Tag: history

The Tulsi Diversion: A Case Study in Gullibility
Let’s talk about how weak-minded you have to be to fall for Tulsi Gabbard’s latest stunt—a breathless declaration that the entire Russia investigation was a “hoax,” complete with a memo she declassified like it’s the Rosetta Stone of victimhood.

Except it’s not. It’s theater.

And for anyone paying attention over the last eight years, it’s also nonsense.

Let’s do what Tulsi and her followers refuse to do: look at the actual facts.

The Mueller Report—the result of a two-year investigation led by a lifelong Republican, by the way—found that:
- Russia interfered “in sweeping and systematic fashion” in the 2016 election.
- The Russian government’s goal was to help Trump and hurt Clinton.
- The Trump campaign welcomed the interference and, in multiple cases, had contact with Russian operatives.
- Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman, handed over internal polling data to Konstantin Kilimnik, a man the FBI identified as having ties to Russian intelligence.
- Trump himself tried to obstruct the investigation on multiple occasions—ten, to be exact. Mueller didn’t charge him only because a sitting president couldn’t be indicted under DOJ guidelines.
Then came the Senate Intelligence Committee report—and let’s be clear here: this wasn’t the Democrats’ spin.

It was a bipartisan investigation led by Republican Senator Richard Burr. It ran for over three years, produced more than 1,000 pages of findings, and concluded—unanimously—that Russia did, in fact, interfere in the 2016 election and that Trump associates posed counterintelligence threats.

You don’t have to love Hillary Clinton. You don’t have to love the FBI. But you do have to completely ignore all evidence—and I mean every shred of documented reality—to believe Tulsi Gabbard’s narrative.

She’s not uncovering some hidden truth. She’s throwing a smoke bomb into the room so no one notices the fire.

It’s no coincidence this memo dropped just as Trump faces backlash for allegedly burying the Epstein files. When in doubt, blame Obama. Distract. Project. Repeat.

Tulsi isn’t exposing a crime. She’s providing cover for one.

So if you find yourself nodding along with this latest fever dream, maybe ask yourself: how many lies have you been fed—and how many more are you willing to swallow just to keep your illusions intact?

Because this isn’t about justice. It’s about erasure. It’s about rewriting history to protect a man who’s never faced accountability in his life.

And Tulsi Gabbard is just the latest volunteer in the cleanup crew.
July 20, 2025
The Amazing Donald Trump

For Independence Day, I’m going to talk about the amazing things about Donald Trump. Now, “amazing” is one of those words. It’s usually used as a positive. But in reality it just means something amazes you, and that’s where I’m coming from today.

Trumps is… kind of amazing. And so are my friends who remain loyal to him.

No, seriously. You’ve got to hand it to him—what he’s pulled off is something no politician in my lifetime has managed. The guy took over an entire political party and convinced its memebers to completely change their values. That’s not easy.

He got the party of Reagan to dump free markets and start rooting for tariffs like they’d just discovered Lenin.

He got the law-and-order crowd to throw their arms around a convicted felon—and not just any felon, but one who encouraged his fans to beat up cops while waving Blue Lives Matter flags. You can’t make that up. And I know many of his followers think the justice system was weaponized against him, and getting them to believe THAT is another weak-mind bender.

He got “family values” voters to shrug off hush money payments to a porn star—while his wife was home with their newborn—because hey, at least he’s not Biden?

He got millions of women to vote for him after he publicly bragged about grabbing them like a broken claw machine.

He got the “Epstein was a deep-state op” crowd to look at the one guy who was literally in the photos, on the plane, at the parties, and say, “Nah, he’s clean.”

He got evangelicals—people who once lost their minds over Obama wearing a tan suit—to go all-in for a man who couldn’t name a single Bible verse and probably thinks Leviticus is a cologne.

And now, after years of branding every Democrat a warmonger, he’s got MAGA influencers practically begging for war in the Middle East, because this time it’s their guy saying so.

But he’s not a salesman. A salesman gives you something—cheap steaks, an ugly hat, a framed certificate for your timeshare in hell. Trump? Trump takes. He takes your money, your dignity, your critical thinking—and leaves you with a bumper sticker and a court date.

What did he actually deliver?

A wall? Nope.

Mexico paying for it? Nope.

Obamacare repealed? Nope.

Muslim ban? Not really.

Budget balanced? Not even close.

National debt reduced? Ha.

Cheaper groceries? Come on.

Foreign wars ended? Insert laugh track.

Did he “Make America Great Again”?

Or just turn it into an international punch line?

And here’s the part that really messes with me—the part that genuinely breaks my heart: I know people. Smart people. Kind people. People I care about. Some of them are still on board. They think Biden was destroying America while Trump actually does it before their eyes.

It didn’t happen all at once. It never does. It was a slow, creeping thing. Like the boiling frog—you don’t realize how far you’ve slipped until the water’s already at a rolling boil and someone’s telling you to blame the deep state for the heat.

And maybe you don’t want to admit it. Maybe it’s too hard to say, “Yeah… I got conned.” I get that. But that’s what happened. You didn’t vote for a movement. You bought into a scam.

And Trump? He’s not done. Conmen don’t stop until there’s nothing left to take.

If this offends you, by all means—let me have it. But before you do, ask yourself:

What exactly are you still defending?

July 4, 2025
I Tried to Stay Quiet. But Apparently We’re Doing Tanks Now.

(originally posted on my Facebook page)

I’ve been taking a break from posting on here. You’re welcome.

It’s been nice, honestly. Less doomscrolling, fewer arguments with people I went to high school with, and a brief, beautiful window where I could pretend that maybe things were just… normal. But then I saw the day getting closer: Trump is throwing himself a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue this weekend.

Yes. Tanks. Planes. Flags. The whole third-world-dictator aesthetic. And I figured, alright—time to crawl out of the bunker and say a thing.

The excuse is that it’s the Army’s 250th birthday, which is technically true. But it also happens to be Trump’s 79th birthday. So… yeah. It’s less “honoring the troops” and more “celebrating Dear Leader with flyovers and a cake shaped like Trump Tower.”

But hey, if you’ve ever looked at D.C. and thought, “What this place really needs is a little more North Korea,” your moment has arrived.

And just to make the timing extra bleak, this is happening one week after Trump sent the National Guard into Los Angeles—over the objections of California’s governor. First time that’s happened in sixty years. Back then, it was LBJ sending troops to protect civil rights marchers. This time, it’s Trump sending troops to protect… his reputation. From protesters.

You know, real freedom-loving stuff.

And the executive order he used to do it? Doesn’t even name LA. Doesn’t have to. It’s written vaguely enough to let him send troops anywhere that doesn’t clap on the one and three.

So no, this isn’t just about Los Angeles. This is a test balloon. See how far he can go, how many people shrug, and how many cameras he can get pointed at himself while the Constitution quietly wheezes in the background.

And I know how this sounds. I really do. If you had told me ten years ago I’d be writing about a U.S. president using the military to intimidate his own population, I’d have assumed I’d finally lost the plot and was living in an asylum somewhere yelling at soup cans. But here we are.

ICE is already ramping up raids. The deportation push is real. The mass roundups? They’re not a scare tactic. They’re part of the plan. Trump’s asking for $185 billion for immigration enforcement—which is more than the UK and France spend on their entire militaries. That’s not border security. That’s infrastructure for authoritarianism.

Stephen Miller—who still looks like he was carved out of cold deli meat—is already talking about deporting 3,000 people a day.

The thing that makes this moment so dangerous is how normal it all feels now. A few years ago, something like this would’ve sparked national outrage. Now it’s just another Tuesday. Another broken norm. Another test to see what we’ll tolerate. And spoiler: it’s a lot.

Democrats are out here debating whether it’s too “alarmist” to use the word fascism, while Republicans are busy making sure they’re not the next ones to get publicly humiliated by Trump’s Truth Social posts. At this point, he could replace the Lincoln Memorial with a sculpture of his meme coin and they’d all show up to applaud.

Anyway. I didn’t want to break my non-posting streak for this. I was trying to keep the blood pressure in a manageable range and pretend the world was just weird, not dark. But the tanks are coming. The flags are flying. The script is writing itself. And if we’re not careful, we’ll look up four days from now and realize we just watched the next chapter of American decline roll down the street while we argued about gas prices.

Happy almost-birthday, Mr. President. Hope your little party goes great. I’ll be over here, quietly panic-Googling “how to spot the early signs of soft authoritarianism” like a normal person.

June 10, 2025
Defending Democracy: Our Moment to Act

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of what is nothing less than a coup against the Constitution—but we must not falter. Every generation faces a defining moment, a call to defend the great American experiment. We don’t get to choose when, but we do choose how we rise. Now is our time.

These are dark days. Neighbors, friends, and loved ones have been swept up in a movement that thrives on resentment, division, and cruelty. We see bigotry not just tolerated but celebrated. This has always been part of America’s struggle, but we once shamed it into the shadows and called upon the better angels of our nature. Now, with permission from Trump and his politics of grievance, it flies proudly in the open. The Republican Party has been hijacked—not by conservatives of principle, but by those who seek to dismantle democracy itself. Their goal is clear: autocratic breakthrough. The moment they overcome our democratic guardrails, the point of no return will be crossed.

We are witnessing firsthand just how important it was to vote. This crisis exists because not enough of us turned out. Not enough of us took this threat seriously. We allowed it to be sane-washed—a tactic where extremism is repackaged as reasonable, where authoritarianism is softened with careful language, making it easier for people to dismiss the danger. They even twist logic to justify abhorrent behavior. But the consequences of that mistake are now undeniable.

Our job is simple: we cannot let this continue. We must stand firm, push back, and force hatred back into the margins of history where it belongs.

But resistance alone is not enough. We must engage. It starts with showing up—joining protests in person and online, flooding Congress with calls and emails, demanding that they rein in this administration. Call: (202) 224-3121 and follow the instructions. We must be prepared to stand up for what’s right and, crucially, to welcome traditional Republicans into our fold as we unite for the common cause of saving our Constitution.

America has never fully lived up to its ideals, but we have always moved forward. A more perfect union is built not by ignoring our failures, but by striving to correct them. Progress has never been easy, but history proves it is always possible.

This fight will not be won overnight, but it will be won. If we stand together, if we refuse to yield to despair, if we meet this moment with courage and conviction—we will prevail.

May 21, 2025
Why MAGA Doesn’t Resemble Yesteryear’s GOP

The Republican Party of 20 years ago? Pro-democracy, pro-international alliances, and definitely NOT an outlier among Western conservatives. Fast forward to today, and the MAGA movement is rewriting the script—big time.

A New Tribe: MAGA Republicans aren’t just breaking with the left—they’re breaking with the entire Western conservative tradition. Their mindset aligns closer to Russia’s Putin and Turkey’s Erdoğan than to Britain’s Tories or Germany’s CDU.

Goodbye Global Cooperation: The old GOP was about strong alliances (think Bush and Blair “shoulder to shoulder”). MAGA? Not so much. From pulling military support from allies to shrugging at international norms, Trump’s America plays by different rules.

Autocracy Over Democracy? The Republican Party once championed democracy. Now, MAGA’s values—authoritarian tendencies, distrust of institutions, and nationalism—are pulling them into a different ideological orbit.

Economics as a Weapon: Trade wars, economic self-harm, and an “America First” approach that even conservative economists are scratching their heads over—this isn’t Reaganomics.

Shock & Awe Politics: Trump, JD Vance, and their crew operate on a different frequency. What seems disastrous or erratic to traditional Western leaders is just another Tuesday in MAGA-world.

Bottom line? MAGA isn’t just a more extreme version of the old GOP—it’s something entirely different. If Western democracies don’t recognize this shift, they’ll keep getting blindsided.

Inspired by: Financial Times article by John Burn-Murdoch

May 21, 2025
When We Accidentally Decided That Authoritarianism Is Okay

As a Gen X American, I grew up believing that authoritarian regimes—communism, dictatorships—were the enemies of everything we stood for. The Soviet Union, East Germany, Cuba—those were the cautionary tales. We learned that democracy meant something special: a government of the people, by the people, for the people. That was America’s promise, our core value.

But today, it feels like that lesson has been forgotten by a worrying number of Americans. Some have become convinced that Democrats have gone so far off track that the only solution is to embrace a different flavor of authoritarianism—a right-wing strongman who promises to restore order by force rather than consensus.

How did we get here?

I think it all traces back to when our news media stopped being accountable to truth. The pivotal moment came in 1987, when the FCC abolished the Fairness Doctrine, a rule that required broadcasters to present controversial issues of public importance in an honest, balanced way. Suddenly, news outlets could openly pick sides, prioritize profits, and turn journalism into entertainment or partisan propaganda.

Fast forward a few decades, and we have a polarized America, divided not by reality but by the media each side consumes. Many of us no longer agree on basic facts. Once truth is lost, authoritarianism starts looking tempting—especially if it promises to silence the “other side.”

But history has warned us again and again that authoritarianism never ends well. Not in East Germany. Not in Cuba. Not in the Soviet Union. And certainly not here.

We need to wake up and remember what we once knew instinctively: democracy isn’t perfect, but it’s infinitely better than the alternative. We have to reclaim the idea that government of the people, by the people, and for the people is still worth fighting for—even if we have to fight for it within our own borders.

May 21, 2025
We Are The Ones We Are Waiting For—And It Might Be You

If you’re frustrated with the Democratic Party right now, you’re not alone. I get it. Watching Chuck Schumer cave on the latest CR vote was just the latest gut punch in a long line of disappointments. We are watching democracy itself be chipped away, and far too many elected Democrats are still playing politics as usual—negotiating with fascists as if they’re just another political party instead of what they are: an existential threat to the country.

And yes, there are some fighters. Gavin Newsom, Jamie Raskin, Katie Porter, and Sheldon Whitehouse have shown real backbone. They call out corruption, they don’t back down, and they actually seem to understand the urgency of this moment. But they are outnumbered by career politicians who think we’re still living in the 1990s, where compromise was possible and bipartisanship wasn’t a bad joke.

We need brave Democrats. Democrats who won’t flinch in the face of Trump’s authoritarian takeover. Democrats who understand that what we’re dealing with isn’t just another Republican administration—it’s the unraveling of American democracy.

So here’s the real question: why not you?

If you’re reading this and thinking, I wish we had better leaders, then maybe it’s time to step up. Running for office doesn’t have to mean gunning for Congress right away. Start local.

• School Board – Right-wing activists have taken over school boards across the country to push book bans, erase history, and force their ideology on kids. This is where the fight starts.

• City Council & Mayor – Local government is where real change happens. Policies on policing, housing, and economic development all start here.

• State Legislatures – The GOP has spent decades stacking state governments with extremists, and that’s how they’ve managed to pass some of the most dangerous laws in history. We need to take those seats back.

• Congress & Senate – The Democratic Party desperately needs new blood—people who will fight for democracy without constantly looking over their shoulder for permission.

Think about it. Look up the filing deadlines in your state. Start showing up to local meetings. Build a network. And if you’re not ready to run, support someone who is.

We cannot wait for the old guard to suddenly grow a spine. If we want to save democracy, we have to do it ourselves.

May 21, 2025
The Great Wealth Transfer Is Finally Here, But With A Plot Twist

Remember when everyone was hyping the “Great Wealth Transfer,” where aging baby boomers were set to pass down $84 trillion to younger generations? Well, surprise! Plot twist. Instead of money trickling down from Grandma and Grandpa, we’re watching it rocket up from the pockets of the middle and working class straight into the bank accounts of the already-rich.

This is all thanks to the infinite wisdom of the American voter.

Exhibit A: Trump’s latest move, rolling back the minimum wage for federal contractors. Biden had bumped it up to $15/hour (adjusted recently to $17.75/hour), trying to give working folks a chance at affording something wild—like rent or food. But Trump swung the pendulum back down to $13.30 an hour—or potentially as low as the $7.25 federal minimum. Because apparently, “Making America Great” involves making sure the billionaire class can afford that extra yacht.

Here’s how the rich-get-richer machine works: cut wages for workers, boost corporate profits, and voila! The wealth gap grows faster than your credit card debt after a Taylor Swift concert. The rich buy more assets—real estate, stocks, private islands—and the rest of us keep renting our dreams from them.

It’s the Great Wealth Transfer, alright—but in reverse gear, accelerating uphill.

We’ve gotta stop fueling a system rigged against regular folks. Investing in working people isn’t charity—it’s smart economics. Time to shift gears and actually build a future that benefits everyone, not just the privileged few. It may have sounded like buzz words but “building from the middle out” really meant something .

May 21, 2025
I Saw You Post That You’re “Proud To Be An American”

Let’s be honest: if the only thing you did to “be American” was be born here, that’s not exactly a flex. That’s just geography. You didn’t earn it—you inherited it.

Now think about the immigrant who left everything familiar, learned a new language, studied U.S. history better than most of us ever did, passed a citizenship test, and took an oath to uphold the Constitution. That’s earning it. That’s pride rooted in effort.

And let’s not forget those who have served in the military. They’ve stepped up in a way that commands respect. Risking your life in service to your country is a contribution few make—and that sacrifice is absolutely worthy of personal pride.

So the real question isn’t, “Are you proud to be an American?” It’s, “Are you proud of America—and are you doing anything to help it live up to its values?”

Because right now? That promise is in rough shape.

Let’s talk about what used to make America great—not in slogan, but in substance:

• We stood up to dictators. Now we’ve got a president cozying up to them—inviting Orbán to the Oval, downplaying Putin’s aggression, and undermining NATO alliances we spent decades building.

• We led with compassion and influence. But now Trump has gutted USAID, turning off the lights on programs that helped lift countries out of poverty and built goodwill for generations. That’s not just cruel—it’s shortsighted. Helping others made America safer, stronger, and admired.

• We championed human rights and civil liberties. Now, they’re being eroded in real time—censorship, crackdowns, and executive overreach have become normalized under the guise of “efficiency.”

• We set the gold standard for the rule of law. Now we have a president who’s still facing criminal trials while attacking the very institutions designed to hold power accountable.

This isn’t left vs. right. It’s right vs. wrong. It’s democracy vs. decay.

So if you were born here, cool. But don’t confuse birthplace with earned patriotism. Don’t chant “Proud to be an American” without asking whether America, right now, is acting in a way that deserves your pride.

Because if we want to keep calling this the greatest country in the world, we’ve got to start acting like it again.

May 21, 2025