Edit: Forgive me, folks. My not awake brain went to the Dark Side when I read CNN this morning, and this is kinda negative. Our illustrious president thinks he is above the law. He thinks he can do anything he wants without regard for court decisions, and therefore, the laws. He is ignoring everything but his own wishes. We are truly sliding towards authoritarianism, and then it’s just a short step into dictatorship. Why hasn’t anyone noticed this? Why isn’t someone doing anything about this? He is very close to ruling with an iron fist and I’m freaking out. This is BAD.
Yesterday, he had a meeting in the White House with the self-proclaimed “world’s coolest dictator” from El Salvador, ‘President’ Nayib Bukele. He damn near idolizes Hungarian ‘Prime Minister’ Viktor Orban. Both are strongmen that he wants to emulate. Both rule with an iron fist. Both are uncontrolled by laws or anything close. Both are all-powerful.
He and Bukele blatantly decided that Kilmar Garcia won’t be released from CECOT even though he doesn’t belong there in the first place. He is now in the ‘control’ of El Salvador. Bukele doesn’t want to release a ‘terrorist’ (which Kilmar is about the furthest thing from being) into his country. (By the way, how did Kilmar get promoted from a gang member to a terrorist?) It seems it would be easy enough to control where he could be sent to await the plane to be returned to the US. Sure, he could be deported again. We don’t *have* to keep him in the US, but he needs to be brought back before we can even start that process. He is stuck in El Salvador for bulls**t reasons. I’m afraid he’s already dead. Will El Salvador even return his body?
Agent Orange is blatantly ignoring the orders of the courts. It doesn’t matter what the decisions were against him. He just keeps going as if the verdicts never happened. And notice he is even ignoring the decisions of the Supreme Court! More and more, he is ruling as if no one can control him. Take tariffs. Those are under the jurisdiction of Congress! But Congress has a Republican majority that does what he says without consideration for anything else, so they are useless. They don’t even *try* to handle him, even with all that he is doing that rightfully belongs to them.
Speaking of tariffs, he is driving not only us, but the globe, into a recession. The on again off again tariffs that damn near change from hour to hour, not just day to day. He is alienating our allies. I’ll bet they are already looking for alternate markets to buy and sell what they need. They are already looking for new allies as the United States isolates itself more and more. This sucks. And OMG the China tariffs! Not only are they stupid, they are ridiculous! American companies can’t get what they need in order to produce products for the American people. That leads to shutdowns and layoffs. That doesn’t matter to Traitor Tot. He’s playing a dangerous game, and we will eventually lose. Both economies will lose, the US more than China. Plus, add in the layoffs of federal workers, and the job market becomes even tighter with thousands of people looking for new employment. I’ve already been trying for nearly 2 years, and all I get are crickets and silence. I haven’t even had a nibble.
Let me also remind you that “the war with Ukraine will be over in 24 hours. Yea, that didn’t happen. He couldn’t even get a ceasefire. tRump is refusing to send any kind of support, even though the money has already been set aside for it. Europe is getting together what it can to send, but will it be enough without us? Russia has been pounding Ukraine again. day after day. Putin wants the whole country under his control. President Zelenskyy and his people aren’t having it. They will keep fighting as long as they possibly can. They want ALL of their country back. That includes the part that Russia annexed in 2014, plus the parts that Russia currently holds because of the war.
Two words: absolute immunity. Could the Supreme Court change its decision? Could this be modified? And would the Mango Mandarin Messiah listen? Once I remembered that, all that he is doing is under that umbrella makes more sense. No wonder he’s having a good time doing whatever he wants. Nicely done, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. What in the hell were you thinking? I can lay a lot of blame at your feet and the rest of the justices’ feet. Stupid, stupid, STUPID.
So, we have a president who wants to be a dictator. What he wants, he gets, with no consideration of anything else, not Congress, not the courts, no guardrails. He is well on the way to having absolute control over the country. How do we fight back? How do we get our country and our democracy back? If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them, because I am scared. I am scared of what we are becoming, thanks to El Presidente Imbécil. I am scared of losing all that our country had become before tRump came into power. Many people fought and died for us. But they are ‘losers’ and ‘suckers’. We may even lose the power to vote, for the people to decide who runs the country and who sits in Congress. I am just flat-out scared. Tell me not to be, please?
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Trumpler told Bukele to “build 5 more” of his super-prison/concentration camps, to give the MAGAts a hell-hole for future deportees, amongst which will be American citizens, make no mistake. Those prisons make a lot of money for el Salvador, especially given the amount it costs the USA to put people there. This what the art of the deal really means.
Ouch, Jarvis. I remember the “build 5 more” comment. I hadn’t extrapolated as far as you did. That’s interesting!
We’re at the point now where a Democratic administration will need to flex its power fully to remove the fascist elements from the judiciary and Congress and then get a nonfascist remainders of the government to pull those powers.
I agree. We need to do *something*. Seriously, (I am not being facetious here) where could we start? I’d like to hear further thoughts from you.
Who would have standing to file a lawsuit demanding the Treasury not pay for the incarceration in El Salvador? How long would they continue to accept prisoners? Or, cut off the funding for the charter flights that take people from the U.S. to El Salvador? How much of our Military is involved in “policing” the southwest border?
Dang, Lorene, great questions for which I have no answers. I wonder if they *could* be answered.
In a photocopy of Hitler’s edict to his henchmen about whom to arrest, the usual suspects are listed. There is one group that every Democrat fits into,(along with all rational moral people). It’s labeled ‘grumblers’. In other words, anyone who disagreed with the nazis. We clearly see the malignant narcissist can tolerate no criticism, even if HE deserves jail for his actions, while persecuting the innocent. We asked for hell…the Devil always provides when invited in.
Scott! That’s fascinating! You always give me something to think about. Also, see the Dementia piece I am about to post.
Unless enough Republicans in the House and Senate wake up and realize that he is a dictator,nothing can be done until 2026. But very few GOP types care about anything other than lining their own pockets. I wonder if SCOTUS can dYoanything to bring him to.heel. So.far, it doesn’t seem.possible. They can’t even use the marshals without the AG’s consent and Bleached Bondi is sycophantic beeeeeyatch.
Hello Gillian! They might not realize that he’s a dictator until it’s too late. I hope we can hold out til 2026. I’ve heard rumblings that Agent Orange is trying to change voter laws, or the ability to vote at all. It’s rapidly becoming “what is a democracy again”?