Donald Trump can win in November. I don’t think he will, but the man was born with a horseshoe up his rear-end and his lucky number has come up, time and again, for nearly 80 years. The old adage “plan for the best and prepare for the worst” is apt, here. Trump may not have the intellectual heft to care about the things his cronies are proposing in Project 2025.
We should all read Project 2025 next. But it can't be any more illustrative than Bill Browder's two books about Putin's version of Russia. Red Notice and Freezing Order. And his success in fighting back with the Magnitsky Act. Which very few Americans or journalists seem to know about.
Donald and his core MAGAs have their sights on an America that operates very much like Putin's Russia. Perhaps with a taste of China and North Korea.
1. Declare, as an official act, that all news media that doesn't toe the Trump line is invalid. FTC licenses revoked. See Russia Today TV for an example of actual state managed media. Fox News gets their talking points from RT. As you can readily see, daily.
2. Quietly communicate to every state and federal judge that all Trump blessed cases will be decided in his favor. Putin controls his legal system this way. If a criminal act is blessed (paid off) by Putin, they are found not quilty. Indeed, the accuser/prosecutor is often found by the courts to be guilty of the crime. After a few dozen judges die/disappear of suspicious causes, the survivors will comply.
3. Trump blessed corporations (oil companies, for example) will receive targeted tax breaks.
4. Nations that contribute to the Trump oligarchy will have reduced tariffs.
5. Presidential pardons will be granted to criminals who pay for them.
6. Federal employees who are competent at their jobs, but not explicitly loyal to Donald, will lose their jobs. If they complain they will find themselves at the mercy of his "justice" system.
7. Trump quits NATO. Putin will have a greenlight to invade his neighbors. Even though Russia is one tenth the military and economic power of the European Union, Trump can help Putin get what he wants.
Trump's promises to imprison and deport 11 million illegal immigrants and monitor women's pregnancies may only be window dressing for the election. (Be dubious of his words. They are all chosen to deceive--whoever he wants to deceive in the moment--MAGAs and non-MAGAs.) These actions take a lot of work. So much easier to focus on the money/power grubbing.
Thanks, Reed. I look forward to your "Home Front" substack. I, also, like old "adages". They cover a lot in a few words. Thanks for the link to The Bob Cesca Show. Your conversation with him was fun listening even with serious topics. (Yes, it is more fun in make believe to play to the villain. But I was partial to ever faithful "Chewbacca". 😊) I am now waiting for the book, "You Never Forget Your First" to arrive for me by way of inter-library-lone" at our local library. Libraries are great!!! and so are books! We have lots of things in this big forest to keep fighting for--Freedom, Democracy, Choice and Books, Books, Books! As the Pennsylvania Dutch say, "It's All."
People, by and large, still don't understand the magnitude of the changes that will occur.
Whether it's the Insurrection Act or martial law, people will be rounded up and detained for social media posts, emails, and texts.
Public education will become public indoctrination.
Segregation will spread to religious affiliation.
Fear of voting will cement autocratic rule, as civil rights are overturned.
"McCarthy-like"...neighbors will turn on neighbors.
Trump's economic policies will lead to hyperinflation, and inevitably to stock market implosions as money flees to freer countries.
The gay community won't be "safe", the Jewish community won't be "safe", the Muslum community won't be safe, women most definitely won't be safe.
The GOP is frothing at the mouth to dictate every aspect of our lives.
The changes won't be subtle and orderly...it will be rapid, disorienting, and chaotic.
There will be no "off" button, no chance to turn back, no future election to "save us".
I tell people to look at the timeline between Hitler's appointment as Chancellor and the construction of the first concentration camp.
That's how fast a democracy transitioned into autocracy. We don't have the time or luxury to pretend that the stakes aren't astronomical.
We should all read Project 2025 next. But it can't be any more illustrative than Bill Browder's two books about Putin's version of Russia. Red Notice and Freezing Order. And his success in fighting back with the Magnitsky Act. Which very few Americans or journalists seem to know about.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnitsky_Act
Donald and his core MAGAs have their sights on an America that operates very much like Putin's Russia. Perhaps with a taste of China and North Korea.
1. Declare, as an official act, that all news media that doesn't toe the Trump line is invalid. FTC licenses revoked. See Russia Today TV for an example of actual state managed media. Fox News gets their talking points from RT. As you can readily see, daily.
2. Quietly communicate to every state and federal judge that all Trump blessed cases will be decided in his favor. Putin controls his legal system this way. If a criminal act is blessed (paid off) by Putin, they are found not quilty. Indeed, the accuser/prosecutor is often found by the courts to be guilty of the crime. After a few dozen judges die/disappear of suspicious causes, the survivors will comply.
3. Trump blessed corporations (oil companies, for example) will receive targeted tax breaks.
4. Nations that contribute to the Trump oligarchy will have reduced tariffs.
5. Presidential pardons will be granted to criminals who pay for them.
6. Federal employees who are competent at their jobs, but not explicitly loyal to Donald, will lose their jobs. If they complain they will find themselves at the mercy of his "justice" system.
7. Trump quits NATO. Putin will have a greenlight to invade his neighbors. Even though Russia is one tenth the military and economic power of the European Union, Trump can help Putin get what he wants.
Trump's promises to imprison and deport 11 million illegal immigrants and monitor women's pregnancies may only be window dressing for the election. (Be dubious of his words. They are all chosen to deceive--whoever he wants to deceive in the moment--MAGAs and non-MAGAs.) These actions take a lot of work. So much easier to focus on the money/power grubbing.
Project 2025 is terrifying.
I liked you on the Lincoln Project podcast, why are you no longer doing those?
Thanks, Reed. I look forward to your "Home Front" substack. I, also, like old "adages". They cover a lot in a few words. Thanks for the link to The Bob Cesca Show. Your conversation with him was fun listening even with serious topics. (Yes, it is more fun in make believe to play to the villain. But I was partial to ever faithful "Chewbacca". 😊) I am now waiting for the book, "You Never Forget Your First" to arrive for me by way of inter-library-lone" at our local library. Libraries are great!!! and so are books! We have lots of things in this big forest to keep fighting for--Freedom, Democracy, Choice and Books, Books, Books! As the Pennsylvania Dutch say, "It's All."