The Epstein Files are at once a glimpse into a horrible underworld of powerful people trafficking and abusing women and girls and an indictment of the justice system in our country. As bad as what is being alleged in what has been released so far, the out in the open lying, cover-ups, and enabling by a woman who is supposedly the top law enforcement officer in the country, is just plain disgusting. Add to that, the head of the FBI, who is heading the agency who should be taking the lead on any investigations, is too busy using government resources to party with the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team and shuttle his girlfriend to gigs around the country. Here's a link to an article outlining why releasing the files publicly may have enabled those involved to forever escape consequences.
Next we have the reign of terror by the Department of Homeland Security. Frankly when this department was created post 9-11 I thought the name had an ominous fascist-like tenor to it, and they're certainly living up to it. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) [The actual Border Patrol is part of CBP] have operated as de facto secret police/storm troopers. The initial, and quite reasonable, campaign promise to detain and deport all the "violent, criminal, illegals" quickly morphed into shock and awe invasions of Democratic run cities with immigrants, many here legally, being snatched off the streets, from their beds, and from mandated appointments with immigration officials, and have many times detained citizens. They have killed around a dozen people so far. I have some doubt whether he has actually even "closed the border".
The chaotic purge of government workers by DOGE in the early days of the regime may appear to be in the past, but the results are still with us and politically motivated firings of employees deemed to be disloyal continue. DOGE was touted as a program that was tasked with rooting out waste and corruption but it didn't even come close. Union protections were illegally trod upon, Congressionally authorized agencies were dismantled, and programs and expenditures were unilaterally killed. Trump continues to flout the law, daring Congress and the Supreme Court to do something about it. Even when he technically obeys a court order, he rails against the courts and finds legally questionable work arounds.
The imposition of tariffs, which can only loosely be called a "policy" is based on ignorance what tariffs and balance of trade are. I've covered tariffs a number of times; this article was reposted today. His tariffs, in addition bringing chaos to world trade and made planning next to impossible for American businesses, have imposed a de facto sales tax on American consumers.
Attempts to stifle dissent and free speech continue, including attempts to control the media and sources of information. He has turned the Justice Department into the Department of Trump Retribution.
By the time you read this, we may be at war with Iran. Trump has named himself "The President of Peace", and repeatedly claimed that he has ended eight wars, which is easily debunked after 10 minutes of internet searches. Our quickie invasion of Venezuela, our kidnapping of their president, and the Cuban blockade, in addition to the previous unprovoked bombing of Iran, makes you wonder what his definition of peace is. What is even more disturbing is that Congress has made no effort to assert their Constitutional authority to declare war and that Trump is not even pretending to seek their input or the support of the public. Mainstream media, which I usually defend from progressives who believe it should be a partisan cheerleader, is reporting the run-up to a possible war, as if it's just another day at the White House.
Last but not least — Trump's mental state. He has always been a loose cannon, making decisions based, not on any evidence, or consideration of what's best for the country, but on what the last person he had lunch with told him, or what he heard on Fox News. Economic stability and national security have always taken a back seat to his sense of grievance, his thin skin, and need for adulation. He's always been ignorant and incompetent. But it's gotten worse. His public statements, both in person and on his inaccurately named Truth Social platform, have been increasingly incoherent and divorced from reality. (See the statement about sending the USS Comfort, a hospital ship that is not currently in service, to Greenland to help with a crisis that doesn't exist). What's worse is that no one is going to do anything about it. Half of them agree with his craziness and the other half benefit from his deranged patronage and are terrified of offending him. The two Constitutional ways of removing him will not happen.
I'm sure I've left things out...but we are screwed.
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