Gotta say it sucks to hear over the last 30-40 years how progressive policies that directly help citizens could never be enabled by the stroke of a pen, but in just a few short months a moody dictator can enact any cruel authoritarian idea no one wants or needs and it gets implemented nationwide, instantly.
I first heard about student loan forgiveness in the early 2000s. Dozens of think pieces for a decade then Biden tries it and then the court battles and 20 years later it’s barely implemented and under constant threat of removal.
When Trump has a terrible idea on Monday and it’s law of the land on Tuesday, something is very wrong.
@mathowie Right?! Like what really was in the way was corporate owned, wealthy ‘centrists’ that just didn't care.
Aug 26, 2025, 7:58 AM
@mathowie Yeah, but to be fair, those other presidents weren’t sociopathic fascist cult leaders.
@violetmadder The “cult leader” is the key piece for me. The others faced institutions that would push back or otherwise act as obstacles to overreach. Trump wields his followers like a weapon, first against any Republicans who didn’t fall in line, and then expanding outward until there’s no one left with the ability, or the courage, to stop him.
Capitalism itself is a cult-- and a death cult, at that.
These people follow thought leaders like Nordhaus, who called +>3.5C economically "optimal". They're all fucking depraved mass murderers.
Trump just doesn't have the polite mask on.
Aug 26, 2025, 8:05 AM@violetmadder @conlan it goes way further than a "polite mask", he's just not following the processes that are supposed make it a democracy in many cases and the Republicans are letting him do it instead of representing their constituents. One would guess because the plan has all along been to seize power in a way where votes don't matter anymore.
The Democrats are also letting him do it, while not bothering to represent THEIR constituents. They vote in his appointees and vote to pass his vile policies-- oh, they whine a bit, but after years of howling about how this guy could be the next Hitler their idea of "resistance" is worse than pathetic. They're complicit. Remember the Pied Piper Strategy?
Nobody has been following processes that would make this a real democracy. 90% of our legislation is driven by money, not votes-- that's been true for years, no matter which party is in charge at the time.
Aug 26, 2025, 9:02 AM@violetmadder @conlan they could not have blocked a single appointee anyway. You can say it's bad that a few voted to confirm some of them but ultimately it only mattered in terms of optics, not in terms of the result.
Schumer folding on the budget was the one instance where they would have been able to block what the Republicans were trying to do. It looked bad and I'm not sure of his arguments for that but let's see how they handle the next budget fight that is coming soon.
If somebody tells you that a fucking evil murderous fascist is going to get appointed anyway, would YOU just shrug and willingly vote for the bastard?? Is that the appropriate reaction to this kind of situation?
What the hell kind of excuses are these? Do you have ANY idea what an actual spine looks like, or have these Democrats totally normalized quisling jellyfish jiggling until you think this is how fighting works??
Aug 26, 2025, 3:34 PM@violetmadder @conlan well, there's certainly reason to be angry. I just hope some of it is directed at the actual fascists instead of the politicians in the opposition since that's the side who ultimately is doing all these things including getting these people appointed.
Aug 25, 2025, 11:15 PM
Aug 25, 2025, 8:15 PM@mathowie
Yeah, and with all that power, he still can't give the people health insurance. (Day 1 priority). Crazy.
@mathowie Crazy isn't it.
Aug 26, 2025, 1:32 PM@mathowie lemme tell you how happy I was that my public student loan forgiveness occurred under Biden.
@mathowie Isn't that just describing Democracy vs Authoritarians though? One is slow, messy, difficult to watch, and should produce better outcomes most of the time, the other is .. fast
@waverider @mathowie Ever heard of the New Deal?
Democracy is able to do sweeeping reforms if there is a political will.
The Biden admin did not put Trump behing jail after Jan 6, neither after 2022 when Nuclear Secrets were found in Mar a Lago and Project 2025 didn't get the FBI, DOJ or other Alphabet agency's sent after them.
I get the impression that the DNC want this shit to happen...
@Benaresh @waverider @mathowie Benaresh, trump did get charged for Jan6 and the missing documents, and both cases went through the court system, just as they're supposed to. Jan6 was always going to be difficult because of First Amendment issues, and the missing documents case had the misfortune of running into the worst republican sycophant on the bench. This wasn't that long ago, man.
If you read up a little on the New Deal, you'll discover it was a mix of executive orders and legislation. Nothing like what trump is doing. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal
@spiegelmama @Benaresh @waverider @mathowie It was a lot like it in some ways. E.g court-stacking:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Procedures_Reform_Bill_of_1937
My (non-American) reading of this is that Trump and his fascists (and fascist-enablers) are using essentially the same playbook as FDR, Nixon (EPA presidential directive), etc.
Had Trump's predecessors (both Republican and Democrat) had more care for the rule of law, the ongoing fascist takeover of the USA would have been a lot harder for the current Administration.
Aug 26, 2025, 8:19 AM@Benaresh @waverider @mathowie not sure jailing him before securing a guilty sentence would have done much good if that is what you are suggesting. That decision would also not have been the admin's but requested by the prosecution and decided by the courts.
If you're just saying he the court cases against him should have been carried out more swiftly, you're right but there again it wasn't really up to the Democrats directly. You can certainly criticize Garland's glacial pace though.
@ikuturso @waverider @mathowie
Biden appointed Merrick Garland.
Look no further than South Korea or Brazil how Coup are supposed to be handled:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brazils-bolsonaro-house-arrest/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_South_Korean_martial_law_crisis
pussy footing around an attempted coup is not defensible. Trump first term was full of criminal acts (like Saudi Government giving Kushner $2 Billion) that had zero consequenses.
Claiming this is because of "Rule of Law" is a reason the DNC sits at 19% approval rating.
Aug 26, 2025, 9:05 AM@Benaresh @waverider @mathowie fully aware he appointed Garland and at least in hindsight it certainly was a bad appointment. Point is with the independence of the DOJ still a thing during Biden's term Garland made those decisions himself, Biden wasn't pulling strings to control his every move.
Obviously I wasn't arguing it isn't bad that this is the way it turned out or that it shouldn't have been avoided.
@mathowie It is always easier to destroy than create, and this is an unavoidable design feature of the entire universe.
@mathowie "nationwide", well, really, let's see about that my friend https://infosec.exchange/@codinghorror/115085426505083907
Aug 25, 2025, 10:52 PM@codinghorror I would agree those who take more than they give should understand their position.
But likewise what has been done by anyone to lift low productivity states up rather than just banking on California on doing the most to keep the economy going?
while less efficient, as we've learned from covid, Taiwan natural disasters or Trump, relying on the fewest groups for something will go wrong.
Aug 25, 2025, 9:55 PM@mathowie sorry to mansplain, but that's the principle of life itself, how long it takes to create anything, vs. How long it takes to destroy it. Now is as good a time as ever to make the case for the end of #patriarchy, which in effect should mean for at least 300 years, a #matriarchal global system that all men of good will should actively enable now at any cost, because the survival of #humanity is at stake. No #notallmen hashtags allowed.
@mathowie There’s no limit to what you can accomplish if a) you don’t care whether it’s legal and b) no one is in a position to stop you.
Aug 25, 2025, 10:14 PM@mathowie Says something about how the mechanisms of government have been set up in the US over almost 50 years, doesn't it?
@wcbdata@vis.social
Good Grief, was Reagan only 45 years ago?
Seems longer.
@mathowie@xoxo.zone
@mathowie Duh. The government is not for its citizens... Citizens are cattle, and when a moody farmer takes over.. That's it.
We can moo all we want.
Aug 25, 2025, 10:45 PM@mathowie I would agree & I don't think giving a middle finger to the establishment will help. However, I think these charts show why people might not care and will be more likely to do the opposite of what they're told to do (or just not vote).
https://www.epi.org/publication/charting-wage-stagnation/
We really need to stop catering to the most wealthy because squeezing everyone else is always going to backfire. The problem is everyone does it even if they're not obscene about it as Trump.
Aug 25, 2025, 11:22 PM@mathowie I good rule of thumb is that if it costs money then there are a lot of power brokers in congress who can stop the process, but if it's just policy of executive departments that can be modified with no check or balance (only a lawsuit can stop it)
@mathowie This comes down, unfortunately, to the ugly under-carriage of democracy that everyone instinctively knows, but no one likes to say: The Will of the People, whatever it is, is law. For half of our entire history, chattel slavery was the law of the land, because the People approved.
That's what's going on now. It's not really legal, no. But as long as the People allow it, it's 'de facto' law. It's GOP supporters who are ultimately to blame. They could stop this any time they want.
@mathowie the aristocracy had a plan and executed it well enough to achieve their agenda. US workers are divided on values and strategy.
@mathowie The problem is that the Democrats largely care more about norms and institutions.
Aug 26, 2025, 4:54 AMAug 26, 2025, 8:28 AM@theogrin @galad @mathowie They haven't had the power is generally correct. Can't do much when the other side wins the trifecta.
They may have been somewhat slow to start up but have also increasingly been getting the message in terms of using all the limited ways they have to fight. Schumer folding on the budget early on seemed bad but I'm not entirely sure how things would have played out if he hadn't.
Aug 26, 2025, 12:30 AM@mathowie most of it is illegal, and not being stopped because the other branches are a mix of ideologically aligned and afraid of the death threats from his supporters. Which is possible because of the systematic undermining of democratic institutions since at least Nixon - by the same people who obstructed the progressive policies. It’s like too many of us who want an inclusive and prosperous democracy forgot that those institutions need maintenance and spent our time on other things
Aug 26, 2025, 12:46 AM@mathowie
I call it the Reverse Mjölnir. It can only be wielded by the unworthy.
@mathowie Yeah it turns out they never bothered to implement the 'checks and balances' on the stuff everyone figured nobody was stupid enough to try to do.
@mathowie Hell, some of the Clinton era laws where in direct opposition to the people. Changes in media outlet ownership is a big one
@mathowie@xoxo.zone
Sorta like how, when Dems control Congress, we seem to need 60% thresholds to pass legislation of any import, but the BBB somehow only required 50% + 1.
Aug 26, 2025, 2:56 AM@mathowie
citizens united
Aug 26, 2025, 3:09 AMI have questions about the 400,000,000 guns in civilian hands that we were constantly told are essential to protect liberty…
Aug 26, 2025, 3:19 AM@mathowie
It’s always been easy to get policies into law when both sides support them
Aug 26, 2025, 3:35 AM
@mathowie Republicans have a supermajority.
Don't say stupid shit.
People have to show up and vote.
"Have you ever wondered how good was so easily destroyed by evil in the past?
And thought to yourselves how ignorant and unaware those people must have been?
Well, look around.
Because the past is upon you."
SearingTruth
While the courts either nod in agreement, or hand down injunctions that aren't worth the paper they're printed on.
@mathowie isn’t it amazing how worthless the Dems are? It doesn’t have to be this way
Aug 26, 2025, 5:24 AM@mathowie It's always easier if you don't give a fuck whether it's legal.
@mathowie It's a lot of work to build something, but can be easy to break
Even more so when McConnell spent decades undermining all the safeguards such as the courts
@mathowie But then, in Trumpistan, there is no one to challenge him. His party rules, and they are all in thrall to the orange baby.
@mathowie You just spoke for approximately a thousand million people around the world.
@mathowie All you have to do is refuse to recognize the law and you can do anything you want.