An Easy Way To Save $500 / Year September 23, 2025September 23, 2025 But first . . . WHAT IS FASCISM; AND . . . When can you call someone a fascist? (4 minutes) Worth your time. Because fascism is commonly accepted as evil, even those who full-throatedly fit the definition don’t want to be labeled that way. It would be interesting to know how they define fascism. Anyone? Anyone? WHAT TOP CEO’s THINK Behind closed doors, they say Trump is bad for business By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Stephen Henriques writing in FORTUNE: The CEO’s dismay across foreign relations and economic issues is consistent with general opinion polling across the board. . . . Each set of data set sends a clear message: America sharply disapproves of President Trump’s leadership. . . . After nine months in office, there is a clear desire to return to a respect for the balance of powers in government, to reinforce international allies, to fortify independent, objective expertise of economists and scientists, to encourage freedom of voice, to stop bullying countries, cities, and companies into resentful, uneconomical compromises. In short, CEOs are calling to make America, America again. If only they had the courage to band together and say so out loud. Because . . . COURAGE CAN BE CONTAGIOUS Robert Reich explains and inspires. ABC’s putting Jimmy Kimmel back on the air encourages. If protest is loud enough, we can be heard. And now . . . I just switched from AT&T to Noble Mobile. It’s T-Mobile underneath, but for $50 a month for voice and unlimited data . . . less what you get back in months when you use less than 20GB of data. Take two minutes to let Andrew Yang explain. He was inspired, he has said, by Mark Cuban’s Cost-Plus Drugs which has saved me thousands of dollars. Now I’ll save $500 more. Noble’s pitch in a nutshell: > The same powerful 5G coverage the big guys use > Unlimited everything, and cash back when you use less than 20GB > Rewards and perks for being a Noble Member I’ve long been an Andrew Yang fan. Now more than ever.
Our Amazing Opportunity September 21, 2025September 21, 2025 BE NOT AFRAID . . . Says this priest (2 minutes). . . . TO WEAR A PAPERCLIP Says E. Jean (mostly photos). OR CROSS THE FENCE We need more stories like this! (2½ minutes) MASHA GESSEN “I Look at This Country and I See a Stranger” I met Masha in Moscow 33 years ago, when Russia was trying to establish a democracy. It failed. Now, with ours at grave risk of failing as well, we have the amazing opportunity to help see that it doesn’t. Join Indivisible. Start gathering friends and making signs for Saturday, October 18’s No Kings protest. Support “my” 26th annual DNC LGBT Leadership Council dinner even if you’re not L, G, B, or T and even if you can’t come. An adequately funded opposition party is absolutely necessary for democracy to prevail. Wear a paperclip.
Robert Hubbell Offers Action Steps — And Hope September 21, 2025 Watch or listen. For one thing, wear a paperclip. Sounds harmless enough; but after June, 1940, “an untold number of Norwegians were arrested for the simple act of wearing [one].” Of course, that could never happen here. We have the First Amendment! We’re allowed to be anti-fascist! Though not in Trump’s eyes: Trump to designate antifa as ‘major terrorist organization’. He hopes to shut it down. (Antifa, as you know, is short for anti-fascist. Could he be confusing it with the Hamas suicide bombers of the Intifada?) Only in satire is Antifa shutting down (2 minutes). And he’s not just attempting to shut down people who oppose fascism. (Wasn’t opposing fascism pretty much the point of World War II, which most Americans wanted us to win?) He’s also shutting down the war on cancer. And consumer protections. And attempts to better collect taxes owed by the rich. And on and on. One thing he’s not shutting down is the National Debt. By extending tax cuts for ultra-high earners and corporations who don’t need them, he’s adding trillions. Which is one reason Ray Dalio is high on gold. If he’s right, our HYMC — though it’s nearly tripled — could be a gold mine. (And silver.) So I’m holding on. Have a great Sunday.
Best Idea I’ve Heard All Year: September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 “Kimmel should announce his run for prez. Smart, alpha, name recognition, Democratic bona fides, personification of what is at risk. Worst that happens is that he raises a bunch of PAC money he can later give our nominee.” — Jon S. → If you know him, pass it on. WHAT EXACTLY IS FASCISM? David Frum takes a pretty good stab at explaining it in under 2 minutes. Chris Hayes and his guests make it clear we’re well on our way to getting there. Ro Khanna calls for a truce between the two Americas. It mainly comes down to respect. Meet Ken Martin (3 minutes). Those who look to him to be “the leader” are mistaking the U.S. for China. There, the Party chair — be he Mao or Xi — runs the show. Here, at least until we have a nominee, there is no one leader. The DNC does necessary things and Ken is doing them well. To save democracy, it should be in every small-d democrat’s budget. Please click here! BONUSES Oklahoma versus Massachusetts (70 seconds). Measles and polio down by the school yard (with apologies to Paul Simon).
Your Feedback September 17, 2025September 17, 2025 Lots of it. Unanimous that Charlie Kirk’s murder was terrible, should never have happened; political violence has no place in America. That’s key. And still there was a lot more to say, which I’ll get to in a minute. But first . . . ‘Shaken’ historian issues dire warning: ‘Americans have 400 days to save their democracy’, which reads in small part: Hysterical hyperbole? I would love to think so. But during seven weeks in the US this summer, I was shaken every day by the speed and executive brutality of President Trump’s assault on what had seemed settled norms of US democracy and by the desperate weakness of resistance to that assault. That’s why all [small “d”] democrats, irrespective of party or ideology, must hope the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives in midterm elections on 3 November 2026. Not because of the Democrats’ policies, which are a muddle, or their current leadership, which is a mess, but simply because US democracy needs Congress, the principal check on presidential power envisaged in the US constitution, to start doing its job again. That will not happen so long as the Republicans, dominated and intimidated by Trump, control both houses. In response to which Stephen P. writes: I’m a pessimist, so feel free to ignore my rants, but anyone taking an overall view “from 30 thousand feet” over all the turmoil, here and abroad, would come to the same conclusion, unless they are just being wishfully ignorant. Trump and his followers and supporters have adopted the same philosophy of governance as Putin, Xi, Bibi, Erdogan, Kim….ignore the guardrails of democracy and international laws and just push, push, push to gain and hold control, and get everything they want. No amount of institutional tsk-tsk-tsking will shame them, no courts of law have the balls to lock them up, so they gain, gain gain and we lose lose lose…day by day. The world loses a little bit more. Modern civilization, as we thought we’d formed it over the last two centuries, slips away as those who believe that might makes right gain power. 400 days? Hmmm. Seems “they” are working on a shorter time schedule. Join Indivisible! Fund the opposition party! And now . . . Alba G.: Charlie Kirk may have been more mellow in private, but he had a public brand that was unambiguously the opposite of what your friend David Blumberg alleges. This is not unique: see Tucker Carlson, Rupert Murdoch, Laura Ingraham, et al. To gloss him over because he is dead is a disservice to truth. I am happy that there are many voices pointing out what a horrible tragedy his death is. But at the same time, I am extremely disappointed with the Ezra Kleins and Gavin Newsoms saying that he was such a great man. Come on, now. Parker Molloy: We Can Condemn Murder Without Rewriting History Let me be absolutely clear: Charlie Kirk should be alive. His murder was horrific and wrong. Political violence poisons democracy. His kids deserve to have their father. All of that is true. And if there’s one thing you take away from this post, I hope it’s that. Also true: Charlie Kirk dedicated his adult life to making people like me disappear from public life. He called for us to be purged from society. He said we should be handled “the way we used to take care of things in the 1950s and 60s” — meaning lobotomies, shock therapy, and institutionalization. He built an empire on hatred and left behind a legacy of cruelty. Both things can be true. We can condemn his murder without pretending he was something he wasn’t. We can mourn the violence without erasing what he advocated for. We can say political assassination is wrong without declaring that everyone who refuses to perform grief is a terrorist sympathizer who deserves to lose their job. Erich A.: After I saw your reader’s positive comments, a friend sent me this. Hard to reconcile the two. → Hard indeed! Watch. Two minutes. Ta-Nehisi Coates in Vanity Fair: By ignoring the rhetoric and actions of the Turning Point USA founder, pundits and politicians are sanitizing his legacy. What are we to make of a man who called for the execution of the American president, and then was executed himself? Worth reading in full! Jim T: Worst ever from you. Kirk’s comments regarding black women alone prove him a racist. His comment that several deaths a year is a fair price to pay for gun ownership. Etc. How could you? Terrible, terrible, terrible. → Thanks, Jim. I do think David’s generous assessment of his late friend was myopic. I didn’t post it because I agree Charlie Kirk was a good guy. I posted it because I thought David’s tone — gracious and civil — was something all too often lacking. Here’s the way I look at it: People should be allowed to believe that 40,000 vehicular deaths each year are the horrible but (at least for now) largely necessary price we pay for being able to drive. And I agree with them. Similarly, they should be allowed to believe — and say — that nearly as many deaths each year from our insanely loose gun laws are a necessary price to pay for the freedom to own guns. I vehemently disagree . . . just as I disagree with people who believe I am an abomination before God . . . but I don’t think the people who believe — and say — those things are horrible people. (Or that they’re “scum” or “vermin,” to borrow the president’s rhetoric.) I think they’ve been led astray. It’s the people doing the leading, if they know better, as surely some must . . . or if they’re doing it in lucrative service to the gun lobby (say) . . . who are horrible people. If all those with whom we disagree were as open to civil discussion as my friend David, I think we could have a lot more than 400 days of democracy ahead of us.
A Different Perspective On Charlie Kirk September 17, 2025September 17, 2025 But first . . . Robert Redford was everything good about America. A quiet hero. Though not as tall as you might think. He will live on through his films, his Sundance Institute, and his environmental work. It’s so very sad to see him go. And now . . . My brilliant friend David Blumberg — who steered me toward a venture investment years ago that returned 40X — posts: Hi (anonymized Harvard classmate), I know you to be a smart, kind and caring person. However, in this case you are almost entirely wrong in your characterization of Charlie Kirk. I knew him personally very well. He visited my home and office multiple times. I’ve given repeated donations to his Turning Point USA. He’s been in my office and home to speak with delegations of interested, intelligent, politically active people to discuss how to build a better future for all Americans. Charlie Kirk was a loving person. He was not a violent person. He believed in and practiced free speech. He let his debating partners have their say and ask him any questions. He was civil and sought out rational dialogue with those with whom he disagreed. Charlie knew I was gay; no big deal. He had other gay friends, donors and employees. He also knew that I was not Christian and he had many non-Christian friends, donors and employees as well. He had friends, donors and employees of every color and many nationalities as well. Charlie had a positive vision for individuals and for America: it could be summarized as: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Charlie was a constitutionalist. He was a devout Protestant Christian. I respect all of those beliefs and traits. He was also entrepreneurial, charismatic, a great family man and very humorous. Charlie was not a hater. He was not violent. He was anti-fascist, meaning he believed in individual liberty and limited government. He loved that the American ideal was small government and big citizens. He was very kind. He was not racist, sexist, homophobic, misogynistic, xenophobic, or any of the other charges leveled by his leftist antagonists. He was, however, very effective, and that’s why the organized leftist power structure didn’t like him. The snippets you have cited are mostly taken out of context, deeply misleading, or just plain wrong. I wish you could’ve known Charlie Kirk as well as I did. You and he would’ve disagreed on many political policy issues, and that’s fine. I also think you and I disagree on many public policy issues, but I still would consider you a friendly acquaintance, a very kind person, a valued classmate and a wonderful human being. The world is deeply worse off because of his political assassination. I hope you and others will read his work more deeply and come to understand the wonderful human being that he was. Try with something easy – read his new book about observing the Sabbath which will be published posthumously. Charlie learned about Shabbat from Dennis Prager, a non-Christian. I would urge a bit more grace and compassion for his ideas as well as those that you hold dear. We each have important things to say, we all believe things somewhat differently. We need to show more tolerance and greater respect for people with different ideas (expressed with respect and civility) rather than demonizing others so harshly. Isn’t this exactly the kind of civil discourse we need more of? Not Trump’s “I’d like to punch him in the face”; rather, a thoughtful attempt to see the best in each other, find common ground where we can, agree to disagree where we can’t. I love Jerry Seinfeld’s line when George, peeved about something, complains, “Some people!” and Jerry responds, “Yeah. People! They’re the worst.” But most people do have a good side if you give us half a chance. (No, really, Carl, I do! And I know you do, too.) And most people agree we need to resist attempts to divide us. Some of those attempts come straight from Putin’s psy-ops teams. Most, though, are domestic, designed simply to raise money (Urgent! Save America! Your donation matched 10X by midnight!) or else to grab your attention to generate ad revenue. That isn’t to say alternative facts are just as good as real ones, or that we don’t face the greatest threat to our democracy in 250 years. (The animating force of the Civil War wasn’t toppling democracy, it was preserving slavery.) So, for sure: > Join Indivisible. > Join millions in peaceful protest October 18. > Support “my” dinner even if you can’t come, because to win (and as you saw yesterday, we are winning), one of the things we need is an adequately funded opposition party. But also check out Braver Angels, “the nation’s largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.” Because it’s important to keep in mind that, as awful as Trump is, most of our neighbors who support him are not. Nor are they reaping billions, as he is, from his presidency. Indeed, most of them see prices rising and jobs harder to find. Trump promised them all “great health care” “at a tiny fraction of the price” and nine years later has developed as-yet secret “concepts of a plan.” The most concrete actions he’s taken on health care are to kill medical research that could have saved your life and to install as health czar a clear menace to public health. Sorry. Almost anything sets me off — which is true of most of us these days, whether on the right or the left. The over-arching point: We really do need to save America. A house so deeply divided against itself cannot long stand. Putin is thrilled. We can’t let him win.
Hopeful Signs September 16, 2025 A friend who emigrated from New York to Canada five years ago, seeing the handwriting on the wall — or at least not wanting to take any chances (he had relatives on Schindler’s list, so may be more sensitive to historical echoes than most) — writes: I sure hope the U.S. remains a democracy. Supporting Trump is no longer a political choice. It is a statement that you don’t care about morality, legality, democracy, or the truth. I’m hopeful, too. I think we have a shot. Ken Martin: Hi all – Last night’s special election in VA-11 was further proof that voters are fed up with Trump and Republicans’ billionaire-first agenda. Rep.-Elect James Walkinshaw’s victory wasn’t an outlier — it was the latest in a string of Democrats beating the odds all over the country and outperforming trends from 2017, the last time Democrats were in the minority in Washington. With last night’s win, Democrats have officially won or overperformed in 42 out of 43 key elections this year. Democrats have won or overperformed in 98% of key races, compared to 86% at this point in 2017. On average, Democrats have overperformed by 16 points in special elections, compared to 12 points by this time in 2017. This surge in support for Democrats is not just happening in Virginia, but also in other red and purple states across the country. Take Iowa, for example: Last month, Iowa Democrat Catelin Drey flipped a district Trump carried by more than 11 points in 2024 and broke the Republican supermajority. Her win marked the fourth significant Democratic overperformance this year in Iowa, including overperformances in three districts Trump had won by at least 10%. Why this matters: Trump’s polling is in a downward spiral, but the only poll that counts is the one at the ballot box. As we sprint toward the November 2025 elections, Democrats have the momentum. This trend of Democratic overperformance in special elections proves voters are fired up and ready to hold Trump and Republicans accountable for their billionaire-first agenda. Best, Ken Martin DNC Chair Irreparable damage has been done to our standing in the world and to medical research that could have saved countless lives — to name just two tragedies. But if we win back the House — and possibly even the Senate — it will be up to the Supreme Court and the military to abide by the Constitution to which they swore an oath. It’s not as clear as it should be that they will — but it’s definitely not clear that they won’t. If they do allow Congress the powers granted it by the Constitution . . . and if they do rule that the President cannot ignore those powers . . . and if the military remains loyal to the Constitution, as it always has . . . then we will get back on a path that values competence over loyalty, cooperation over intimidation, compassion over cruelty, and all the rest. (The teachings of Jesus over white Christian nationalism?) FORTUNE: Farmer says ‘we’re in a very dire situation’ ahead of harvest—with zero soybean orders from China, historically the largest buyer. The items above, other than the soybeans, fall, as best I can tell, somewhere between “exaggerated,” “highly exaggerated,” and “flat out not (yet?) true.” Even so, the concluding line is about right. He inherited an economy that was “the envy of the world,” with falling inflation and solid job growth. In a few short months, he seems to have turned that around. Much as he wants to be president for life, like the strongmen he admires, we just may be able to keep that from happening. And what then? I don’t know who Julie Marie is, but she posted her opinion:
A Rhapsodic Video September 15, 2025 But several things first . . . > Mamdani and Laguardia (90 really good seconds). New York Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani yesterday. In small part: [I]n our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family. I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable — a goal I enthusiastically support. I also shared with him my priorities, making it very clear that our police officers should have every resource to keep our streets and subways safe. I urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership at the helm of the N.Y.P.D. — and he agreed. We discussed the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally. I’ve been glad to see him meet with Jewish leaders across the city, listening and addressing their concerns directly. I didn’t leave my conversations with Mr. Mamdani aligned with him on every issue. But I am confident that he has the courage, urgency and optimism New York City needs to lead it through the challenges of this moment. I’m with the Governor on this (though, as previously noted, I sure hope Mr. Mamdani heeds Joel Klein’s advice on NYC schools). > Which Jesus are we talking about? (90 more really good seconds). > The Separation of Church and Hate, by John Fugelsang. If you enjoy his interview with Andy Borowitz, you might want to read or listen to the book, subtitled: : A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds. > If we deported MAGA men . . . (10 seconds). > When Tragedy Becomes Theatre – Don’t Let Them “Horst Wessel” Charlie Kirk — No one is saying Trump will become a centi-billionaire President for life like Putin and annex Canada and Greenland as Putin hopes to annex Ukraine . . . although he seems to enjoy hinting at it. And no one is saying he is Hitler. “Our warning,” writes this Substacker, “isn’t about equivalence; it’s about a tactic: How the Nazis built a martyr (the Horst Wessel template). This is a caution, not a direct comparison of regimes. But the propaganda logic is portable” — and worth reading. > Jim Stewartson on Violence: Violence is a symptom of societal illness. It is the last refuge of the desperate—and the end goal of evil. It is never the answer. However, when violence is being enacted in broad daylight by masked federal agents and your opposition is openly promising violence against you, it is irresponsible not to understand the danger and prepare. Yesterday, Elon Musk spoke by video to a throng of white nationalists in England led by criminal British fascist Tommy Robinson. << “The violence is going to come to you. You will have no choice. You’re in a fundamental situation here where you, where, whether you choose violence or not, the violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die. You either the fight back or you die. And that’s the truth.” >> To clarify, Elon Musk is not talking about criminals who murder people. He’s talking about “the left”—an ephemeral scapegoat that can include anyone. << “You see how much violence there’s on the left with our friend Charlie Kirk getting murdered in cold blood this week and people on the left celebrating it openly. The left is the party of murder and celebrating murder. I mean let that sink in for a minute. That’s who we’re dealing with here. That is who we’re dealing with.” >> Really? All us snowflake, anti-gun, anti-war, folksong-singing, “I have a dream” types celebrate murder? But, yes, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones confirms it: “The left is now celebrating Charlie Kirk’s brutal murder.” It is an instant, official Trump-team talking point. (David Hogg responded to Jones: “After the shooting at my high school you literally accused my friends and myself of being paid government crisis actors that resulted in us getting thousands of death threats.”) (The parents of murdered Sandy Hook Elementary School students responded to Alex Jones’ claims that the massacre was all a hoax with lawsuits that resulted in $1.4 billion in judgments.) And now, at last (did you think I would forget? have any of you even read this far?) . . . The rhapsodic video! Enjoy! And have a great week.
Pattern? I See No Pattern! September 13, 2025 Upgrade Your Activism: The Evidence-Based Path from Protest to Power Governments change behavior when the cost of maintaining the status quo exceeds the cost of reform. Street protests alone rarely impose sufficient costs or remove pillars of support. Protests can serve other vital functions like building community, shifting discourse, and demonstrating solidarity. But if your goal is systemic change, then read on. Thankfully, we know what does work. I’ve been listening to Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue (at 1.25 speed) and can tell you that — after a few only moderately interesting childhood chapters — it really does live up to its subtitle. I mean, holy cow! The role she played in World War II? Back when we were all fighting the dictator who, unprovoked, had invaded his neighbors. (Today, of course, it’s unclear who’s side we’re on.) Highly recommended. The other book you know I’ve been recommending — recently brought back to mind when the appeals court upheld her $83 million judgment, is E. Jean Carroll’s Not My Type. The Harriman biography works fine reading with your eyes; but E. Jean has such fun job reading Not My Type, I’d suggest your ears (at 1.3X speed). Trump supporters would not be able to listen to her story without admitting that he has just lied and lied and lied and lied. So they won’t read it. Trump supporters know he has a deep respect for women. Especially young ones. Yes, avoiding STDs was his ‘personal Vietnam’ but that was before he took the vows of marriage. Trump supporters also know he beat Biden in a landslide. What his own election security czar called “the most secure election in history” was in fact rigged, as anyone who watched Rudy Giuliani at the Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference, between the sex shop and the crematorium, would know. For his service to Trump, Rudy will shortly be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, joining the ranks of John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Helen Keller, Bob Hope, Edward R. Murrow, Joe DiMaggio, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Pope John XXIII. What Tyler Robinson did was murder; unAmerican, undemocratic, unDemocratic, unacceptable — and counter-productive. That said, this woman’s 60 seconds, I think, is worth considering. Missouri Representative Bob Onder has a different take (15 seconds): Everything has changed. If we didn’t know it already, there is no longer any middle ground. Some on the American left are undoubtedly well-meaning people, but their ideology is pure evil. They hate the good the truth and the beautiful and embrace the evil the false and the ugly. And they literally will kill those with whom they disagree just as their predecessor leftists Marx and Stalin and Lenin and Pol Pot and Fidel Castro did. We must know that. Really? That’s the ideology of, well, me and my friends? Of the aforementioned John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.? Of Barack Obama and Taylor Swift, Liz Cheney and Dick Cheney? Mitt Romney, Bernie Sanders . . . and of most Americans, the majority of whom disapprove of most of Trump’s decrees? Have a great Sunday.
Political Violence Is Never The Answer September 11, 2025 Full stop. But the news doesn’t stop, especially these days, and it would be a terrible mistake to tune it out, hoping things will somehow right themselves. So while we all condemn Charlie Kirk’s murder — Andrew Yang was among the many who said it very well — it also reminds us, as if we needed any reminding, of what precarious times these are. Thom Hartmann’s post was so powerful yesterday that I can’t simply to link to it, knowing that — with so much competing for your attention — few of you will click through to read it. So here’s a condensed version: When Government Is Afraid of the People, Tyranny Has No Chance And, yet, today increasing numbers of Americans are afraid of their government. > 65 million Hispanic Americans now live in terror of the police, carrying their passports and dreading traffic stops or shopping at Home Depot. > Our news media are terrified of being sued or otherwise harassed by Trump, so much so that two of our three big TV networks have paid him millions in what was essentially protection money. CBS just put a rightwinger with ties to the GOP as their ombudsman, and NBC is on the verge of spinning off MSNBC. > Republicans in the House and Senate are so cowed that they’re desperately engaging in a coverup of his alleged participation with Epstein. > Armed men in civilian clothes with masks on their faces are snatching people off the street and disappearing them. > Government workers live in terror that some old tweet or message board posting might be discovered that will cost them their jobs. > Former government employees and elected officials are wiping out their retirement savings to pay for lawyers because our government has targeted them for Trump’s “retribution.” > People who volunteer to help out with voting operations find themselves doxed and vilified on national rightwing media and have to go into hiding, the peace and normalcy of their lives shattered. > Captains of industry, CEOs of the nation’s largest companies, trek to the White House to bow and scrape. > Cabinet meetings have turned into a bad caricature of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” We watch, yelling at the TV, “Tell him he’s naked!” but to no avail; they can’t stop slobbering over him like terrified victims being held at knifepoint by a serial killer. None of this is normal in a democracy; all of these are signs of a creeping dictatorship taking over our nation. Our Attorney General is apparently leading the Epstein coverup, our Secretary of State cheerleads murdering civilians on the high seas, our Treasury Secretary is reportedly provoking fistfights, our Energy and EPA chiefs deny climate change and push more fossil fuel pollution, FEMA is being gutted, Social Security has been crippled, Medicare is about to start pre-clearance of payments in six states, millions will soon be thrown off Medicaid, aid to student borrowers is gone, and food support to needy Americans is being pulled along with food and medicine for millions around the world. All being done so the morbidly rich (like our billionaire president and the 13 billionaires in his cabinet) could get another $4 trillion tax gift, paid for by the rest of us. Everything Putin wants, he gets. As Trump discards America’s allies, Xi is picking them up Tariffs, which have been the careful, surgical tools of trade policy wielded by Congress since the days of George Washington, are being used as blunt cudgels to beat foreign countries into giving cash, jumbo jets, and Trump Tower opportunities to America’s parasitic ruling family. Even our Supreme Court has fallen to big money corruption. History shows that when fascists haven’t yet entrenched themselves as far as Hitler or Mussolini did (or Putin and Orbán today) it’s still possible for the people to rise up and throw them out. It happened in Ukraine, in South Korea, in Spain and Chile, among others. People stood up in the face of fear of their governments and, instead, peacefully made those governments fear them. And it can happen here, too. So, now it’s our turn. And our obligation. We’re the ones who must save us, who must stand up to these fascists, who must awaken our friends, neighbors, and relatives. Tag, we’re it! Join today’s Indivisible call (3pm Eastern). Support “my” 26th annual DNC LGBT Leadership Council dinner even if you’re not L, G, B, or T and even if you can’t come. An adequately funded opposition party is absolutely necessary for democracy to prevail.