Will democracy finally throw in the towel?

Democracy Lost

I have read a lot of disturbing posts recently that document Donald Trump's plans for the next four years. None has been so frightening as a recent Axios piece that literally portrays the United States as maliciously mutating into an authoritarian government. With Trump as the emperor. And the U.S. Congress--including Democrats--as his lackies. Followed by a mass of U.S. corporate CEOs who are sucking up for future favoritism. Sounds to me like it is cut and dried and I wonder just how many of us are waving the flags of despair.

Axios starts with...

"It's rare, if not unprecedented, for a newly elected leader to have so many world leaders and CEOs shift their policies or posture so blatantly during the transition to curry favor with a new president."

Check me on this, but aren't we talking about the despot who was voted out of office in 2020, and the demagogue who the Washington Post reports made 492 suspect claims in the first 100 days of his presidency. A total of 30,573 misleading claims over 4 years. Yet we sent this blatant liar to the White House in 2020 and will send him back again this coming January 20. From the beginning, Donald Trump has demonstrated his racist attitude with actions against immigrants, most recently to deport even those who are legal.

Zuckerberg's Facebook has closed its fact-checking operation to match Trump's interests. News media has become more Trump-friendly. Democrats have basically shut down and now want to work with Trump. He has opened the door to Elon Musk who has taken advantage of every opportunity possible to pursue issues that will put money in his till. Trump's latest suck-up, Jeff Bezos, made a $40 million deal for a Melania documentary. Throughout all this Trump continues to berate a less trusted media.

And finally, Trump has asked SCOTUS to block the sentencing in his New York hush-money case, arguing presidential immunity should extend to the transition period. In addition, he even placed a call to Justice Alito. The wheels have come off and democracy is reeling.

 

Elon Musk told to "get lost" by his father

Elon Musk carving up Twitter

It all started with a $250 million dollar donation by Elon Musk to the Donald Trump campaign that helped Trump buy the presidential election. Then, Musk moved into Mar-a-Lago and, according to Trump allies, has recently overstayed his welcome. In his race for power, the world's richest man was instrumental in killing a bipartisan bill to fund the government. Following this, Donald Trump found it necessary to exclaim he had not "ceded the presidency" to the tech billionaire.

But Elon Musk didn't stop there, he decided to skip over the pond and tell the United Kingdom how to run their government. The Daily Beast says,,,

"He kicked off the new year with days of manic posts—many of them wrong or misleading—aimed at toppling the Labour Party government.

"Musk’s attacks on government ministers, whole-hearted defense of a jailed far-right activist, and bizarre request that King Charles dissolve Parliament have gotten so extreme that even his British friends would like him to kindly pipe down about a country he doesn’t call home."

The DB says that Musk has the money to donate enough to make his wishes come true. As an example...

"He’s reportedly toying with the idea of donating up to $100 million to Britain’s conservative Reform Party. A single $100 million donation would be worth almost as much as all political donations across all parties combined in the U.K. in 2023, which reached a record 93 million pounds ($116.8 million), according to The Guardian."

On another front, Harvard Law School graduate and Musk biographer, Seth Abramson, has expressed concerns over Elon Musk’s mental state. According to The Economic Times, in a post on X, Abramson said he has followed Musk’s online activity for two years...

Abramson wrote, “I'm a Musk biographer who has been tracking his online behavior for the last two years—and given that he's admitted to all of mental illness, heavy drug use, and crippling stress, it is now reasonable to fear he is deeply unwell.” He added, “Protect America from Elon Musk”.

"Abramson believes Musk's position as incoming head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration, combined with his ownership of X, creates a potentially dangerous situation. 'His holdings across many civilization-essential industries and the fact that he's the incoming POTUS mean that his madness and increasing incitement of violence endanger us all,' Abramson wrote."

And we thought Donald Trump was the scariest... 

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THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION: Democrats drop the ball again...

Yes, there should be a peaceful transition in the presidency from Joe Biden to Donald Trump, and there was. With the loser to Trump, Kamala Harris, presiding over the affair. Harris even smiled and shook hands with House Speaker Mike Johnson. So, what is wrong with this picture? The Democrats should be making bold comparisons between the way Donald Trump handled the same transaction in 2020, starting an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, where five people died and 140 police officers were injured. 

Rather than stop the rioting, Donald Trump encouraged the crowd of hoodlums. He will go back to the Oval Office for four more on Jan. 20. Doesn't anyone see something wrong with this picture? I won't bore you with the reasons this lunatic should not be in the White House because there are hundreds, the most recent being using the U.S. military to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal. This would turn the U.S. into an imperialist government, something to match Trump's dictatorship.

So where are the Democrats when they should be demonstrating for the American public the difference between a tyrannical government and a democracy? THINK ABOUT IT!

 

Animal lovers ALERT!

6.3 million domestic animals enter shelters in the United States each year, with 3.1 million being dogs and 3.2 million being cats. 4.1 million animals are adopted from shelters each year, with 2 million being dogs and 2.1 million being cats. But, here's the tragedy...920,000 animals are euthanized each year, with 390,000 being dogs and 530,000 being cats. There were 132,216,000 U.S. households in 2024, 66% of which, or about 86.9 million families, own a pet. Folks, there's room for a lot more.

Abandonment is one of the cruelest of all animal issues, with actual abuse cruelty being the worst. How many times have you seen a stray cat or dog walking the streets and wondered where they came from? Sure, there is birthing going on in the wild, but millions of pets are turned out to survive on their own and, because they have been domesticated with care, it is sometime impossible for them to endure in this way. They end up as prey for larger animals or they starve to death of die from the elements. 

I have collected several examples of animals who have fallen on hard times...

An elderly deaf dog was chained to a fence in Asbury Park, New Jersey, earlier this week and left to freeze, officials said. The dog, who also suffers from arthritis, was "frozen half to death" in the 20-degree temperatures when a good Samaritan called the Monmouth County SPCA's cruelty hotline and officers were able to rescue him, MCSPCA said.

Jaina and Ivy, dedicated rescuers from Cats of San Bernardino, CA, stumbled upon an unusual sight while grabbing coffee. There, at the Starbucks entrance, was a small dog tied up with a sweatshirt knotted around her collar. Terrified and shaking, she was all alone, abandoned by those who should have cared for her. Jaina and Ivy, known for their work with cats, felt an instant pull to help this sweet dog in her moment of need.

Julie Saraceno's video showcasing shelter dogs at the Benton Franklin Humane Society in Washington picking their own Christmas gifts is nothing short of adorable. One now-viral clip, however, highlights one loving shelter pup named Finn who is in desperate need of a home.

Dog Spends 13 Years Waiting for a Home Before Meeting an Adopter Who Wants to Be His 'Best Friend.' Vito was in a shelter looking for a home before moving to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. A man with experience caring for wolves adopted Vito this year and now travels regularly with the dog.

At the West LA Animal Shelter, staff and volunteers are heartbroken for one of their canine residents — Monty, a 3-year-old large mixed breed. Ever since Monty arrived at the shelter back in December 2023, he’s been nothing but a spectator of other dogs’ happy endings. Monty has watched — and continues to watch — other dogs that came after him go home with their new families, while he remains unchosen. He’s so far not gotten a single adoption application, and the reason is soul-crashing: potential adopters consider him “too big.”

A dog who was abandoned and left to fend for herself is facing a third straight Christmas without a home to call her own. n some way, Indigo is lucky to be alive. A spokesperson for Kiss My Paws, the non-profit dog rescue located in Las Vegas, Nevada, that first shone a light on Indigo's situation, told Newsweek she was "found in a park across the street from an apartment community." "They did some digging and ended up finding out what apartment and the people had either moved or got evicted and left her behind. She had been there several weeks."

Hearts have broken for a shelter dog who has completely shut down from the world around him. Ollie, found as a stray and brought to a shelter in Madera, California, where thanks to overcrowding, "shelter dogs are not promised tomorrow." In a video to her TikTok account @crittersandcrystals on December 18, which has over 277,000 views, Ollie lies on a concrete floor, ignoring a bed with a blanket, and looks utterly depressed, as Helga described it as "the reality of a dog who knows they lost everything."

Anti-democracy radical close to V.P. J.D. Vance

Curtis Yarvin

Curtis Yarvin, a “neoreactionary” thinker and far-right blogger, has been described as a serious intellectual influence of vice president-elect JD Vance and being close to several proposed Trump appointees. The Guardian says, "He’s anti-democracy and pro-Trump: the obscure ‘dark enlightenment’ blogger influencing the next US administration." Yarvin advocates an autocratic takeover of the US. Here's the scenario...

"The aftermath of Trump’s election victory has seen actions and rhetoric from Trump and his lieutenants that closely resemble Yarvin’s public proposals for taking autocratic power in America."

Donald Trump's goal is to install himself in the position of dictator, eliminating the laws of democracy, and ruling the U.S. until he dies. But you know what, no one could be his successor, and all successful tyrants want someone to carry on their work. His narcissistic personality would not allow for an ending, so you would have to assume this egomaniac would be looking for a process that would keep him alive forever. I did a blog recently, "Who wants to live forever with a Donald Trump?" 

My premise was, who would want to live endlessly if Trump had the same advantage. My post, above, looks at an article from National Geographic, "Could humans live forever?" The Nat'l Geo piece is very complex and I try to make the most of the author's contention that someday we could live forever. But enough of the terribly frightening thought that Donald Trump could live eternally. Back to Yarvin and this scenario...

"Trump’s legal moves against critics in the media, Elon Musk’s promises to pare government spending to the bone, and the deployment of the Maga base against Republican lawmakers who have criticized controversial nominees like Pete Hegseth are among the measures that resemble elements of Yarvin’s strategy for displacing liberal democracy in the US."

Michael Anton, a writer and academic was appointed by Trump to work in a senior role

under secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio. Anton has a podcast on which Yarvin has appeared with his ideological conservatism. And, the Verge reported that no one online has shaped Vance’s thinking more than Curtis Yarvin. Robert Evans, an extremism researcher and the host of the podcast Behind the Bastards said...

“He didn’t fall out of a coconut tree. He emerged into a rightwing media space where they had been talking about the evils of liberal media and corrupt academic institutions for decades.

There's more...

 “He has influenced a lot of people in the incoming administration and a lot of other influential people on the right. But a lot of the stuff he advocates is the same windmills Republicans have been tilting at for a while.”

Evans added...

“What’s unique is his way of rebranding or repackaging old reactionary ideas in a way that appealed to libertarian-minded kids in the tech industry, and in eventually getting some of them to embrace a lot of far-right ideas.

"That’s the novelty of Yarvin and that’s his real accomplishment.”

I dare say the corruption of innocent minds by conservatives is not a novelty. We all know it dates back to Newt Gingrich, eventually moving forward to Karl Rove. This guy has simply resurrected a typical Republican strategy.

Will Musk allow Trump's world dominion

Lately Elon Musk has been calling the shots in Donald Trump's procession of lunatic maneuvers. They are both crazy with power and the major objective for most of us - those that are sane - is just who will come out on top. Just a few months ago there would have been no doubt. Today, after Musk bought Trump an election, it isn't clear. What we do know, it is the Oval Office maniac's style to turn on his opponents when they threaten him. The question is when this will all come to a head?

Axios expounds on Donald Trump's empire dreams...

"President-elect Trump has big plans to make America greater — in terms of square mileage, Axios' Dave Lawler and Zachary Basu write.

Why it matters: Trump has been in a strikingly imperial mood since his election victory. He has floated acquiring Greenland, reclaiming the Panama Canal, annexing Canada, and potentially invading Mexico — to the intense consternation of their leaders."

The epitome of megalomaniacs

Donald Trump is a megalomaniac with Axios saying his plans "would rival the Louisiana Purchase [of 1803] or the [1867] deal that netted Alaska from Russia." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is between a rock and a hard place... 

"already grappling with a contentious moment for his leadership and Donald Trump is adding fuel to the fire, taunting Trudeau with the prospect of making his country the 51st US state."

And the New York Times says taking Greenland and the Panama Canal is no joke. The world conqueror has completely flipped his lid on this one and it should be obvious where this imbecile is going and the serious trouble he will get the country into worldwide. Here's the scenario from Axios...

"Trump has little regard for the 'global order.' He thinks throwing foreign partners off balance — or, when possible, steamrolling them — better serves American interests."

A major concern is that a Republican Congress - and I do believe there are still some who are not just buffoons and who aren't completely incompetent - is still standing by and letting this idiot do whatever he wants. One must wonder the mentality of these politicians. With both Greenland and Panama exclaiming repeatedly that they are not for sale, the U.S. is once again a laughing stock on the international scene. In this new four years, Donald Trump could do enough damage to really hurt America's standing in the world.

And that's not all...

"Trump's allies have also been discussing a potential 'soft invasion' of Mexico, as one adviser phrased it to Rolling Stone. That could involve targeting cartels through cross-border special forces operations or drone strikes."

Axios defines it all as American imperialism. The Republicans can't even govern in the U.S. and they want to take over the world. The next four years could literally bring down this country. 

Elon Musk v. Donald Trump

Trump/Musk

The Trump/Musk wedlock may be just what the Democrats need to counter the ravages Donald Trump has planned when he re-enters the White House. A CNN analyst reports, "The Democratic Party has finally hit on an attack tactic which has found its target with Trump." I was beginning to wonder since the Dems haven't been able to come up with anything in recent months, precisely why Washington will become a Republican trifecta in 2025. But back to the new strategy  of posturing Elon Musk as being Donald Trump's decision-maker.

Here's the scenario...

"The strategy — used by multiple Democrats over the past weekend — is to take aim at the president-elect’s sense of security by suggesting his ally, Elon Musk, is really pulling the strings in his administration."

There's more...

They “are trying to tweak Trump’s vanity, mockingly suggesting that even after winning a second term, he is still not as powerful as the South Africa-born tech mogul whom he put in charge of slashing the size of government once the president-elect takes office,” Stephen Collinson wrote.

Democrats have jumped in to point out how Musk tanked Speaker Mike Johnson's spending

deal proving who is in charge. Trump doesn't like being overshadowed. The New Republic says Trump is "pissed." TNR reports...

"During his address at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona, the president-elect pushed back on claims that Musk planned to supplant him as president."

“No, he’s not gonna be president, that I can tell you,” Trump said. “And I’m safe, you know why? He can’t be, he wasn’t born in this country.”

TNR is not so much worried that Musk will take over the Presidency, more so that he already has...

"Last week, Musk issued his own set of marching orders to Congress, ordering Republicans to oppose a massive spending bill to avert a government shutdown, or face being primaried by a Musk-backed candidate. Meanwhile, Trump stayed more or less silent, and Democratic leaders began to criticize the president-elect for allowing Musk to lead his party."

 Amanda Marcotte of Salon as reported in AlterNet...

"argues that Musk has been acting like a 'shadow president' — and that Musk has been leading the 'aging and tired' Trump around 'by the nose.'"

Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York City has been very verbal on the Musk/Trump tango...

In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter — which Musk owns — AOC said, "When Elon tweets something and when Trump tweets something…. Republicans don't know who their daddy is. They don't know which one they need to be listening to first."

There's more...

"AOC went on to say that Musk 'poses real political problems for Trump' and 'arguably…. may rival his power and influence.'"

If Trump starts driving a Tesla and decides to take a ride on Space X, do you think Musk will leave him in space? There's always the chance.