Ugh. Yeah, it’s an annoyance. Here’s a great piece of politicking, a great moment, a great video, but like about 95% of homemade vids it’s marred by unnecessary and distracting effects.

At least it wasn’t introduced by some wacky influencer mugging for the camera.

It was like that in Germany, too.

We’re going to be hearing that a lot.

Yeah, my reply was too brief & misunderstandable, so let me 'splain.

We need to stop deluding ourselves into thinking there’s a political solution to what Trump, Musk, and the Republicans are doing. There’s not.

Most Americans have been thoroughly misinformed and won’t care about the destruction of democracy until the repercussions smack them personally in the face, but by then the coup will be completed. Dems in Congress will not spontaneously evolve spines. I’m out there picketing, but only for my conscience and mental health, not because I imagine the fascists will hear us and yield. They won’t.

Politics as usual is finished in America. We will be left with whatever rights Trump & Musk decide we should have, which won’t be much and won’t be up for ‘debate’. The current dismantling of America will lead to violence, which I neither want nor call for, and which I’m too old, weak, and generally chickenshit to participate in. The violence is going to happen, though, with the police, the military, and the un-regulated militia against we the people who hope for freedom, and we will lose. After that, reconstructing democracy in America will take generations of struggle and bloodshed.

It’s moot and silly to talk of ‘fixing this’ via elections or reforming the Democratic Party. That ship has sailed and sunk. America, 1776-2025, RIP.

There will be no ‘fixing this’.

Upvoted for feckless. I love that word in general, and it’s perfect attached to Democrats.

The question is specifically the billionaire’s behavior toward Russia.

It would be helpful to have it confirmed, but it’s highly unlikely. The KGB is generally hush-hush, so we’re going to have to decide without explicit evidence, but Occam’s razor is good enough for me.

Does it need to be?

I don’t think either party would want you.