This is pretty insane. It feels like US institutions are crumbling
Not just crumbling. They’re being actively attacked and simultaneously dismantled by the country’s own leadership, and at the behest of the country’s wealthiest. If they succeed, this will be a lesson in history akin to the fall of the Roman Empire.
Marvin and Thiel? Someone somewhere mentioned them and if you have reading material to offer, I will appreciate linking.
Admittedly, I always wondered what Nazi Germany would be like. You always hear the stories of executions, torture, violence etc.
But never the stories about the “acceptable” public.
Plumbers, electricians, weapon factory supervisors, miners, grocery store managers.
And I’m learning it by experiencing it now.
But never the stories about the “acceptable” public.
Plumbers, electricians, weapon factory supervisors, miners, grocery store managers.
And I’m learning it by experiencing it now.
Yes, clearly that happened. But it tells me fuck all about what daily life was like.
Hitler was elected with only 35 percent of the popular vote. Within one year, he had established absolute rule.
Hannah Arendt touched on that subject when coining the phrase “The banality of evil”.
But that’s the thing. The conformance to what social norms? How did a plumber know he was conforming to everything expected of him?
He was white? He was employed? He didn’t speak out or help? Otherwise he just accepted that the Gestapo were going to beat his neighbor across the street nearly to death?
There was no written law regarding how two people greet each other, but it was magically determined to be the heil Hitler thing? What happened to already divorced women? What happened to already divorced men? Existing and new couples were forbidden from divorce. Women were the ones allowed to take care of children. They surely must have realized that one false step meant the end of their road? Did no one talk to each other?
To a great extent, yes. Chris Browning’s Ordinary Men could just have been about a plumber joining ICE for the pay.
While there was an obvious amount of policy and design about the movement, even more so in Germany, the design of the rallies and uniforms in the current USA suck in comparison.
But for the confirming to the new norm, people don’t need much instruction to do that. Only small amounts of direction is needed. Take the actions against people speaking out against Kirk. Or the republican statements about Mrs Good. Dissenters will have their life made hell or even shot.
People pick up on those really quickly. I many people will respond by immediately broadcasting submissive behavior, to assure them being seen as friendly to the regime. I wouldn’t be surprised if people are already ratting out relatives to the regime as we speak.
This is what intense corruption and greed on the highest levels produces…
Soon the family trump will literally own the dollar, be it crypto, digital or the cash printing machines…
Props to Powell for standing firm. So many other people in places of trust have just crumbled or resigned, only to be replaced by Trump’s yes men.
I know the stock market lives in a different dimension but it will be unreal again to see today how the markets shrug off this train wreck.
That actually makes a lot of sense. A conventional crash is sooo 20th century.
bailouts started in December. Its like Wily E Coyote
It’s like we’re in a strange, speed run, crossover episode of the fall of Rome meets WW2 Germany. Once the AI and housing bubbles pop, elements of the great depression will be mixed in. That will be the final tipping point. People are protesting now, but many more are held back by needing to keep a job and a place to live. If a large percentage of the population - as in great depression level percentages - don’t have those anymore… it’s a terrifying prospect.
Lowering interest rates let’s the bubbles continue, and worsen, while also cutting the safety net for when they do pop. This is the time to keep or slowly raise rates to deflate the bubble. Prop up single family home ownership, redduce landlords and rent gouging. Prevent company cross investment. Split large companies to soften the fall. Invest in energy infrastructure to ensure it doesn’t fail next.
Economic policy is going to be what either saves or breaks us. Unfortunately, the current administration is running in the opposite direction of sensible solutions.
They are not crumbling, they are being destroyed, purposefully.
Mark Kelly just sued Hegseth for retaliating against him. Powell should do the same thing to Trump. So should EVERYONE they’ve slandered and libeled.
That is a very based statement.
