I am reading a page per day of a book that is “365 Days of Philosophy” and I suspect it may inform my musings throughout the coming year.   The page I read this morning for December 28, was on Emotions and Ethics by Martha Nussbaum.   I will not repeat it here, but it is best summarized in the last sentence … “Emotions refined by reason can guide us with a richer moral compass, uniting the head and the heart for deeper ethical engagement.”

I have been writing for some time about the need for reason to overcome emotion as it is being stirred by forces that are using our fears and intentionally stoked anger to their own advantage of power gain.  Example the anger toward undocumented immigrants stoked by the occasioned stories of violent crime, in order to gain power in the polls.  Exceeding what might be possible  by the reasoned application of statistics.  Statistics which would point to the fallacy of painting all undocumented immigrants with the same brush.   Alternatively, another point of view could also be informed by the empathy of families being torn apart and deportations without due process.

Ethical policy, ethical behavior in our lives come from a necessary mix of reason and emotion.  Emotion is informative.  Empathy instructs us where to look to find reasonable solutions to problems.  We are stronger because we are a social species, and we have improved our world experience dramatically above all species because of our ability to reason and share this reason through language.  Building on knowledge, science, reason  we create, invent and grow.  The mother of invention is the need, of our own and others.  Empathy is necessary, and reasoned thought essential.

Where they come together, the heart and mind can work towards a richer ethical engagement.  God knows we could use more of this in the world.

Trump has been attacking Kimmel, Colbert, Meyers, Stewart and other comedians because their comedic attacks are working.  Yes, there may be a wee bit of thin skin involved.  But more importantly Trump knows from his own experience with his political rallies that insults, comedy, and wild accusations get people’s attention.  Even violence or the threat of violence can get people to pay attention.  But comedy, and especially satire are a mainstay of American politics from the earliest years of our Nation, even before we had a nation; satire was used against the King George to rally people to the cause of Independence.

Comedy has a special way of breaking through with ideas.  Pointing out the absurdities of a deranged Orange King in order to gain the opportunity to remind us of American values, morals, and ethics is extremely effective.

This coming year,  building to the mid-terms, the opposition to Trump would do well to have rallies headlined by comedians, and followed with politicians addressing policy and return to democratic norms.   The absurdities and the danger of the Trump administration must be pointed out continually, but there must be leadership to replace it, something that raises us up.   Happy warriors with positive positions on affordability, on health care improvements, and sensible border security and immigration policy.  The disregard for the issues that matter to Americans and the abject cruelty of the current administration actions can be pointed out through comedy and once the attention is gained then new policy can be addressed.

Sensible leadership would be addressing the rules of the road for AI as this may have profound impact on future jobs and how people work.  Sensible leadership would be addressing the cost of housing for young families, they would be addressing the denial by insurance companies of doctor prescribed procedures and medicine.  They would eliminate surprise medical costs.  Sensible leadership would give undocumented workers with no criminal history a path toward documented residency in our country.   Sensible leadership would not confuse and conflate war fighting with crime enforcement.

Yes, a winning combination is to use satire and comedy to point out the absurdities of a want-to-be autocrat and follow it with real solutions for real people.  Trump used the showmanship of his rallies to gain the attention of people who otherwise felt ignored by policy wonks and coastal elites, in order to bring in to play the prospects of an oppressive autocratic government.  He did it because it worked, and it got under the skin of the “politically correct”.   The loyal opposition to Trump should return the favor!

Unrelenting pressure!

I believe the assault on our democratic norms, the assault on the free press, the use of the Department of Justice for revenge and retribution, the use of our military to support a paramilitary ICE organization (as they did in Chicago this week), and the radical downsizing of the federal government during an engineered government shutdown are all pretexts to the big game that will be played out in 2026.

Project 2025 was the launch.  What is coming is the full affect of a completely empowered executive branch of government that identifies as a white christian nationalist autocracy.

The ridiculous display of the “Secretary of War” telling the generals and admirals gathered about a warrior ethos.  Their job is to kill.  Then  to hear how they are going to he asked to fight the enemies within, and use American cities as training grounds.

The stated intent by the administration is to punish Democratic cities, to defund Dem agencies (whatever those are) to fire federal workers, and to put troops into Democratic cities… at the time of a shutdown.

I believe that the Administration will eventually back down on the ACA subsidies after a time of suffering so they can say they fixed the impasse, and they will likely restructure (not much) and rebrand the ACA subsidies as TrumpCare in order to appeal to the MAGA base.

While at the same time the intimidation of Dem cities will continue and the cut backs at Agencies of the Federal government will be used to restructure a smaller government to be adherent to the principles and policies of an increasingly autocratic and powerful executive branch.  Troops backing a paramilitary ICE in the cities will be there, in-part, to foment a crisis and create the emergency that is needed to close down the 2026 election and/or intimidate voters in urban areas so that the election is not free and fair.

This is about solidifying power…and this will fundamentally change us from a democratic republic to an elected dictator, and this will lead to the anointment of our future leader (when Trump leaves) with elections as only showmanship.  The congress will exist in name only without any real power.  The Department of Justice will be the Department of Retribution, and the Judiciary will be cowed into going along to keep their jobs, as will the not-so-free press.  The Department of Defense is now the Department of War and is slowly being turned toward “the enemy within”… The constitution will be a memory of the way it was as America gets reimagined as a one-party-in-power country with white christian nationalist undertones to keep the people under the control of leaders expousing that this is what God wants, and this is what is good for keeping America powerful and protected.

Now what can be done about this…

For a start, the Dems need to give in on the Continuing Resolution Bill… Put forward that they are taking the Republicans word that they will negotiate to continue ACA subsidies, that the president said he is firing workers because of the shutdown, and thus can stop doing so… and allow the president to reconstitute infrastructure funding that benefit all Americans… and when they backslide, hold them to account. Let them disappoint the American public, and as well as their own MAGA base.  Only then is it possible to erode their power base.

The Dems also need to focus on the impact of tariffs on the economy, especially our farmers and industries dependent on foreign materials such and lumber and aluminum.  Force Trump to address this.  He will make a victory lap when he subsidizes those hurt by tariffs, but dems can claim they pushed this along.  It is best for industry and farmers and important to show the failure of a president who is wielding  dictatorial powers.

And We the People need to continue to hold our leaders accountable to the Constitution of the United States of America everywhere we can.  Our freedom of speech especially, our right to assemble (peaceful demonstrations), as well as, our insistence on free and fair elections.  We need to communicate to all who are being deluded that what is coming is not nationalism, and it’s not christian, and most of all not American.   We should use humor when we can, we should speak with understanding, as many believe what they are being told, and most importantly they want to believe that we are good and fair people.  We must show empathy for others and remind those who are deluded that empathy and fairness is fundamentally American.  We must encourage and defend leaders from all walks of life who can communicate truth; entertainers, educators, religious leaders, press and politicians.   Also we must vote with our money.  Where we vacation, which entertainers we seek, what products we buy.

This is going to be a very difficult coming 12 to 14 months, and much will hinge on what happens with this government shutdown and turmoil that comes from it.

It is difficult but we must keep the faith that our Republic will emerge from this great challenge with an intact Constitution and people who desire to be united in the insistence of freedom in our 251st year of Independence from tyranny.

America is changing.  We must decide if we are going to continue to evolve as a free and powerful country or revert to an oppressed and weakened country.

I’m so confused…

Washington was the site of a riot and attempted coup on 6 January 2021 and deployment of National Guard was too late to help capitol police and DC police; but now there’s need for a National Guard presence and the Justice Dept. to take over the role of Police Commissioner in DC?  Furthermore there was a cut in DC Police Budget, but we can spend Federal Monies for NG troops?

We invite a war criminal the the US and roll out the red carpet to discuss ending a conflagration he started and when the victim of the conflict was at the Whitehouse he was treated like he was an ungrateful war criminal?  Furthermore, Putin gives up nothing in exchange for this hospitality?  But I expect Zelensky will be asked to give up quite a bit tomorrow??

During the campaign are asked to believe that the Epstein files will bring down the Democrats with exposure of their involvement with a pedophile and their murder of Epstein in prison.  But he died during the first Trump presidency, during a perfectly normal one minute delay in the surveillance monitoring and now the files cannot be released as purportedly Trump is mentioned in the files.  It just wouldn’t be fair, right??

The campaign complained of weaponization of the Justice Dept.  But now it is being tasked to go after a dozen Biden administration members and even the former DA in NY Latricia James, as well as former President Obama with no evidence of illegal actions?  Is this what is called de-weaponization of DOJ??

We were told that Washington is a swamp of lobbyist and corruption, but in the last several months the President has made hundreds of millions on crypto business agreements and strategies, as well as, arranged for new projects in countries threatened with tariffs… this is draining the swamp??

I’ve been asked, isn’t this pure idiocy with respect to discontinuing EPA’s ability to fight climate change, isn’t this idiocy to threaten media for publishing the truth, isn’t it idiotic to stop research and development at major universities, isn’t it crazy to threaten law firms for who they have represented, isn’t it nuts to threaten judges as rogue and dishonest, and to threaten former political leaders with  arbitrary investigations?

The answer is no… this is not idiotic!

It is all part of the Autocratic Playbook. They must discredit all but the great leader.  All forms of critical thinking and leadership must be undermined. The Universities, the Legal profession, Science and Research, prior administrations and leadership, the Judicial, even senior military leaders.

Weaponize government against itself to accomplish the transformation to only one source of truth, one source of historical context, one source of law.

All of it will be prosecuted and maintained with fear and favor.

All it takes is the will of Trump and his brain trust to do it, and for good people in leadership to think they can outlast it by going along. Valuing their position and money more than democracy, more than our heritage, more than science and law.

Everyone is for democracy when there is no cost. This is not idiocy, it is a transformation of our form of government at a pace that is astounding, and yet it was predicted and we were told what they (I say they, because it is the authors of Project 2025 who are the planners) had planned for us… but too few believed, too few value democracy.

Saying it is just idiocy is playing into their hands.  We must see the whole picture for what it is.  Re-read Orwell’s 1984 if you want to see where we are going.  Look at Hungary or Russia if you want living examples.  Don’t believe we are exceptional and can avoid this without a fight.  We must fight against a clever foe who has been planning for this for a long time.

Yesterday I heard a guest (Jared Bernstein) on a News program provide this brilliant insight:  “We have a $900B trade deficit with the world – so we start a trade war with tariffs and it results in $7 Trillion loss in the US stock market.  It’s a little like burning your house down because you don’t want to take out the garbage.”

…. couldn’t agree more!

The problem with autocracy is there are no checks and balances against lunacy, and economic suicide.

Yesterday I tried to write something beautiful, I tried to put the ugliness of the world and tragedies of the past week in the rear-view mirror with a brief reflection on the glorious breaking of a new day.

However, today I must explain and implore all of you to think beyond the daily economic challenges, think beyond the stupid statements, and the charged political climate and see what is coming.  We need to look into this abyss and be clear-eyed and purposeful that we are fighting for freedom.

“Liberation day” was not on Wednesday, it was something quite the opposite.  It was a redefining of the world order, it was enslavement. Declaring a trade war on the world has consequences. The farcical equations used have no basis in economics, they are a way to disguise ignorance while creating a world in which everyone must bend a knee to the Orange King.   The intent is not to create jobs, and growth, but to create power.  He is forcing all the world, countries and companies alike to negotiate with him.   This is a power grab.  He doesn’t care who gets hurt as he will never face the voters again (and don’t believe it is because he can’t run again) as he has no plans to give up power.

If you believe companies are going to make decisions to build in the USA, think about the idea of making a decision to disrupt your business for three to five years and spend hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment.  No CEO is going to make decisions for capital expenditures in an environment that is based on capricious trade costs and when the rule of law is dependent on the interpretations of one man.   China will see this as an opportunity to recenter the world around Asia.  We will become poorer as we lose influence on the rest of the world and bad deals begat worse deals.

The equity markets might recover some, but investors will be moving to other parts of the world, seeking growth.   Looking for friendlier environments, based on the capital premise of logical self-interest and mutual gains and less infected by the blind power grab and capriciousness of the Orange King.

The Economy is set on a course of ruin.
International relationships trashed – our friends are Russia and El Salvador it seems.
Courts Rulings are being ignored by the Orange King, under a guise of National Security.
Large law firms, and the Press are being blungened by a weaponized DOJ.
Universities are being bullied to confirm with a MAGA agenda.
Federal workers are being fired.
Health and Science research is being MAGA-fided.
Vaccine studies are being taken over by conspiracy theorists.
Our National Security team and DOD leadership are being decimated by loyalty tests and anti-DEI raids.

The hits keep coming.

With a flourish of the pen, executive orders are replacing the role of congress. … the last and greatest institution.  We must rely on congress right now.  Congress, our representatives in a representative government is the only obstacle in the way of a Trump taking complete control.  He thinks he has them in his pocket with threats of being primaried, with the threat of Musks millions financing challenges against any who rise up to fight for freedom.

We too are the last and greatest line of defense for our democracy.  We must give our representatives backbone.   We must make our Senators and Representative know that we believe democracy is worth fighting for.  Write to them and go to to town halls and make your voices heard.  Republican Senators and Representatives especially must know that we need them to stand up to Trump.  I write to ours every few days.   I tell them we must not abandon Ukraine, I tell them Veterans need support, I tell them keep DOGE away from our Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.  I tell them we don’t want trade wars, our economy and our retirement savings are important to us.  Take back control of tariffs, as it was before, the domain of congress.   I keep it simple and keep the hits coming.   They must listen to us, we are their only reason to exist.  Tell them do your job!

If they don’t fight for our freedom, then we must replace them in the midterms and pray that it’s not too late.

Fight for Freedom!