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ProfessorPlum

ProfessorPlum's Journal
ProfessorPlum's Journal
November 20, 2024

I expect every barrier to Trump/Putin's worst behavior to fold - they are filled with cowards

The Congress will not oppose him. The GOP is incredibly easy to control and cowardly in the face of authoritarianism.

The Supreme Court will not oppose him. If they push back against him, he will just ignore them and do what he wants anyway - which will expose them as the toothless institution they are. And Roberts won't allow that.

The military won't oppose him. They have made their plans to purge the military of everyone but loyalists clear.

The intelligence services won't oppose him. They will also be purged.

The media certainly will not oppose him. They are owned by a small number of rich oligarchs. And note Brave Joe and Meeka bowing their heads pre-emptively.

The people may oppose him. But they will be met with military violence in the streets, as well as black bagging/disappearing, torture, and imprisonment.


Does anyone see any bravery/strength in any of our institutions that could provide any kind of effective push back on this regime?

November 20, 2024

We are about to be subject to Shock Therapy economics - severe austerity - administered by Putin's puppets

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_therapy_(economics)

Shock therapy policies generally include ending price controls, stopping government subsidies, privatizing state-owned industries, and tighter fiscal policies, such as higher tax rates and lowered government spending. In essence, shock therapy policies can be distilled to price liberalization accompanied by strict austerity.


Musk is already signaling that they want to institute austerity:

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/economy-if-trump-wins-second-term-could-mean-hardship-for-americans-rcna177807

(the cruelty of the world's richest asshole calling for a population already hurting economically to be immiserated further is amazing).

The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein is absolutely required reading for everyone to prepare for the next few years.

November 16, 2024

Putin, who controls the GOP, will want to destroy America's economy. At some point, even the dimmest Trump supporter

will begin to see the economic havoc being wrought and will have to recognize that we are being screwed, deliberately.

but it will be too late by then.

November 16, 2024

It astounds me when people talk about "the next election". Please tell me why you think the GOP would ever allow it

and instead won't just make the Democratic party illegal. What would stop them? The Supreme Court? The Press?? It is to laugh.

This country has slit its own throat, and mark my words, there will never be another election except ones where the GOP mysteriously wins 95% of the vote, like Putin.

November 16, 2024

Trump is going to be able to literally act out his favorite fable, the Woman and the Snake

when the GOP enacts a nation-wide abortion ban with no exceptions, and the women of this country who voted for him or didn't turn out to vote for Harris say "you promised you wouldn't sign an abortion ban", and Trump says "you knew I was a snake when you first picked me up".

Someone get me out of this timeline.

November 12, 2024

Dear Dems: copy FDR. Please. (except for internment camps)

FDR embraced economic populism in a time when American workers were hurting and angry. By communicating how he was using the power of government to help make things better for American workers, he won popular support. He also turned his popular support to fighting fascism. And won four Presidential terms. He was so popular only death could stop him.

Fighting Fascism + Economic Populism = Electoral victory.

November 7, 2024

Voters, in a haze of racism and misogyny, apparently wanted economic populism

and stupidly thought that Trump complaining about the price of bacon and eggs and gas meant that he means to give it to them.

Even though there is no coherent policy - certainly none that the GOP would support - for doing any of that.


And so. . . if/when there is ever any chance of clawing back some political power in this country, can we try economic populism this time (and mean it?)

The greed of the donors has given us fascism instead of their tidy, profitable status quo.

November 7, 2024

Putin has taken over the USA without a shot fired. He bought the GOP (for cheap) and then lobotomized the citizenry

with the internet.

He now controls the president, almost all of Congress, the supreme court, most of the media, social media, and many oligarchs.

We are about to become what is, in effect, an occupied country.

What will he do to us? And more importantly, what if anything, will stop him?

September 30, 2024

Who exactly is telling Trump that tariffs (of all things) are the way to make the US wealthy?

It's a terrible idea that will raise inflation, harm consumers, and destroy our own export markets when the targets retaliate. Even a cursory reading of a 10th grade US history book shows that trade barriers and tariffs usually aren't great - although I think they can be used selectively, if carefully, to create/sustain a fledgling industry that's important in a country.

But WHO is telling this lie to Trump? Who would benefit from this? Why are they trying to make tariffs a thing? All the economists I've seen say it would be a terrible idea and not help anyone.

And Trump is an idiot who wouldn't have this idea himself. He wouldn't know a tariff from his own taint. so who exactly is giving him this terrible talking point/"idea"?

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