The Trump Reprisals

[Cindy Claveau]

I'm struggling to grasp the long-term strategy, here. So some National Guard from red states are stationed in predominantly blue cities to do what?

They cannot legally, physically interfere with ballot casting (so far), so I'm thinking their only purpose in Blue cities is to intimidate and lower the number of voters.
I would never put it past Cheetolini to just cancel elections altogether, but I think the national reaction to that might be too much even for Trumpy to withstand.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

I'm struggling to grasp the long-term strategy, here. So some National Guard from red states are stationed in predominantly blue cities to do what?

They cannot legally, physically interfere with ballot casting (so far), so I'm thinking their only purpose in Blue cities is to intimidate and lower the number of voters.
I would never put it past Cheetolini to just cancel elections altogether, but I think the national reaction to that might be too much even for Trumpy to withstand.

I really don't know.... I feel like this is an intimidation tactic they implemented in a very half assed way. I'm still expecting some stronger "voting security" legislation to come, but I'm not sure the national guard would be related.

One likely goal is just to push the narrative that blue cities are crime cesspools so he's pretending to solve the problem they contrived.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I'm struggling to grasp the long-term strategy, here. So some National Guard from red states are stationed in predominantly blue cities to do what?

They cannot legally, physically interfere with ballot casting (so far), so I'm thinking their only purpose in Blue cities is to intimidate and lower the number of voters.
I would never put it past Cheetolini to just cancel elections altogether, but I think the national reaction to that might be too much even for Trumpy to withstand.

To my mind, Trump is playing to his main constituency in red states. The message is that cities run by the Democrats are such crime-ridden hell-holes that he has to send in the military to sort them out. If there's nothing for them to do when they get there it doesn't matter. It's the images that count.

Also, and rather more worryingly, it helps to normalise the sight of armed troops on the streets.

 

[Beebo Brink]

If I properly understand Ambassador Hoekstra's argument, the US may consider ceasing to offer airport pre-clearance because the number of Canadians visiting the US has fallen, thus making the service appear more expensive to run per capita (though the fixed costs of offering the service remain the same, of course).

I think you're missing the subtext. Hoekstra is issuing a threat: If you don't start coming to the U.S. again, we're going to punish you.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I think you're missing the subtext. Hoekstra is issuing a threat: If you don't start coming to the U.S. again, we're going to punish you.

He's threatening the wrong people, though.

If the US carries through with it, the only people it'll inconvenience (besides people arriving from countries other than Canada at US international airports that are also arrivals points for Canadian flights) are Canadians who are still travelling to the US, whether from choice or necessity.

The inevitable result, or so it seems to me, will be to reduce the number of voluntary arrivals from the US even more.

If the US were to announce that, because Brits aren't visiting the US in sufficient numbers and, unless we buck up our ideas, they'll make it even more inconvenient for us to enter the country, that would hardly encourage me to book a flight.

 

[Beebo Brink]

He's threatening the wrong people, though....The inevitable result, or so it seems to me, will be to reduce the number of voluntary arrivals from the US even more.

Yes, of course it will. And?

The threat is aimed at Canada, but the AUDIENCE is Trump (and to a lesser extent, MAGA). It is performative bluster, with the (ill-advised and wholly imaginary) aim of looking "tough". Whether or not it results in more or fewer Canadians coming to this country is all beside the point.

 

[Myradyl Muse]

"Encouraging US Jobs over foreign jobs." But not through this stuid tariff yoyo bull shit and anti-imigrant fear momgering.

"Make America Healthy Again". But not with crachpot nonsense miracle cures all carried along for the ride.

"Optimise and better streamline Government systems." But not by firing and rehiring people for stupid reasons other than letting your techno libertarian friends steal all our data.

I appreciate your sense of balance and fairness to identify some of their 'tenets' as positive forces. These ideals are often held as helpful motivations in our societies. What strikes me about their espousing of these 'tenets', though, is a sense of disingenuous propaganda. Another version of the term Doublespeak, if you will, to lull us into complacency and agreement with the principles, as they do nothing of the sort and often promote the exact opposite.

 

[Myradyl Muse]

I'm struggling to grasp the long-term strategy, here. So some National Guard from red states are stationed in predominantly blue cities to do what?

They cannot legally, physically interfere with ballot casting (so far), so I'm thinking their only purpose in Blue cities is to intimidate and lower the number of voters.
I would never put it past Cheetolini to just cancel elections altogether, but I think the national reaction to that might be too much even for Trumpy to withstand.

My worry is that he/his cronies are seeking ways to toss matches into a tinder box, set off a pushback reaction in said city, and thus 'justify' some type of martial law takeover scenario - tactics from the authoritarian playbook historically.

 

[Free]

They want to declare martial law. I just think they're attempting it too early. Thanks, Epstein files!

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

I appreciate your sense of balance and fairness to identify some of their 'tenets' as positive forces. These ideals are often held as helpful motivations in our societies. What strikes me about their espousing of these 'tenets', though, is a sense of disingenuous propaganda. Another version of the term Doublespeak, if you will, to lull us into complacency and agreement with the principles, as they do nothing of the sort and often promote the exact opposite.

Agreed. Most conservative voters have good intentions, but are just swept up into propaganda about facts. This includes being very dedicated to not trusting anything democrats do. Michelle Obama tried to push school lunch plans to get kids to eat healthier, and she was mocked by many of the same right wingers that think RFK's plans are GREAT. RFK is pushing for a few good things and a bunch of dumb pseudoscience that will ultimately do more harm than good.

And making the American economy more independent is not a horrible goal in theory. ....but the tariffs will of course do more harm than good.

As for the DOGE cuts, many conservatives have been fed this belief that most government spending is just "waste." And the use of the word "waste" is very hand wavy. They don't know what it is but are sure we can just cut it somehow! What we found out the hard way was that it's actually very hard to cut spending without some kind of consequences.

 

[Soen Eber]

What people are missing here are four simple words that have governed most of Trumps actions: Cruelty is the point.

 

[Noodles]

They want to declare martial law. I just think they're attempting it too early. Thanks, Epstein files!

I think they are also underestimating just how hard it will be to keep it up overall.

The same reason the US can't just "pull a French Revolution" or "Mass Protest" like other smaller countries. Its just too large. Its also goong to insulate it a fair amount from long term control.

 

[Free]

What people are missing here are four simple words that have governed most of Trumps actions: Cruelty is the point.

People...HERE..are missing?

What do you think "owning the libs" is meant to convey?

 

[Soen Eber]

People...HERE..are missing?

What do you think "owning the libs" is meant to convey?

Some are still looking for ... rationality, so yes.

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

I'm struggling to grasp the long-term strategy, here. So some National Guard from red states are stationed in predominantly blue cities to do what?

Their strategy is to break so much of the federal government so fast that afterwards there's not enough of a functional framework of power left to prosecute those profiting off this insurrection against our constitution.

Trump, Miller and their handpicked cabinet of absolutely fucking unqualified shitheads may not survive what happens next, but the heritage foundation types will rebrand the conservative party again and back a whole new set of much more dangerously organized, capable, efficient and motivated authoritarians to lock down their absolute choke hold on power in this country.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

More on normalising the presence of the military on the streets

Resisting Propaganda

The imagery of National Guard troops in American cities has become propaganda that seeks to normalize having military in our streets.

contrarian.substack.com

 

[Free]

Trump needs to drag his "enemies" through the shit pile of his childish mind.

FBI agent suspended over James Comey perp walk plans

FBI leadership is reportedly in discussions to stage a showy arrest of the bureau's former director next week.

www.bbc.com

An FBI agent has reportedly been suspended because they refused to participate in a "perp walk" of the bureau's former director James Comey, US media reports.

The agent was suspended for insubordination, according to the BBC's news partner CBS, after the agent found the plan to be inappropriate.

Mr Comey was indicted in Virginia on two federal charges days after Donald Trump called on law enforcement to more aggressively investigate his political adversaries, including Mr Comey.

FBI leadership has discussed sending "large, beefy" agents in Kevlar vests to bring Mr Comey to his court arraignment in Alexandria next week, CBS reports. The BBC has reached out to the FBI.

 

[Free]

In case you haven't heard this yet.

Letitia James: New York attorney general criminally indicted

James, who led a civil fraud case against US President Donald Trump, was indicted in Alexandria, Virginia.

www.bbc.com

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been criminally indicted on federal charges by a grand jury.

James, who led a civil fraud investigation against Trump in 2023, was indicted on charges of bank fraud in the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, according to court documents.

Prosecutors accuse James of alleged bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution regarding a mortgage loan for a house in Norfolk, Virginia, the documents state.

In a statement, James accused the president - who recently publicly pressured prosecutors to file criminal charges against her - of a "desperate weaponization of our justice system".

"He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State attorney general," she said.

Meanwhile, Comey's team plans to go after the legality of Trump's efforts against Comey, as well as his legal gal pal.

 

[Free]

Up next, John Bolton. Couldn't happen to a better asshole, but again we can't give into our personal revenge fantasies especially when they align with Trump's.

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton indicted

John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser-turned-adversary, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland.

He now faces 18 charges: eight counts of transmission of national defense information and 10 counts of retention of national defense information.

Prosecutors wrote in the indictment that during the time he was national security adviser to Trump, Bolton shared “more than a thousand pages of information about his day-to-day activities” with two unauthorized individuals. Both of those people were related to Bolton and didn’t have the authority to access classified information, prosecutors said.

All of this was previously investigated but ultimately dropped by prosecutors at the time. I'm doubting they've dug up something new and damning against Bolton. that wasn't seen the first time through.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Up next, John Bolton. Couldn't happen to a better asshole, but again we can't give into our personal revenge fantasies especially when they align with Trump's.

Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton indicted


All of this was previously investigated but ultimately dropped by prosecutors at the time. I'm doubting they've dug up something new and damning against Bolton. that wasn't seen the first time through.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump was indicted for stashing hundreds of boxes of classified documents around Mar a Lago.