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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThey are moving quickly, as if they are desperate to finish the job...
They cannot sleep at night. They need every minute to steal everything they can get their hands on.
Thousands of stock trades in a massive "insider trading" scandal. A slush fund of almost $2 billion dollars taken from our Treasury. The Iran war and Big Oil. It is beyond corrupt. It is a sickness.
What's the big deal? What do they see that puts them in such a hurry?
Is Trump dying? Does he need to steal much more before he goes? What is the reason for their desperation?
Why are they covering for him?
It seems that our government no longer exists? We are in a klepto state of anarchy.
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Lovie777
(23,746 posts)something is afoot. Yep about shithole's health, it's getting worse by the day. 2026 mid-term elections wherein the Republicans can lose both chambers, WE THE PEOPLE are pissed.
Republicans might lose across board, especially in red states.
Escurumbele
(4,113 posts)people make the mistake of labeling INCOMPETENT, when in fact, THEY ARE very COMPETENT at fraud, cruelty, destruction, grift, lies, and they do it so fast that normal people don't get a chance to realize what is going on. They flood the airwaves, the media with atrocious comments, with lies, to keep people from realizing what is going on behind the curtains.
These thugs are not INCOMPETENT, on the contrary, they are very competent. Does anyone here think the mafia is INCOMPETENT? Well, we are dealing with mafia types. Why do you think criminals are always a step ahead of police? They are working on the next fraud, the next assault, the next crime, while police only have chance to react, to find out when, where, and how the crime was committed.
trump and his ilk learned from the Venezuelan experience. I have studied the Venezuelan process that went from a bad Democracy, but Democracy nonetheless, to what it is now, a dictatorship that although many people have hopes that after USA got involved things are moving for the good of the people, I happen to be pessimistic because of the guy involved, trump, is there not to help but to take from the riches of the Venezuelan resources, reason why the regime is intact. Maduro was just a trophy, nothing else, Maduro was the least of all the criminals still in charge, although his wife was an evil brain of the regime, but nothing has changed, on the contrary, things are worst in many respects. Anyway, what trump and his minions are doing is following, almost to a tee, what was done in Venezuela.
DemocracyForever
(182 posts)how to successfully steal elections. Bush 2000 started this nightmare.
durablend
(9,373 posts)So nothing can be fixed
chouchou
(3,311 posts).....Oh My God!
OMGWTF
(5,220 posts)Maraya1969
(23,568 posts)for grifting that they do now
WestMichRad
(3,392 posts)
calimary
(90,811 posts)I think you’re right, Maraya1969. They’re “grifting while the grifting’s good.” They probably suspect that it’ll never be quite this easy again.
chicoescuela
(3,203 posts)than the death of tsf unfortunately.
haele
(15,599 posts)And are good with it because they are so busy emptying the trough today, they don't care about tomorrow.
So long as they can keep taking and there's no immediate consequences they personally experience, there's not a problem they have to worry about.
Those who get easy wealth or grift their way to wealth have the emotional intelligence of young toddlers grabbing for "shiney".
They're reactive in nature; there's very little intellectual understanding of future or consequences.
They don't believe anyone else really exists because very few have fought back.
And those that do fight back are meanies.
PatSeg
(53,557 posts)I think they know the grift won't last much longer, so they stockpile as much money has they can, while they can. Of course, no amount of money will save them from what could be coming, but the disease of greed doesn't allow them to see the big picture.
Meanwhile, most couldn't possibly spend all the money they grift. These are very defective human beings.
wnylib
(26,467 posts)Yes, they see their unpopularity and know that, in a fair and free midterm election, the MAGAs would get trounce. So they are speeding up their timeline for a full fledged dictatorship before that happens. They must stop Dems from taking over Congress. They are setting up for a confrontation in November.
Seinan Sensei
(1,644 posts)
Nigrum Cattus
(1,356 posts)they aren't even close to done
here is the tracker - https://www.project2025.observer/en
Totally Tunsie
(12,021 posts)
FakeNoose
(42,425 posts)... but those crazy MAGAs (including some of the filthy-rich ones) believe the end of the world is coming. These people are nuts, yes, but they also have psychic and fake-religious predictions that the Apocalypse is upon us. Or maybe they're making crazy stock moves because they think it's their last chance before a huge meteor wipes us all out. I don't know.
Whatever happens I sure hope it's the end of ALL of them. If they go to heaven, I don't want to be in the same place. If they go to hell, I'm happy to go to the other place.
ultralite001
(2,684 posts)may be hell to the rest of us...
misanthrope
(9,629 posts)They are spewing bluster as always, but their actions tell a different story. At their heart is a deep worry that the freedom to fleece is about to be impaired.
sprinkleeninow
(22,473 posts)
Initech
(109,269 posts)
vapor2
(4,922 posts)
rustbeltvoice
(494 posts)how it may go, and we are seeing it now
an Aussie psychotherapist explains
byronius
(8,017 posts)Years after his death I still have flashbacks of rage. He was highly intelligent, successful, and awful. The Worst Parent Ever.
ultralite001
(2,684 posts)When someone is dying they are, for better or worse, their authentic self. The mask, if they ever had one, comes off completely.
So -- what do those big personality types look like when they're dying? the narcissists and sociopaths? Well, it's complicated.
When A Narcissist Dies...
The word narcissist gets thrown around all too freely these days. Just because someone thinks highly of themselves doesn't mean
they're a narcissist. Just because someone is a tad arrogant doesn't mean they're a narcissist. Like a lot of things, clinical narcissism
[narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)] is a spectrum.
We've explained before how someone's arrogance often stems from insecurity which is true, but your general arrogant coworker is like
Primary School sports carnival level compared to someone with diagnosable NPD which is like Olympic level arrogance and insecurity.
Only when these traits are inflexible, maladaptive, persisting, and cause significant functional impairments or subjective distress do
they constitute narcissistic personality disorder.
So, NPD involves a pervasive pattern of grandiosity in fantasy or behavior need for admiration and lack of empathy. Those with narcissistic
personality disorder may have a grand inflated, unrealistic sense of self-importance. They often exaggerate their achievements or talents or
will outright lie about them, be preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, and ideal love. They believe that they
are special and can only be understood by others that are special or high status. They require excessive admiration. They crave it, and they need
it like a drug. They have a huge sense of entitlement and have unreasonable expectations of and expectations of favorable treatment. They take
advantage of others to achieve their own wants and needs. They lack empathy and are unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and
needs of others. They are often envious of others and believe others are envious of them. They show arrogant, conceited behaviors and attitudes.
On the flip side of this, most individuals with NPD are extremely insecure in themselves and often feel ashamed, sometimes to the point of feeling
completely empty (not that they will ever show that or ever admit that), but that's what's running underneath.
Naturally they do not do well with the slightest criticism or what they believe to be criticism which could be anything. As you can imagine, people
with NPD have massive relationship difficulties because of problems related to self-preoccupation, self-admiration and insensitivity to others. In the
DSM {which codes and defines mental illnesses), NPD is a cluster B personality disorder meaning a personality disorder with dramatic emotional or
erratic features. Other disorders in this category include antisocial personality disorder, commonly referred to as Psychopaths or sociopaths, borderline
personality disorder, and histrionic personality disorder. Cluster B personality disorders are notoriously hard to treat because in order to seek treatment
you need to be aware that you have an issue and be motivated to dealing with it which is extremely unlikely. This means many people with these
disorders aren't diagnosed
Thankfully, true narcissists only make up about 1% to 2% of the population, and it does affect men more than women but not by a massive margin.
So, with all that said, try imagining having a parent with NPD or being married to someone with NPD, and, as a side note -- yes, a lot of domestic
violent perpetrators do show classic NPD traits
What is someone self-centered and arrogant, think they are better than everyone, have no empathy, like when they're dying in hospice experience. In Hospice Experience, my work is as a Psych in a hospice facility. I've dealt with two patients who were actually diagnosed with NPD, though, of course they denied it, but it was as damn clear as day. It's never a good sign where, after a few days, you are silently hoping that they drop dead sooner rather than later, but we're all human.
Let me tell you how it went. One was a bloke in his early 40s with cancer. He really reminded me of one of those sleazy, up themselves CEOs you see in movies. He was married with two sons. We never saw his two sons. His wife would spend at least 2 hours in the hallway and reception before going into his room each day, clearly not wanting to be there. I don't blame her because when she did go into the room, he would berate her, tell her that this was her fault (like she's the one that caused his cancer) and how much of a loser she was. The list just went on and on. He was in hospice for 2 weeks. After the first week, I, as a Psych, had spoken to her privately a few different times saying I know you feel loyal to him but you don't need to be here if you don't want to. She was insistent that she was going to be there when he died though I sensed it was more about making sure he was actually dead than anything else. I should also say that he had two living parents and two siblings living locally, and only his dad dropped by twice for a couple of minutes. The patient had obviously burnt those bridges.
Now, while he was in hospice, he yelled at the staff, threw stuff at the staff and was generally abusive. He was one of those patients that would ring the bell constantly for the smallest things and complained that he could hear other patients and their families. Now, nurses are used to dealing with a lot of crap and abuse unfortunately, but this guy made many of our seasoned staff tap out. We had to have two very large security blokes stationed at his door
because he was combative. Like I said before, NPD traits stem from deep insecurity of self, so they resort to manipulation and violence to have some sense of control, but you know that they don't give a **** about your insecurity and death. When you're in hospice and it's coming for you, well -- They will fight anyone like they are fighting death itself. He died alone, unsurprisingly.
Now I know many of you will be thinking, Well, you sound so unempathetic. You're horrible. You can't be a Psych. Let's put this another way. We have 14 beds in our hospice. That one patient was abusing staff physically and verbally abusing his wife and father, breaking thousands and thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment and scaring the hell out of 13 other dying patients and their families. If you think empathy will help calm him down, you have never crossed the lines of someone with NPD, and unfortunately you can't just sedate a patient indefinitely although some were definitely arguing for it. So, that was one patient.
The other patient was a woman in her 60s, also with cancer. Now her paperwork stated that she was divorced, and she had three adult kids. When she came to the hospice, she started asking us to call them and ask them to come in and see her. Now, this isn't uncommon at all. We do it all the time, and her eldest son was written down as her next of kin. So. I do the calling around and find out that they all live locally. Okay -- bit weird. Mother's been put into hospice, and the next of kin isn't around, but okay. I first get hold of her youngest who politely but in no uncertain terms tells me that he's definitely not coming in and to only call back when she has been declared dead. That would be the second red flag of the situation. I then get a hold of of
the middle child, the daughter, who probably hands the phone to her husband and tells him to deal with it. After asking how long we reckon she's going to be alive, he says they will think about it and they might come in to visit, maybe. Not going well here. Finally, I get hold of the oldest son who says... and says he'll be right over. It's only when he arrives and we chat privately does he explain that he effectively raised his two siblings because their mother wasn't interested and simply used them as props in her life.His father stayed as long as he could, drinking to deal with it, but eventually left and. When he tried to get custody of the kids, she lied to the court. Obviously verbal and emotional abuse by their mother was all too prevalent in this family as well.
Sure enough, the moment he steps into her room, she's screaming, What took you so long. Your siblings are useless and don't love their mother, and how could they betray me. A lot of overdramatic gestures and fake tears. It was a real performance, one that our other patients did not appreciate having to hear. Anyway..
The next day, the daughter comes in with her husband. After about 20 minutes of being in the patient's room, the husband comes out looking frustrated. Now, I've been keeping an eye on this room for obvious reasons, so I ask him how's it going and what's going on. He says his wife wants an apology from her mother for everything which did surprise me, but we all know how that's going to go and it's not going to go the way she wants it to. Narcissists don't apologize because nothing is their fault, according to them. Cue a lot of screaming, security running, and no apology forthcoming. She also died alone, and her family had her body sent for direct cremation.I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't go back to pick up her cremains either, and all this is not to mention the hell that she put staff through as well the dying.
The Dying Narcissist
I did a lot of asking around at other hospices in the country, both in-patient and home care, to hear their experiences. It would appear that a
narcissist is much more likely to die at home. Now this isn't in a good death kind of a way. It's more a "I can control everything around me
if I'm at home" kind of a way, and they will manipulate and control those around them like they have always done. In order to care for them in
their dying days and because they are so fearful of the inevitable, they will be even more arrogant, more entitled, and more demanding -- if
that's even possible. They will belittle you more than ever, show no regret, and they will not apologize for anything that they have ever done
unless they can use it to manipulate you, but that's only if their intimidation isn't enough. The irony in all of this is that this kind of person's
biggest fear is dying alone, and a lot of them do. They have pushed away everyone. No one wants to be near them. So many of them have
beaten down, manipulated, and crushed the self-esteem and self-worth of those around them --usually their kids. They are able to manipulate
them, usually through guilt, to care for them during this time. All that is to say dying is not going to soften someone with NPD, so don't get
your hopes up.
The Aftermath
A narcissist's ways don't tend to stop after they're dead. They will not show any regret or guilt forwhat they have done, and when they die
you should not expect to get anything from them in their will. It will be left to the grown child, to their enablers. It will be left to people who
validated the delusions of their false self -- people who were susceptible to their manipulation, people who didn't try to oppose their false
narrative, people who kept a Code of Silence, or, more likely -- they will leave everything to their dog or to some random charity because
they know it will make them look good after death. It's all about the facade. So, don't be thinking, Thank God, they're finally dead. At least
I'll get part of the estate, because it's unlikely. Also. we touched a bit on this in our video about when someone you despise dies -- but when
someone like this eventually dies that's not going to make the pain go away. Many victims of these people expect that they will feel a massive
weight lift off their shoulders when their abuser finally dies, but that is rarely the case.
So -- don't wait for that seek help for yourself long before that moment happens. Seek out a mental health professional, preferably one who
specializes in personality disorders, because that means they also specialize in the damage that they cause. There are also many support
groups out there. Some are very specific, like for kids of those with personality disorders, and some more general, like survivors of abuse.
Also -- surround yourself with positive, respectful people that will help build up your self-worth again.
As bad as it sounds, a dying narcissist is simultaneously the saddest, most pathetic but infuriating thing you'll ever see. Our hospice has cared
for dying patients with antisocial personality disorder, and they were much easier to deal with than those with NPD They weren't great by any
means, but they were easier to deal with. The traits of a narcissist will only become worse as they become more aware of their inevitable death
and there is no shame. You should feel no guilt at all in walking away from these people, even when they are dying.
calimary
(90,811 posts)I don’t know the answer, but I sure do know there seems to be a HUGE effort, undoubtedly led by him, to reassert his perceived omnipotence. I can’t help but sense an odor of desperation coming from that side of things.
kentuck
(115,635 posts)...and they will help him at every turn? There just seems to be a sense of desperation.
He's not waiting on anyone. He's building the Ballroom and the huge Arc de Trump at the entrance to Arlington Cemetery...
He can destroy the world in 6 months. Then the Democrats can have it.
calimary
(90,811 posts)I’d even volunteer to drive one!
We’’ll be needing a new Rose Garden there, methinks.
NJCher
(43,534 posts)Heather Cox Richardson has observed similarly.
cliffside
(1,778 posts)
nilram
(3,563 posts)Here we are.
House of Roberts
(6,635 posts)after the election when they do lose both the House and the Senate.
pat_k
(13,856 posts)Over the past couple decades the Republican project has transfered $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 1% -- they do not want to give that up. They are desperate and irrationally hitched their wagon to a madman. As the reality of how fragile their hold on power is sinks in they are desperately grabbing whatever levers they can.
We have a choice about what the next 10 years will look like. And it's up to us to commit, NOW, to making it so.
Imagine If This Moment Was Not About The Ascent of Authoritarians, But About A New Birth Of Global Freedom...
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221186840
I didn’t know you had posted this and I just mentioned it upthread.
pat_k
(13,856 posts)Just as powerful industrialists, Wall Street financiers, railroad monopolists, and conservative political leaders sought to further impoverish poor farmers and silence agrarian reform movements, powerful forces within the top 1% are seeking to cut out the will of the American people. Unlike the 1890's where those forces held the levers of power against the forces of progressive reform, I think we are at the brink of serious "backlash" against those who seek to eliminate "We the People" as a governing force.
NJCher
(43,534 posts)No one else does historical context to the extent that she does, and HCR not only goes into it herself, she brings in history colleagues.
I would be happy watching only HCR and Lawrence for political analysis, as long as Lawrence has Andrew Weissman on. The others report this stuff about trump and his agreements for no tax audits as if it's a done deal. Or the fund for compensating J-Sixers. No, its not a done deal. Trump and the DOJ will do what they want, but there will be suits against them to slow or eliminate this entirely. These reporters never go into that, and as I posted yesterday, I think it is that it gets clicks from the sheer anger over it.
If they had to write out the entire story, it would require more interviewing and less sensationalism.
Of course, the argument from here, DU, is always is "this SC," but that is not necessarily the case. The SC getting such a case is a long time coming because it has to go through the federal court system before the SC would rule on it, at least in most situations.
Re your post, I think the best thing we can do is remind them ("Wall Street financiers, railroad monopolists, and conservative political leaders" and I'll add the tech leaders) of how dependent they are on a viable middle class with the ability to spend. It is incredible to me that they can't see it, but they can't.
It's just like a strike with a union. Look at how fast the LIRR workers got an agreement. It cost too much to have them on strike. Same with the middle class. It will cost more to cut them out than it would to have equanimity.
kimbutgar
(27,558 posts)JokeHer
(59 posts)For AI to take all of our Jobs. They need ALL the money. So they can control us.
rampartd
(5,045 posts)it is gonna get harsh.
he has reached a "nowhere on earth to escape justice" stage of prospective post presidency.
nothing that he does to remain in office can be worse than he has already committed, so why not?
and then the artificial intelligence pink slip tsunami ...
"i would love to pay unemployment benefits, but the ball room is a national priority."
badhair77
(5,211 posts)I’m so angry I can barely speak, I can barely breathe. Just furious and feeling helpless. For now.
underpants
(197,190 posts)Not that he should have the chance now.
Every element of the government is at his will.
OldBaldy1701E
(11,553 posts)This is going to be the question from myself moving forward.
Since there must be some kind of reaction to the continued theft and destruction, I would like to know what it is.
And, why it is thought that said actions will stop this.
mn9driver
(4,857 posts)Although the circumstances are different—at least for now, I’m reminded of a quote from Herman Goering when he was asked how the Nazis just rolled over every German institution that might have blocked them:
“Nobody stopped us”.
Fast forward to 2026…
leftstreet
(41,256 posts)
MiHale
(13,175 posts)We are being run by (or over, if you will) by The Trump Criminal Syndicate.
Johonny
(26,618 posts)And thus if the criminals have the run of the house, eventually they're not just coming out in the dark...
This is the natural acceleration of crime due to a corruption and disinterest in enforcement.
It will continue to accelerate until collapse. The center cannot hold.
Cosmocat
(15,472 posts)People are seriously misreading it as desperation.
They see no resistance and are trying to tear it all down / as others noted trying to grift as much as they can while there is still some to get.
Its the Soprano's Bust Out episode where Tony and company have took over Robert Patrick's sporting goods store after he could not pay off his gambling debts and in his office trashing his store and taking whatever they want, ordering food, coolers, plane tickets, etc, making him max out his credit until he has to go bankrupt.
Bumbles
(495 posts)He'll destroy everything on his way out. He reminds me of vandals who deface, burn down and make unenjoyable places others have revered and found pleasure in visiting or experiencing. Vandals don't revere and find pleasure in something, perhaps are unable to, so why should anyone else.
Seinan Sensei
(1,644 posts)Hitler wanted to destroy Germany’s infrastructure so when the Enemy arrived, they would find nothing but “scorched earth.”
Trump will demand a Nero Decree when he’s at Death’s Door, so the Enemy (that is, any/all persons but himself) will be left with nothing but Scorched Earth
Moostache
(11,297 posts)I want public executions and sentences carried out in months, not years. Establish a new wing of the Justice Department and staff it adequately to try, convict and hang every last one of these liars, thieves and grifters. In the first 100 days post-Trump, there should be a total cleansing of the body politic in America.
The problem is Trump is dying, just no where near fast enough. There's always hope that the next minute will finally be THE MINUTE....
C Moon
(13,738 posts)Totally Tunsie
(12,021 posts)Thank you for the points raised.
kairos12
(13,707 posts)
Sogo
(7,305 posts)A rudderless ship of state....
Billsdaughter
(188 posts)The Trump Regime mirrors the beginning of the Putin Regime. Steal the treasury through various means and rig elections. The Oligarchy has blossomed, the Kleptocracy is taking hold and the fix is in.
The same exact steps were taken by Putin in Ukraine with the install of Viktor Yanokovych in 2010. The difference in Ukraine was the 2013/2014 Winter on Fire which resulted in Yanokovych fleeing via helicopter for Moscow in the middle of the night. By that time, the entire Ukraine treasury was depleted. There is a documentary about this entitled Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom. After Yanokovych fled, the Ukrainian peoples showed up at the presidential palace and were stunned by the ostentatious and gaudy palace bought with their money. Very similar to today's Whitehouse.
I have been certain for some time that Trump is a Russian asset as are several cabinet members.p The War in Iran is nothing but a smokescreen for massive theft.
I further believe the midterms will not bode well for Democrats. I pray I'm wrong about this.
jmowreader
(53,397 posts)Everyone go watch Soylent Green. I'll wait.
Right now we aren't discussing the whole "convert corpses into food" part of the show, but the schism between the Ultra Rich and the rest of us.
The ultra rich in that movie lived pretty decent lives. They had access to fresh food, housing, whatever luxury goods they wanted, and each ultra rich man's apartment came with a live-in sex partner.
The few people in the "rest of us" that had jobs lived in apartments that make the pictures of Soviet apartments I've seen look lush in comparison.
If you didn't have a job? Dude, you were sleeping in the stairwell, hauling water in jugs and eating nutritionally-balanced crackers that you had to pay for. In the scene at the food distribution point there was a guy selling "Soylent Crumbs" - and was selling it as fast as he could dump it into the bin.
However, this will be worse. In Soylent Green, the ultra rich still had to hire people to drive the garbage trucks, kill off the old people they were going to convert into crackers, etc., etc., etc. With robotics, autonomous vehicles and AI, they won't even have to do that.
Response to kentuck (Original post)
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FoggyLake
(316 posts)That's brilliant and true. Hope you don't mind if I quote you someday.
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