@tgraf66 I heard this morning that Trump and Musk were having advisory meetings regarding China and the shape of America to come. That of course means that Trump's "advisers" were having meetings with Musk. If WE can see this happening, you've got to wonder why the quiet thing isn't being talked about out loud. Is it that the mainstream media is worried that they'll lose whatever high ground they believe they have by investigating unproven theories? And where are the Democrats and Independents in all this? The DOJ has taken a beating in the last couple of years, making it wary and slow to act. This feels less like a "sad state of affairs" than evil-mongering at the highest levels of our government.
I heard this morning that Trump and Musk were having advisory meetings regarding China and the shape of America to come. That of course means that Trump's "advisers" were having meetings with Musk.
Not exactly. There are credible reports that TFG is considering Muskrat for an advisory role in his administration should he be re-elected. However, there are no reports or other information that there are any extant discussions about current or future US policy concerning China or anything else between TFG's team and Muskrat. Granted, just because there is no public information about such talks doesn't mean that it isn't happening, and it's certainly a good idea to be aware of the possibility, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Is it that the mainstream media is worried that they'll lose whatever high ground they believe they have by investigating unproven theories?
The mainstream US media has no high ground in any of this. They have intentionally placed TFG and his issues well ahead of anything else - including informing the public about Biden's accomplishments (and yes, I'm salty about that!). I don't see that changing anytime soon for the same reason they have continued to platform TFG and his sycophants for the last eight years - it's an easy, eyeball-catching headline that requires exactly zero effort for maximum return. It also serves their agenda to create a "horse race" election narrative, again to get the most engagement possible to get more ad revenue on the BS stories they're telling.
And where are the Democrats and Independents in all this?
Re-read the paragraph above. The fact that most people are completely unaware of what the D's are doing to 1) promote themselves, their accomplishments, and their platform and 2) defend against and combat misinformation and disinformation is directly attributable to the MSM completely refusing to talk about it in any substantive way. The only things you see in the MSM are things like "Biden did this great thing. Here's why that's bad for him", or "Biden did this great thing, but that's not important because look what TFG is doing!"
The DOJ has taken a beating in the last couple of years, making it wary and slow to act.
Yes, they DOJ has been hammered for the last few years and some small amount of it is deserved, but most of it isn't. The DOJ does not and can not do its job publicly. DOJ investigations must be kept confidential. Merrick Garland and Jack Smith don't give press conferences in order to not compromise their work.
This feels less like a "sad state of affairs" than evil-mongering at the highest levels of our government.
I agree, and it's not a sudden thing. The right has been playing the long game, co-opting and capturing local and state governments along with virtually the entire federal legal system has been going on for decades. It's almost entrenched by now and will require a great deal of work to fully disable and root out.
@tgraf66 Points well taken, and I don't find any fundamental disagreement between our perspectives. Very droll and accurate take on the MSM:
The only things you see in the MSM are things like "Biden did this great thing. Here's why that's bad for him", or "Biden did this great thing, but that's not important because look what TFG is doing!"
Oops they didn’t mean for that to be seen yet…… But good news for the pregnant ladies in Idaho
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/26/politics/supreme-court-abortion-idaho-bloomberg/index.html
Oof. Bad, bad SCOTUS day. Not sure where to start, other than despair, but trying to get a grip. This court is beyond radical. Haven't felt this level of fear since 45 was president. Still waiting on the immunity case, but that is making me anxious.
@lynn these Court decisions are the real story, and the debategate is the real distraction. Just in this last week, bribery has been legalized- as long as the payoff comes *after* the dirty deed. You know, like a tip. Did Justice "Clearance $ale" Thomas recuse himself from this case? Of cour$e not! 4 million rea$on$, thats why.
One beautiful person said this: "It's not actually "Bribery", unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Anything else is just "sparkling malfeasance" ".
Also, it has been determined that your government, paid for by your tax dollars, has no right to fight for clean air, water, food, workplace safety, or any other thing, especially if it would benefit the planet, or any of it's inhabitants. All of those ideas are now functionally illegal, according to the Court, this week.
The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from off the goose
The law demands that we atone
When we take things we do not own
But leaves the lords and ladies fine
Who take things that are yours and mine
(written in 1764)
Also you are not allowed to be homeless anymore, even if you wanted to be. Well, you can be homeless, as long as you don't sleep on (public) property. But If you had a house, ya wouldn't be homeless. And squatting has been illegal for years.
There is one person who will be legally sleeping on public property tonight. Steve Bannon. Guess you forgot to tip your Justices. This song is for you, pig! hello dad i'm in jail
But even as he rots in jail, he will still have more rights than any woman. REmember, the Womens March after the 2016 election was the largest protest in the history of the world. And now, all of those people who showed up that day have had their rights stripped away from them. This is war.
"It's not actually "Bribery", unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Anything else is just "sparkling malfeasance" ".
One of the best quotes I've heard in a long time. Thanks for posting it Unk.
It's good to get a dark laugh for a brief break from the tears and anger.
@kateinpdx dark laughter and sparkly tears are the only thing left some days. But do try the Vegan Veal. And don't forget to tip the Justices. ❤️
@unk-p You're correct, this is the real story. Everything else is a distraction.
The radical justices on SCOTUS are re-writing decades of settled law and achieving what could not, in a million year, be done legislatively. The extreme right doesn't need to actually elect anyone anymore, they have this court to ram through laws that no one wants, simply by "re-intepretting" them. It's deeply unsettling because they are not even shy about it anymore. Their attitude seems to be one of "what are you going to do about it?"
What they've done (voting rights, Citizens United, union rights, abortion, the Chevron decision, legalized bribery) will take decades to undo, and that's if the undoing starts immediate, which it won't.
I'm interested to see how this plays itself out, because I simply can't believe they will continue unchecked.
Supreme Court handed down ruling on Presidential immunity. Watching MSNBC coverage and the experts are calling it a disaster.
@jovesta they sent it back to the lower courts - and now everyone can see how corrupt the court has become ... especially with the latest from "clearance clarence"
The problem is how 45 will interpret this decision as a win for him, and now future autocrats will exploit this decision.
Seriously, it would be nice if we could just have a few terror-free weeks.
@journeywithme2 true, but the things that are allowed now are drastic. All the President has to do is cover it up by making it look like a Presidential act. Scary stuff.
Question: Is it possible the Supreme Court has created an opportunity for Biden? We all know what the other guy would do, but what could a good and decent person accomplish with the increased freedom?
@theungamer I saw other people speculating about possibilities online this afternoon as well.
What are the implications of the SCOTUS ruling on presidential immunity? Some say this creates an "imperial presidency" that can argue "official action" on almost anything he does. That will tie it up in the courts, so, at least with Trump, delays proceedings indefinitely. Of course, it was decided with Donald Trump in mind in their efforts to protect him from prosecution. How will this affect the future of America? I hope these questions and concerns will be taken up the next time predictions are made. This is so disheartening...
@anya Thanks, I usually go to AP News as they provide source information rather than the typically slanted, inflammatory rhetoric on CNN and NY Times these days. I've been keeping up with the details of SCOTUS decisions and the political circus, and today's immunity ruling sent my heart racing and emotions churning. There is something deeply rotten in the US, a snake that is eating its way through all parts of our institutions. And this is just the time when the US needs to represent clear-eyed, courageous democratic leadership as a beacon of hope for the resurgence of populous movements in Europe and other countries.
I decided that I needed a break from consuming non-stop news, not because I don't care but because I can't do anything about it except to speak my truth and share peace and clarity with others. Anyone else feel the same way?
@kathleen I've mostly stopped watching the news. The only reason why I don't cancel my NYT subscription is because I only have the online version, and I threatened to cancel once a year which then leads to an offer of $1 a week. So I feel like I'm getting the better end of the deal. I would not pay a cent more.
For empaths and folks who have the gift/curse of clear sight, the past decade has been horrendous. And it just feels more and more ominous. Like a coup that has happened and we just realized it. That said, the sun will rise tomorrow and we have to have hope that our teetering democracy will stabilize itself. But the past few days have been hard. Take a break from the bad news. It'll still be there when you've regrouped.