This is a coup, plain and simple. Musk was not elected to anything. He and his little “agency” are not official in any way shape or form. His actions are all illegal. They have no interest in governing. As we watch this criminal enterprise, from Donald on down, is preparing to loot the Treasury.
"None of the people in the DOJ were given a reason for their firing even though all of them knew what was going on. Trump was cleaning house."
This is the rare instance in which I disagree with you. One cleans house in order to bring in one's own people...in order to refurnish the house, if you will.
Ah, Lucian, you deserve our deep gratitude for researching and persisting w/ your column - plus you deserve more chicken soup, lots of chocolate, and moments of joy.
My local Indivisible group is planning a Stop Trump rally on Wednesday at noon - in solidarity with protest marches planned at all 50 state Capitals at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Everyone, if you can't go to your state capitol, then organize a march or rally where you are. Bring signs (no swear words) and American flags. Don't engage w/ counter-protesters. Ask local police to keep on eye on things for everyone's safety. Invite everyone who cares about democracy and the rule of law.
I'm not looking forward to seeing where the markets go tomorrow when they open. I don't think anyone contemplated having a third column like Elon actually inside the WH and taking over the government from within. In the meantime Dear Leader has Proud Boys, rogue militias, and the actual U.S. Army to enforce his every twisted fantasy. Your post was starkly bleak LTK but maybe should have been even bleaker.
He has access to SS numbers, SS checks, Medicare, and who knows what else. Conclusion: We’re fucked by unelected, non- government stormtroopers who fire any real government employees who are just doing their jobs trying to protect our private information.
And, I've figured out. the names and addresses of everyone in the Witness Protection Program. Yes, the government pays them. And there has to be a code showing what budget the funds come from. All it takes is a Sharpie and a note pad to have juicy stuff to tell to the Mob.
Not to mention all the financial info on our Congress critters; will they wake up when their info shows up on the Dark Web, for sale to the highest bidder?
The only place I see any emphasis on the UNELECTED status of these thugs is columns like this. The “lame stream media” is too busy trying to sound dispassionately politically correct to convey the five alarm fire they’re staring at.
This is very frightening. We all knew what Trump was capable of and many warning given, but the Republicans shrugged it all off, saying this is just Trump. The GOP is Dr. Frankenstein and they have created a monster. The more he gets away with the more he will do. And who is going to stop him? Not the GOP legislature; not his DOJ, not the army, It would be like the SS complaining g to the Gestapo that Hitler is getting out of hand,
Now as people without jobs, struggle to find jobs and file lawsuits, we can only hope the courts slow him down. The chaos in the meantime, will only breed more chaos and many areas of government will simply cease to function.
Lucian, one of your very best ever. One of the things that most upsets me are Musk’s assistants. Clearly these people are not properly cleared and appointed civil servants. We don’t even know their names. Apparently, they can swoop into an agency and demand anything—volumes of data, access to decisional processing techniques (notably Musk’s getting access to virtually all of the government’s payment mechanisms), and they ability to fire anyone who gets in the way. I don’t share your hope that the legal system will provide a corrective. Courts are simply not equipped to move quickly and effectively when faced with such a massive effort on. the part of Musk, et al. Your analogy to Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution is particularly apt. Like you, I am now ready to hit the panic button.
Perfect analogy - Mao's Cultural Revolution. But let's remember, other than Mao himself, all of the leaders of the Cultural Revolution ended up in prison or executed once cooler heads prevailed. This is going to be desperately painful for all of us, but it will not end well for Trump, Musk or any of their enablers. And unless the current Democratic leadership gets off its collective ass and does something, ANYTHING, it will not end well for them either.
Thank you for writing this, even though it confirmed all my worst fears. If nothing else, I'm grateful we have you to keep us abreast of the horror coming down. Tonight I walked into a Brooklyn supermarket and "Gimme Shelter" was playing over the PA. After initially wondering if I could have imagined this back in1984 when I first heard that terrifying song (I was 14), I thought, how appropriate. It is rape. It will be murder.
(I missed the column in which you wrote about breaking your wrist. I have hand and wrist issues and so I use voice-to-text when I can. It's maddening. I've been saying for years now that if some tech genius could create an actual, FUNCTIONAL voice-to-text app, they would not only become rich overnight, they might win the Nobel Peace Prize. So, I commend you for writing this story, which needed to be written, while using some homicide-inducing software. I hope your wrist heals soon. I hope our country recovers from these last two weeks before it's too late).
Even the Extreme Court has mostly resisted him, except for the infamous dive it took for his eternal benefit. But the judicial branch doesn't control the military.
The legal system is dead. And Trump has already hinted that he won't obey any court orders, so what does it matter? And if we protest, he'll declare martial law.
It's a great piece, although you say toe-may-toe and I say tah-mah-tah, you're ordering sha cha beef and I go schnitzel. Sure, when you're in it, Laogai equals Konzentrationslager (and let's not leave out gulag). But I'm stuck on the fact that the only book we know T***p has read as an adult (books "by" and about him don't count) is "My New Order," the 1940s collection of Hitler's speeches translated into English. Marie Brenner's still-relevant 1990 Vanity Fair piece on Tr***p reported that his copy of the book was locked away in the office of Ivana's lawyer. Wonder what happened to it? Buried with her on his golf course? Were there margin notes in his scrawl? Anyway: I'm reading "The Hitler I Knew," by the man who served under Goebbels as Hitler's Press Secretary, and the authoritarian, meglomaniacal personality he describes sure bears a striking resemblance to Drumpf-T***p. Lucian, I promise that I'll see if the L.A. Public Library has a copy of Byron & Pack's 1992 book about Kang Sheng, the head of Mao's secret police. But whether it's Sheng's foot on your neck, or that of Heinrich Muller, Gestapo chief, or boots of the thugs working for Elon Musk and DOGE, the effect is remarkably the same. We should all know that from George Floyd, but so many Americans have an attention span that grows shorter with their every TikTok click.
Oh, Lucian, thanks for carrying on through physical issues, though it's time for the string of them end! Your voice composition is seamless, though. Today, (Feb 3) at noon there's a call to protest at all 50 state capitols, I heard last night. Canceled all, going to mine with 2 friends. Yesterday a small group of people blocked unidentified likely muskrats from the GSA building in DC. Reportedly on bluesky, they went away. The Anonymous hacker collective issued a call Feb 1 to all Federal employees to take note, photograph such intruders and report to Anonymous. Four Doge 'goons' have been ID'd so far. So resistance exists. Let's stay informed and connected and act as we can. Thank you all in this community for the support.
Just a reminder for those diehards who think “they couldn’t be trying to trash the country”, Trump has had at least 16 private conversations with Putin, for whom a strong, attractive America is a Royal Pain in His Ass. Speaking of “shithole”, that’s exactly what Putin, Xi Jinping and Turkey's Erdogan crave for America so their own public’s will get off their backs. Let the planes fall! The Social Security disbursements fail! The social services evaporate. Woo Hoo!!!
This is a coup, plain and simple. Musk was not elected to anything. He and his little “agency” are not official in any way shape or form. His actions are all illegal. They have no interest in governing. As we watch this criminal enterprise, from Donald on down, is preparing to loot the Treasury.
They plan on looting the planet.
And that still won't be enough.
Yep
You mean Earth? Muck demands Mars.
Trump wants it all
They plan on taking over all federal agencies.
Eliminating them.
"None of the people in the DOJ were given a reason for their firing even though all of them knew what was going on. Trump was cleaning house."
This is the rare instance in which I disagree with you. One cleans house in order to bring in one's own people...in order to refurnish the house, if you will.
Trump is burning the house down.
Ah, Lucian, you deserve our deep gratitude for researching and persisting w/ your column - plus you deserve more chicken soup, lots of chocolate, and moments of joy.
My local Indivisible group is planning a Stop Trump rally on Wednesday at noon - in solidarity with protest marches planned at all 50 state Capitals at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Everyone, if you can't go to your state capitol, then organize a march or rally where you are. Bring signs (no swear words) and American flags. Don't engage w/ counter-protesters. Ask local police to keep on eye on things for everyone's safety. Invite everyone who cares about democracy and the rule of law.
My daughter is attending one in Sacramento.
I'm not looking forward to seeing where the markets go tomorrow when they open. I don't think anyone contemplated having a third column like Elon actually inside the WH and taking over the government from within. In the meantime Dear Leader has Proud Boys, rogue militias, and the actual U.S. Army to enforce his every twisted fantasy. Your post was starkly bleak LTK but maybe should have been even bleaker.
We need elected officials and former military to be shouting this from the rooftops, daily.
Instead, there is DEAD silence. I am beyond disgusted with the cowering Democrats in Congress.
Also, none of this will end until the perps are DEAD.
But they won't. Not a sound out of any of them.
Not quite true: very eloquent and forceful statement published by General Milley.
I am now 78. Do I need to get a gun?
I ask myself that question about once a week.
Only if you plan to sacrifice yourself by shooting one or more of these criminals.
I did not watch the special on MSNBC! Hope your wrist heals quickly! I just hope Musk doesn’t take our social security checks!
He has access to SS numbers, SS checks, Medicare, and who knows what else. Conclusion: We’re fucked by unelected, non- government stormtroopers who fire any real government employees who are just doing their jobs trying to protect our private information.
And, I've figured out. the names and addresses of everyone in the Witness Protection Program. Yes, the government pays them. And there has to be a code showing what budget the funds come from. All it takes is a Sharpie and a note pad to have juicy stuff to tell to the Mob.
Not to mention all the financial info on our Congress critters; will they wake up when their info shows up on the Dark Web, for sale to the highest bidder?
The only place I see any emphasis on the UNELECTED status of these thugs is columns like this. The “lame stream media” is too busy trying to sound dispassionately politically correct to convey the five alarm fire they’re staring at.
This is very frightening. We all knew what Trump was capable of and many warning given, but the Republicans shrugged it all off, saying this is just Trump. The GOP is Dr. Frankenstein and they have created a monster. The more he gets away with the more he will do. And who is going to stop him? Not the GOP legislature; not his DOJ, not the army, It would be like the SS complaining g to the Gestapo that Hitler is getting out of hand,
Now as people without jobs, struggle to find jobs and file lawsuits, we can only hope the courts slow him down. The chaos in the meantime, will only breed more chaos and many areas of government will simply cease to function.
Maybe Drumpf will pay attention when the stock market tanks!
He did when market tanked on Tariff Day...coward ran!!!
Lucian, one of your very best ever. One of the things that most upsets me are Musk’s assistants. Clearly these people are not properly cleared and appointed civil servants. We don’t even know their names. Apparently, they can swoop into an agency and demand anything—volumes of data, access to decisional processing techniques (notably Musk’s getting access to virtually all of the government’s payment mechanisms), and they ability to fire anyone who gets in the way. I don’t share your hope that the legal system will provide a corrective. Courts are simply not equipped to move quickly and effectively when faced with such a massive effort on. the part of Musk, et al. Your analogy to Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution is particularly apt. Like you, I am now ready to hit the panic button.
Perfect analogy - Mao's Cultural Revolution. But let's remember, other than Mao himself, all of the leaders of the Cultural Revolution ended up in prison or executed once cooler heads prevailed. This is going to be desperately painful for all of us, but it will not end well for Trump, Musk or any of their enablers. And unless the current Democratic leadership gets off its collective ass and does something, ANYTHING, it will not end well for them either.
Another analogy is Hitler.
And let's not forget dear leader of North Korea!
It's just a matter of weeks may
a few months when the only information sites available wil be Twitter (x) and Breitbart.
And of course Trumps "Home."
And if China starts to win the trade war, Donald and his swordsman will threaten to Nuke China.
Thank you for writing this, even though it confirmed all my worst fears. If nothing else, I'm grateful we have you to keep us abreast of the horror coming down. Tonight I walked into a Brooklyn supermarket and "Gimme Shelter" was playing over the PA. After initially wondering if I could have imagined this back in1984 when I first heard that terrifying song (I was 14), I thought, how appropriate. It is rape. It will be murder.
(I missed the column in which you wrote about breaking your wrist. I have hand and wrist issues and so I use voice-to-text when I can. It's maddening. I've been saying for years now that if some tech genius could create an actual, FUNCTIONAL voice-to-text app, they would not only become rich overnight, they might win the Nobel Peace Prize. So, I commend you for writing this story, which needed to be written, while using some homicide-inducing software. I hope your wrist heals soon. I hope our country recovers from these last two weeks before it's too late).
The ACLU and lawyers can’t save us. The legal system is too lethargic and corrupt.
Only armed resistance will crush them.
I disagree. Our legal system was not corrupt and remember, “violence begets violence”-MLK.
Even the Extreme Court has mostly resisted him, except for the infamous dive it took for his eternal benefit. But the judicial branch doesn't control the military.
The legal system is dead. And Trump has already hinted that he won't obey any court orders, so what does it matter? And if we protest, he'll declare martial law.
It's a great piece, although you say toe-may-toe and I say tah-mah-tah, you're ordering sha cha beef and I go schnitzel. Sure, when you're in it, Laogai equals Konzentrationslager (and let's not leave out gulag). But I'm stuck on the fact that the only book we know T***p has read as an adult (books "by" and about him don't count) is "My New Order," the 1940s collection of Hitler's speeches translated into English. Marie Brenner's still-relevant 1990 Vanity Fair piece on Tr***p reported that his copy of the book was locked away in the office of Ivana's lawyer. Wonder what happened to it? Buried with her on his golf course? Were there margin notes in his scrawl? Anyway: I'm reading "The Hitler I Knew," by the man who served under Goebbels as Hitler's Press Secretary, and the authoritarian, meglomaniacal personality he describes sure bears a striking resemblance to Drumpf-T***p. Lucian, I promise that I'll see if the L.A. Public Library has a copy of Byron & Pack's 1992 book about Kang Sheng, the head of Mao's secret police. But whether it's Sheng's foot on your neck, or that of Heinrich Muller, Gestapo chief, or boots of the thugs working for Elon Musk and DOGE, the effect is remarkably the same. We should all know that from George Floyd, but so many Americans have an attention span that grows shorter with their every TikTok click.
Oh, Lucian, thanks for carrying on through physical issues, though it's time for the string of them end! Your voice composition is seamless, though. Today, (Feb 3) at noon there's a call to protest at all 50 state capitols, I heard last night. Canceled all, going to mine with 2 friends. Yesterday a small group of people blocked unidentified likely muskrats from the GSA building in DC. Reportedly on bluesky, they went away. The Anonymous hacker collective issued a call Feb 1 to all Federal employees to take note, photograph such intruders and report to Anonymous. Four Doge 'goons' have been ID'd so far. So resistance exists. Let's stay informed and connected and act as we can. Thank you all in this community for the support.
Bless Anonymous! I remember them in Zuccotti Park during Occupy Wall Street taking names, etc. They're the cyber white hats, vs Muck's cybergoons.
Just a reminder for those diehards who think “they couldn’t be trying to trash the country”, Trump has had at least 16 private conversations with Putin, for whom a strong, attractive America is a Royal Pain in His Ass. Speaking of “shithole”, that’s exactly what Putin, Xi Jinping and Turkey's Erdogan crave for America so their own public’s will get off their backs. Let the planes fall! The Social Security disbursements fail! The social services evaporate. Woo Hoo!!!