TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome)

@LanceLubin

WE ACTUALLY HAD A BREAK.

There was a period of time, for quite some time, where we did not have to see, hear, or most important, smell... Count Flatula.

BUT…

Like seven year locusts, herpes, and for some inexplicable reason, mom jeans, he's back, with his unique stable genius style of governance and diplomacy.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS

To deal with this. Some choose to completely ignore him.

And others have been sucked right back in. I'm trying to walk a thin line in that I don't want to see his face or hear his voice, but I also don't intend to stay oblivious to the sound of jackboots marching down the street.

I’M SURE

That this post alone will be enough to have me sent to one of those abandoned Walmarts that Obama had made into FEMA death camps. At least I will be in good company if I can share a cell with the Biden crime family.

BUT TDS IS REAL

So I wile away the hours, conferring with the flowers, considering nicknames. (Extra credit if you sang that as you read it). Let's find nicknames for Cadet Bone Spurs (one of my personal favorites). Please mention in the comments your favorite nickname and add to the list. Here are my top seven.

This is my list. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

The aforementioned “Cadet Bone Spurs” and “Count Flatula”

The Orange Shit Stain.

The Crimson Caligula

The Commander-in-Thief

Adolph Twittler

And finally, Russian media’s nickname for him (no kidding): Destroyer of America

Your Turn. What's your favorite nickname for Diaper Donnie? Please leave in comments.

SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WORTH READING

For a while I'm going to be closing by copying and pasting a sub stack column that I think is particularly valuable and worth reading. In my last post, I copied an article from Mark Mansour (Trump and the Courts). This is really part two of that article. It is quite illuminating. Turns out that much of what will be attempted by felon Trump and his merry misfit band of sex offender Fox news dipshits is illegal, and a very workable strategy is burying the administration in litigation, paralyzing it as much as possible. Think: Sand in gears. This post lines out exactly how that can happen. Much of this fight will be done by the ACLU. So if you are wondering about something that you can do right now, support the organization that's going to be doing that fight.

Join the American Civil Liberties Union:
https://action.aclu.org/give/join-the-aclu-multistep

The First Take of a Strategy for the Coming Four Years

We are not without resources, and we must use all of them

Mark Mansour Nov 17, 2024

None of us has yet shaken the awful feeling of loss, the deep anger that so many Americans voted for a convicted felon, racist and misogynist, among other things. It will take some time to absorb, but we must be ready to oppose the policies described in Project 2025 and in Trump’s pronouncements. Nearly seventy-four million people voted for Democrats and on their behalf, we must all contribute to the development of a plan to counter the worst that is in store.

This essay will represent a first draft of a proposal articulating what we must do, starting now and continuing as of day one of this administration. This is a dangerous period and we must embrace the task before us.

America’s Fractured Politics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

One of the first outrages with which we will be confronted is what could be the largest mass deportation in history. Newly appointed White House aide and resident android Stephen Miller have been preparing for this over the last four years. They are buttressed by red state governments that are already in the midst of planning to assist the federal government in deportations and

enacting extreme anti-reproductive freedom laws that place millions of women in jeopardy of their lives. Trans children and their parents are targets and Trump’s political opponents (“enemies” to him) have been promised retribution for their criminal investigations of him. He has already threatened to deport Jack Smith, his chief tormentor.

In Trump’s first term, various strategies were employed to resist the worst of Trump’s policies. The resistance began with the Women’s March in January 2021. There will be another large march in January. Trump must be shown plainly that the seventy-four million people who voted against him will not submit to his twisted and illegal policy programs. These marches must be issues-focused and strategically timed. General protests against Trump will have no effect. A demonstration that brings to the attention of the public a specific disastrous action of the administration that affects his voters will have a greater likelihood of success.

Beginning with the Muslim Ban, various organizations such as the ACLU (which will be highly active in the coming four years) went straight to the courts with the result that the administration was forced to back down after spending nearly half his administration fighting in the courts. Not all these tactics will work with Trump and his federal and state allies firmly in power, but they must be tried. After all, there are hundreds of Clinton, Obama, and Biden judges in office as well. And the Supreme Court cannot hear every case brought before it.

There are other options, and good ones. Blue states and municipalities led by Democrats will have leverage, especially legal leverage, against the administration. Federal policy cannot be implemented without the states and localities. These entities can and will tie Trump up in the courts, potentially for the life of his administration. Our system is not helpless in the face of Trump and his minions. They cannot gut the entire federal bureaucracy, no matter hard they try. It is too large and besides, it enjoys protections under the law that will require Trump to go to court. The bureaucracy is highly resistant to the whims of the most powerful chief executive. Trump will learn that in short order.

If the ACLU can delay Trump’s worst measures in court for two years, Trump will be the lamest of ducks. This will especially be the case in the event of Democratic election victories in 2026. The trick is to delay everything, through the courts, through blue state executive opposition and in the streets.

We should not take for granted that all of this will be achievable without sacrifice. Trump will go after his adversaries vigorously and while all these specious cases against these individuals will be dismissed, it still costs money to hire an attorney to secure summary judgment.

Another lever of power is wielded by, as mentioned earlier, the blue state governors. They too are capable of fighting Trump in court and refusing to implement his actions. They have control over large bureaucracies Trump cannot touch. States make many of the on-the-ground decisions regarding Medicaid and disability. There are other issues that fall within the remit of the states. One critical consideration is that the people Trump will appoint to sub-cabinet and lower positions will be loyalist incompetents, and no match for blue state officials and private advocacy organizations.

Democrats should start warning the public individually and the DNC about what Trump is doing and be prepared to say “we told you so” in each instance of Trump-initiated disaster. While we cannot stop Trump from imposing tariffs, we can warn of the effects and draw a straight line to Trump when prices skyrocket, as they will.

Most economists are right that Trump’s policies will cause broad economic damage. Democrats must be prepared to point the finger and produce solutions. At that point, many voters will regret their vote. Find the reasonable ones and develop a good message: we are the party of economic progress; what this administration is doing will bring greater misery; we have answers if you’ll give us a chance. Then use every minute of every day crafting these messages that resonate in time for the mid-term elections. Democrats have two years. They must use them wisely.

Democrats should give the Republican Congress no help. Oppose everything except legislation that is acceptable to Democrats. Then go home and take credit for it, just as they took credit for legislation for which they did not vote, but which benefited the public such as the infrastructure legislation.

So, what should we as individuals do? Here are some thoughts:

·       Make sure you are registered to vote; help register others and show up to vote in the mid-term elections in November. A crushing victory in the House and Senate would effectively cripple Trump’s presidency.

·       Get your news from sources other than the mainstream media. They are responsible in large part for this disaster.

·       Contribute to and volunteer with organizations taking the fight to the administration. Some have issues with the ACLU, but like them or not, they will be in the vanguard of this effort.

·       Contact your elected representatives and urge them to stand fast. For those in red states, make sure they know you are watching and listening.

·       Above all, lean on each other and never give up.

If you see a pattern here, you are correct. Simply put, it is to fight every terrible idea with delay. Support the blue states and activists in their inevitable clashes with the administration. Warn the public about the implications of Trump’s policies and be prepared to come forward with solutions that will comprise the backbone of the mid-term campaign. Trust that Trump’s policies are doomed to fail; they will. There will be suffering as a result, of that there is no doubt. Democrats must be prepared to clean up the mess Trump will leave all of us.

I’ll close with one of my favorite quotes, to help buck us up in the tough times, and to remind us that we are not powerless. General Ulysses Grant in 1864 when Robert E. Lee was making life miserable for the Army of the Potomac, told his generals that, “Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to think what we are going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do.”

In the coming weeks I will be posting more focused issue-based ideas for dealing with the coming years. I look forward to communicating with you and sharing ideas. As always, I welcome your input.