I can't disagree with that, Karen. That's the thing; we sometimes get wound up about what we think is the scariest thing, only to step back and realize, "Holy sh*t! There's something worse than that...or at least AS bad."
I know people are fearful. Sometimes, the smartest move is not to try to convince them, "Ohhh, relax," but to help them direct their fear at the most likely realities...so they can prepare accordingly.
Besides voting, what else should we do? Sell one car? Put all our money under the mattress? Those government guarantees aren’t worth much after a few days or weeks. I’m already hoarding medicine and cash. Have a first aid kit. I’m mostly serious. But if I die, that’s okay. I’ve been on borrowed time for 29 years-since a kidney and pancreas transplant. I’ve had a good run, and if I do make it, it will be interesting to see how everything goes. Not fearing death does a lot toward keeping calm. Until then #HoldFast 👹
Rachel C...twenty-nine years on borrowed time and still showing up to vote! I salute you!! (and I'm pretty sure I've NEVER used two exclamation marks in a reply in the comments section)
That’s the calm I’m talking about, and you’ve earned it the hard way.
On the practical side: don’t sell the car or empty the bank. The scenarios I’m most concerned about are DISRUPTION...not collapse...and the people who get hurt worst in disruption...are the ones who OVER-reacted...and have no liquidity when things settle.
A few weeks of medicine, some cash...a full tank...a first aid kit...and neighbors who know your name...will carry you through almost ANYTHING realistic. You’re already there!
The rest is what you’re doing: stay informed, stay steady, be the person others calm down around. People ALWAYS need THAT person.
I can understand your thoughts as I am not a youngster anymore. I just want my dogs to be safe. It’s hard to stockpile a lot of stuff. The meds are important as is water and easy to prepare stuff. We still have paper goods left over from Covid. We will start saving stuff like filing our propane tanks that are extra. We have a generator for the whole house. I plan to call and ask about topping it off. Things did not have to come to this. If I were drumpf I would be looking over my shoulder….the golf playing leaves him out in the open. We will be watching closely what is happening…thanks for this piece Jack as scary as it is..
I had a distinct hmmm yesterday….. went to see the Musk documentary. Scary in and of itself and not for the facts revealed, necessarily. It was my realization of what he and the tech oligarchs grew up with…. very violet and realistic video games and dystopian sci-fi. That mindset plus huge $$$ is frightening all on its own given his propensity for wanting power…
But….. I digress…. on the way home I stopped at my local grocery to buy some chicken that is considered ‘premium’ as it’s not mass produced and a bit healthier. For the first time EVER, there was a sign saying 6 packages per person on chicken thighs…. A bell went off in my head… are people stocking up sensing things are about to get a little ‘interesting’ shall we say??
The non-nuke scenarios you’ve laid out are very concerning. I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t bother me AND not a damn thing I can do about it….. so doing my best to make sure the larder is well stocked, there’s some cash on hand and pushing everywhere I can for people to vote….
Thank you Jack for keeping us as sane as possible. #HoldFast
Unfortunately your analysis is spot-on. Trump wants to disrupt the election, and your proposed plan of action would certainly work. But it risks dragging the US into an even bigger war than the one he's already started, and maybe even a civil war here.
It's the distraction against getting blown out on the 3rd. It's the "I can beat all of you!" even as he's lost the battle.
What do the Rs who have leadership positions do then? Does Thune take the high road and go to the Oval and say "STOP or you'll be out of here so fast it'll make your head spin"? Or do they just bide their time figuring his health will do him in before it gets too bad?
Chris Murphy knows what's in the playbook, if he calls it insane, it surely is. And SAMs outside Mar-a-Lago? What could possibly go wrong? Glad I am not flying to FL or points around there any time soon.
Thanks as always, Jack. The nuke option does not scare me as much as the practice mass graves. #holdingfast PS One of our friends in the UK sent me the hopes that things go well on Tuesday. We are not alone.
You're doing an awesome job intellectually, but you need to think more demonically to beat these evil entities. I disagree with your thinking "he'll keep his word" on not bombing Iran with nukes...Wait & see who wins the election. After 25 years since 9/11, the US is kinda "due" for another major trauma.
All a MOAB will do is make the rocks jump and temporarily close the tunnel entrances. It's not really a penetration weapon. If he invades, I predict that it will be one of the bloodiest battles since the WW II Pacific Islands like Tarawa.
Let’s hope he’s not that crazy. A land invasion would definitely come with a huge loss of life, & it’s so unnecessary. I think he’s still sane enough to know that even more of his base would turn against him if hundreds of flag draped coffins started coming home.
I'm shifting from worrying about him being crazy enough to use a nuke despite all warnings...to all of the other factors you just put out there.. and it leads me to something I have also worried about on the back burner for awhile..his actions could set off WW3....that's realistic..with all of the consequebces you have outlined plus more. One thing I am always mindful of as well... the man is dying. He knows it. He literally has nothing to lose and he proves on a daily basis that he does not care one iota about the care and welfare of any other human being on earth, or about the future of the earth itself. He is very similar to a desperate gambler going for the last big play, at all costs. Makes him way too unpredictable and wreckless in any set of circumstances. jmo.
What do you think about the big surprise that Vought (and 1 other person he referred to as a “monster”) has for the country next week? If it’s Vought, it has to be budget related.
I listened to the podcast, “Uncovered” with Ron Filipkowski and Anthony Davis (British broadcaster) and they speculated that essentially, he could be planning to defund all Article I staff via impoundment. It was utter speculation, but it is big and monstrous and would explain why he has been practically sabotaging the midterms for Republicans.
So now I can see where he could redirect all that money. BC what you’re describing would cost a fortune. Vought is an impoundment superfan—likes to take things away from people who he views as having been illegitimately permitted power. White Christian nationalism says this could be the blaze of glory they ride into Apocalyptic eternity.
So compelling and scary. But don’t you think Trump is such a coward even he won’t do what can’t be undone? He seems to be publicly puffing his chest and yelling. Signs of frustration and fear more than confidence and clarity. There’s too much at stake, from crypto losses, real estate destruction, and political instability at home that will convince him that it’s better to lick his wounds than to threaten his rather limited future. We don’t know what his doctors know and what he’s been told but his recent outbursts could be signs of a realization that he’ll be lucky to finish his presidency. Any full blown war, economy collapse, or personal tragedy could be enough to deter his bloodlust and fight to the end, for an end. Legacy means a lot to him. So does wealth. He won’t risk losing both.
What you write is scarier than Hell and a lot more real. Thank you for going the extra mile
I can't disagree with that, Karen. That's the thing; we sometimes get wound up about what we think is the scariest thing, only to step back and realize, "Holy sh*t! There's something worse than that...or at least AS bad."
I know people are fearful. Sometimes, the smartest move is not to try to convince them, "Ohhh, relax," but to help them direct their fear at the most likely realities...so they can prepare accordingly.
-Jack
Besides voting, what else should we do? Sell one car? Put all our money under the mattress? Those government guarantees aren’t worth much after a few days or weeks. I’m already hoarding medicine and cash. Have a first aid kit. I’m mostly serious. But if I die, that’s okay. I’ve been on borrowed time for 29 years-since a kidney and pancreas transplant. I’ve had a good run, and if I do make it, it will be interesting to see how everything goes. Not fearing death does a lot toward keeping calm. Until then #HoldFast 👹
Rachel C...twenty-nine years on borrowed time and still showing up to vote! I salute you!! (and I'm pretty sure I've NEVER used two exclamation marks in a reply in the comments section)
That’s the calm I’m talking about, and you’ve earned it the hard way.
On the practical side: don’t sell the car or empty the bank. The scenarios I’m most concerned about are DISRUPTION...not collapse...and the people who get hurt worst in disruption...are the ones who OVER-reacted...and have no liquidity when things settle.
A few weeks of medicine, some cash...a full tank...a first aid kit...and neighbors who know your name...will carry you through almost ANYTHING realistic. You’re already there!
The rest is what you’re doing: stay informed, stay steady, be the person others calm down around. People ALWAYS need THAT person.
#HoldFast
-Jack
I can understand your thoughts as I am not a youngster anymore. I just want my dogs to be safe. It’s hard to stockpile a lot of stuff. The meds are important as is water and easy to prepare stuff. We still have paper goods left over from Covid. We will start saving stuff like filing our propane tanks that are extra. We have a generator for the whole house. I plan to call and ask about topping it off. Things did not have to come to this. If I were drumpf I would be looking over my shoulder….the golf playing leaves him out in the open. We will be watching closely what is happening…thanks for this piece Jack as scary as it is..
I had a distinct hmmm yesterday….. went to see the Musk documentary. Scary in and of itself and not for the facts revealed, necessarily. It was my realization of what he and the tech oligarchs grew up with…. very violet and realistic video games and dystopian sci-fi. That mindset plus huge $$$ is frightening all on its own given his propensity for wanting power…
But….. I digress…. on the way home I stopped at my local grocery to buy some chicken that is considered ‘premium’ as it’s not mass produced and a bit healthier. For the first time EVER, there was a sign saying 6 packages per person on chicken thighs…. A bell went off in my head… are people stocking up sensing things are about to get a little ‘interesting’ shall we say??
The non-nuke scenarios you’ve laid out are very concerning. I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t bother me AND not a damn thing I can do about it….. so doing my best to make sure the larder is well stocked, there’s some cash on hand and pushing everywhere I can for people to vote….
Thank you Jack for keeping us as sane as possible. #HoldFast
Deb…that chicken sign is the kind of SIGNAL I watch.
People feel a shift before they can name it…and the grocery aisle is where it shows up first.
Deb, you’ve ALREADY done what matters: well-stocked, cash on hand, pushing people to vote, eyes open.
That's not nothing. That's THE list.
Hold fast! I'm not going anywhere.
-Jack
Unfortunately your analysis is spot-on. Trump wants to disrupt the election, and your proposed plan of action would certainly work. But it risks dragging the US into an even bigger war than the one he's already started, and maybe even a civil war here.
I am very tired of living in interesting times!
It's the distraction against getting blown out on the 3rd. It's the "I can beat all of you!" even as he's lost the battle.
What do the Rs who have leadership positions do then? Does Thune take the high road and go to the Oval and say "STOP or you'll be out of here so fast it'll make your head spin"? Or do they just bide their time figuring his health will do him in before it gets too bad?
Chris Murphy knows what's in the playbook, if he calls it insane, it surely is. And SAMs outside Mar-a-Lago? What could possibly go wrong? Glad I am not flying to FL or points around there any time soon.
Thanks as always, Jack. The nuke option does not scare me as much as the practice mass graves. #holdingfast PS One of our friends in the UK sent me the hopes that things go well on Tuesday. We are not alone.
You're doing an awesome job intellectually, but you need to think more demonically to beat these evil entities. I disagree with your thinking "he'll keep his word" on not bombing Iran with nukes...Wait & see who wins the election. After 25 years since 9/11, the US is kinda "due" for another major trauma.
Thank you.
“He’ll keep his word” only makes sense when you look at all of the OTHER factors driving him to that.
It’s the collective that pushes it, not a singular “because he said so” factor.
Because…you’re right, if it relied on that alone…it would be meaningless.
-Jack
All a MOAB will do is make the rocks jump and temporarily close the tunnel entrances. It's not really a penetration weapon. If he invades, I predict that it will be one of the bloodiest battles since the WW II Pacific Islands like Tarawa.
Let’s hope he’s not that crazy. A land invasion would definitely come with a huge loss of life, & it’s so unnecessary. I think he’s still sane enough to know that even more of his base would turn against him if hundreds of flag draped coffins started coming home.
I'm shifting from worrying about him being crazy enough to use a nuke despite all warnings...to all of the other factors you just put out there.. and it leads me to something I have also worried about on the back burner for awhile..his actions could set off WW3....that's realistic..with all of the consequebces you have outlined plus more. One thing I am always mindful of as well... the man is dying. He knows it. He literally has nothing to lose and he proves on a daily basis that he does not care one iota about the care and welfare of any other human being on earth, or about the future of the earth itself. He is very similar to a desperate gambler going for the last big play, at all costs. Makes him way too unpredictable and wreckless in any set of circumstances. jmo.
What do you think about the big surprise that Vought (and 1 other person he referred to as a “monster”) has for the country next week? If it’s Vought, it has to be budget related.
I listened to the podcast, “Uncovered” with Ron Filipkowski and Anthony Davis (British broadcaster) and they speculated that essentially, he could be planning to defund all Article I staff via impoundment. It was utter speculation, but it is big and monstrous and would explain why he has been practically sabotaging the midterms for Republicans.
So now I can see where he could redirect all that money. BC what you’re describing would cost a fortune. Vought is an impoundment superfan—likes to take things away from people who he views as having been illegitimately permitted power. White Christian nationalism says this could be the blaze of glory they ride into Apocalyptic eternity.
??
Times like this I wish I drank…
The other monster is of course Stephen Miller; it could be no other.
So compelling and scary. But don’t you think Trump is such a coward even he won’t do what can’t be undone? He seems to be publicly puffing his chest and yelling. Signs of frustration and fear more than confidence and clarity. There’s too much at stake, from crypto losses, real estate destruction, and political instability at home that will convince him that it’s better to lick his wounds than to threaten his rather limited future. We don’t know what his doctors know and what he’s been told but his recent outbursts could be signs of a realization that he’ll be lucky to finish his presidency. Any full blown war, economy collapse, or personal tragedy could be enough to deter his bloodlust and fight to the end, for an end. Legacy means a lot to him. So does wealth. He won’t risk losing both.
On that note, TGIF to you and All of your readers. Happy Halloween 👻 and will reStack ASAP 💯👍🎃