The crowd was peaceful, with a bit of a festive air. Costumes were common. I saw an eagle, a bear, a couple of chickens, six unicorns and a taco. Yes, a taco. That one was unique and from what I overheard homemade. A number of frog hats were being worn by organizers. They had music and chants. “This is what democracy looks like” was a favorite.
The signs included the normal; “Resist”, “No Kings”, “No Faux King Way”, “Save Democracy”, “Hands Off” (an obvious recycled sign from an earlier protest) etc. But some people came up with some very clever ideas: “Make Nazis Afraid Again”, “Where is Christ in Christian Nationalism? Following Christ means protecting the vulnerable NOT Punishing Them! STOP weaponizing the Christian faith to harm others!” (a crowd favorite judging by the number of photos taken) and “Honk if you’re NOT in the Epstein files” (a personal favorite). I made a new sign, using the traditional “Liberty and Justice for All” on one side (others used that too) and “Tariffs are a Tax on You & Me!”. As before, if I thought a vehicle passing held Trumpers I showed the “Tariff” side, thinking maybe they would actually care about their pocketbook, if not democracy. My unscientific poll of passing vehicles showed a lower rate of occupants giving us the finger or the thumbs down. There were still some who did the roaring engine thing. But over all there was a more positive response. Someone drove by with a Biden head placard, which I really loved. It was like Grandpa Joe was with us. Despite his cognitive decline, a still normal president from the good old days.
Here is a small video of Minnesota protests:
Just one more song.
12 comments:
Seems Trump was royally offended by the Canadians running an advert featuring Ronald Reagan decrying tariffs in general and has broken off tariff talks with the Canadians.
If that doesn't guarantee that the Democrats pick up that ad soon as the Canadians back down then they ain't payin' attention. (Assuming the Canadians back down.)
I have been wondering if anyone in MAGA world has noticed Trump's tearing down part of the White House? Since they haven't noticed his tearing apart the country, unless it directly affects them, I mean. The farmers and castle ranchers may have an inkling though.
Apparently Marjorie Taylor Greene's relatives on Medicaid noticed.
The Canadian advert that pissed off Trump will air twice during the upcoming World Series--first two nights. Then they'll pull it for a while to allow the Canadian Prime Minister to restart trade negotiations with Trump's minions. (Trump himself will be in the Far East by then.) TheHill
The Department of Agriculture has issued a memo saying they will not be using their emergency fund to pay SNAP benefits (food stamps) in November. This may have been a political mistake (issuing the memo, not suspending food stamps). It'll make it easier for the Democrats to lay this one at the feet of the Trump administration and his Trumpkan/Republicans in the Congress. A lot of dedicated Trumpkins use food stamps. (The Ag. Dept. also quietly took down a previously existing page on their website that had advertised those emergency funds as available to pay the November food stamps. Don't know how quiet that'll continue to be.)
The thing is, a lot of the programs that are destined to be cut, even without the government shutdown, are used by dedicated Trumpkins, uncluding the ACA.
All the dedicated Trumpkins are subject to the vagaries of the U.S. economy, and that's showing some signs of distress. It could go south before next year's mid-terms.
I was reminded yesterday that Trump had announced a series of trade "deals" he'd struck with various Asian countries back in the spring, the terms of which deals were never announced. But, they were great Trumpian Triumphs nonetheless. Except, couple of days later it came out that they were mostly "frameworks", or "memorandum agreements", or "understandings"; basically, they were agreements to make a deal later on down the line somewhere, sometime,…whatever….
Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, whole bunch of 'em like that. And Trump backed off on his highest levels of tariffs for them for that.
Well, none of those ever turned into a real deal. I mean--none--not one. Although they did get to keep their lower tariff levels. And now he's going back to Asia. I s'pect we'll soon be reminded of those supposed "deals" that never did happen. Probably get updated "frameworks" and "memorandum agreements" and new "understandings"; all of which will be great Trumpian Triumphs all over again. But, turns out that in the meantime the Chinese have been leaning on those same Asian nations to not compromise their standing with China this time.
Be interesting to see how it all works out.
Word's out today that Trump has "finalized" agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia to "cooperate with the United States against targeted [but unnamed] 'third countries’ in areas like investment screening, export controls and tariff evasion." Politico
Supposedly that vague language is a "final" agreement. Other than those frauds, Trump's entourage has been gleefully announcing many more "frameworks", pretty much across the board. Trumpian Triumphs all!
Yeah, right.
They are making more blatant noises about Trump serving a third term.
The GOP led Oversight Committe says Biden pardons signed by autopen are "void".
It just keeps getting worse and worse. I never realized how many "Republicans" really don't believe in democracy. Have they always been authoritarian by nature and I just didn't notice?
Amazon is cutting 14,000 jobs. They also have a plan to automate more of their warehouses, eliminating future jobs.
Trump with his tariffs has just moved up the time table for our economic decline.
"Have they always been authoritarian by nature and I just
didn't notice?"
The Republican Party, like the Democratic Party, has long been a coalition of political interests. The classical Republicans had a "Bible Thumper" contingent, a Free Market/Libertarian/anarchist contingent, a rascist White Supremacist/White Christer element, plus the "country club" Republicans who could blend all three together, and yes, there was a streak of authoritarian affinity running through most all of those elements.
The old descriptions were "social conservative", "economic conservative" and antigovernment business interests (especially anti-tax and anti-regulation) making up the three legs of the tripod that held up the stable Republican party platform over the years.
Perhaps I should also point out that the Republican Party was once a party of relative "liberals". Abraham Lincoln is a standout example of this initial tendency. The right wing and even ultra-right wing "Southern Democrat" was a classic denizen of American politics for many years, until the great political realignment of the mid-1960s when Lyndon Johnson's Democratic Party championed equal civil rights for non-white Americans.
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