The administration’s attack on the Smithsonian isn’t about patriotism. It’s about control. Rewrite the past, distort the present, and steal America’s future truth by truth.
What a terrific piece of writing. This is a perspective that ought to be read, at least twice, and understood. It can help us identify even the little things that this administration is doing that distorts reality.
Great post on the Smithsonian. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 stars. We must fight tooth and nail bto keep up the pressure for him to hopefully back off while keeping all the other important issues on the front burner also. We are in truth in the fight of our lives.
Thank you, Michael. My hope is that the exhibits will not be destroyed and can be restored once we obtain democracy in our country again. This is disgraceful!! The truth of what Black Americans endured needs to be shown to future generations. I am not of African descent; so I can't even start to imagine how it feels to those whose ancestors were slaves. Heartbreaking and devastating!
Perhaps the powers that be at the Smithsonian should act pre-emptively and start hiding/storing anything they think D.A.D.s minions might find "woke." That way, when he bites the big one it can all be restored without too much fuss and all will be preserved.
I don’t know what we can do legally to stop this monster. I look forward to next year when we have a chance to retake both Houses. At that point Donny will impeached a third time (isn’t that a new record?)and this time hopefully removed from office. First time JD opens his mouth and says the wrong thing (asking Zelensky is he’s thanked Donny comes to mind much less questioning why Zelensky wasn’t in a suit)impeachment and removal. That would put the Speaker of the House into the office of the President. We’d no longer have to Karoline Barbie Doll.
yes, it's about control.....but I believe, even more so, it's about another distraction cooked up by tRUMP and his fascist goon squads to distract from the Epstein files....because the fat fucker is in there, front and center......the lies and deceit are so beyond obvious with everything they say and do using it as the next shiny object to keep everyone looking the other way from Epstein.
The fat ugly stinking rump in the Oval Office who occupies the chair in front of the Resolute Desk has the audacity to say, “that slavery wasn’t that bad”! He now wants the Smithsonian Museum to remove exhibits and information about our country’s shameful past. Slavery was extremely bad – bad for the millions of people who endured it – bad for the white masters who participated and condoned it – and bad for this country. How in the world can any person think for a single second that it is right to OWN another human being? Slavery is part of history –it is a part of our disgraceful history – but it happened and it was BAD. I am a white 80-year-old lady. I can only try to imagine what slavery was like. I simply don't know how they endured. To try to ignore the cruelty of slavery is something that only the stinking old rump sitting in our White House and his goons can do. People who love democracy cringe at the very idea. But we don't try to sweep it under the rug and try to pretend it did not exist or that it was good for our country. Those who ignore history are on the road to repeating it. A lie repeated often enough will eventually be accepted as the truth. At one time in our history, it was accepted that the earth was square and if you sailed far enough on the ocean you would fall off the edge!
Here is what slavery is. You work where you are told; you do what you are told; you are told where to live; you work as long as you are told to; you sleep when you are allowed; you eat what you are told to; if you get hurt or ill, you are treated if you are valuable to the owner, if not, no; you have no family or friends--they can be sold away or die at any time. Maybe there is water, maybe not. Weather means nothing. Your performance review is whatever the overseer says it is. There is no discussion about it. You are a sexual object whether male or female, and can be used as the owner or overseer or family sees fit. No books; no TV; no movies; no music. No selfies. No vacations, but maybe Sundays are a short day, and Christmas is you one holiday. Most of all, there is NO complaining that can be heard by the bosses. You live in fear every darn day.
I ask any American, especially white ones, to ask how they would like to live like that. Put themselves in those shoes as a thought experiment. How would it feel to not be able to do any of the things you take for granted when you want to.
Anyone who would deny that is not thinking clearly. And very racist.
The same applies to those of you who are cheering on us becoming a dictatorship. Do you know what you are asking for? Really. Trumpthuglicans were always screaming no Socialism. Well sounds like the regime didn't get the memo. Add violence by a government that controls everything. You are giving up all your freedoms. A step at a time. For a maniac who conned you. Welcome to 1939.
Michael, I greatly appreciate your latest missive. I worked at The Franklin Institute in Philly for almost ten years between 1987-1997, so I know the "museum business." I hope the curators find a way to subvert this bullshit request to vet or influence their educational narratives. We always told our donors at the Franklin that we were happy to take their funding but we ALWAYS had "final say" on the content narrative because we were the educational experts! This is authoritarian bullshit!!
Unfortunately our nation has already failed at teaching history and now we are watching the results of that uneducated population, electing a lying, sex offender felon to office and cheering on his brutality. If people in this regime understand history, I think they are deliberately repeating it, looking to improve on past mistakes to get the outcome they desire. Evil is leading the uneducated to their own demise.
Donald Trump and MAGA are purveyors of ignorance. That is their brand. It is as old as the hills and boring. History told in all it’s good, bad, and ugliness is interesting and instructive. For a man reputed to watch seven hours of television a day, criticizing reputable scholars sucks.
In 1971 Nixon took America off the gold standard because of the run on the Treasury to exchange dollars for the country’s gold(you might remember France’s Charles DeGaulle running that effort?) In 1973 the dollar crashed and viola the price of gold by the Fed’s slight of hand was revalued to prevent debasement of the currency Since that time the purchasing power of the dollar has lost 98% of its value since 1973 due to both Nazi and Democratic overspending Since the purchasing power of the currency is tied to inflation, this is the real reason Americans are having trouble making ends meet And this is the Fed and many administration’s dirty little secret that it has been keeping from the American people for 50 years of spendthrift government policies
Now the Fed, Cheeto, and Bessent are getting ready for another debasement of the currency to keep the government afloat But since the government is in a debt trap, any raising of bond yields to entice foreign investors to buy American debt will in essence force Cheeto into another bankruptcy….his fifth and this one is a doozie since it involves a whole country
And our adversaries, Russia and China, are sitting on large gold reserves, multiples of what the US has If Cheeto debases the currency by raising the price of gold, they win Fiat money(currency not tethered to a gold standard) is doomed and the 50 year old ride is over The dollar is on its last leg and lesson learned…..get out of dollars and into gold or silver and stay away from bitcoin
Maybe we should rent a space and call it Trump's museum. We could fill it with the lies that he has told, the corruption that has taken place, line it with pictures of his whole regime and what they are saying and doing. Tell what their qualifications are - or lack of - tell who he has fired in the government and the reasons - show what the BBB will do to everyone - show pictures of the immigrants being captured and their living conditions - expose all the lies for all to see in one place. I suspect that would make a lot of heads turn when they see it as a whole - not in bits and pieces.
History has been rewritten, watered down, and then rewritten again for decades, probably since we colonized this country in the early 1600's. Preserving history is done by preserving the written word. While museums and the Smithsonian are important, they can be redone from the books from wince has put the history to pen. If we are preserving our written word, we are preserving our history for future generations no matter what one evil person is currently doing to make it all say what he wants it to say.
Will we lose a generation of young people - maybe, and children may learn about whatever they are told growing up but they learn reality after they become adults. Reading books and passing them down from generation to generation is a good way to maintain our history.
Too many people put too much emphasis on the senile ramblings and temporary and "fixable" actions of a delusional narcissist. Everything he tears down can be rebuilt. It won't be fun, it won't be exactly like it was before, it could be better, but it can all be fixed. He is just one man and even you are giving him too much air time adding credibility to his divisive ways, that people should be fearful, that he's a force to be reckoned with. I watched his little senility appearance today and OMG, we should all just roll up our carpets and crawl in a hole {sarcasm}!
The horrible brutality of slavery does not seem to have taught Trump anything! Look at the brutal behavior he is showing the people of this country. Allowing masked thugs to attack people and send them to camps. Now we have to deal with armed soldiers on the streets. This will be his legacy. A reign of terror!
What a terrific piece of writing. This is a perspective that ought to be read, at least twice, and understood. It can help us identify even the little things that this administration is doing that distorts reality.
He is fantastic
Great post on the Smithsonian. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 stars. We must fight tooth and nail bto keep up the pressure for him to hopefully back off while keeping all the other important issues on the front burner also. We are in truth in the fight of our lives.
Absolutely!
Thank you, Michael. My hope is that the exhibits will not be destroyed and can be restored once we obtain democracy in our country again. This is disgraceful!! The truth of what Black Americans endured needs to be shown to future generations. I am not of African descent; so I can't even start to imagine how it feels to those whose ancestors were slaves. Heartbreaking and devastating!
Perhaps the powers that be at the Smithsonian should act pre-emptively and start hiding/storing anything they think D.A.D.s minions might find "woke." That way, when he bites the big one it can all be restored without too much fuss and all will be preserved.
trump is so two faced. In 2017 when he went there he had nothing but praise for the exhibits.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-smithsonian-portray-americas-brightness-bad-slavery/story?id=124788598
In Trump years, that was forever ago.
I don’t know what we can do legally to stop this monster. I look forward to next year when we have a chance to retake both Houses. At that point Donny will impeached a third time (isn’t that a new record?)and this time hopefully removed from office. First time JD opens his mouth and says the wrong thing (asking Zelensky is he’s thanked Donny comes to mind much less questioning why Zelensky wasn’t in a suit)impeachment and removal. That would put the Speaker of the House into the office of the President. We’d no longer have to Karoline Barbie Doll.
Yeah, I’m a dreamer. So sue me.
yes, it's about control.....but I believe, even more so, it's about another distraction cooked up by tRUMP and his fascist goon squads to distract from the Epstein files....because the fat fucker is in there, front and center......the lies and deceit are so beyond obvious with everything they say and do using it as the next shiny object to keep everyone looking the other way from Epstein.
The fat ugly stinking rump in the Oval Office who occupies the chair in front of the Resolute Desk has the audacity to say, “that slavery wasn’t that bad”! He now wants the Smithsonian Museum to remove exhibits and information about our country’s shameful past. Slavery was extremely bad – bad for the millions of people who endured it – bad for the white masters who participated and condoned it – and bad for this country. How in the world can any person think for a single second that it is right to OWN another human being? Slavery is part of history –it is a part of our disgraceful history – but it happened and it was BAD. I am a white 80-year-old lady. I can only try to imagine what slavery was like. I simply don't know how they endured. To try to ignore the cruelty of slavery is something that only the stinking old rump sitting in our White House and his goons can do. People who love democracy cringe at the very idea. But we don't try to sweep it under the rug and try to pretend it did not exist or that it was good for our country. Those who ignore history are on the road to repeating it. A lie repeated often enough will eventually be accepted as the truth. At one time in our history, it was accepted that the earth was square and if you sailed far enough on the ocean you would fall off the edge!
Here is what slavery is. You work where you are told; you do what you are told; you are told where to live; you work as long as you are told to; you sleep when you are allowed; you eat what you are told to; if you get hurt or ill, you are treated if you are valuable to the owner, if not, no; you have no family or friends--they can be sold away or die at any time. Maybe there is water, maybe not. Weather means nothing. Your performance review is whatever the overseer says it is. There is no discussion about it. You are a sexual object whether male or female, and can be used as the owner or overseer or family sees fit. No books; no TV; no movies; no music. No selfies. No vacations, but maybe Sundays are a short day, and Christmas is you one holiday. Most of all, there is NO complaining that can be heard by the bosses. You live in fear every darn day.
I ask any American, especially white ones, to ask how they would like to live like that. Put themselves in those shoes as a thought experiment. How would it feel to not be able to do any of the things you take for granted when you want to.
All true. Horrible and should never be forgotten.
Anyone who would deny that is not thinking clearly. And very racist.
The same applies to those of you who are cheering on us becoming a dictatorship. Do you know what you are asking for? Really. Trumpthuglicans were always screaming no Socialism. Well sounds like the regime didn't get the memo. Add violence by a government that controls everything. You are giving up all your freedoms. A step at a time. For a maniac who conned you. Welcome to 1939.
Michael, I greatly appreciate your latest missive. I worked at The Franklin Institute in Philly for almost ten years between 1987-1997, so I know the "museum business." I hope the curators find a way to subvert this bullshit request to vet or influence their educational narratives. We always told our donors at the Franklin that we were happy to take their funding but we ALWAYS had "final say" on the content narrative because we were the educational experts! This is authoritarian bullshit!!
Unfortunately our nation has already failed at teaching history and now we are watching the results of that uneducated population, electing a lying, sex offender felon to office and cheering on his brutality. If people in this regime understand history, I think they are deliberately repeating it, looking to improve on past mistakes to get the outcome they desire. Evil is leading the uneducated to their own demise.
Donald Trump and MAGA are purveyors of ignorance. That is their brand. It is as old as the hills and boring. History told in all it’s good, bad, and ugliness is interesting and instructive. For a man reputed to watch seven hours of television a day, criticizing reputable scholars sucks.
One of the best pieces you’ve ever written. Nicely done.
Wonderfully said! Thank you!
Cheeto Pretends That America Is Not Broke (https://bit.ly/4mCI1xJ)
In 1971 Nixon took America off the gold standard because of the run on the Treasury to exchange dollars for the country’s gold(you might remember France’s Charles DeGaulle running that effort?) In 1973 the dollar crashed and viola the price of gold by the Fed’s slight of hand was revalued to prevent debasement of the currency Since that time the purchasing power of the dollar has lost 98% of its value since 1973 due to both Nazi and Democratic overspending Since the purchasing power of the currency is tied to inflation, this is the real reason Americans are having trouble making ends meet And this is the Fed and many administration’s dirty little secret that it has been keeping from the American people for 50 years of spendthrift government policies
Now the Fed, Cheeto, and Bessent are getting ready for another debasement of the currency to keep the government afloat But since the government is in a debt trap, any raising of bond yields to entice foreign investors to buy American debt will in essence force Cheeto into another bankruptcy….his fifth and this one is a doozie since it involves a whole country
And our adversaries, Russia and China, are sitting on large gold reserves, multiples of what the US has If Cheeto debases the currency by raising the price of gold, they win Fiat money(currency not tethered to a gold standard) is doomed and the 50 year old ride is over The dollar is on its last leg and lesson learned…..get out of dollars and into gold or silver and stay away from bitcoin
Maybe we should rent a space and call it Trump's museum. We could fill it with the lies that he has told, the corruption that has taken place, line it with pictures of his whole regime and what they are saying and doing. Tell what their qualifications are - or lack of - tell who he has fired in the government and the reasons - show what the BBB will do to everyone - show pictures of the immigrants being captured and their living conditions - expose all the lies for all to see in one place. I suspect that would make a lot of heads turn when they see it as a whole - not in bits and pieces.
YES! I am in! Just keep writing, this is a great piece!!
History has been rewritten, watered down, and then rewritten again for decades, probably since we colonized this country in the early 1600's. Preserving history is done by preserving the written word. While museums and the Smithsonian are important, they can be redone from the books from wince has put the history to pen. If we are preserving our written word, we are preserving our history for future generations no matter what one evil person is currently doing to make it all say what he wants it to say.
Will we lose a generation of young people - maybe, and children may learn about whatever they are told growing up but they learn reality after they become adults. Reading books and passing them down from generation to generation is a good way to maintain our history.
Too many people put too much emphasis on the senile ramblings and temporary and "fixable" actions of a delusional narcissist. Everything he tears down can be rebuilt. It won't be fun, it won't be exactly like it was before, it could be better, but it can all be fixed. He is just one man and even you are giving him too much air time adding credibility to his divisive ways, that people should be fearful, that he's a force to be reckoned with. I watched his little senility appearance today and OMG, we should all just roll up our carpets and crawl in a hole {sarcasm}!
The horrible brutality of slavery does not seem to have taught Trump anything! Look at the brutal behavior he is showing the people of this country. Allowing masked thugs to attack people and send them to camps. Now we have to deal with armed soldiers on the streets. This will be his legacy. A reign of terror!