I think once MAGA starts inflicting real pain on conservatives (cuts to Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security, income tax cuts expire but not for billionaires, cuts to farm aid, egg prices continue to rise, gas/oil prices rise because of tariffs on Canada, etc), they'll be like one of Elon's eleventy billion kids, an inconvenience.
The new civil war might not be what you think it is. It might be internal to the GOP.
Living under Trump 2 aka Musk!!!
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The Evil Genius
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SWIM
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No one but America had democracy as defined by the American constitutionNotasLong StillLeft wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:42 pmAgain, a false equivalency. Russia NEVER had democracy, as defined by the American constitution. Take away America’s right to vote, and you are all but starting a second (not so) civil war.SWIM wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2025 11:26 amWhy do you think musk is sending those emails for? He is weeding out the people who won’t fall in line.NotasLong StillLeft wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2025 10:40 am
I would argue that your stance is based off of a false premise.
N. Korea and Iran started from a decidedly different political system and culture. There exists a legacy in our country of over 200 years of “democratic/republic freedom.” The masses will not acquiesce that freedom willingly, for the most part.
Yes, Trump has installed his lackeys in key positions, but when the public begins to uprise, will everyone fall in line. When he turns to the FBI, Patel has his back, but what about the rank and file? Trump can ask for military intervention, and Hegseth will bow down, but will his underlings? If Trump dares to bring aggressive police/military action against Americans, he will lose all but his most ardent sycophants.
The courts can help him with laws, but when enough of the public has had enough, it won’t be enough. The judicial system takes time. He can invoke executive authority, but who will follow if he has lost too many who had once backed him?
I believe this “coup” ends either with the collapse of this administration, or violence, unfortunately.
Secondly, you’re a bit naive if you think the only way to have a coup is to declare yourself supreme ruler and refuse to hold “elections”.
The Russian president has shown us how to have a democratic dictatorship.
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SWIM
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Why would they matter? It’s not like Trump is going to pull a Yoon Suk Yeol…. Going to be much more quieter.NotasLong StillLeft wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2025 12:48 pmNot what I was saying at all, and I think you know that. Civil servants are a far cry from police and military.SWIM wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2025 11:34 amSo yes, @NotasLong StillLeft the rank and file will fall in line because people who won’t will have already left.Renegade7 wrote: Tue Feb 25, 2025 11:30 amI can dig it...
https://apnews.com/article/doge-elon-mu ... 9510f2a43c
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, saying they were refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.”
“We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the 21 staffers wrote in a joint resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/latest-musk- ... 17910.html
Some people waiting in DOGE showing reason and principles
Some people waiting in DOGE showing reason and principles
It ain't what you don't know that's a problem. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.~~~Mark Twain
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The Evil Genius
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The Evil Genius
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D.C.'s U.S. Attorney Is a Menace to the First Amendment
Once back in office, President Donald Trump appointed Edward R. Martin Jr. to be the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. (Last week, Trump made it official by nominating Martin to take up the role permanently.)
In his first few days, according to Spencer S. Hsu and Tom Jackman of The Washington Post, Martin "moved quickly to align the office with President Donald Trump's political views." He has also threatened federal investigations of people engaged in speech that is unequivocally protected by the First Amendment.
Last week, in an email to staff, Martin announced "Operation Whirlwind," which he characterized as an attempt to "stop the storm of threats against officials at all levels." In the course of that investigation, Martin has targeted public officials, including two federal lawmakers.
"I respectfully request that you clarify your comments from March 4, 2020," Martin wrote in a January 21 letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.). "Your comments were at a private rally off the campus of the U.S. Capitol. You made them clearly and in a way that many found threatening….We take threats against public officials very seriously." (Martin sent further letters this month after Schumer did not reply.)
Schumer's comments came as the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case regarding abortion access in Louisiana. Speaking at the rally, addressing Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, Schumer said, "You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions."
After rebukes from then–Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R–Ky.) and Chief Justice John Roberts, Schumer apologized, saying on the Senate floor the following day, "I should not have used the words I used….My point was there would be political consequences."
In a letter to Rep. Robert Garcia (D–Calif.), Martin asked for clarification on comments he made about Elon Musk's work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) during a CNN interview earlier this month.
"When asked how Democrats can stop Elon Musk," Martin wrote, "you spoke clearly: 'What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy.' This sounds to some like a threat to Mr. Musk - an appointed representative of President Donald Trump who you call a 'dick' - and government staff who work for him. Their concerns have led to this inquiry."
"It's not a close call: Neither statement meets the definition of a true threat," write JT Morris and Will Creeley of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). "Each is core political speech, fully protected by the First Amendment." They point out that while there are very narrow exceptions to the First Amendment, such as "true threats," neither lawmaker's statements even remotely rise to that level.
"Sure, saying justices will 'pay the price' and 'won't know what hit them' as a result of their decisions might be described by some as intemperate," Morris and Creeley add. "But in no way was it 'a serious expression of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals,' let alone grounds for a federal investigation, nearly five years after the fact."
Similarly, Garcia's comment "is plainly metaphorical, not literal," they continue. "No reasonable listener could conclude Garcia was donning brass knuckles and seriously expressing, over CNN's airwaves, an intent to beat up Elon Musk. Simply put, there's nothing to investigate."
Martin has continued to exhibit a flawed understanding of the First Amendment. On February 2, WIRED reported that Musk had enlisted a handful of very young engineers to work for DOGE. A user on X, the social media site Musk owns, posted the engineers' names, to which Musk replied, "You have committed a crime." The post was deleted and the account was suspended.
"I recognize that some of the staff at DOGE has been targeted publicly," Martin wrote in a February 3 letter to Musk. "At this time, I ask that you utilize me and my staff to assist in protecting the DOGE work and the DOGE workers. Any threats, confrontations, or other actions in any way that impact their work may break numerous laws….Let me assure you of this: we will pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people."
Click on the link for the full article
Of note, the article doesn't even bring up the fact that Martin is a supremely ignorant lackey because the Congressmen (Schumer and Garcia) he is questioning about their speech are clearly protected by the Speech and Debate Clause.
Once back in office, President Donald Trump appointed Edward R. Martin Jr. to be the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. (Last week, Trump made it official by nominating Martin to take up the role permanently.)
In his first few days, according to Spencer S. Hsu and Tom Jackman of The Washington Post, Martin "moved quickly to align the office with President Donald Trump's political views." He has also threatened federal investigations of people engaged in speech that is unequivocally protected by the First Amendment.
Last week, in an email to staff, Martin announced "Operation Whirlwind," which he characterized as an attempt to "stop the storm of threats against officials at all levels." In the course of that investigation, Martin has targeted public officials, including two federal lawmakers.
"I respectfully request that you clarify your comments from March 4, 2020," Martin wrote in a January 21 letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.). "Your comments were at a private rally off the campus of the U.S. Capitol. You made them clearly and in a way that many found threatening….We take threats against public officials very seriously." (Martin sent further letters this month after Schumer did not reply.)
Schumer's comments came as the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case regarding abortion access in Louisiana. Speaking at the rally, addressing Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, Schumer said, "You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions."
After rebukes from then–Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R–Ky.) and Chief Justice John Roberts, Schumer apologized, saying on the Senate floor the following day, "I should not have used the words I used….My point was there would be political consequences."
In a letter to Rep. Robert Garcia (D–Calif.), Martin asked for clarification on comments he made about Elon Musk's work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) during a CNN interview earlier this month.
"When asked how Democrats can stop Elon Musk," Martin wrote, "you spoke clearly: 'What the American public wants is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy.' This sounds to some like a threat to Mr. Musk - an appointed representative of President Donald Trump who you call a 'dick' - and government staff who work for him. Their concerns have led to this inquiry."
"It's not a close call: Neither statement meets the definition of a true threat," write JT Morris and Will Creeley of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). "Each is core political speech, fully protected by the First Amendment." They point out that while there are very narrow exceptions to the First Amendment, such as "true threats," neither lawmaker's statements even remotely rise to that level.
"Sure, saying justices will 'pay the price' and 'won't know what hit them' as a result of their decisions might be described by some as intemperate," Morris and Creeley add. "But in no way was it 'a serious expression of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals,' let alone grounds for a federal investigation, nearly five years after the fact."
Similarly, Garcia's comment "is plainly metaphorical, not literal," they continue. "No reasonable listener could conclude Garcia was donning brass knuckles and seriously expressing, over CNN's airwaves, an intent to beat up Elon Musk. Simply put, there's nothing to investigate."
Martin has continued to exhibit a flawed understanding of the First Amendment. On February 2, WIRED reported that Musk had enlisted a handful of very young engineers to work for DOGE. A user on X, the social media site Musk owns, posted the engineers' names, to which Musk replied, "You have committed a crime." The post was deleted and the account was suspended.
"I recognize that some of the staff at DOGE has been targeted publicly," Martin wrote in a February 3 letter to Musk. "At this time, I ask that you utilize me and my staff to assist in protecting the DOGE work and the DOGE workers. Any threats, confrontations, or other actions in any way that impact their work may break numerous laws….Let me assure you of this: we will pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people."
Click on the link for the full article
Of note, the article doesn't even bring up the fact that Martin is a supremely ignorant lackey because the Congressmen (Schumer and Garcia) he is questioning about their speech are clearly protected by the Speech and Debate Clause.
