As insightful and forward thinking were the framers of the Constitution, their anticipation of an elected official so venal and transactional whose avarice so insatiable, they failed to consider such a morally and ethically flawed individual would ever be accepted into elected office. At this juncture in history, the only remaining remedy is for a robust and unified public resistance. This includes investors, journalist, jurists and, most of all, ordinary citizens.
If the court hadn't been intentionally "stacked", if Congress had a spine and dared use their power to curb, if the Biden DOJ had pursued Trump's convictions, if the billionaire funded Koch Network hadn't planned project 2025, If we actually had a real democracy, if our media actually served to inform the people, so many if onlys......
Resist to what end? What is the end goal? Going back to a President whose son merely sells paintings with the implicit promise of access instead of openly selling meme coins for bribes?
A unified resistance is the power of democracy. If we are to believe in Lincoln's defining platitude: "government of the people, by the people, for the people", then it incumbent on us to resist. The goals are many. Effectuating changes in government responsiveness, either from the Executive branch and/or the Legislative branch; a means of communicating the policy wishes of constituents; communicating support for elected representatives to stimulate them to reassume their fiduciary responsibilities, both to their constituents and to the federal budget; provide a public forum to generate a debate over policies which may be contrary to common good; and, to provide a platform to generate public interest which may result in a change in elected officials who have the courage to provide a voice to their constituency. There are no guarantees to change, but doing nothing will certainly not change the status quo.
Or trump D.C. Hotel in season 1, and all the foreign money that brought in. Probably peanuts compared to his crypto schemes now.
The Federalist description of the election method of a president certainly reads like they thought "surely this is enough to not allow a crazy person to get elected". Kind of naive looking back at that now.
Thank you for the reference to “public virture”. I have long wondered when that phrase from the founders might again surface in current events, since it is something in which I strong believe. I recall the founders being quite clear in their belief in the concept of “public virture” and that it was important that those that became legislators had this important quality. It seems well buried today, especially with many, or most, or perhaps all, of the current administration lackeys. Let’s find a way to raise the visibility of this concept.
Traitors Thompson and Alito better start looking for another grift. Law schools and text books will be covering their illegal and unethical behavior for the next hundred years. We should be making sure our grandchildren and their grandchildren know about the resistance I think this time could be ripe for a new great society for Americans. ….health care, fair wages, housing and citizen involved governance, reasonable weapon control and a standard of living of living which does not include living on th streets.
Time is everything. If you don’t stand up now, if you don’t protest, resist, disrupt and refuse to comply, you may lose your country forever. History has shown that those who act early have the best chance of reclaiming their freedom. The time to fight back is now!
Every dictator and billionaire who ever tried to control the people lost when the people fought back. Trump can rewrite the rules. Prove him wrong!
Stay in the fight.
8647 all day long!
I'm wearing this subtle 8647 shirt in front of MAGAs and they don't get it because they can't do math 👇 🤣
Resist to what end? Mark Warner and 16 Dems are pushing a crypto bill through the Senate even as Trump and his kids are openly accepting crypto bribes. Resist is a meaningless word unless Dems are willing to face up to the corruption enablers in their own party.
List their names. We need to call them out, call their offices, talk to their staff. Call Schumer, the minority leader. You mustn't give up so easily. Dems have plenty of problems too. If we want a better government that is a real DEMOCRACY, we're going to have to go get it for ourselves.
Every single Senator pushing the Crypto bill instead of blocking it to draw attention to Trump's corruption is an enabler. They agreed to vote for the Crypto bill even if the GOP refuses to add any amendments preventing Federal officials from selling their own crypto assets.
Included in the list sadly is my state senator Adam Schiff who talks a big game about corruption but went along with Trump's corruption anyway because he is bought and paid for by the same crypto industry that bought Trump. I am beyond disgusted by Schiff. I sent him a strongly worded letter letting him know exactly what I think of this light weight poser but I don't expect his office will reply to me.
As you said, it's resisting, persisting, and insisting. It's also self-care. Get in those annuals. It's writing to the members of the House and Senate...in DC and at the state levels. Support the arts. There has never been a better time to support the arts and to go see Hamilton. Support local nonprofits, local museums, zoos, and aquariums. Look carefully at where your money is going.
Mass turnouts to protest, boycotts, voting for their opposition, peaceful actions. We need to create a real democracy, which the U.S. has never had. No Senate, no electoral college, more citizen input in legislation. There's a 1,000-page big bill Congress just passed, and how many of us even know EXACTLY what's in it? Also, call or write to your reps-daily if needed.
In support of Asha’s contention & in the spirit of Alexei Navalny, make an issue, cause an uproar over the obvious plotline that the mob boss of Mar a Lago is almost exclusively aligned with the most CORRUPT heads of state in the world (who also happen to be insanely rich).
Whereas the rest of the world are on to his mobster schtick & want nothing at all to do with him, unless it’s forced upon them. The reputation of the USA on a downward spiral. Even those of us trapped here don’t feel at home here anymore. The pressure cooker getting screwed down, day by day.
I am disgusted more by the Dems who saw Trump's corruption in the first term but as soon as he lost went back to business (corruption) as usual and did not pass a single Presidential anti-corruption law. So what exactly is the point of all these Substack pieces on Trump's corruption when no one making $ on Substack wants to actually do anything about it and the best we can hope for is to go back to the corrupt Dems who are only 25% as corrupt as Trump?
The DNC opposition to the working class dates at least as far back as 1944 when it blocked VPOTUS Henry Wallace from running on the ticket for FDR’s 4th term as POTUS.
The DNC expected FDR to die in office. Wallace would have continued to support the New Deal as FDR has envisioned it.
The DNC picked an obscure pro-business haberdasher from Missouri who had no particular political enemies to run for the VP spot. The failing health of FDR was unknown to the public at large, so the people voted for their beloved FDR without much thought about who would be the VP.
Within 4 months after the start of his 4th term, FDR died. Then POTUS Harry Truman began to undo the New Deal. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 was a major blow to the labor unions and to the working class in general.
Those DNC incumbents have been sponsored by Big Money, for many decades. So, the overthrow will take some effort.
The Democrats were only marginally the “party of the working class”. The Southern Democrats were the party of the KKK and “slavery” states. The USA has never really had a “Labor” Party.
FDR instituted several “reforms” to help the poor and working classes, but was motivated by the desire to forestall a USSR-style revolution. The real champion of the poor and working classes was Eleanor Roosevelt who, no doubt, influenced her husband. Both FDR and Eleanor were born into one of America’s oldest and wealthiest families.
And the racism inherent in our systems did not extend generous benefits to ALL people. As with many government funded programs, it didn't go far enough for long enough.
We can of course do that by voting in general elections if we still have elections in 2 years. In the meantime, within Democratic primaries, we should vote out the Jim Clyburn type Biden dead-enders who clearly put their own political relevance and personal power above the national interest.
I believe the "Southern Strategy" was the way the DNC lured it's southern base, which shifted to Republican after Lyndon Johnson's Voting Rights Act. The Wealthy class, whether Republican or Democratic, has been working at unraveling the New Deal ever since. The goal is a government serving only the wealthy interests, with no social or support services for citizens. Koch network has been shepherding the plan along since Brown V Board of Education. Read "Democracy in Chains" by Nancy Maclean. It shows the Republican plan. Suddenly, everything they do makes sense. Trup is a convenient con-man right now.
Trump, intentionally or unintentionally, is distracting millions of Americans from seeing real enemies of the poor and working classes. Nancy Maclean and Jane Mayer (“Dark Money”) have named some of the wealthy sponsors who are backing Trump and Congress, but nowhere near all of them.
'But guardrails can’t rein in a person whose very purpose in serving in office has nothing to do with public virtue, and everything to do with self gain.' I am guessing that, at the time when the Framers met, they could hardly imagine such a person might end up gaining the presidency. But they couldn't have imagined the complex networked world of information and influence we live in today, either. At some point there will be a reckoning, and guardrails will be applied to this network, first and foremost, before we get another disaster like Trump, or someone even worse.
If the normal protectors against emoluments violations do you step up, e.g., Congress or DOJ or Inspectors General, is it possible for an individual citizen to bring this on behalf of the public during the Presidency?
When you reminded about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act being out on hold, I wondered if that was done so the Trump offspring could put in bribes wherever the Felon needed it done??? Can this EO be challenged? If not, how could a registry of foreign bribes be amassed?
As insightful and forward thinking were the framers of the Constitution, their anticipation of an elected official so venal and transactional whose avarice so insatiable, they failed to consider such a morally and ethically flawed individual would ever be accepted into elected office. At this juncture in history, the only remaining remedy is for a robust and unified public resistance. This includes investors, journalist, jurists and, most of all, ordinary citizens.
Congress still has the official power to control the POTUS, but only if Congress wants to.
If the court hadn't been intentionally "stacked", if Congress had a spine and dared use their power to curb, if the Biden DOJ had pursued Trump's convictions, if the billionaire funded Koch Network hadn't planned project 2025, If we actually had a real democracy, if our media actually served to inform the people, so many if onlys......
Resist to what end? What is the end goal? Going back to a President whose son merely sells paintings with the implicit promise of access instead of openly selling meme coins for bribes?
A unified resistance is the power of democracy. If we are to believe in Lincoln's defining platitude: "government of the people, by the people, for the people", then it incumbent on us to resist. The goals are many. Effectuating changes in government responsiveness, either from the Executive branch and/or the Legislative branch; a means of communicating the policy wishes of constituents; communicating support for elected representatives to stimulate them to reassume their fiduciary responsibilities, both to their constituents and to the federal budget; provide a public forum to generate a debate over policies which may be contrary to common good; and, to provide a platform to generate public interest which may result in a change in elected officials who have the courage to provide a voice to their constituency. There are no guarantees to change, but doing nothing will certainly not change the status quo.
Or trump D.C. Hotel in season 1, and all the foreign money that brought in. Probably peanuts compared to his crypto schemes now.
The Federalist description of the election method of a president certainly reads like they thought "surely this is enough to not allow a crazy person to get elected". Kind of naive looking back at that now.
Thank you for the reference to “public virture”. I have long wondered when that phrase from the founders might again surface in current events, since it is something in which I strong believe. I recall the founders being quite clear in their belief in the concept of “public virture” and that it was important that those that became legislators had this important quality. It seems well buried today, especially with many, or most, or perhaps all, of the current administration lackeys. Let’s find a way to raise the visibility of this concept.
Thank you for including us, Asha. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to follow everything everywhere.
Traitors Thompson and Alito better start looking for another grift. Law schools and text books will be covering their illegal and unethical behavior for the next hundred years. We should be making sure our grandchildren and their grandchildren know about the resistance I think this time could be ripe for a new great society for Americans. ….health care, fair wages, housing and citizen involved governance, reasonable weapon control and a standard of living of living which does not include living on th streets.
Gayle, I agree. I think a lot will be revealed in those books about their first few years that set them up for who they are now.
What can we the people do about it?
Resist. Persist. Insist.
Time is everything. If you don’t stand up now, if you don’t protest, resist, disrupt and refuse to comply, you may lose your country forever. History has shown that those who act early have the best chance of reclaiming their freedom. The time to fight back is now!
Every dictator and billionaire who ever tried to control the people lost when the people fought back. Trump can rewrite the rules. Prove him wrong!
Stay in the fight.
8647 all day long!
I'm wearing this subtle 8647 shirt in front of MAGAs and they don't get it because they can't do math 👇 🤣
https://libtees.dashery.com/products/75266411-do-the-math-t-shirt
Resist to what end? Mark Warner and 16 Dems are pushing a crypto bill through the Senate even as Trump and his kids are openly accepting crypto bribes. Resist is a meaningless word unless Dems are willing to face up to the corruption enablers in their own party.
List their names. We need to call them out, call their offices, talk to their staff. Call Schumer, the minority leader. You mustn't give up so easily. Dems have plenty of problems too. If we want a better government that is a real DEMOCRACY, we're going to have to go get it for ourselves.
Who are the “corruption enablers” in the Democratic Party??
Every single Senator pushing the Crypto bill instead of blocking it to draw attention to Trump's corruption is an enabler. They agreed to vote for the Crypto bill even if the GOP refuses to add any amendments preventing Federal officials from selling their own crypto assets.
Names. Who are they? Amy Klobuchar may be one. Who else?
Here is the list of 16 Dems. https://www.commondreams.org/news/senate-democrats-genius-bill-advance
Included in the list sadly is my state senator Adam Schiff who talks a big game about corruption but went along with Trump's corruption anyway because he is bought and paid for by the same crypto industry that bought Trump. I am beyond disgusted by Schiff. I sent him a strongly worded letter letting him know exactly what I think of this light weight poser but I don't expect his office will reply to me.
As you said, it's resisting, persisting, and insisting. It's also self-care. Get in those annuals. It's writing to the members of the House and Senate...in DC and at the state levels. Support the arts. There has never been a better time to support the arts and to go see Hamilton. Support local nonprofits, local museums, zoos, and aquariums. Look carefully at where your money is going.
Mass turnouts to protest, boycotts, voting for their opposition, peaceful actions. We need to create a real democracy, which the U.S. has never had. No Senate, no electoral college, more citizen input in legislation. There's a 1,000-page big bill Congress just passed, and how many of us even know EXACTLY what's in it? Also, call or write to your reps-daily if needed.
In support of Asha’s contention & in the spirit of Alexei Navalny, make an issue, cause an uproar over the obvious plotline that the mob boss of Mar a Lago is almost exclusively aligned with the most CORRUPT heads of state in the world (who also happen to be insanely rich).
Whereas the rest of the world are on to his mobster schtick & want nothing at all to do with him, unless it’s forced upon them. The reputation of the USA on a downward spiral. Even those of us trapped here don’t feel at home here anymore. The pressure cooker getting screwed down, day by day.
I am disgusted more by the Dems who saw Trump's corruption in the first term but as soon as he lost went back to business (corruption) as usual and did not pass a single Presidential anti-corruption law. So what exactly is the point of all these Substack pieces on Trump's corruption when no one making $ on Substack wants to actually do anything about it and the best we can hope for is to go back to the corrupt Dems who are only 25% as corrupt as Trump?
The DNC opposition to the working class dates at least as far back as 1944 when it blocked VPOTUS Henry Wallace from running on the ticket for FDR’s 4th term as POTUS.
The DNC expected FDR to die in office. Wallace would have continued to support the New Deal as FDR has envisioned it.
The DNC picked an obscure pro-business haberdasher from Missouri who had no particular political enemies to run for the VP spot. The failing health of FDR was unknown to the public at large, so the people voted for their beloved FDR without much thought about who would be the VP.
Within 4 months after the start of his 4th term, FDR died. Then POTUS Harry Truman began to undo the New Deal. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 was a major blow to the labor unions and to the working class in general.
The DNC needs a hostile take over and every single incumbent DNC operative and status quo enabler needs to be removed from leadership positions.
Those DNC incumbents have been sponsored by Big Money, for many decades. So, the overthrow will take some effort.
The Democrats were only marginally the “party of the working class”. The Southern Democrats were the party of the KKK and “slavery” states. The USA has never really had a “Labor” Party.
FDR instituted several “reforms” to help the poor and working classes, but was motivated by the desire to forestall a USSR-style revolution. The real champion of the poor and working classes was Eleanor Roosevelt who, no doubt, influenced her husband. Both FDR and Eleanor were born into one of America’s oldest and wealthiest families.
And the racism inherent in our systems did not extend generous benefits to ALL people. As with many government funded programs, it didn't go far enough for long enough.
I'd also like the members of congress who lied about the 2020 election and supported J6 to be kicked out of office.
We can of course do that by voting in general elections if we still have elections in 2 years. In the meantime, within Democratic primaries, we should vote out the Jim Clyburn type Biden dead-enders who clearly put their own political relevance and personal power above the national interest.
I believe the "Southern Strategy" was the way the DNC lured it's southern base, which shifted to Republican after Lyndon Johnson's Voting Rights Act. The Wealthy class, whether Republican or Democratic, has been working at unraveling the New Deal ever since. The goal is a government serving only the wealthy interests, with no social or support services for citizens. Koch network has been shepherding the plan along since Brown V Board of Education. Read "Democracy in Chains" by Nancy Maclean. It shows the Republican plan. Suddenly, everything they do makes sense. Trup is a convenient con-man right now.
Trump, intentionally or unintentionally, is distracting millions of Americans from seeing real enemies of the poor and working classes. Nancy Maclean and Jane Mayer (“Dark Money”) have named some of the wealthy sponsors who are backing Trump and Congress, but nowhere near all of them.
Both books are must reads to understand where we're at and how we got here.
Hmmm, not seeing this post show up on The Counsel podcast.
'But guardrails can’t rein in a person whose very purpose in serving in office has nothing to do with public virtue, and everything to do with self gain.' I am guessing that, at the time when the Framers met, they could hardly imagine such a person might end up gaining the presidency. But they couldn't have imagined the complex networked world of information and influence we live in today, either. At some point there will be a reckoning, and guardrails will be applied to this network, first and foremost, before we get another disaster like Trump, or someone even worse.
"Big balls" is giving us the shaft.
Also there is the considerable expense to the tax payers.
If the normal protectors against emoluments violations do you step up, e.g., Congress or DOJ or Inspectors General, is it possible for an individual citizen to bring this on behalf of the public during the Presidency?
Bravo, Professor, you’ve analyzed this whole thing intricately and beautifully explained! One could only agree with you.
When you reminded about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act being out on hold, I wondered if that was done so the Trump offspring could put in bribes wherever the Felon needed it done??? Can this EO be challenged? If not, how could a registry of foreign bribes be amassed?
Thoughts and Prayers!