The daily damage

How you doin’ out there in the new America? Me, I’m at the protests, but mostly as therapy. They’ll have no effect beyond that, until someone on one side or the other loses patience, and there’s violence.

After that, we’ll see Salvador Allende-level crackdowns, with mass arrests and martial law. Me being a coward, my protesting will be over.

Meanwhile, beyond carrying a picket and publishing a zine, my plan is to keep going to the movies and eating out once in a while, until the collapse closes the theaters and restaurants, and Social Security ends, and with it my retirement.

Put a fork in America. So what’s next? The United Nations, apparently:

US targets diversity, equity, inclusion at United Nations

Picture Trump walking into the UN Building: “Too many people here who aren’t white men.”

AND NOW THE NEWS
#485

February 16, 2025

Jubilation in Moscow over Trump’s gifts to Putin, which will apparently include Ukraine

Park Service erases ‘transgender’ on Stonewall website, uses the term ‘LGB’ movement

FEMA “pauses” requirement that schools, libraries and other public facilities damaged by disasters be rebuilt safely

Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile, sources say

Trump admin fires CDC ‘disease detectives’ as bird flu fears rise

Seriously, WTF? US is deporting African and Asian migrants to Panama in “diplomatic breakthrough”

AOC says Trump’s border czar should ‘learn to read’ after she becomes latest Democrat to be threatened by him

Trump administration ignores contracts as well as the law and constitution

Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ posts classified data on its new website

Yes, Donald Trump could destroy the Kennedy Center.

The Kennedy Center is the kind of place I’d never attend or feel welcome, and it’s probably the least important item on Trump’s “to-destroy” list. I liked the idea of its existence, though — art is good, even high art for fancy people. We can’t have nice things, so kiss it goodbye.

THE LOCAL REPORT

Washington’s Hanford site, Bonneville Power Administration, sees ‘mass firings’ by Trump admin
⯐ Bonneville Power staff departures under President Trump raise concerns about Northwest electrical grid

Here in the Pacific Northwest, these are the workers who keep the lights on, and who needs that?

AND ALSO

Men in MAGA hats, DOGE shirts demand access to files at San Francisco City Hall

Transparent aluminum from Star Trek IV is for reals

EYE ON AI

AI summaries turn real news into nonsense, BBC finds

FROM MY LEMMY PAGE

American police are out of control

Ignoring the climate emergency

The Lord works in mysterious ways

Obituaries

And that’s the way it is,
and it sucks
but not as much as it’s going to suck

2/16/2025

Logo illustration by Jeff Meyer. Tip ‘o the hat to the Anderson Valley Advertiser, Bleepity-Bleep, Voenix Rising, and anywhere else I’ve stolen links, illustrations, or inspiration.

Special thanks to Linden Arden, Becky Jo, Joey Jo Jo emeritus, Jeff Meyer, John the Basket, Dave S, Name Withheld, and always extra special thanks to my lovely late Stephanie, who gave me 21 years and proved that the world isn’t always shitty.

And Now the News

itsdougholland.com
← PREVIOUS NEXT →

6 responses to “The daily damage”

Henry L. Racicot

02/16/2025

“After that, we’ll see Salvador Allende-level crackdowns, with mass arrests and martial law.”

Americans are far too lazy, and too easily narcotized (chemical and electronic) to ever sustain any rebellion that would lead to mass arrests and martial law. Small numbers of left wingers in select blue states don’t make a dent in the MAGA Order. Let’s hope Trump eliminates the tax on our Social Security so we can enjoy our good life even more!

Reply
1. Doug Holland
  
  02/17/2025
  
  > Americans are far too lazy, and too easily narcotized (chemical and electronic) to ever sustain any rebellion that would lead to mass arrests and martial law. Small numbers of left wingers in select blue states don’t make a dent in the MAGA Order.
  
  I think you’re thinking old-think, like there’d need to be some actual justification for mass arrests and martial law. The reality is more like the old OUTER LIMITS on TV — they control the horizontal, the vertical, and they will create any needed ‘justification’.
  
  Reply
Henry L. Racicot

02/17/2025

“I think you’re thinking old-think, like there’d need to be some actual justification for mass arrests and martial law.”

There might not need to be a justification, but for what reason are there going to be mass arrests? What purpose would it serve to arrest tens of thousands of American nobodies? Don’t mistake all the noise about trannies, paper straws and Greenland as a signal of doom for the sheeple. Trump/Musk need the sheeple to keep working 2 or 3 jobs. Mass arrests, martial law disrupt the flow of money from the poor to the rich. It won’t happen.

Reply
1. Doug Holland
  
  02/17/2025
  
  My crystal ball is foggier than yours. Six months ago I’d have judged the first 13 headlines on this page highly unlikely.
  
  Reply
  1. Anonymous
    
    02/18/2025
    
    What’s going on right now is unprecedented, but Im still of the belief that our safety nets are gonna catch this one.
    
    It’s just going to fuck up our standing in the world of geopolitics, which will have long lasting consequences.
    
    I hope I’m right, because I sincerely doubt it goes any better than that.
    
    Reply
    1. Doug Holland
      
      02/18/2025
      
      Well, you know, it’s like what one of my favorite sci-fi writers, David Gerrold, said about persnickety science objections to warp speed and teleportation on Star Trek. Something like, it probably is impossible, but if it isn’t, it sure won’t be discovered by someone who thinks it’s impossible.
      
      Long way to say, Ya gotta believe.
      
      Reply

The daily damage

6 responses to “The daily damage”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply