8 responses to “Civil society and the rule of law”

1. 

   granville

   03/20/2025

   1. Since the US began banning Chinese companies based upon their relationship to the ruling party (and even encouraging Canada to imprison the executive of one), why shouldn’t every country on earth do that to Elon Musk’s companies? I’m well aware the situation we’re in goes beyond him but Tesla now has a closer relationship to the US government than Huawei has to the Chinese central committee.

   2. Hey look, our elites didn’t mean a fucking word of anything they’ve said: https://archive.md/HaCNK

   3. They’re all caving without even putting up a fight: https://archive.md/QIQUx

   4. I used to read a lot about recent Italian history. A lot of people cite Nazi Germany’s slide into totalitarianism but the circumstances there were so extreme as to be unique. Italy in the 1920s is a lot more like the rest of the world: corrupt, gilt, and with an elite which are unscrupulous cowards that are more afraid of losing their brunch invitations than sticking their neck out for a friend, much less a stranger. Mussolini doesn’t face any real opposition after his thugs bundle off Matteotti and murder him — just a bunch of old men chattering, most of whom shut up after a kick in the rear. The same is happening here. They are looking for a Reichstag Fire and there doesn’t have to be one.

   5. This whole thing is so rotten, and you and I knew it, so I thank these jagoff fascists for presenting a clear picture of the decay to everyone else. There’s not really any going back from this, is there?

   Reply
2. 

   Doug Holland

   03/21/2025

   > Why shouldn’t every country on earth do that to Elon Musk’s companies?

   There’s a short and rapidly-evaporating list of things other countries could do in this, America’s moment of great need, and that’s certainly one of them. But lack-of-spine and unwillingness to stand up is not an all-American phenomenon, and the world isn’t going to help.

   If they were, my suggestions would be: eject America from the G7, the UN, and NATO. Stop meeting with Trump or his reps any time, any place. And be ready for war at any moment.

   Your #2 was to be expected, but your #3 was worse and more obvious than I’d thought. A sellout so plain, obvious — what ever happened to showmanship, the art of pretending? None of it much matters, though; we all know #4 is what’s going down.

   My plan is to have fun with however many weeks or maybe months remain, before fun becomes impossible. Can we hope for a year? Seems unlikely to me, but what’s your guess?

   Reply
   1. 

      granville

      03/21/2025

      I’m not sure, feels like it’s staggered in its effect on people so some of us will be fine because we look the right way and put our penises in the right thing or in nothing at all. Maybe a few months for most before we’re compelled to start turning in our neighbors or lose social security?

      It’s comical how many people believe there’s an Anti-Trump waiting in the wings. The next guy might attack Trump, kinda inevitable given the economic forecast that Trump is gonna preside over, but is going to be Trump with a different face. You can do whatever you want now. Congress, academia, judges, the legal profession — they’ll just stand by and watch. Who is still going to pretend that there’s going to be a “normal” after this?

      Reply
3. 

   Doug Holland

   03/21/2025

   I’m expecting at least interruptions in Social Security, if not the end of it, and of course that’s how I pay my rent so this should be interesting.

   Like I may have already written or maybe it’s still only in my notes, my dad thought AARP would orchestrate a senior citizens’ revolt in anyone threatened Social Security, but that isn’t going to happen, and I don’t think we’re going to see elections again, or if we do they’ll be shams, so even many millions of angry voters won’t matter.

   There will be violence, because you can’t squash everyone without someone striking back, but it’ll be futile and counterproductive, an excuse for the Reichstag event you and I are both expecting. After that, things will get worse.

   If there’s a new normal, it’ll be police raids and martial law and plain fear in every corner of society. The 4th of July will still be celebrated with fireworks and apple pie, the flag will still lead the parade, and people will convince themselves this is still America.

   Reply
4. 

   Roger Longnose

   03/21/2025

   CRAP what a depressing roundup. On channel 3 every newscast ends with something upbeat, baby warthog born at the zoo or longlost cat finds its way home from Arizona to Sheboygan or whatever. Why dont you have any fun stories like that?

   jk of course

   It is insane that there are so many genuine issues in like climate change, housing and wealth disparity, racism hunger war, but instead of trying to fix or even acknowledge these the Trump assholes are all about we’re gonna deport people who are here legally, make trans people suffer, climate change is fake and being woke is illegal and it’s all like, wtf seven days a week.

   Thanks for this page thats a pretty good snapshot of the stupidity we are drowning in. wtf wtf wtf

   Reply
   1. 

      Doug Holland

      03/22/2025

      WTF seven days a week is exhausting, so I’ve started reading the news only every second day. This leaves half my calendar for mental health, which really helps.

      Reply
      1. 

         johnthebasket

         03/22/2025

         The seven day week has fucked us in the ass since it was invented. Why pick an odd number that’s also a prime number? That confuses months and months confuse years, which give us leap years every four years except in 00 years. On the other hand, you get a Wednesday off every other week.

         jtb

         Reply
         1. 

            Doug Holland

            03/22/2025

            I get every Wednesday off.

            Reply

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