This country is in a heap of trouble and some of us don't see it.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

Those on this board see it. Those who actually pay attention see it. But there are people who are so blind they are ready to, even if(when, the old school journalist in me can't bring myself to say it till the gavel hits the bench) he is found guilty!

The world sees it too. They see the MAGA movement and see how many are getting in office and bam! Dropped our credit rating. They watch CSPAN, they saw the the debt ceiling coverage.

The world remembers history and the so called Christian Nationalism movement that the MAGA's are so fond of echoes parts of history they don't want to repeat. They are rethinking their relationship with us.

The MAGA's really think that a guy like Trump, who happily boasts about playing footsie with the likes of Putin and Kim Jong Un, really has the country's best interests in mind. They are ready to vote for him because they believe that and the want to "Stick it to the lib's".

They can't bring themselves to realize that they are hurting the whole country.And that excludes themselves.

All we can do is keep posting the facts, talking about the facts and get other like minded people to the polls. This election cycle is going to be a fight we haven't seen. We have got to stop some of our fellow citizens from voting in the first possible (still that reporter in me saying the hammer hasn't dropped. She can be so annoying...) inmate.

So keep posting and talking folks. And get ready to carpool same minded folks to the polls! This is a fight we and the world can't afford to lose.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

1. agreed

[mobeau69]

2. Didn't you mean includes in paragraph 5?

[littlemissmartypants]

13. That's what I was wondering....❤️

[Lady Freedom Returns]

3. And yes, this is a LFR rant.

Spent the day watching unhealthy news. And yes I'm stressed myself into a tizzy.

I will be taking a No News Holiday this weekend. So don't worry.

I got Tylenol and aspirin, and Sonny's being extra cute to distract me. Also the post has helped to get some of it out of my system.

[Think. Again.]

4. Thinking ahead...

...how will we de-program all those magas?

The truth is they are delusional, literally out of touch with reality, and a good number of them have become violently psychotic.

What is the plan to treat that amount of people and bring them back to a healthy mental state?

I'm being serious about this.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

5. Million dollar question right there.

You can't make people get help if they don't want it. And we can't do anything against their civil rights.

[Think. Again.]

7. perhaps some kind of...

...nationwide, public, general therapy that slowly evolves, that's just broadcast like advertisements on all media for years and is designed to slowly and carefully break through to those who are suffering this ....dementia (I don't know what else to call it), while not affecting those who are healthy or "brainwashing" anyone?

Or somehow creating a new trend among them which gives them a sense pride about attending free and easily accessible therapy sessions on their own?

They're already tuned into a strong "group think" mode, maybe we can somehow begin adapting the maga messaging so that it brings them back around to reality?

[Sympthsical]

12. Well, this is perfectly dystopian

Perhaps, before venturing to fix others, look inward and see what needs improving.

[Think. Again.]

15. Thank you...

...for your concern about my personal well-being. I do always look for ways to keep my own thoughts and actions healthy, not only for myself, but because I do realize how much of an affect my thoughts and actions have on the individuals and community around me. No one really lives a separate life of solitude, no person is an island. We all have responsiblitities to ourselves that are in fact responsibilities to those around us that we do affect each day.

I appreciate your concern for me and also realize that you are expressing concern for us as a whole when you look to offer me positive advice like that.

And no, I don't think your advice is an attempt to "fix" me, I think it is helpful guidance offered in the hope of improving our shared existence.

Your willingness to offer positive help in that way is a mark of the healthy mental state that I was hoping we can all guide those who have been victimized by the maga movement back to.

Their thoughts and actions are the opposite of that concern for fellow Americans and for our shared home nation itself. This is the mark of an unhealthy mental state that I am hoping to discuss as we look for ways to nurture our nation, our society, and all of our individual selves to a healthier state of mental and emotional well-being.

Yes, let's all continue to seek improvements within ourselves that will strengthen our personal and community-wide well-being, and yes, let's follow your lead and continue to look for ways to offer help and guidance to those around us, like the magas, who are in such obvious need of our help to improve their well-being.

[Sympthsical]

17. Here's the thing

Whenever I try to think of solutions to change something in politics, I ask myself a question. "Does this sound like a creepy authoritarian plot from a bad YA novel?"

And if the answer is yes, it's back to the drawing board.

I think, given history, starting with mass forced re-education of ideological opponents probably shouldn't be in the mix.

That's a pure "Are we the baddies?" moment right there.

I think, in order to repair anything, we have to see what is there instead of what we think is there. I don't find the Right that difficult to understand. They're not a cult. They're just people. Seeing them as such and talking with them as such is going to be the only solution.

I was watching the latest Guardians of the Galaxy last night. The High Evolutionist comes in trying to forcibly mold people to his liking, to behave as he feels they should, to change their fundamental natures. Because he thinks he can perfect them. And I thought, "Well, this sounds familiar."

Authoritarianism in the name of creating a better world is always a danger easily embraced, which makes it all the more important to steer clear of it.

[Think. Again.]

18. I agree with where you're coming from...

...imposing one set of ideals onto others is a definite no-no.

But I'M not talking as much about the political differences as I am talking about the social standards we need in place for all of us to live the safest, most respected lives possible.

The magas have broken away from the social guide-rails that we had previously set to promote a nonviolent, respectful society (I know, plenty of room for deep discussion THERE) and I believe they have done so, not out of true and sincere concern for correcting what they see as society's wrong path, but simply because they have been manipulated into thinking their selfishness and negative feelings towards people they have no connection to, are valid emotions to act on.

How do WE correct THAT?

[Kennah]

6. Did we ever de-program those who saw black people as property?

[Think. Again.]

8. No...

...but we would be much better off today if we had.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. No. We just burned their cities to the ground and fought a war that killed 500,000 Americans.

The Germans had their cities reduced to rubble.

The Japanese had their cities firebombed and flattened by nukes.

It takes a lot to deprogram populations. That’s what scares me.

[Kennah]

19. This YouTube video is excellent explaining how Germany responded over time after WWII

Nothing remotely close happpened with the Civil War

[scipan]

21. Thanks for posting this. I wonder what it would be like if

the US had discussions about racism, and our past, all through school.

[B.See]

9. TOO many of us DON'T. Though some have been sounding the alarm for quite some time.

... including myself who predicted much of this even before Trump slithered into the O. Office, for which I was called then "chicken little." Here are just a FEW of the more recent articles I've collected (yes... I collect them) written by those warning of what's to come. (and I've hundreds if not thousands more):

Dictatorship? How Hitler, Stalin and Trump show it’s easier than you think -The Guardian

Red states are forming a nation within a nation with laws that recreate a pre-1960s world: CNN analyst - Raw Story

How the right-wing lie and spin machine plans to annihilate anyone who dares to tell the truth - Raw Story

Birthright citizenship is guaranteed in the US Constitution. Both Trump and DeSantis want it gone - Yahoo News

America is coming apart at the seams as the nationalist far right goes full authoritarian: conservative - Alternet

Trump opened the door for the politics of menace and intimidation: extremism expert - Raw Story

No longer hiding the Nazi roots of the MAGA movement - Dailykos

A new normal? Florida Man running for Congress calls for extinguishing the left - Dailykos

Is it Dehumanizing to Say Republican Policies are Killing Us? - Dailykos

What We Are Up Against - Dailykos

How Trump's MAGA Plan for the Military Could Topple America - Dailykos (or anything by Thom Hartmann)

Inside the MAGA-Russia plan to track and control your life - Raw Story

Republicans are resorting to guerrilla war against democracy to cling to power: columnist - Raw Story

Is America on the brink of tyranny? Trump's plan if elected in 2024 should frighten us all - Yahoo News

Authoritarianism Expert Warns Why It's Critical To Listen To Trump's Words Right Now - HuffPost

How Democracy Dies the First Month of the Next Trump or GOP Presidency - Dailykos

Greg Gutfeld and "Useful Jews" - Dailykos

Pay attention to local elections, your freedom depends on it - The Hill

How Trump’s new Big Lie-filled fascist ad is damaging our democracy - Raw Story

Knife directly in the heart of our democracy: GOP humiliated in LA Times for spreading Trump's corrosive lies - Raw Story

We Cannot Let The Most Dangerous, Uncharismatic, and Hateful Politician in America Win - Dailykos

Why Aren't Democrats Obsessed? - Dailykos

The next Republican president will try to destroy this country as we know it - Dailykos

Congressional Black Caucus denounces Republicans and white supremacy as ‘Black people are under attack’ - TheGrio

[Fiendish Thingy]

11. All well and good, but ultimately, the most important thing is...

When Dems have control of government, to govern progressively aggressively.

Like Whitmer in MI, fearlessly pass law after law without hesitation or compromise that protects the rights of all the people and benefits all the working families.

No more performative centrism or pragmatic incrementalism.

If Dems govern well, the people will experience better lives and come to trust and respect government and democracy.

[betsuni]

14. Was just watching some YouTubers who've lived abroad list what they don't like about the U.S.

and all of them said about politics: both sides same, corrupt, dysfunctional, don't care. Okay, Mr. I've-traveled-to-85-countries. You are dumb. A starving rabid tiger and a kittycat on a least are in the same room and you think, oh that kittycat looks pretty dangerous. You are dumb. Very very dumb.

I think most Americans have no idea the policies that help them are Democratic and won't believe it if told.

[Mysterian]

16. MAGAs wish to create their dream world, in which they are the bosses

and everyone else can be subjugated, raped tortured and killed. Just like the nazis 85 years ago. They have no loyalty to the constitution or American values. They are fascists and only want total power.

[Amishman]

20. The true MAGA zealots are a small group, the bigger problem are those who enable them

We have a fairly broad political spectrum in this country, especially on social / cultural issues.

Imagine a spectrum where MAGA nuts are -1 and the most aggressive progressive is 1.

The problem isn't that there are tons and tons of people who fall at -1. It is there are a lot of people at -0.5 who given the binary choice of voting for a candidate at 0.2 or -1, will go with the latter because it's slightly closer to their opinions.

[B.See]

22. Miles Taylor: "If we don't stop [Trump & MAGA] we will zombie-walk off the democratic cliff"

Miles Taylor: "If we don't stop [Trump & MAGA we will zombie-walk off the democratic cliff"]

This is a Red Alert Five-Alarm Fire interview with Miles Taylor about just how dangerous Trump would be if he returned to the White House.

Trump apparently wanted his own personal Mercenary Force like Putin's Wagner force - because he has hero worship for Putin - and would have sent them or Federal officers, armed, to the polls for "election security." (To intimidate Democrats) It's incredible. Miles says "If they don't (delegitimize Trump and MAGA) we are going to zombie-walk off the democratic cliff"

It’s literally dystopian and Dickensian. As bad as we think Trump is from afar, Taylor has been up close and personal with him — and it’s much, much worse than even my darkest dreams. ...a sobering seriously must-listen.