time seeing a future in which they don't succeed.

[Tumbulu]

44. Their goal is to destroy the federal government

From both the inside (by making it hell for civil servants) and from the outside (by making the country vulnerable to attack). This has been the goal for over 30 years. It’s always playing on the am hate radio. As far as I can tell, they have already succeeded. What I cannot figure it is why nobody seems to understand that this is what is going on.

Logical people thing that they can reason with these people. There is no way to communicate with them using brainpower. They are all about brute power and crude offensives.

[John1956PA]

98. +1. Total anarchy and societal implosion loom at the end of their present path,

whether most of them realize it or not.

[ancianita]

46. Me, too. I've thought about other power networks that set this in motion. There is an end game.

Who it benefits gets us some clues. They could tell us how long it's been in motion.

America is too big to be shaken to its core. But its people have been PTSD'd across generations enough to be distracted from learning the above, except through crises.

We all have theories, and we might just get enough evidence that points to planners.

Who benefits could be different groups whose goals coincide.

One comfort is to unify the nation in knowing, and then economically and governmentally immunize ourselves until we find out who endanger our freedoms.

In the meantime, Climate don't care how long this takes us. Which could be our undoing.

[kentuck]

49. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

Someone once said.

[wnylib]

71. I think that was Ben Franklin.

[Generic Brad]

50. 30 Pieces of Silver - Or Far Less

They will sell out to the highest bidder - or to the only bidder. I suspect these Judases gave us up for bargain basement prices. They got theirs and the rest of us can go to hell.

[no_hypocrisy]

51. It's an incremental plan to replace American democracy in the Republic

with a combination of oligarchy and fascism.

[MBS]

53. I share your fears. n/t

[beachbumbob]

54. consolidatioin of power by stacking the Federal courts and having generational change

that will be difficult to change even if the democrats take power back. The lesser of 2 evils doctrine gave us all this.

Throw in the protection of elite at the top, the destruction of Govt rules and regulations, safeguards. Trump and GOP been having a field day with power. Then look at Putin and Russia, their 2 top enemies are being made into 3rd rate clowns.

[Zaphod42]

57. My late Father

was fond of saying "that if the people knew even half of what is really going on in the world, there would be massive street riots..."

[FM123]

76. Exactly!

[Fragment]

59. The 1% wants to return to feudalism

From the 1%’s POV, we are useless consumers, so they would be well rid of us. Like Donald Trump, they are loyal to no one but themselves. They are the true rulers of the Earth, and with automation, AI, and robots, they now see us as useless mouths to feed.

Their policy is to divide and conquer, start wars, and wait for us to kill each other off.

[The Liberal Lion]

61. Reading through the comments, and even the OP's

original statement I'm pretty sure everyone knows what is happening and how this shall end. trump must be impeached, if only for the last stand to occur. But his impeachment will set off a set of events that will indeed be the coffin nail to the country we knew as the United States until this nightmare began. I have resolved myself to no longer spread fear. Fear is too common a currency these days. Now is the time for courage. This is what I send to everyone here who have commented and/or will read this post. I wish you courage my friends.

[Missn-Hitch]

62. It's a Jesus party... Gog, Magog and Megiddo.

It's their philosophy.

Cheers!!

[Laffy Kat]

78. You're right, I'm afraid.

I've been wondering how much our Intelligence knows and what do our Democratic leaders have access to, what do they know?

[Jarqui]

79. I think a hunk of it relates to power and racism

The predominantly white Republicans see the demographics shifting hopelessly away from them.

Voting rights curtailed, citizen united, gerrymandering, immigration laws, etc are not stemming the tide long term. So they're turning to outside help to retain power.

[bucolic_frolic]

85. It's a Theocratic Power Grab

They are merging Church and consumerism and calling it freedom. They just about own it all, your life is to be spent paying them for what you need. This is how they define freedom. They will pursue any path to get there. The more hoodwinking the better. Call it Transubstantiation for Consumers.

History is driven by these unrecorded mental shifts of mass populations. It's like the selling of Lincoln's pact with northern manufacturers and railroads as freedom for individuals. You work and pay and pass your money UP the income scale.

Happy Sunday. Pass the collection plate.

[LiberalLovinLug]

91. One word: M O N E Y

Vlad is unofficially the richest man in the world. Unofficially because there is no way accurately count it up. So much corruption and theft and extortion. Sad that the Russian people are so taken advantage of while many still live in poverty.

I think many of the top Republicans are all in with Putin and his fellow oligarchs with deals "too good to refuse". They are up to their eyeballs in money laundering, and other financial scams, with promises of doubling, tripling their net worth.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

92. The Middle East is being carved up

My guess is that this is the first step in something that will be called a Mideast Peace Settlement, but will essentially be a Superpower hegemony agreement along the lines of what happened after WWI.

Step 1 was basically conceding the Syrian Civil War to the Assad's on Russia's terms. Turkey got a buffer zone to ensure the Kurds went anywhere else. The Kurds got nothing but empty promises. We got the head of ISIS.

My guess is that sometime next year, once it is clear Assad isn't going anywhere, that some kind of mediated talks will begin between Israel and Syria. Meanwhile, Iran will attempt to continue to strengthen ties with China as a bulwark against Saudi Arabia and Israel.

[Mr.Bill]

95. I know plenty of people

that simply say "My 401K is doing great". They are too politically ignorant to think any deeper than that. If they do know anything about politics, it's what they heard on Fox News.

[Initech]

96. This administration is the wet dream of America's AM hate radio hosts.

They wanted a president who is as boorish and loathsome as they are, and boy did they get one.

[PatrickforO]

97. We may yet save our republic. There is hope.

We cannot give up. Oftentimes, we don't realize the enemy is exhausted, overextended. All we must do is keep fighting, keep resisting, keep educating our friends and neighbors.

I belong to an IONS group, and we were talking just yesterday about the funeral of Elijah Cummings. Many members of our group had teared up at the speeches, all of which were good. Then a person said that we need to get our spiritual mojo back. Consider this: in the Civil Rights movement, from Birmingham to Selma to Montgomery and beyond, the organizing force was basically African American churches, and especially the women.

They took their belief in the doctrines of Christ - decency, charity, love, kindness, mercy, taking care of the weak, fairness, justice - and they organized a whole movement. And it was a movement that changed a nation. This is the last gasp of the racists and the white supremacists.

The oligarchs got too greedy. They moved too soon. It would have taken another twenty years for them to completely rot us from within. Our institutions are holding.

When our people take power again, we need some REAL progress on things like healthcare and climate change, but more importantly we need to get back our moral high ground. After their behavior the GOP, if it survives, NEVER gets to take the moral high ground. They have proven themselves reprobate - morally bankrupt.

And the billionaire parasites? The oligarchs? They are little, narrow-minded people who drool with lust for power and money. Let our government restore a 90% tax rate for them. AOC is quite right. Every billionaire represents a failure in policy. Every one. We don't need them.

We're gonna win this one, folks.

[Wetsand18]

99. Terrifying

[link:https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/01/trump-is-turning-america-into-another-bankrupt-casino|