No scarcity of causes to despair — however humor and bits of hope nonetheless shine by means of
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I encourage you to learn this highly effective piece by one among our WhoWhatWhy crew, the at all times considerate and genuine Jonathan Simon. He believes in proudly owning the overwhelming sense of despair many people are feeling.
In the meantime, working our hardy band and making an attempt to maintain everybody motivated, I’ve no selection however to soldier on. Whereas I get WhoWhatWhy — and myself — on observe for a decided push ahead towards the superior firepower of cash and cruel self-interest, I believed I’d share some “items,” issues that strike me as essential or humorous or telling.
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I simply wish to let it sink in that the man who killed himself in entrance of Donald Trump’s Las Vegas resort — surrounded by explosives in Elon Musk’s bully-message Cybertruck — was a extremely embellished, broken US Military soldier with PTSD, who thought we should always “try peaceful means first but be prepared to fight” to get Democrats out of the federal authorities. And, he mentioned, “people should rally around Mr. Trump and Elon Musk.”
By some means, he was satisfied that Don and Elon try to avoid wasting America, and to endorse their effort, he wished to finish his life. He was proper about one factor. As he defined in one among his many notes:
This was not a terrorist assault, it was a get up name. People solely take note of spectacles and violence. What higher solution to get my level throughout than a stunt with fireworks and explosives.
In the meantime, one other man — additionally clearly affected by psychological well being points, who was radicalized by ISIS movies — killed 14 folks and injured many extra by driving his automobile by means of a New 12 months’s Day crowd in New Orleans.
Each the Las Vegas and the New Orleans attackers served within the US Military at Fort Bragg, and each have been in Afghanistan in the identical time interval. After all, that should be a subject of great investigation and public dialogue. I doubt will probably be.
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Musk is, like Trump, a self-defined “genius” who can also be, like Trump, congenitally dishonest. He appears to assume — accurately, it seems — that his fixed patter will overwhelm any need to truly take a look at what he says, versus what he does.
This quick piece underlines simply how perfidious Musk is about his favourite subject of visas and work: He’s now claiming he can’t get sufficient “top talent” from the US and desires it from overseas — however the reality is that his firms dumped expensive, expert People, changed them with not-so-great however low cost international tech labor, then later laid lots of these imported international nationals off, leaving them stranded.
Talking of international, the richest particular person on this planet, not content material with de facto ruling america, has already in 2025 made a play to extend his interference with different governments. Amongst different issues, he’s advocating for right-wing politicians and rebroadcasting claims that the UK’s ruling Labour Get together didn’t do sufficient a couple of decades-old little one sexual exploitation scandal — whereas additionally tweeting criticism of Britain’s On-line Security Act, which might require X and different social media firms to guard youngsters from dangerous and inappropriate content material (whereas opening the platform to rampant porn); companies not complying could possibly be fined as much as 10 p.c of their world income.
And he made overtly clear he expects Trump to guard his monetary pursuits towards the UK regulation, which can take impact in March: “President @realDonaldTrump will take power just in time,” Musk wrote. “Thank goodness.”
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Picture credit score: X screenshots
I like that pic as a result of it’s Musk, like Putin, going braless! Or, perhaps it’s a precursor to him being one of many emergent “tech bras.” (OK, nicely, truly “bros” however you get the joke — Jeff Bezos being one other of those characters, now notorious for genuflecting to Trump, together with Mark Zuckerberg and a rising checklist of others.)
I stay on X (sure, you can too discover me on Bluesky and Threads) partly as a result of my doing so doesn’t contribute something to Musk’s coffers, whereas I do get to submit issues that a few of that shrinking however nonetheless large viewers admire, and which aren’t at all times completely suppressed by the app’s shadow-ban algorithms.
lol! You first https://t.co/1zUFGHgkFv
— Russ Baker (@realrussbaker.bsky.social at Bluesky) (@RealRussBaker) December 29, 2024
As a humorous good friend notes, Trump and Patel will put an finish to those sorts of outrageous FBI excesses pic.twitter.com/kNlkH6zJeE
— Russ Baker (@realrussbaker.bsky.social at Bluesky) (@RealRussBaker) January 2, 2025
Trump posts we would see Invoice Gates at his new years bash. Since MAGA vilified Gates’ well being initiatives, perhaps Trump meant Matt Gaetz? Or because the Germans say, wie geht’s?
— Russ Baker (@realrussbaker.bsky.social at Bluesky) (@RealRussBaker) December 28, 2024
Trump hopes to emulate his good friend Putin, so take into account this: In closing years of the USSR, 3 p.c of high Russian officers got here from the safety providers devoted to defending the nation’s management and suppressing dissent. In the present day, that determine is… 80 p.c (!!!). (WSJ)
— Russ Baker (@realrussbaker.bsky.social at Bluesky) (@RealRussBaker) December 23, 2024
Lara Trump withdraws from Florida Senate race. Hmmm. Was it the prospect of doing precise work that turned her off? Or some skeleton in her large closet?
— Russ Baker (@realrussbaker.bsky.social at Bluesky) (@RealRussBaker) December 21, 2024
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My good friend Jim Terr posted this and one intelligent commenter wrote “Fake news” and one other mentioned “The bigger they are, the harder they fall” Picture credit score: © Crash/imageSPACE by way of ZUMA Press Wire
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And whereas we’re with regards to plastic (see above picture), I simply realized that Amazon Prime has completely licensed a documentary movie for world theatrical and streaming launch that can give viewers an “unprecedented behind-the-scenes look” at First Woman Melania Trump’s life, In it she tells us all about her husband’s “patriotism.” I simply can’t wait.
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Received one other merchandise despatched alongside by my humorous good friend, an excellent fellow named Jim Terr, who has been offering us with helpful concepts and feedback for years.
Trump complains that US flags will probably be half-staff on his inauguration day
(I’m certain Carter timed it that approach, on objective)
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You’ve little question learn loads of remembrances of Jimmy Carter. Right here’s one from the distinguished international correspondent Invoice Dowell of our crew, who, as you’d count on, gives one thing a bit completely different.
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In New York Metropolis, our mayor, Eric Adams, was charged with bribery, marketing campaign finance illegalities, and conspiracy, plus a gradual stream of investigations and indictments of figures near him.
It makes you marvel how lengthy will probably be till the rag-tag crew of schemers and scoundrels that flocked to Trump will fall underneath scrutiny themselves. Although the Supreme Court docket appears to have immunized Trump himself from any charges of wrongdoing, it’s not clear that others round him will probably be equally protected, past Trump’s implied promise of pardons galore.
Meantime, there’s at the very least Trump’s upcoming sentencing in his hush cash case. Given the best way issues are going, it’s a little startling to see that the “Untouchable One” hasn’t escaped a wee, symbolic little bit of accountability.
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Is it simply me, or do the small delights in life appear extra vivid now in distinction to the present challenges? When the general thrust of main occasions appears headed in the correct course, we have a tendency to not see fairly how wonderful all that cornball stuff is.
You understand: the smile of a kid; the nuzzle of a pet; the nod from a stranger; the sudden whats up from a long-vanished good friend; some gobsmacking retailer window show; an admirably hardy plant making its approach by means of winter; coming throughout outdated correspondence; a clear, well-ordered residing house; a easy however good home made meal; the restorative brilliance of train and a very good evening’s sleep; the satisfaction of getting resolved some knotty problem; taking time with somebody whose issues are greater than yours. Name this my approach of coping. However it will get me by means of. I hope such issues will get you thru, too.
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