Let’s stop lying to ourselves. This wasn’t justice — it was a military kidnapping carried out without Congress, without international law, and without consent of the Venezuelan people. You don’t “arrest” a head of state by bombing a capital and flying them out at gunpoint. That’s a coup with a PR team. If any other country did this to a leader we like, we’d call it an act of war. Empire doesn’t become democracy just because Americans do it.
Jane, you’re saying the part most people are trying very HARD not to see.
You don’t “arrest” a head of state with bombs...special forces...and a naval extraction.
You don’t bypass Congress...ignore international law...and then slap a courtroom label on it and call it justice.
That’s not law enforcement.
That’s FORCE...followed by spin.
And...the double standard is the giveaway. If Russia...China...or Iran did this to a leader we like...there would be no debate. We’d call it an ACT OF WAR without hesitation.
The only reason we’re pretending otherwise...is because empire always believes its violence is "different."
The danger isn’t Maduro.
It’s the precedent.
Once “he was bad” becomes enough to justify anything...limits disappear. And when limits disappear...power doesn’t stop...it EXPANDS.
It is absolutely terrifying…their oath is to the Constitution, not some wannabe dictator who’s mental stability is no longer in question…TO THE CONSTITUTION! Every one of those military officers need to be held accountable along with this entire regime!
I see it all too clearly… I was still awake when the attacks began… when Maduro and his wife were KIDNAPPED. It’s Unlawful… it’s Unconstitutional… it’s incredibly DANGEROUS… and I. Feel. Sick! This is all I can manage right now.
Watching something like that unfold...in real time....hits differently. When you strip away the spin...the language games...the “law and order” BS…what’s left is exactly what you said: unlawful...unconstitutional...and dangerous.
Feeling sick...is a rational response when you realize how casually lines were crossed. It is.
You don’t owe anyone perfect words right now, Susan. Naming it...stepping back... and holding steady IS doing something.
Take care of yourself. Stay grounded.
I’ll take it from here...and I promise the paid piece will meet this moment with the clarity it deserves.
You...are NOT alone.
And #HOLDFAST isn’t just a hashtag...it’s a strategy.
Usually I don’t comment without receipts, so I’ll do it now but first the mantra of Lev Parnas: “Watch what they do, not what they say.”. In a live I recently caught, he, Malcolm Nance and Dean Blundell laid it out, I think Nance straight up said “This has Putin all over it “. And Xi too. I’ve been citing Occam’s Razor a lot lately. I’ll leave it there.
It’s almost funny how stuff like that are not really conspiracy “theories”, but likely just explanations of how conspiracies work. There is so much speculation floating around now, to me at least it makes complete sense.
The zone is more flooded than usual today, because Epstein Epstein Epstein. Unlikely as it may sound, the concept of engineering this whole thing as yet another distraction is not beyond imagination, just a grotesque thought to even entertain. It could also serve as a clue to how incredibly destructive the whole story will be to a world full of power brokers who may one day be rendered powerless.
Randy...this is exactly the right way to think about it. “Watch what they do, not what they say” isn’t conspiratorial...it’s basic power analysis.
When people like Malcolm Nance say “this has Putin all over it,” they’re not talking vibes. They’re talking incentives...timing...leverage...and WHO benefits from chaos... distraction...and precedent-setting moves.
Occam’s Razor applies...because the simplest explanation is usually about power protecting itself...not random theatrics.
And...you’re right about the zone being flooded. Epstein dominating the information environment right...now is NOT incidental...t’s the perfect fog.
Whether this was engineered...as a distraction....or...simply used as one...after the fact...the effect is the same: attention fragmentation...at the EXACT moment scrutiny should be sharpening.
That’s not a “theory.” That’s how influence operations work.
And the truly unsettling part isn’t Maduro or Venezuela...it’s what this says about how far some power brokers may be willing to go...when they sense the walls closing in.
I find it interesting that today was the statutory deadline for the DOJJ to release it’s report on the Epstein file production…is it just a coincidence?
Just another FAILED ATTEMPT to cover that the Orange Idiot is a rapist and pedophile! He is so senile and demented that he could barely read his bullshit speech about this act of war! The Orange Idiot and his cult cannot run the USA let alone another nation!!!
M3333...people are angry for a reason...and it’s not just “tone.” This does look like a desperate distraction...a loud...violent...foreign spectacle...meant to shove everything else off the stage.
When a president...with a long trail of credible allegations...legal exposure...and OBVIOUS cognitive decline...suddenly wraps himself in “law and order,” people are going to call bullshit.
You don’t get to posture as a global sheriff when you can barely govern at home. You don’t get to talk about “running” another country...when you’ve hollowed out institutions... ignored the law...and leaned on spectacle instead of competence.
Rage isn’t the problem here...the behavior that provokes it is.
Call it what it is: an act of war...sold as justice by a leader whose own record makes the claim obscene. If this is what his movement thinks “strength” looks like...it only proves how unfit they are to run ANY nation...let alone two.
I took a break from caregiving to catch up on Blue Sky and saw these things: trump in MAL enthralled with the optics of the kidnapping of Maduro and his wife. Mrs Stephen Miller posting a map of Greenland covered by a US flag. Her comment was SOON. A try at cya by Pam Bondi slathering on the bullshit, and I laughed out loud when she tucked in "alleged" with the crimes charged.
My hubby last night did something extremely stupid. He lit a cigarette while on oxygen. Nothing happened. It wasn't until he tried to put it out that his face and head were engulfed in flames. Sorry for the graphic, but the corollary seems clear to trump doing something so very stupid that will blow up in our faces even if he tries to control it unless our elected representatives do something about it quickly and permanently.
Sue, I’m really glad you shared this...and I’m so sorry you and your husband went through that. That’s terrifying. I hope he’s okay...and I hope YOU are getting a moment to breathe after that shock.
Your analogy is painfully accurate. What you described is exactly how disasters happen: someone does something reckless...nothing explodes at first...and that false calm convinces them they’re in control…right up until the moment they try to manage the consequences and everything ignites....sometimes...literally.
That’s what this feels like watching Trump right now. The optics thrill. The performative dominance. The belief that force + spectacle equals control. But the danger isn’t the first act...it’s the moment the blowback begins...when REALITY asserts itself and the fire spreads faster than anyone can contain.
The Greenland post...the “SOON,” the CYA language from Bondi...that’s all signaling. It’s people circling wagons after the match has already been struck. And...you’re right to clock the word “alleged.” That’s not confidence. That’s legal fear leaking through.
You’re not being dramatic. You’re being OBSERVANT...and grounded...in LIVED experience. Caregivers develop a sixth sense for danger...because they know how quickly things can go from “fine”...to catastrophic.
Please take care of yourself, Sue. You’re carrying a lot...personally AND civically. And you’re absolutely right...if elected representatives don’t step in decisively...and permanently...this doesn’t end with one reckless act. It escalates.
Holding fast...right now...doesn’t mean pushing harder. Sometimes...it means staying steady...naming the danger...and refusing to let people pretend the flames aren’t real.
Jack, one of the neighbors who came to visit is going to help me organize folks in town who can help when the fear arrives in cammo and masks. So silver lining.
My SIL says he looks like a Quaker or maybe Brigham Young. We live in Utah.
He is amazingly better than he should be. The hospice nurse covered the face burns with medical honey. I am hoping to keep him around for as long as I can. Me? I am so very tired. But neighbors are stepping up to be with him so I can rest a bit. That helps. People like you guys help more than you know. It is an honor to be part of this community. But, now, back to trump.
I just have to add this: Your husband sounds exactly like my (late) husband. The only reason he didn't do that was by the time they put O2 on him he was in ICU and there was a scarcity of cigarettes. Still thinking about you. Hang in there.
We were hit head on by a sleeping driver six years ago and since that night he has been on O². A mechanic by trade, and a "recovering" alcoholic of over forty years, he just couldn't give up the cigs. Has now. I took his stash, gave them a vinegar bath and sent them to the landfill. He had a bad fall three days before, bloodied himself and broke three more ribs and bruised his hip. And doesn't know how in the Hell it happened or even where. Been a rough week.
What scares the bejeepers out of me is that this horrendous act behaves like a rock dropped in a body of water: wave after wave expanding to include everything in its wake. OF COURSE the rest of the world will look on and take their cue from the (used-to-be) leader, United States. It must be OK to do that. Dear, Sweet Baby Jesus, what has he just unleashed??
If Congress really wants to be taken seriously, there should be a bill of impeachment being debated on the House floor by next week with solid support from both sides of the aisle. That's the one thing they could do to bring them a shred of credibility after this past year and now last night.
J.B....you’re saying what a lot of people are thinking...but too few are willing to say plainly.
If Congress wants any credibility left...this is the moment where words stop mattering. Hearings aren’t enough. Letters aren’t enough. “Concern” isn’t enough. Action is the ONLY language that still counts.
An impeachment debate on the House floor...out in the open...on the record...with members forced to take a position...would at least show that the branch designed to check executive power remembers why it exists.
And yes, it would need bipartisan support...to mean anything. Otherwise...it’s just theater layered on top...of chaos.
This past year already hollowed out public trust. Last night pushed it closer to the edge. If Congress does nothing...now...they’re effectively conceding that there are no real limits left...only precedents waiting to be ABUSED.
You’re right, J.B....this isn’t about politics anymore.
It’s about whether the system...still has a spine.
I was giving them a couple days to get all the facts straight and the legal language in place (though maybe the Judiciary Committee ranking member has a template ready to go).
Tamie...the ends do NOT justify the means. You're right as rain.
What’s happening isn’t the rule of law...it’s the disfigurement of it. Rules are being bent and SELECTIVELY applied to reach a preferred outcome...and that’s not justice. It’s power protecting ITSELF.
If there is no pushback...now...there will be danger for everyone later.
Because once law becomes optional for those in authority...it stops protecting anyone else. Laws don’t just restrain wrongdoing...they also exist to protect the innocent...the dissenting...and the people who are next.
History shows where this leads. It's ugly as hell. When law turns into a TOOL...instead of a guardrail...societies drift back toward a pre–World War environment...where no one is truly safe and no one is meaningfully constrained.
That isn’t order.
It’s what comes...right before it disappears. To hell with that.
I am never really shocked by what the Trump regime will do. I think they are trying to beat the ticking clock of Father Time…….demented don don’t look too good! I am watching with somewhat bated breath….and thankful for the analysis from my friend Jack Hopkins. #HOLDFAST
If powerful men can rape and enslave girls all over the world and not be held accountable, why do you think this will be the bridge too far? He just gets away with everything as he gets crazier and more sadistic. Will he ever be stopped?
Scary Jack. But done. The thinkers and true patriots must think “now what do we do? “
First an observation. This Venezuela action must be used to strengthen and tighten up our movement. Use it as a unifying occurrence. Trump achieved what he wanted-a distraction from Epstein files and from his dealing with his health and other failures. And to get oil. Now is the time to “ramp it up” and flood the zone on our part. Here are some ideas:
1. Hammer his health and dementia. Show that he did what he did through lack of coherent judgement caused be declining health and dementia. Demand Ammendment 25? And flood EVERY news outlet with accusations and the truth. Show the magats he can’t think straight. Get personal with Trump. He hates that. Line up personal protection and contingency plans for our brave democrats who will speak the truth. Be at least one step ahead of Trump.
2. Now is a great time to release names, times, whatever the victims have regarding Epstein files. If oil moguls named tie them to the Venezuela thing. File as many court suits as you can aimed directly at Trump. Obstruction of justice, hindering prosecution, breaking the new law which he signed. Hey likely to lose at scotus as presidential immunity will be invoked. But nothing ventured nothing gained. File as many suits as you can anyway and take all of them to scotus. Mebbe get one through. At the very least scotus will be exposed as allowing a president to break the law with no consequences. Even the dumbest magat will get incensed. But definitely strain the attorney short DOJ. Make them fight. Get them to f up.
3. Reignite the affordability argument. Hammer the cost of living. Show the facts of the economy. Show magats that they are paying more for less. You can fill up your gas tank for a cheaper ride to the supermarket with more oil and gas but can’t afford the necessary groceries to live. Billionaires don’t give a shit about the common man only their profits.
4. Refocus on health care losses. Put the Venezuelan thing right next to them and ask folks why they were abandoned for oil? Also drop some not so subtle hints of the January 30 deadline for the budget kick the can down the road. Shut the government down in 3 weeks.
Any and all of these need to be done.
Inform the fence sitters and silent kneelers you are either on board or in the way. No more subtleties. Fight fire with fire and get personal if you have to.
Circle the wagons, become even more resolute, and put the TRUTH out there on a megaphone. Our country depends on it!
Feels like Trump approaches this act as a hostile takeover, with the corporations being nations and the tools being lethal forces. Plunder is the goal, though. I really feel like the $$$ from all the oil made this irresistible to Trump. He also gets to throw Pete Kegseth badass photo ops and jump-scare us away from the shit that came out of Jack Smith's deposition. And now the Epstein Files Coverup is the third layer that will get papered over if we let it.
You mean Trump lied? This has quickly become the most convoluted action of our lifetime. And Congress has yet to take make any kind of statement. WAPO certainly lost no time to justify this, this, what the hell is it? It’s more than a military event. It’s not just a kidnapping…of a country’s president! It’s more than an imperialist invasion. It’s more like the attacks on Indian tribes. Not unlike Empire England. Our country is being destroyed and is run by 18th century imperialists and 19th C. oligarchs with bad PR.
This insanity by Trump & his Nazi Cabinet of attacking Venezuela & Kidnapping Maduro & his wife is the opening of the 1st act of aggression.
Trump is desperate to show the world that he is a Strong Arm Dictator & all should fear him & beware this dire change in US foreign relations. i. It's a cheap copy of policies that
Theodore Roosevelt ' speak softly & carry a big stick accomplished.
Trump wants to be acknowledged as a leader to be feared. In this case of Venezuela, Trump & his Nazis have used force to achieve not diplomatic goals but a protracted reign of Terror to not only keep the Big oil companies satisfied & wealthy, but to Tell the world Trump is to be feared.
Thank you, Jack. Trying hard to #HOLDFAST but I remember the quagmires we have been in before and I have 2 teen grandsons. We know orange blob won't have any family sucked into Venezuela but...I am really angry about this manufactured emergency requiring military intervention, ALL for GREED, AGAIN. And angry about our country being hijacked by this asshole on down.
Let’s stop lying to ourselves. This wasn’t justice — it was a military kidnapping carried out without Congress, without international law, and without consent of the Venezuelan people. You don’t “arrest” a head of state by bombing a capital and flying them out at gunpoint. That’s a coup with a PR team. If any other country did this to a leader we like, we’d call it an act of war. Empire doesn’t become democracy just because Americans do it.
Jane, you’re saying the part most people are trying very HARD not to see.
You don’t “arrest” a head of state with bombs...special forces...and a naval extraction.
You don’t bypass Congress...ignore international law...and then slap a courtroom label on it and call it justice.
That’s not law enforcement.
That’s FORCE...followed by spin.
And...the double standard is the giveaway. If Russia...China...or Iran did this to a leader we like...there would be no debate. We’d call it an ACT OF WAR without hesitation.
The only reason we’re pretending otherwise...is because empire always believes its violence is "different."
The danger isn’t Maduro.
It’s the precedent.
Once “he was bad” becomes enough to justify anything...limits disappear. And when limits disappear...power doesn’t stop...it EXPANDS.
That’s not democracy with muscle.
That’s empire...with a PR team.
#HoldFast
-Jack
It did prove one thing. He has members of the military willing if not eager to do his bidding. That should scare the ever living poop out of us.
It is absolutely terrifying…their oath is to the Constitution, not some wannabe dictator who’s mental stability is no longer in question…TO THE CONSTITUTION! Every one of those military officers need to be held accountable along with this entire regime!
I see it all too clearly… I was still awake when the attacks began… when Maduro and his wife were KIDNAPPED. It’s Unlawful… it’s Unconstitutional… it’s incredibly DANGEROUS… and I. Feel. Sick! This is all I can manage right now.
I’ll be waiting for the paid article.
Thank you Jack!
Struggling to #HOLDFAST
~Susan
Susan...I hear you...and you’re not overreacting.
Watching something like that unfold...in real time....hits differently. When you strip away the spin...the language games...the “law and order” BS…what’s left is exactly what you said: unlawful...unconstitutional...and dangerous.
Feeling sick...is a rational response when you realize how casually lines were crossed. It is.
You don’t owe anyone perfect words right now, Susan. Naming it...stepping back... and holding steady IS doing something.
Take care of yourself. Stay grounded.
I’ll take it from here...and I promise the paid piece will meet this moment with the clarity it deserves.
You...are NOT alone.
And #HOLDFAST isn’t just a hashtag...it’s a strategy.
-Jack
Thanks Jack!
Usually I don’t comment without receipts, so I’ll do it now but first the mantra of Lev Parnas: “Watch what they do, not what they say.”. In a live I recently caught, he, Malcolm Nance and Dean Blundell laid it out, I think Nance straight up said “This has Putin all over it “. And Xi too. I’ve been citing Occam’s Razor a lot lately. I’ll leave it there.
It’s almost funny how stuff like that are not really conspiracy “theories”, but likely just explanations of how conspiracies work. There is so much speculation floating around now, to me at least it makes complete sense.
The zone is more flooded than usual today, because Epstein Epstein Epstein. Unlikely as it may sound, the concept of engineering this whole thing as yet another distraction is not beyond imagination, just a grotesque thought to even entertain. It could also serve as a clue to how incredibly destructive the whole story will be to a world full of power brokers who may one day be rendered powerless.
Oh, here: https://open.substack.com/pub/levremembers/p/breaking-the-maduro-capture-is-theaterheres?r=py0e3&utm_medium=ios
Randy...this is exactly the right way to think about it. “Watch what they do, not what they say” isn’t conspiratorial...it’s basic power analysis.
When people like Malcolm Nance say “this has Putin all over it,” they’re not talking vibes. They’re talking incentives...timing...leverage...and WHO benefits from chaos... distraction...and precedent-setting moves.
Occam’s Razor applies...because the simplest explanation is usually about power protecting itself...not random theatrics.
And...you’re right about the zone being flooded. Epstein dominating the information environment right...now is NOT incidental...t’s the perfect fog.
Whether this was engineered...as a distraction....or...simply used as one...after the fact...the effect is the same: attention fragmentation...at the EXACT moment scrutiny should be sharpening.
That’s not a “theory.” That’s how influence operations work.
And the truly unsettling part isn’t Maduro or Venezuela...it’s what this says about how far some power brokers may be willing to go...when they sense the walls closing in.
#HoldFast
-Jack
I find it interesting that today was the statutory deadline for the DOJJ to release it’s report on the Epstein file production…is it just a coincidence?
In this regime there are no coincidences. And I never make absolute pronouncements. 😹
Just another FAILED ATTEMPT to cover that the Orange Idiot is a rapist and pedophile! He is so senile and demented that he could barely read his bullshit speech about this act of war! The Orange Idiot and his cult cannot run the USA let alone another nation!!!
M3333...people are angry for a reason...and it’s not just “tone.” This does look like a desperate distraction...a loud...violent...foreign spectacle...meant to shove everything else off the stage.
When a president...with a long trail of credible allegations...legal exposure...and OBVIOUS cognitive decline...suddenly wraps himself in “law and order,” people are going to call bullshit.
You don’t get to posture as a global sheriff when you can barely govern at home. You don’t get to talk about “running” another country...when you’ve hollowed out institutions... ignored the law...and leaned on spectacle instead of competence.
Rage isn’t the problem here...the behavior that provokes it is.
Call it what it is: an act of war...sold as justice by a leader whose own record makes the claim obscene. If this is what his movement thinks “strength” looks like...it only proves how unfit they are to run ANY nation...let alone two.
#HoldFast
-Jack
That is why I subscribe to you Jack, you speak the TRUTH!!!
I appreciate your support. Truly.
-Jack
I took a break from caregiving to catch up on Blue Sky and saw these things: trump in MAL enthralled with the optics of the kidnapping of Maduro and his wife. Mrs Stephen Miller posting a map of Greenland covered by a US flag. Her comment was SOON. A try at cya by Pam Bondi slathering on the bullshit, and I laughed out loud when she tucked in "alleged" with the crimes charged.
My hubby last night did something extremely stupid. He lit a cigarette while on oxygen. Nothing happened. It wasn't until he tried to put it out that his face and head were engulfed in flames. Sorry for the graphic, but the corollary seems clear to trump doing something so very stupid that will blow up in our faces even if he tries to control it unless our elected representatives do something about it quickly and permanently.
#HoldFast
Sue
Sue, I’m really glad you shared this...and I’m so sorry you and your husband went through that. That’s terrifying. I hope he’s okay...and I hope YOU are getting a moment to breathe after that shock.
Your analogy is painfully accurate. What you described is exactly how disasters happen: someone does something reckless...nothing explodes at first...and that false calm convinces them they’re in control…right up until the moment they try to manage the consequences and everything ignites....sometimes...literally.
That’s what this feels like watching Trump right now. The optics thrill. The performative dominance. The belief that force + spectacle equals control. But the danger isn’t the first act...it’s the moment the blowback begins...when REALITY asserts itself and the fire spreads faster than anyone can contain.
The Greenland post...the “SOON,” the CYA language from Bondi...that’s all signaling. It’s people circling wagons after the match has already been struck. And...you’re right to clock the word “alleged.” That’s not confidence. That’s legal fear leaking through.
You’re not being dramatic. You’re being OBSERVANT...and grounded...in LIVED experience. Caregivers develop a sixth sense for danger...because they know how quickly things can go from “fine”...to catastrophic.
Please take care of yourself, Sue. You’re carrying a lot...personally AND civically. And you’re absolutely right...if elected representatives don’t step in decisively...and permanently...this doesn’t end with one reckless act. It escalates.
Holding fast...right now...doesn’t mean pushing harder. Sometimes...it means staying steady...naming the danger...and refusing to let people pretend the flames aren’t real.
I’m with you.
And #HoldFast...is exactly right.
-Jack
Jack, one of the neighbors who came to visit is going to help me organize folks in town who can help when the fear arrives in cammo and masks. So silver lining.
Good night.
Sue
You are dealing with so much more than most of us. Sending positive thoughts your way. #HoldFast indeed.
Thank you.
Gee, Sue, I hope you are both ok!!! #HOLDFAST indeed.
Oh my gosh! Are you and he all right?
My SIL says he looks like a Quaker or maybe Brigham Young. We live in Utah.
He is amazingly better than he should be. The hospice nurse covered the face burns with medical honey. I am hoping to keep him around for as long as I can. Me? I am so very tired. But neighbors are stepping up to be with him so I can rest a bit. That helps. People like you guys help more than you know. It is an honor to be part of this community. But, now, back to trump.
We're with you, Sue. In spite of the awfulness going on. I don't know what I alone can do, but we, united, can stand with you.
I just have to add this: Your husband sounds exactly like my (late) husband. The only reason he didn't do that was by the time they put O2 on him he was in ICU and there was a scarcity of cigarettes. Still thinking about you. Hang in there.
I am sorry you lost your husband.
We were hit head on by a sleeping driver six years ago and since that night he has been on O². A mechanic by trade, and a "recovering" alcoholic of over forty years, he just couldn't give up the cigs. Has now. I took his stash, gave them a vinegar bath and sent them to the landfill. He had a bad fall three days before, bloodied himself and broke three more ribs and bruised his hip. And doesn't know how in the Hell it happened or even where. Been a rough week.
What scares the bejeepers out of me is that this horrendous act behaves like a rock dropped in a body of water: wave after wave expanding to include everything in its wake. OF COURSE the rest of the world will look on and take their cue from the (used-to-be) leader, United States. It must be OK to do that. Dear, Sweet Baby Jesus, what has he just unleashed??
If Congress really wants to be taken seriously, there should be a bill of impeachment being debated on the House floor by next week with solid support from both sides of the aisle. That's the one thing they could do to bring them a shred of credibility after this past year and now last night.
J.B....you’re saying what a lot of people are thinking...but too few are willing to say plainly.
If Congress wants any credibility left...this is the moment where words stop mattering. Hearings aren’t enough. Letters aren’t enough. “Concern” isn’t enough. Action is the ONLY language that still counts.
An impeachment debate on the House floor...out in the open...on the record...with members forced to take a position...would at least show that the branch designed to check executive power remembers why it exists.
And yes, it would need bipartisan support...to mean anything. Otherwise...it’s just theater layered on top...of chaos.
This past year already hollowed out public trust. Last night pushed it closer to the edge. If Congress does nothing...now...they’re effectively conceding that there are no real limits left...only precedents waiting to be ABUSED.
You’re right, J.B....this isn’t about politics anymore.
It’s about whether the system...still has a spine.
-Jack
They should be doing it NOW. They are not the first people who had to work on the weekend.
I was giving them a couple days to get all the facts straight and the legal language in place (though maybe the Judiciary Committee ranking member has a template ready to go).
I think Congress is still on vacation.
The ends do not justify the means.
This is not following the law - it is contorting it.
If there is no pushback now, there will be danger for everyone because no one will be required to follow or be PROTECTED by fair laws.
It takes us all back to pre-world war environment where no one is safe.
And no one is constrained.
Tamie...the ends do NOT justify the means. You're right as rain.
What’s happening isn’t the rule of law...it’s the disfigurement of it. Rules are being bent and SELECTIVELY applied to reach a preferred outcome...and that’s not justice. It’s power protecting ITSELF.
If there is no pushback...now...there will be danger for everyone later.
Because once law becomes optional for those in authority...it stops protecting anyone else. Laws don’t just restrain wrongdoing...they also exist to protect the innocent...the dissenting...and the people who are next.
History shows where this leads. It's ugly as hell. When law turns into a TOOL...instead of a guardrail...societies drift back toward a pre–World War environment...where no one is truly safe and no one is meaningfully constrained.
That isn’t order.
It’s what comes...right before it disappears. To hell with that.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Thanks, Jack. Holding fast here in NH.
You're welcome, Roberta!
-Jack
I am never really shocked by what the Trump regime will do. I think they are trying to beat the ticking clock of Father Time…….demented don don’t look too good! I am watching with somewhat bated breath….and thankful for the analysis from my friend Jack Hopkins. #HOLDFAST
Since Trump has threatened both Greenland and Canada, I guess they would be justified in kidnapping him.
I wish someone would 👹
If powerful men can rape and enslave girls all over the world and not be held accountable, why do you think this will be the bridge too far? He just gets away with everything as he gets crazier and more sadistic. Will he ever be stopped?
That's what I keep thinking too, Lisa!
Scary Jack. But done. The thinkers and true patriots must think “now what do we do? “
First an observation. This Venezuela action must be used to strengthen and tighten up our movement. Use it as a unifying occurrence. Trump achieved what he wanted-a distraction from Epstein files and from his dealing with his health and other failures. And to get oil. Now is the time to “ramp it up” and flood the zone on our part. Here are some ideas:
1. Hammer his health and dementia. Show that he did what he did through lack of coherent judgement caused be declining health and dementia. Demand Ammendment 25? And flood EVERY news outlet with accusations and the truth. Show the magats he can’t think straight. Get personal with Trump. He hates that. Line up personal protection and contingency plans for our brave democrats who will speak the truth. Be at least one step ahead of Trump.
2. Now is a great time to release names, times, whatever the victims have regarding Epstein files. If oil moguls named tie them to the Venezuela thing. File as many court suits as you can aimed directly at Trump. Obstruction of justice, hindering prosecution, breaking the new law which he signed. Hey likely to lose at scotus as presidential immunity will be invoked. But nothing ventured nothing gained. File as many suits as you can anyway and take all of them to scotus. Mebbe get one through. At the very least scotus will be exposed as allowing a president to break the law with no consequences. Even the dumbest magat will get incensed. But definitely strain the attorney short DOJ. Make them fight. Get them to f up.
3. Reignite the affordability argument. Hammer the cost of living. Show the facts of the economy. Show magats that they are paying more for less. You can fill up your gas tank for a cheaper ride to the supermarket with more oil and gas but can’t afford the necessary groceries to live. Billionaires don’t give a shit about the common man only their profits.
4. Refocus on health care losses. Put the Venezuelan thing right next to them and ask folks why they were abandoned for oil? Also drop some not so subtle hints of the January 30 deadline for the budget kick the can down the road. Shut the government down in 3 weeks.
Any and all of these need to be done.
Inform the fence sitters and silent kneelers you are either on board or in the way. No more subtleties. Fight fire with fire and get personal if you have to.
Circle the wagons, become even more resolute, and put the TRUTH out there on a megaphone. Our country depends on it!
Feels like Trump approaches this act as a hostile takeover, with the corporations being nations and the tools being lethal forces. Plunder is the goal, though. I really feel like the $$$ from all the oil made this irresistible to Trump. He also gets to throw Pete Kegseth badass photo ops and jump-scare us away from the shit that came out of Jack Smith's deposition. And now the Epstein Files Coverup is the third layer that will get papered over if we let it.
You mean Trump lied? This has quickly become the most convoluted action of our lifetime. And Congress has yet to take make any kind of statement. WAPO certainly lost no time to justify this, this, what the hell is it? It’s more than a military event. It’s not just a kidnapping…of a country’s president! It’s more than an imperialist invasion. It’s more like the attacks on Indian tribes. Not unlike Empire England. Our country is being destroyed and is run by 18th century imperialists and 19th C. oligarchs with bad PR.
This insanity by Trump & his Nazi Cabinet of attacking Venezuela & Kidnapping Maduro & his wife is the opening of the 1st act of aggression.
Trump is desperate to show the world that he is a Strong Arm Dictator & all should fear him & beware this dire change in US foreign relations. i. It's a cheap copy of policies that
Theodore Roosevelt ' speak softly & carry a big stick accomplished.
Trump wants to be acknowledged as a leader to be feared. In this case of Venezuela, Trump & his Nazis have used force to achieve not diplomatic goals but a protracted reign of Terror to not only keep the Big oil companies satisfied & wealthy, but to Tell the world Trump is to be feared.
DANGER, Will Robinson!
#HoldFast
I have an enormous coon hound on my lap or I’d write more. Pretty sure you know what I’d say, though.
Thank you, Jack. Trying hard to #HOLDFAST but I remember the quagmires we have been in before and I have 2 teen grandsons. We know orange blob won't have any family sucked into Venezuela but...I am really angry about this manufactured emergency requiring military intervention, ALL for GREED, AGAIN. And angry about our country being hijacked by this asshole on down.