25 Comments
User's avatar
Penfist's avatar

Kakistocracy and kleptocracy can co-exist. But only for a while, and then the shooting starts. You know, after the looting.

Expand full comment
Linda MacDonald's avatar

Wonder if setting up something called EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE is meant for these lawsuits. ConvictedFelon34 has indicated the ERS is for collecting the vast income from tariffs. Actually this thing is meant to allow bribes of all kinds to slide unhindered and hidden into his pockets. No wonder Timothy Snyder's first rule is "Do NOT obey in advance." It's the most difficult rule to follow because you have to have some balls to do it.

Expand full comment
Tayama 2's avatar

One of the “mountains” in the Christian Nationalist movement’s “7 mountain mandate” is entertainment. MAGA is controlled in part by oligarchs for sure, but the most powerful of his base are Christian nationalists. We’d all do well to educate ourselves on this.

Expand full comment
Michael Green's avatar

Yes, but let me offer an asterisk and a footnote.

Some will point to the glory days of the House of Murrow and the House of Cronkite. They could and did tell stories of what the corporate suits at CBS did to them. They were corporate before they were THIS corporate.

Expand full comment
Victoria Brown's avatar

Yes, Tom is 100% correct.

This is how it happens. But

it will eventually fail. All of it.

It's going to be rough, so try

to be prepared.

Expand full comment
Jennifer Ward Dudley's avatar

We’ve slid into an “ alternate universe “ ( I’m not quoting anyone alto not unique concept) the moment DJT rode down escalator In his GOLD tower. Btw I just read he’s holding back financial support for Los Angeles until he visits. My friends just call him Lucifer.

Expand full comment
Ron McKenzie's avatar

He seems to be evil incarnate,

Expand full comment
Fay Reid's avatar

Thanks, Tom and it happens even faster when the target rolls over and plays dead. I'm glad I moved to Sacramento and not Los Angeles.

Expand full comment
kdsherpa's avatar

WHAT THE EFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF????!!!!

Expand full comment
Susan Linehan's avatar

A bribe by any other name would smell as tweet.

On the idea that the majority of Americans voted for trump. Not actually. About 700k more voted AGAINST him than for him when you count third party voters. That's why he got a plurality only. We have to keep kicking against this broad mandate idea.

Expand full comment
Lois Howell's avatar

And this is only the first week!!

Expand full comment
mstruck2's avatar

The Blacklist is back.

Expand full comment
Monnina's avatar

Although for some, it never went away. Now the ruling class criminal mobster mentality has entirely won the US presidency and supreme court it no longer needs to disguise itself behind a façade of being a normal business practice. I do wonder how long it will be before MAGA succeed in normalising a return to openly armed gang warfare on NYC’s Fifth Avenue.

Expand full comment
Mike Schell's avatar

Speaking of Kristallnacht, it might be good to have a look at how in 10 years or less Germany evolved from a social democracy to a brutal fascist dictatorship.

Expand full comment
Carol Stanton (FL)'s avatar

Bit by bit…. Incrementally. The ones that saw it coming and had resources fled. Others resisted. But by the time the rest woke up it was already too late. Read Mayer’s, They Thought They Were Free: Germany 1933-39.

Expand full comment
JDinTX's avatar

Excellent book. I used to quote from it a lot. During chump’s first go around.

Expand full comment
GarySanDiego's avatar

It wasn’t 10 years. It was 53 days.

Expand full comment
Lois Howell's avatar

Welcome to living in Germany 1935!

Expand full comment
Alec Ferguson's avatar

TC, on May 22nd, 2022 and ever since, you and HCR have made this a very exciting time to be alive. Thank you.

Expand full comment
JDinTX's avatar

I think Colbert has seen the writing on the wall, and knows he may have a short shelf life. Larry Ellison has always been a cretin, way before chump. Money really does corrupt those who have no humanity.

Expand full comment
Grover Zinn's avatar

Thanks for another great read on another collapse. I believed he'd do what he said he would, but seeing it happen is another level of reality and fear.

Expand full comment