whatreallymatters

“America is no longer a full-fledged democracy. We are currently living under a version of competitive authoritarianism — a system that (like Orban’s Hungary or Erdogan’s Turkey) is still democratic on paper but in which a ruling party no longer takes democracy’s rules seriously.

Trump spent his first 6 months in office trying to steamroller over all opposition, creating the impression that resistance is futile. Clearly, he hasn’t succeeded. On the contrary, resistance is stiffening, and those who preemptively capitulated seem to be paying a higher price than those who showed some backbone.”

“The contrast between the protests and the military parade suggested an important shift in political culture. The momentum and the joy, as well as the American flags, were on the side of those protesting Trump’s growing authoritarianism. Trump looked weak and discouraged, and the crowds were clearly on the side of the protesters. Today, social media, including a Russian account, got into the act of making fun of Trump’s military parade.”

This is democracy in action—the voice of the people. Watch this video!

Barack Obama is a great man and was a great president.

“While much focus has been on the assault itself, what Noem was saying before Padilla spoke out is crucially important. "We are not going away,” she said. “We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into the city."

In other words, the Trump administration is vowing to get rid of the democratically elected government of California by using military force. That threat is the definition of a coup.”

“After he was released, Senator Padilla explained that he was escorted into the press briefing room by a National Guard soldier and an FBI agent. He then waited in the back of the room before asking a question and did not “lunge” toward the podium. The Hill, Padilla denies claims he lunged at Noem during LA press conference.

The assault on Senator Padilla is the stuff of Putin’s Russia, Orban’s Hungary, and Kim Jong Un’s North Korea. It is a sickening, grotesque display of thuggery”

“Trump is “turning the world’s powerful military away from its focus on Russia and China toward a new enemy—the American people themselves.” He mused: “I’ve been saying that I felt Trump’s dramatic escalation in recent days was driven in part by Musk’s emasculation of him last week. I also wonder whether it’s being driven by Zelensky’s profound humiliation of Putin, and Putin lashing out at Trump for not delivering Ukraine to him.””

“Imagine 10 blocks under curfew in an area the size of Connecticut because several dozen citizens are standing in front of a federal building—surrounded by 700 Marines, 2,000 National Guard, and the LAPD riot squad. That is the fake emergency that Trump has created by unlawfully deploying federal troops into Los Angeles.

The scale of Los Angeles County also highlights an important point about the limited ability of federal forces, even when they are misused by Trump. It took 700 Marines three days to travel 83 miles from Camp Pendleton to Los Angeles, where they have remained secluded inside a federal building housing a detention center. The Marines occupy one building in a single block of a county spanning 4,752 square miles.”

“exercise our First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. No Kings Day takes place on June 14. Every American who values our democracy must show up in the streets, town squares, freeway overpasses, government buildings, parks, malls, parking lots—anywhere our voices can be heard. We need tens of millions of Americans protesting in thousands of locations. Trump and his enablers can’t possibly keep up with overwhelming, decentralized protests.”

Sharing from Bluesky.

Real American history.

Good for Bill Gates. And it’s too bad Musk and Thiel don’t do good things for other people.