caucus99percent

free-range politics, organic community

Erosion of our Institutions?
Ron Placone wrote a recent piece about the erosion of many of the institutions we need and use. His title centers on the tsa and air travel (‘The Destruction of the TSA and Air Travel’), and his subtitle is ‘The Latest Fascist Casualty’. I think his article is pretty good, and goes into far more than just the TSA.

He writes:

One of the elements of fascism is the complete erosion of all institutions. Air travel is the latest one in the US. Donald Trump successfully sent in his nazi infantry to patrol airports and the situation keeps getting worse. This is all part of a more elaborate plan in Project 2025 to privatize the TSA. But, let’s start at the beginning, shall we? My claim is that this is just the latest casualty in a fascist coup, is that’s what’s happening? Are our institutions being eroded?
Definitely.

Good morning everyone.
Got home late last night from the farm, so I didn't have anything planned to start out the Open Thread day.
So we'll have to wing it.
I don't get any Tv or radio out at the farm, so I don't know what fresh hell Trump and his cronies have planned.

...but I heard this interview with an economist discussing the basic incompetence of the administration. The administration has made huge policy choices with absolutely no idea of their costs or alleged benefits. I'll post it below. It reminded me of my encounter with at a relatively young age with Lawrence Korb. Basically, an economist who had been an assistant Defense Secretary or something like that. He was the guest speaker in a classroom setting.

I've spoken in the past about what I call "Leap Frog Politics". I've written several essays on this topic but this one lays it out pretty well. Essentially Leap Frog Politics defines the process whereby political regimes come off as so bat shit crazy and abominable to at least half of the country that, in reaction, rush to vote for the other side to rid the country of the "crazy". The end result is We the People are prodded from one political frying pan to another until we finally leap into the fire. With a side effect of incremental loss of the Constitution and the rights and protections it affords.

I recently ran across this comment from another site, I can't remember which site it was other than it was a right leaning site:

The Democrats job is to destroy the country.

The Republicans job is to pretend to stop them.

You might be thinking, Oh no, that is wrong, just look at what that insane Trump and the Republicans are doing. It's they that are leading the nation into ruin.

Oh, really? Have you forgotten the policies that the Biden Administration were pushing? The agenda that scared so many voters that it lead us to the Trump Administration because, well, the Democrats are insane. Remember that?

A half hour interview with retired Colonel Doug Macgregor.

I refuse to learn how to imbed a video -- as a confirmed luddite.

This interview very persuasively argues that Trump is a lunatic, but not so crazy as he doesn't realize how badly he is losing. So the world is headed for catastrophe as Trump's ego now rules the world. Even as the USA gets hurt, Trump says he wins.