On my birthday I wish for peace and quiet. Instead, America delivered Epstein tapes, armed troops, collapsing democracy, economic chaos, and Trump’s vengeance on full display.
It is actually some Americans' version of America. If it were otherwise, Trump wouldn't be President. Until "we" are ready to accept that not everyone shares the same vision, those of us supporting democracy won't get anywhere.
Fact check: 1/3 of voting Americans voted for Trump. That means 1/3 of possible voters SAT IT OUT!!! It is THOSE people who allowed this fascists to make a come back. Some how, some way, THOSE non-voters have to be activated, reasoned with, put a fire under their collective asses and MOBILIZE!!!
Thank you for pointing out that so many possible voters didn't vote. But I don't think you should assume they would have voted against Trump and blame them for allowing him to make a comeback. Why they didn't vote? Were they going to vote for Trump and figured he'd win so they didn't need to? Had they voted, would Trump have won by another million or so votes? If you mobilize the non-voters, they might just as easily vote RINO as DEM. That is, unless the DEMs finally dump their gerontocracy and fringe and start thinking more about who is BEST able to lead -- not about who's been around the longest and "deserves" to be the candidate -- and make ordinary Americans' lives better.
you make excellent points. don't get me wrong, I would NEVER assume that non-voters would automatically vote against Fascism. The fact is, if 98% of Americans voted and Trump STILL wins a majority, then at least we would have a more accurate account of where our country truly stands. If the latter were the case, I would not think twice of leaving and I'm a 5th generation veteran of this country. Right now, I am still holding out hope (hope against hope?) that the low overall voter turn out in 2024 was and is NOT indicative of where the entire country truly stands on Trump and his fascist regime! Perhaps I am fooling myself.
Brad, it is a pleasure to read your posts. I think you have an excellent understanding of the current political climate. I hope you are correct that the 2024 vote does not indicate where America truly stands on Trump. I am only a second generation American by birth. My grandparents came here to escape the Nazis taking over their country less than 100 years ago -- over 20,000 of their countrymen were not so lucky and died from starvation caused by the Nazis. I can imagine how difficult this is for someone with such a long family history of true patriotism in America.
My father and mother grew up in The Great Depression and came of age in time for the 2nd World War. My father fought against the attempted fascists takeover of the world by Germany, Empire of Japan and Italy while serving in the Navy for 8 years total (he was recalled by the government in 1952 and was forced to fight in Korea). My grandfather was gassed in World War 1 in France. He was a Marine, 6th Reg, 97th CO. I never got to meet him due to the lung damage he received in the war. Yes, I am a patriot, HOWEVER, this is so much more than a label. We are in a global fight for human freedom and human rights. Seems authoritarianism has made a global comeback unfortunately. To me, there is no such thing as "illegal" immigrants as nearly all Americans are here by way of an immigrant seeking a better, safer, more secure life for their families. It is no different now than it was when human beings first left their homes of origin many, many millennia ago. Thank you for sharing. The loss in WW2 was/is staggering on so many levels. I truly think our life on this planet is at a very critical reflection point, both here in the Americas, but really all around the world. We are a human family, and it seems the pathological children are running wild and causing so much death and suffering. Putin, Trump, Netanyahu, etc. These are VERY unstable and scary days indeed.
Happy Birthday fellow Virgo. Mine’s tomorrow, 75. Can’t believe I lasted this long.
Still fighting for justice after all these fucking years. Thank you and all your followers for fighting the good fight. Yes, I’m tired too, but that matters little when thinking of the alternative.
Happy birthday Michael Cohen, ✊ I give it til October 16th for the big Mac's and filletOfish’s, and chocolate shakes to finish doing their job on the felon.
Happy birthday, Michael! Thank you for all you do - your writing on this Substack and your books, your YouTube videos with MeidasTouch and solo - I absorb it all! You keep me in the fight!
Yesterday was my birthday and I did try to decouple from the news for most of the day. Instead I went to a festival celebrating the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.
I hope you're still able to have a happy birthday in spite of these dark times we're all trying to survive through. Takes solace in the knowledge that there are many like-minded people United with you. I wish you many blessings.
Happy Birthday! Give yourself and your family a gift of 'reprieve' for one day. Revel in the outdoors and absorb the healing power of nature. Nature is smart! Grab a picnic lunch from a great deli and sit by some water. Happy Birthday!🎈
Yesterday was my birthday. My wish is for each one of us to have a day of peace and quiet on each of our birthdays. That should cover just about every day! Happy Birthday, Michael.
I spent much of my life defending this country, and I have thought that we might pass relatively peacefully into Democratic Socialisism as many countries have done. But unfortunately, we are taking the detour through Nationalist Socialism (Naziism) or fascism (less likely now). We were doing well with the construction of a viable safety net which the current administration is hell-bent on dismantling. At almost 80, I may not have a chance to see this ship of state right itself, but maybe my children or grandchildren will.
Can you please cover Kent State 1970 and discusse the parallels? This needs to be.forefront in our minds now that the guard has become armed. If we need to get angry. Don't worry about a logo, or an ad for jeans and a kiss cam. This is reality.
On May 4, 1970, in Kent, Ohio, 28 National Guardsmen fire their weapons at a group of anti-war demonstrators on the Kent State University campus, killing four students and wounding nine. The tragedy was a watershed moment for a nation divided by the conflict in Vietnam, and further galvanized the anti-war movement.
Two days earlier, on May 2, National Guard troops were called to Kent to suppress students rioting in protest of the Vietnam War and the U.S. invasion of Cambodia. The next day, scattered protests were dispersed by tear gas, and on May 4 class resumed at Kent State University. By noon that day, despite a ban on rallies, some 2,000 people had assembled on the campus. National Guard troops arrived and ordered the crowd to disperse, fired tear gas, and advanced against the students with bayonets fixed on their rifles. Some of the protesters, refusing to yield, responded by throwing rocks and verbally taunting the troops.
The Kent State Shootings
What happened at Kent State University on May 4, 1970? Learn about the political and social movements that set the stage for a bloody showdown between student protestors and the Ohio National Guard.
Minutes later, without firing a warning shot, the Guardsmen discharged more than 60 rounds toward a group of demonstrators in a nearby parking lot, killing four and wounding nine. The closest casualty was 20 yards away, and the farthest was almost 250 yards away. After a period of disbelief, shock, and attempts at first aid, angry students gathered on a nearby slope and were again ordered to move by the Guardsmen. Faculty members were able to convince the group to disperse, and further bloodshed was prevented.
The shootings led to protests on college campuses across the country. Photographs of the massacre became enduring images of the anti-war movement. In 1974, at the end of a criminal investigation, a federal court dropped all charges levied against eight Ohio National Guardsmen for their role in the Kent State students’ deaths.
Happy Birthday, Michael! Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do
Michael, if you’re reading this you’re much too close. Go and have a great time, if possible on your birthday.
It is not Trump's America! It is Trump's version of America. Not ours.
It is actually some Americans' version of America. If it were otherwise, Trump wouldn't be President. Until "we" are ready to accept that not everyone shares the same vision, those of us supporting democracy won't get anywhere.
Fact check: 1/3 of voting Americans voted for Trump. That means 1/3 of possible voters SAT IT OUT!!! It is THOSE people who allowed this fascists to make a come back. Some how, some way, THOSE non-voters have to be activated, reasoned with, put a fire under their collective asses and MOBILIZE!!!
Thank you for pointing out that so many possible voters didn't vote. But I don't think you should assume they would have voted against Trump and blame them for allowing him to make a comeback. Why they didn't vote? Were they going to vote for Trump and figured he'd win so they didn't need to? Had they voted, would Trump have won by another million or so votes? If you mobilize the non-voters, they might just as easily vote RINO as DEM. That is, unless the DEMs finally dump their gerontocracy and fringe and start thinking more about who is BEST able to lead -- not about who's been around the longest and "deserves" to be the candidate -- and make ordinary Americans' lives better.
you make excellent points. don't get me wrong, I would NEVER assume that non-voters would automatically vote against Fascism. The fact is, if 98% of Americans voted and Trump STILL wins a majority, then at least we would have a more accurate account of where our country truly stands. If the latter were the case, I would not think twice of leaving and I'm a 5th generation veteran of this country. Right now, I am still holding out hope (hope against hope?) that the low overall voter turn out in 2024 was and is NOT indicative of where the entire country truly stands on Trump and his fascist regime! Perhaps I am fooling myself.
Brad, it is a pleasure to read your posts. I think you have an excellent understanding of the current political climate. I hope you are correct that the 2024 vote does not indicate where America truly stands on Trump. I am only a second generation American by birth. My grandparents came here to escape the Nazis taking over their country less than 100 years ago -- over 20,000 of their countrymen were not so lucky and died from starvation caused by the Nazis. I can imagine how difficult this is for someone with such a long family history of true patriotism in America.
My father and mother grew up in The Great Depression and came of age in time for the 2nd World War. My father fought against the attempted fascists takeover of the world by Germany, Empire of Japan and Italy while serving in the Navy for 8 years total (he was recalled by the government in 1952 and was forced to fight in Korea). My grandfather was gassed in World War 1 in France. He was a Marine, 6th Reg, 97th CO. I never got to meet him due to the lung damage he received in the war. Yes, I am a patriot, HOWEVER, this is so much more than a label. We are in a global fight for human freedom and human rights. Seems authoritarianism has made a global comeback unfortunately. To me, there is no such thing as "illegal" immigrants as nearly all Americans are here by way of an immigrant seeking a better, safer, more secure life for their families. It is no different now than it was when human beings first left their homes of origin many, many millennia ago. Thank you for sharing. The loss in WW2 was/is staggering on so many levels. I truly think our life on this planet is at a very critical reflection point, both here in the Americas, but really all around the world. We are a human family, and it seems the pathological children are running wild and causing so much death and suffering. Putin, Trump, Netanyahu, etc. These are VERY unstable and scary days indeed.
Happy Birthday fellow Virgo. Mine’s tomorrow, 75. Can’t believe I lasted this long.
Still fighting for justice after all these fucking years. Thank you and all your followers for fighting the good fight. Yes, I’m tired too, but that matters little when thinking of the alternative.
Take care of you. All of you. You matter.
Well put & Happy Birthday to ya's. ❤️
Aw thanks Lana
You've got this. !! 💐
Happy birthday Michael Cohen, ✊ I give it til October 16th for the big Mac's and filletOfish’s, and chocolate shakes to finish doing their job on the felon.
But then we get the couch fucker!
Nobody is afraid of that closeted gay man, either.
Then he won't last long either joining Drumpf in Neo-Hell.
Bleah
Happy Birthday!
🎂🎉🎁
Today is my sister’s birthday too.
I hope you can carve out some joy for yourself with family and friends today.
Happy birthday, Michael! Thank you for all you do - your writing on this Substack and your books, your YouTube videos with MeidasTouch and solo - I absorb it all! You keep me in the fight!
Yesterday was my birthday and I did try to decouple from the news for most of the day. Instead I went to a festival celebrating the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.
Way to be !! ❤️ 💙 💜
I hope you're still able to have a happy birthday in spite of these dark times we're all trying to survive through. Takes solace in the knowledge that there are many like-minded people United with you. I wish you many blessings.
Happy Birthday, Michael!!!! May your new year bring peace and democracy to all of us!!!!💙🇺🇸🎊🎁🎈
This is a crazy and unlawful regime
Today is my birthday too.
Happy Birthday! Give yourself and your family a gift of 'reprieve' for one day. Revel in the outdoors and absorb the healing power of nature. Nature is smart! Grab a picnic lunch from a great deli and sit by some water. Happy Birthday!🎈
Yesterday was my birthday. My wish is for each one of us to have a day of peace and quiet on each of our birthdays. That should cover just about every day! Happy Birthday, Michael.
My birthday was yesterday, also.
Well elliemae, a belated Happy Birthday. It's fun to celebrate it everyday till your next birthday ❤️ 💙 💜
Happy Birthday! Celebrate in spite of it all! 🎁 🎂 🎁
As my husband says, “It’s better than the alternative“ !
My mother use to say that but she didn't know anything about Felon47 and what was coming at us.
Maybe so, but she was right ✅️
I spent much of my life defending this country, and I have thought that we might pass relatively peacefully into Democratic Socialisism as many countries have done. But unfortunately, we are taking the detour through Nationalist Socialism (Naziism) or fascism (less likely now). We were doing well with the construction of a viable safety net which the current administration is hell-bent on dismantling. At almost 80, I may not have a chance to see this ship of state right itself, but maybe my children or grandchildren will.
Can you please cover Kent State 1970 and discusse the parallels? This needs to be.forefront in our minds now that the guard has become armed. If we need to get angry. Don't worry about a logo, or an ad for jeans and a kiss cam. This is reality.
On May 4, 1970, in Kent, Ohio, 28 National Guardsmen fire their weapons at a group of anti-war demonstrators on the Kent State University campus, killing four students and wounding nine. The tragedy was a watershed moment for a nation divided by the conflict in Vietnam, and further galvanized the anti-war movement.
Two days earlier, on May 2, National Guard troops were called to Kent to suppress students rioting in protest of the Vietnam War and the U.S. invasion of Cambodia. The next day, scattered protests were dispersed by tear gas, and on May 4 class resumed at Kent State University. By noon that day, despite a ban on rallies, some 2,000 people had assembled on the campus. National Guard troops arrived and ordered the crowd to disperse, fired tear gas, and advanced against the students with bayonets fixed on their rifles. Some of the protesters, refusing to yield, responded by throwing rocks and verbally taunting the troops.
The Kent State Shootings
What happened at Kent State University on May 4, 1970? Learn about the political and social movements that set the stage for a bloody showdown between student protestors and the Ohio National Guard.
Minutes later, without firing a warning shot, the Guardsmen discharged more than 60 rounds toward a group of demonstrators in a nearby parking lot, killing four and wounding nine. The closest casualty was 20 yards away, and the farthest was almost 250 yards away. After a period of disbelief, shock, and attempts at first aid, angry students gathered on a nearby slope and were again ordered to move by the Guardsmen. Faculty members were able to convince the group to disperse, and further bloodshed was prevented.
The shootings led to protests on college campuses across the country. Photographs of the massacre became enduring images of the anti-war movement. In 1974, at the end of a criminal investigation, a federal court dropped all charges levied against eight Ohio National Guardsmen for their role in the Kent State students’ deaths.