There is no upside in the US economy looking forward. To think otherwise is simply delusional. The US is now forced to resort to stealing wealth to prop up an economy on the edge.
Most Americans disapprove of His Royal Heinous, but they are looking for an easy solution. One that will not require even a small sacrifice on their part, or any disruption to their life.
They are putting too much faith in what the midterms will do. The midterms may have a beneficial psychologic effect but in reality the outcome will have little or no practical effect, unless the Dems can get 2/3 majority in the house and senate, which they won’t. They will not be able to undo anything His Royal Heinous has done or pass new legislation, because of his veto power.
There will be investigations if the Dems take the House, but to what end. HRH will pardon all perpetrators, and they know it.
They will impeach HRH, but we’ve seen that movie twice before. Convicted in the senate and removed from office? We can only hope, but hope is not a strategy.
He will continue to rule by “National Emergency“ and Executive Orders and almost surely the Supreme Court will allow it.
The greatest danger in all this is that it will appear that something beneficial is happening. The majority of people will believe the system is working. After about a year they will realize that nothing is changing. Then they will think, Oh well, he’ll be gone after the election next year.
Or will he? It took the Hungarians 16 years to get rid of Orban, and the Project 2025 people will certainly not make the same mistakes that Orban did.
What can we do?
We, the people, still have the power of the purse. No one can control our spending, or lack of spending. The other peaceful options are failing. Time is of the essence. The longer the fascist takeover goes on, the more difficult it will be to undo.
We must go on a spending strike until the business community stops supporting His Royal Heinous and the politicians who enable him.
Stop participating. Nearly 70% of the U.S. economy is driven by consumer spending. You and me. Hobble the economy and the stock market.
Economic warfare is the only thing the oligarchs, the business community, will understand and act on. Call it a Surreptitious General Strike (Quiet Quitting). Go to work, do as little as possible. Stop spending money except on essentials. Quit feeding the corporate beast that supports HRH.
This is how we can stop and reverse the fascist takeover.
But get real. People act when they belong to something. Appealing to "everyone" does very little -- unless you live in Albania, but we don't. We put out a broad appeal when we should be building a Coalition for the Good, by whatever name, so we can have a force at the ready for boycotts or other actions that help our cause.
“It’s the economy, stupid” as James Carville famously told Bill Clinton. It was then, and still is, in politics. The reelection of His Royal Heinous is largely attributed to the misperceived state of the economy. That’s what must be attacked, not individual corporations. The overall economy must suffer before the Greedy Bastards will pay attention.
HRH will not destroy the economy on his own (TACO). He will find a way to prop it up (like lower interest rates) because the economy and stock market are his report card and key to keeping power. The key to keeping power, as it is in Russia, China, Hungary, Turkey. They give the people a somewhat decent standard of living, and in exchange, the people have no political power. Only the autocrat has that. Unlimited.
Our best chance of success lies in obtaining high profile, national leadership and spokespersons. Fragmented, unknown groups leading the charge might work but would take much longer, and time is of the essence. Since the Disney boycott there have been more “bigger” names taking up the cause.
There will have to be a great amount of grassroot support before a national “leader” will take up the cause. Most of our supposed leaders are really followers of movements. They’ll get out front after it’s shown to have popular support. So, we recruit more foot soldiers, like ourselves, and spread the word on various Substacks and other social media platforms.
After mustering much grassroots support we can then approach some Substack writers who have many subscribers and appeal to them to take up the cause and spread the word. Writers like Jen Rubin, Steve Schmidt, Robert Reich, Heather Richardson, Paul Krugman. Again, a good amount of grassroots support will have to be demonstrated.
We will need an organized effort to encourage those writers to concentrate on this method of opposition. Possibly coordinated mass emails to them promoting the idea, or coordinated posts to their Substacks.
Then, hopefully, one or more national leaders will take up the cause. Possibly a steering committee composed of left, center and right individuals, but not current office holders. It should be seen as non partisan.
This will be a tough sell. Americans are addicted to buying. We are brainwashed from the cradle by advertising, popular culture, peer pressure, to consume. If you want to be happy and fulfilled, you must have this or that product. To overcome this, our fellow citizens must be convinced that this is the only viable peaceful solution to stop and reverse the fascist takeover. And it is.
If a single dollar doubles every day for 30 days, it reaches a total of over $536 million ($536,870,912) at the end of the 30th day.
So, would it follow, that a single voice that doubled everyday would become 536 million voices after 30 days? That seems doable.
Defeating the fascists in WWII did not happen without sacrifice from the citizens of the Allied countries. We will have to sacrifice to stop and reverse the fascist takeover of our country. We can sacrifice a little now or a much greater amount later. What kind of world will our children and grandchildren live in if we allow this to continue?
Spending Strike, Spending Freeze, Spending Suspension, Spending Pause, Economic Disengagement, Economic Warfare, Stop Spending!, even Boycott. Choose your favorite but Do It, and Spread the Word!, far, wide, and quickly, before the fascists takedown our means of communication.
Why a Spending Strike is the Best Option to Stop and Reverse the Fascist Takeover.
TINA: There Is No Alternative. There is no peaceful alternative.
Plan A
Plan A consists of phoning/writing your legislators, and street demonstrations, neither of which have worked nor give any sign of working. His Royal Heinous controls the majority party in the legislature and they are doing his bidding. As for street demonstrations:
From Professor Erica Chenoweth:
…”they often subject their participants to a higher risk of repression or communal violence from opponents. So movements that are capable of having the capacity to shift to methods of dispersion, like stay-at-homes or strikes or forms of economic noncooperation, tend to be much more effective because they have the capability of maneuver when the state begins to ramp up violence against them.”
Soft Secession
Federal funds make up 35% of California’s state budget, with $173 billion in federal grants awarded in Fiscal Year 2021 alone, making up a significant portion of state and local budgets for programs like health, education, and infrastructure.
Are they really going to anger HRH to the extent that he cuts off their federal funding?
Soft secession? Only to the point when HRH feels threatened.
He will move in with all his resources and stop it.
This soft secession idea is a political ploy by state officials to get their constituents to believe the officials are doing something to stop the takeover.
It’s also another distraction to the resistance in that it keeps us from organizing and uniting around what must be done and what will work. It’s another example of hoping for an easy fix, one that will not take any sacrifice.
In addition, soft secession is divisive, pitting blue states against red states, playing into the narrative of HRH, who wants to start a civil war. MAGA not only wants to “own the libs”, they’d like to kill as many as possible, to eliminate the opposition.
Targeted boycotts
Why targeted boycotts are ineffective:
Boycotts often fail because they require massive, sustained participation to create meaningful financial pressure, lack clear alternatives for consumers, generate insufficient negative media attention, and are easily weathered by companies waiting for the protest to fade. Additionally, the complex nature of modern capitalism and the proliferation of corporate conglomerates can make it difficult for boycotters to effectively target and impact a company's bottom line or reputation, especially when companies have multiple revenue streams, like real estate, that aren't affected by consumer boycotts.
In 2020, Goya Foods praised President Donald Trump on social media, which caused those in opposition to Trump to boycott their products. Trump loyalists simultaneously initated a counter-boycott, where consumers bought mass quantities of their products, in response. The boycott caused Goya profits to increase dramatically because Trump supporters started an opposing campaign.
The midterm election
Will it be free and fair? It won’t be. Will it occur at all? HRH has already said that if we’re at war there’ll be no election. Guess what? If it’s looking bad for him, he’ll be at war to try to stop the election. The election is important to him because having the majority in the legislature gives the fascist regime the look of legitimacy, and stopping or stealing the election demonstrates his power. This election is going to unleash total chaos.
People are putting too much faith in what the midterms will do. They may have a beneficial psychologic effect but in reality the outcome will have little or no practical effect, unless the Dems can get 2/3 majority in the house and senate, which they won’t. They will not be able to undo anything HRH has done or pass new legislation because of his veto power, nor will they be able to get a conviction on Impeachment. We’ve seen that movie twice before, and know how it ends.
The Courts
While some lower courts have ruled against HRH, slowing his takeover, the rulings have been fast tracked to the Supreme Court. It has almost universally ruled in HRH’s favor. SCOTUS members Roberts and Barrett may have an epiphany and save the country from civil war, but it’s doubtful. It’s going to be up to us to stop this.
Time is running out for a Peaceful Solution. Please Spread the Word!, far, wide, and quickly, before the fascists takedown our means of communication.
Not the logic of why to do it -- and, as you say, it never works -- but where's the energy to actually do it? What would motivate people to move into action? That's where belonging to something comes in.
There's babble going on, without people cutting through for what to do. It's one of the bizarre aspects of the most bizarre time ever. Not seeing forests for trees. Stuck in the little picture and not wising up about where we have to go for the next round of our civilization.
I feel like I belong to something. I call it The Resistance and I believe it includes everyone that opposes the fascist takeover. What’s needed is high profile, credible, national leadership.
I appreciate your thoughts especially about sacrifice and a real commitment to not feeding the greed engine. I also think fair taxation is the answer and a more effective approach. If only we truly practiced a responsibility and love for those who have been left behind and created a world where opportunity is available to anyone willing to try rather than only those who have a large bankroll. Thank you
Martin, thank you for your candid description of the economic bias in America. I believe that this message that all is not well is starting to resonate with the masses. A recent poll indicated that, for the 1st time, saving our democracy came in higher than that "made-up term" affordability.
Sadly, I agree that any and all "protests" seem to have become social events, comprised mainly of, albeit us well-informed, boomers. Nonetheless, I will still attend and likely borrow your quip - "Make Taxes Fair Again" for my next poster.
You are very welcome my friend. We can only keep pushing the boulder up the hill and I’m certainly not saying street protests have no value. Even if their only value is to bring likeminded people together face to face, they have an important part to play - Martin
Martin you are too hard on yourself . I think this Substack is immensely important and informative. That all because of your unique skills . It's unimaginable this is where we are as s country. No one is coming to save us. It's a strange mixture of terrible dare I say almost a Biblical reckoning .✌️
I read and pass along your message every day to a small group of like minded people that I hope appreciate it as much as I do. I much admire your understanding of my country's
innate foibles and the ultimate self interest and the likely unrecognized personal greediness that keeps us immobilized and unable to focus long enough to throw off the yoke of unimaginable tyranny that we bear. You have offered a solution for a very long time that you are now admitting will never work. It grieves me to see you in obvious pain and frustration.
The harm to the entire world by this demon-trump who is really only a puppet mouthpiece for a cabal of wealthy and truly self interested persons must be stopped and very soon. No one anywhere knew the ultimate power of the office because previous people in that position had a bit of decency and honor and no one before had such a powerful, carefully written, gameplan that only required a tyrant to carry it out. It's mind boggling to watch a this world plan, more than 10 years in the making, so transparently being carried out, and with no one in the Congress or the courts reigning him in. The world order cannot withstand two and a half more years of this evil leadership. Our Congress must use their constitutional powers to remove this cancer from office either before or after the midterms. We must elect new leadership in the Congress and Senate in such numbers as to quickly and permanently cast aside this person and anyone following him who continues to trash the founding father's noble plan of shared governance known as the Constitution.
Appreciate your kind words as ever. I’m not pained, but rather frustrated Larry. Over the months I have gathered much more knowledge and an understanding that was at odds with my perception based off my many trips to the U.S. for both business and pleasure.
it’s hard to see the rapid decline since 2016 to where we find ourselves today, where if I arrived at a U.S. border point I would likely be detained for expressing my forthright opinions on the petulant child in the White House.
Don’t misunderstand, I’m going nowhere, but I’ve spent my life being a solution provider and this one has me scratching my head.
Yes, unfortunately ‘this is the world we live in now’.
— And that world is getting TIRED of it also … several international leaders & industries showing the way to break away from dependence on ‘Mr. Big’, ie the U.S. in its current incarnation esp.
US weapons makers confront Europe's drive for local control
“As U.S. defence companies descended on Britain's Farnborough Airshow this week hoping to tap Europe's military spending boom, they encountered increased 🔻concern among customers about 🔻reliance on American suppliers.
🔹European governments are demanding 🔹greater control over defence equipment, more local production and a bigger share of industrial benefits. *In response, U.S. arms makers are expanding manufacturing in Europe, forming joint ventures and offering more tailored products.”
When ‘Mr. Big’ (Trump) comes home after a bad day at the office (the world laughing at him in disgust), he kicks the loyal dog (Canada), slaps the good wife (U.S. citizens), belches loudly & demands a 5-course dinner (W.H. luxury reno’s). His loyal servants ‘don’t see this’ because their job pays well & he employs 24/7 body guards & has lotsa lawyers in his pocket.
He needs to be 🔹abandoned by all these ‘supporting cast members’ before he will learn a modicum of decency & respect. And since money & intimidation are the only languages he understands, the entire world needs to hit him & his supporters in the wallet as best they are able … they are beginning to wake up to that fact - but will it be soon- & hard enough?
* Shop LOCAL … show today’s American oligarch’s that they & Trump are indeed NOT in as secure a position as they think they are. And support the Honorable Opposition - they are NOT ‘enemies’ or ‘Communists’, nor is anyone eating the dogs!
If we’re feeling anxious & losing sleep … so should they. 💥
— Even MAGA is beginning to wake up on a few of these issues.
Australia is taking the first steps toward a fairer taxation system. For too many years a lot of very rich people have been investing in housing and that investment had been incentivised with tax breaks. This has caused a huge spike in housing prices, people can no longer afford to buy their own homes and rents have also shot up. Also income from shares got a lower taxation rate than income from work. So the very wealthy people could make a lot of money from investing and paying a lower tax rate than your nurse, teacher, builder and so on. This too, has been corrected.
Of course there’s a lot of people saying this is just another tax and campaigns of misinformation have started, capturing many useful idiots who just want to complain about the government. Interesting times
Wow! Did I say, wow?! I do believe you have absolutely been on point throughout our journey together, Martin. I believe you are what we call in nursing, “burnt out”. You need a ‘holiday’. The stress of the unrelenting chaos is not healthy and certainly will take its toll. It happens to the best of us, and all I can say is your body is talking to you. Please listen.
As for the commentaries…in general, I would have to agree w/most of them. Living through this unprecedented time of ‘in your face’ corruption, cruelty, disgusting human rights violations, attacks and deaths, let alone, the destruction of the our country is too much to accept. It leaves us all questioning how the hell can there be this many bigoted, ignorant and downright stupid people in this country that voted for rump and still supports his regime of misfits!
But,,,,I/we will never give up fighting for our democracy. There is no other choice than to pushback against these incompetent, liars, thieves, bought and sold beings. Oops, I forgot, egomaniacal pedophiles!!
I am not from Minnesota, but they certainly showed us the way! Vote early and Vote Blue!!
Thanks Kathleen, I think I’m just very frustrated. I have days when I can’t make sense of it and it frustrates me that I can’t offer an answer. Maybe by Monday I’ll be able to see the wood for the trees?
Brother, if you’re burning out, let it go. You’ve done a good job. Your blog posts are always sincere and worth the read. Yes, this present moment in time looks dreadful. It is dreadful ! And ‘ this to will pass ‘ doesn’t feel helpful much less useful in this substack clickbait context. I like your posts but as I’ve told others posting regular blogs on substack I’m not Subscribing until I see real alternatives presented by the smart people who are sadly sucked into the critique queue on substack. There’s to many well meaning people competing for the title of ‘ scoop king or queen ‘,
none of whom seem ready to quit complaining and start thinking about actual alternatives, regular life alternatives And actual legislative alternatives. I routinely ask ‘ what’s the plan ‘ . But never get an answer. So MY desire and advice ( thank’s for asking ! ) is to see you and the dozens of others posting on substack, X, YouTube,
Etc. come together and create practical, peaceful, respectful, but consistent, forceful, well thought out alternatives to everything you and others are suffering with.
In the meantime remember to take care of your spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional health.
There’s a simple Buddhist meditation of slow walking while keeping one’s attention on one’s breath that may be helpful.
Thank you for your contribution to the conversation Mike, rest assured I’m not announcing my retirement, I’m simply sharing my frustration.
I do take issue though with your suggestion that I am not offering solutions, I think you should step back through my posts and you’ll find a number of them.
Solutions aren’t the problem, it’s the old ‘You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’
Unfortunately we live in a society as I pointed to in this very post that people seem incapable of enduring inconvenience, let alone sacrifice. Tyranny has never been defeated by a magic bullet. - Martin
Martin , the fight for justice for all will come in the knowledge of “The Word”. You should consider yourself a Knight of justice , your words are your sword . Thank You
The Midterms won’t Matter
Most Americans disapprove of His Royal Heinous, but they are looking for an easy solution. One that will not require even a small sacrifice on their part, or any disruption to their life.
They are putting too much faith in what the midterms will do. The midterms may have a beneficial psychologic effect but in reality the outcome will have little or no practical effect, unless the Dems can get 2/3 majority in the house and senate, which they won’t. They will not be able to undo anything His Royal Heinous has done or pass new legislation, because of his veto power.
There will be investigations if the Dems take the House, but to what end. HRH will pardon all perpetrators, and they know it.
They will impeach HRH, but we’ve seen that movie twice before. Convicted in the senate and removed from office? We can only hope, but hope is not a strategy.
He will continue to rule by “National Emergency“ and Executive Orders and almost surely the Supreme Court will allow it.
The greatest danger in all this is that it will appear that something beneficial is happening. The majority of people will believe the system is working. After about a year they will realize that nothing is changing. Then they will think, Oh well, he’ll be gone after the election next year.
Or will he? It took the Hungarians 16 years to get rid of Orban, and the Project 2025 people will certainly not make the same mistakes that Orban did.
What can we do?
We, the people, still have the power of the purse. No one can control our spending, or lack of spending. The other peaceful options are failing. Time is of the essence. The longer the fascist takeover goes on, the more difficult it will be to undo.
We must go on a spending strike until the business community stops supporting His Royal Heinous and the politicians who enable him.
Stop participating. Nearly 70% of the U.S. economy is driven by consumer spending. You and me. Hobble the economy and the stock market.
Economic warfare is the only thing the oligarchs, the business community, will understand and act on. Call it a Surreptitious General Strike (Quiet Quitting). Go to work, do as little as possible. Stop spending money except on essentials. Quit feeding the corporate beast that supports HRH.
This is how we can stop and reverse the fascist takeover.
Some soften this idea a bit, to suggest SHOP LOCALLY.
— YOUR butcher, YOUR baker, candle stick-maker.
‘Support your local economy instead of the big whigs’.
A good first step.
But get real. People act when they belong to something. Appealing to "everyone" does very little -- unless you live in Albania, but we don't. We put out a broad appeal when we should be building a Coalition for the Good, by whatever name, so we can have a force at the ready for boycotts or other actions that help our cause.
The Peaceful Solution-Part 3
How to accomplish a Spending Strike
“It’s the economy, stupid” as James Carville famously told Bill Clinton. It was then, and still is, in politics. The reelection of His Royal Heinous is largely attributed to the misperceived state of the economy. That’s what must be attacked, not individual corporations. The overall economy must suffer before the Greedy Bastards will pay attention.
HRH will not destroy the economy on his own (TACO). He will find a way to prop it up (like lower interest rates) because the economy and stock market are his report card and key to keeping power. The key to keeping power, as it is in Russia, China, Hungary, Turkey. They give the people a somewhat decent standard of living, and in exchange, the people have no political power. Only the autocrat has that. Unlimited.
Our best chance of success lies in obtaining high profile, national leadership and spokespersons. Fragmented, unknown groups leading the charge might work but would take much longer, and time is of the essence. Since the Disney boycott there have been more “bigger” names taking up the cause.
There will have to be a great amount of grassroot support before a national “leader” will take up the cause. Most of our supposed leaders are really followers of movements. They’ll get out front after it’s shown to have popular support. So, we recruit more foot soldiers, like ourselves, and spread the word on various Substacks and other social media platforms.
After mustering much grassroots support we can then approach some Substack writers who have many subscribers and appeal to them to take up the cause and spread the word. Writers like Jen Rubin, Steve Schmidt, Robert Reich, Heather Richardson, Paul Krugman. Again, a good amount of grassroots support will have to be demonstrated.
We will need an organized effort to encourage those writers to concentrate on this method of opposition. Possibly coordinated mass emails to them promoting the idea, or coordinated posts to their Substacks.
Then, hopefully, one or more national leaders will take up the cause. Possibly a steering committee composed of left, center and right individuals, but not current office holders. It should be seen as non partisan.
This will be a tough sell. Americans are addicted to buying. We are brainwashed from the cradle by advertising, popular culture, peer pressure, to consume. If you want to be happy and fulfilled, you must have this or that product. To overcome this, our fellow citizens must be convinced that this is the only viable peaceful solution to stop and reverse the fascist takeover. And it is.
If a single dollar doubles every day for 30 days, it reaches a total of over $536 million ($536,870,912) at the end of the 30th day.
So, would it follow, that a single voice that doubled everyday would become 536 million voices after 30 days? That seems doable.
Defeating the fascists in WWII did not happen without sacrifice from the citizens of the Allied countries. We will have to sacrifice to stop and reverse the fascist takeover of our country. We can sacrifice a little now or a much greater amount later. What kind of world will our children and grandchildren live in if we allow this to continue?
Spending Strike, Spending Freeze, Spending Suspension, Spending Pause, Economic Disengagement, Economic Warfare, Stop Spending!, even Boycott. Choose your favorite but Do It, and Spread the Word!, far, wide, and quickly, before the fascists takedown our means of communication.
That's how-to, not why-to. My point is that people do the how-to when they belong to something together.
As requested, a why-to.
The Peaceful Solution-Part 2
Why a Spending Strike is the Best Option to Stop and Reverse the Fascist Takeover.
TINA: There Is No Alternative. There is no peaceful alternative.
Plan A
Plan A consists of phoning/writing your legislators, and street demonstrations, neither of which have worked nor give any sign of working. His Royal Heinous controls the majority party in the legislature and they are doing his bidding. As for street demonstrations:
From Professor Erica Chenoweth:
…”they often subject their participants to a higher risk of repression or communal violence from opponents. So movements that are capable of having the capacity to shift to methods of dispersion, like stay-at-homes or strikes or forms of economic noncooperation, tend to be much more effective because they have the capability of maneuver when the state begins to ramp up violence against them.”
Soft Secession
Federal funds make up 35% of California’s state budget, with $173 billion in federal grants awarded in Fiscal Year 2021 alone, making up a significant portion of state and local budgets for programs like health, education, and infrastructure.
Are they really going to anger HRH to the extent that he cuts off their federal funding?
Soft secession? Only to the point when HRH feels threatened.
He will move in with all his resources and stop it.
This soft secession idea is a political ploy by state officials to get their constituents to believe the officials are doing something to stop the takeover.
It’s also another distraction to the resistance in that it keeps us from organizing and uniting around what must be done and what will work. It’s another example of hoping for an easy fix, one that will not take any sacrifice.
In addition, soft secession is divisive, pitting blue states against red states, playing into the narrative of HRH, who wants to start a civil war. MAGA not only wants to “own the libs”, they’d like to kill as many as possible, to eliminate the opposition.
Targeted boycotts
Why targeted boycotts are ineffective:
Boycotts often fail because they require massive, sustained participation to create meaningful financial pressure, lack clear alternatives for consumers, generate insufficient negative media attention, and are easily weathered by companies waiting for the protest to fade. Additionally, the complex nature of modern capitalism and the proliferation of corporate conglomerates can make it difficult for boycotters to effectively target and impact a company's bottom line or reputation, especially when companies have multiple revenue streams, like real estate, that aren't affected by consumer boycotts.
In 2020, Goya Foods praised President Donald Trump on social media, which caused those in opposition to Trump to boycott their products. Trump loyalists simultaneously initated a counter-boycott, where consumers bought mass quantities of their products, in response. The boycott caused Goya profits to increase dramatically because Trump supporters started an opposing campaign.
The midterm election
Will it be free and fair? It won’t be. Will it occur at all? HRH has already said that if we’re at war there’ll be no election. Guess what? If it’s looking bad for him, he’ll be at war to try to stop the election. The election is important to him because having the majority in the legislature gives the fascist regime the look of legitimacy, and stopping or stealing the election demonstrates his power. This election is going to unleash total chaos.
People are putting too much faith in what the midterms will do. They may have a beneficial psychologic effect but in reality the outcome will have little or no practical effect, unless the Dems can get 2/3 majority in the house and senate, which they won’t. They will not be able to undo anything HRH has done or pass new legislation because of his veto power, nor will they be able to get a conviction on Impeachment. We’ve seen that movie twice before, and know how it ends.
The Courts
While some lower courts have ruled against HRH, slowing his takeover, the rulings have been fast tracked to the Supreme Court. It has almost universally ruled in HRH’s favor. SCOTUS members Roberts and Barrett may have an epiphany and save the country from civil war, but it’s doubtful. It’s going to be up to us to stop this.
Time is running out for a Peaceful Solution. Please Spread the Word!, far, wide, and quickly, before the fascists takedown our means of communication.

Not the logic of why to do it -- and, as you say, it never works -- but where's the energy to actually do it? What would motivate people to move into action? That's where belonging to something comes in.
There's babble going on, without people cutting through for what to do. It's one of the bizarre aspects of the most bizarre time ever. Not seeing forests for trees. Stuck in the little picture and not wising up about where we have to go for the next round of our civilization.
I feel like I belong to something. I call it The Resistance and I believe it includes everyone that opposes the fascist takeover. What’s needed is high profile, credible, national leadership.
I appreciate your thoughts especially about sacrifice and a real commitment to not feeding the greed engine. I also think fair taxation is the answer and a more effective approach. If only we truly practiced a responsibility and love for those who have been left behind and created a world where opportunity is available to anyone willing to try rather than only those who have a large bankroll. Thank you
Thank you Nancy, I appreciate your appreciation - Martin
Martin, thank you for your candid description of the economic bias in America. I believe that this message that all is not well is starting to resonate with the masses. A recent poll indicated that, for the 1st time, saving our democracy came in higher than that "made-up term" affordability.
Sadly, I agree that any and all "protests" seem to have become social events, comprised mainly of, albeit us well-informed, boomers. Nonetheless, I will still attend and likely borrow your quip - "Make Taxes Fair Again" for my next poster.
I look forward to reading your future work.
You are very welcome my friend. We can only keep pushing the boulder up the hill and I’m certainly not saying street protests have no value. Even if their only value is to bring likeminded people together face to face, they have an important part to play - Martin
Respect your work. Suggest taking a deep breath, read Marcus Aurelius on Stoic philosophy, have a coffee, and carry on. 🙏🏻
Martin you are too hard on yourself . I think this Substack is immensely important and informative. That all because of your unique skills . It's unimaginable this is where we are as s country. No one is coming to save us. It's a strange mixture of terrible dare I say almost a Biblical reckoning .✌️
I have always been my most biggest critic Frances. But I have long appreciated your support. - Martin
You have my respect - also my appreciation. Thank you. 💙
I read and pass along your message every day to a small group of like minded people that I hope appreciate it as much as I do. I much admire your understanding of my country's
innate foibles and the ultimate self interest and the likely unrecognized personal greediness that keeps us immobilized and unable to focus long enough to throw off the yoke of unimaginable tyranny that we bear. You have offered a solution for a very long time that you are now admitting will never work. It grieves me to see you in obvious pain and frustration.
The harm to the entire world by this demon-trump who is really only a puppet mouthpiece for a cabal of wealthy and truly self interested persons must be stopped and very soon. No one anywhere knew the ultimate power of the office because previous people in that position had a bit of decency and honor and no one before had such a powerful, carefully written, gameplan that only required a tyrant to carry it out. It's mind boggling to watch a this world plan, more than 10 years in the making, so transparently being carried out, and with no one in the Congress or the courts reigning him in. The world order cannot withstand two and a half more years of this evil leadership. Our Congress must use their constitutional powers to remove this cancer from office either before or after the midterms. We must elect new leadership in the Congress and Senate in such numbers as to quickly and permanently cast aside this person and anyone following him who continues to trash the founding father's noble plan of shared governance known as the Constitution.
Appreciate your kind words as ever. I’m not pained, but rather frustrated Larry. Over the months I have gathered much more knowledge and an understanding that was at odds with my perception based off my many trips to the U.S. for both business and pleasure.
it’s hard to see the rapid decline since 2016 to where we find ourselves today, where if I arrived at a U.S. border point I would likely be detained for expressing my forthright opinions on the petulant child in the White House.
Don’t misunderstand, I’m going nowhere, but I’ve spent my life being a solution provider and this one has me scratching my head.
Have a great weekend Larry - Martin
Well posted! Like the cut of your sail…
Appreciate it Tim - Martin
MAKE TAXES FAIRER AGAIN!!!
What a Great Slogan!!
Yes, unfortunately ‘this is the world we live in now’.
— And that world is getting TIRED of it also … several international leaders & industries showing the way to break away from dependence on ‘Mr. Big’, ie the U.S. in its current incarnation esp.
https://apple.news/AnD31IHmBRmCt-Uuk_5iP 🔹REUTERS
US weapons makers confront Europe's drive for local control
“As U.S. defence companies descended on Britain's Farnborough Airshow this week hoping to tap Europe's military spending boom, they encountered increased 🔻concern among customers about 🔻reliance on American suppliers.
🔹European governments are demanding 🔹greater control over defence equipment, more local production and a bigger share of industrial benefits. *In response, U.S. arms makers are expanding manufacturing in Europe, forming joint ventures and offering more tailored products.”
When ‘Mr. Big’ (Trump) comes home after a bad day at the office (the world laughing at him in disgust), he kicks the loyal dog (Canada), slaps the good wife (U.S. citizens), belches loudly & demands a 5-course dinner (W.H. luxury reno’s). His loyal servants ‘don’t see this’ because their job pays well & he employs 24/7 body guards & has lotsa lawyers in his pocket.
He needs to be 🔹abandoned by all these ‘supporting cast members’ before he will learn a modicum of decency & respect. And since money & intimidation are the only languages he understands, the entire world needs to hit him & his supporters in the wallet as best they are able … they are beginning to wake up to that fact - but will it be soon- & hard enough?
* Shop LOCAL … show today’s American oligarch’s that they & Trump are indeed NOT in as secure a position as they think they are. And support the Honorable Opposition - they are NOT ‘enemies’ or ‘Communists’, nor is anyone eating the dogs!
If we’re feeling anxious & losing sleep … so should they. 💥
— Even MAGA is beginning to wake up on a few of these issues.
Australia is taking the first steps toward a fairer taxation system. For too many years a lot of very rich people have been investing in housing and that investment had been incentivised with tax breaks. This has caused a huge spike in housing prices, people can no longer afford to buy their own homes and rents have also shot up. Also income from shares got a lower taxation rate than income from work. So the very wealthy people could make a lot of money from investing and paying a lower tax rate than your nurse, teacher, builder and so on. This too, has been corrected.
Of course there’s a lot of people saying this is just another tax and campaigns of misinformation have started, capturing many useful idiots who just want to complain about the government. Interesting times
From your lips to Gods ears.. I think there will be the “mass action” of buying less, as a result of increased gas prices!!
Because to many people want to much cheap stuff they don’t need!
Wow! Did I say, wow?! I do believe you have absolutely been on point throughout our journey together, Martin. I believe you are what we call in nursing, “burnt out”. You need a ‘holiday’. The stress of the unrelenting chaos is not healthy and certainly will take its toll. It happens to the best of us, and all I can say is your body is talking to you. Please listen.
As for the commentaries…in general, I would have to agree w/most of them. Living through this unprecedented time of ‘in your face’ corruption, cruelty, disgusting human rights violations, attacks and deaths, let alone, the destruction of the our country is too much to accept. It leaves us all questioning how the hell can there be this many bigoted, ignorant and downright stupid people in this country that voted for rump and still supports his regime of misfits!
But,,,,I/we will never give up fighting for our democracy. There is no other choice than to pushback against these incompetent, liars, thieves, bought and sold beings. Oops, I forgot, egomaniacal pedophiles!!
I am not from Minnesota, but they certainly showed us the way! Vote early and Vote Blue!!
Thanks Kathleen, I think I’m just very frustrated. I have days when I can’t make sense of it and it frustrates me that I can’t offer an answer. Maybe by Monday I’ll be able to see the wood for the trees?
Brother, if you’re burning out, let it go. You’ve done a good job. Your blog posts are always sincere and worth the read. Yes, this present moment in time looks dreadful. It is dreadful ! And ‘ this to will pass ‘ doesn’t feel helpful much less useful in this substack clickbait context. I like your posts but as I’ve told others posting regular blogs on substack I’m not Subscribing until I see real alternatives presented by the smart people who are sadly sucked into the critique queue on substack. There’s to many well meaning people competing for the title of ‘ scoop king or queen ‘,
none of whom seem ready to quit complaining and start thinking about actual alternatives, regular life alternatives And actual legislative alternatives. I routinely ask ‘ what’s the plan ‘ . But never get an answer. So MY desire and advice ( thank’s for asking ! ) is to see you and the dozens of others posting on substack, X, YouTube,
Etc. come together and create practical, peaceful, respectful, but consistent, forceful, well thought out alternatives to everything you and others are suffering with.
In the meantime remember to take care of your spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional health.
There’s a simple Buddhist meditation of slow walking while keeping one’s attention on one’s breath that may be helpful.
🪷
Thank you for your contribution to the conversation Mike, rest assured I’m not announcing my retirement, I’m simply sharing my frustration.
I do take issue though with your suggestion that I am not offering solutions, I think you should step back through my posts and you’ll find a number of them.
Solutions aren’t the problem, it’s the old ‘You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’
Unfortunately we live in a society as I pointed to in this very post that people seem incapable of enduring inconvenience, let alone sacrifice. Tyranny has never been defeated by a magic bullet. - Martin
The Trump economy!
Martin , the fight for justice for all will come in the knowledge of “The Word”. You should consider yourself a Knight of justice , your words are your sword . Thank You