Left leaning political satire and serious analysis
Longer boats are coming to win us
They’re coming to win us
They’re coming to win us
Longer boats are coming to win us
Hold on to the shore
They’ll be taking the key from the door
Cat Stevens, Longer Boats, 1973
“Public officials … regrettably have engaged in recent attempts to intimidate judges — for example, suggesting political bias in the judge’s adverse rulings without a credible basis for such allegations. Attempts to intimidate judges for their rulings in cases are inappropriate and should be vigorously opposed. Public officials certainly have a right to criticize the work of the judiciary, but they should be mindful that intemperance in their statements when it comes to judges may prompt dangerous reactions by others.”
Chief Justice John Roberts, New Year’s Eve message, December 31, 2024.
This morning, Trump took once again to Truth Social for an exquisitely intelligent broadside aimed at the chief judge of the Washington, DC U.S. District Court, Judge James Boasberg for halting his efforts to remove Venezuelan migrants using the Alien Powers Act of 1798 which was intended to to resist a foreign invasion during a time of declared war. Needless to say, we are not at war with Venezuela. This upset our president who is set upon complete capture of the federal government within himself, a monarch in (impatient) waiting. He had this to say:
@realDonaldTrump
This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President – He didn’t WIN the popular VOTE (by a lot!), he didn’t WIN ALL SEVEN SWING STATES, he didn’t WIN 2,750 to 525 Counties, HE DIDN’T WIN ANYTHING! I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY. I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!! WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! Mar 18, 2025, 9:05 AM
Trump’s beef? (1) Judge Boasberg was appointed by President Obama, (2) Judge Boasberg did not perform better that Trump in the 2024 election, (3) Judge Boasberg is a crooked judge, “a troublemaker and agitator,” and, as a consequence, the judge ought to be impeached, primarily for doing his job and interpreting the law in a manner consistent with precedent.
The rule of law laid down in judicial impeachment cases has been that judges cannot be removed for decisions that the president disagrees with. Impeachment of judges is an unlikely event in American history: 15 judges have been impeached, 8 convicted and removed. Impeachment and removal has ranged from intoxication on the bench, to abandoning the office and joining the Confederacy, to various types of corruption, and to perjury and income tax evasion, all of which arguably fit the normal impeachment standard of high crimes and misdemeanors for executive branch impeachments.*
* [But see this for more complete background: within the judicial branch “good behavior” clause of Article 3, there may be some argument that Trumpists may make to the effect that Judge Boasberg violated the good behavior clause (believe it or not) by simply ruling against Trump. The background of this good behavior clause makes it unrealistic to believe that such an argument would be considered as anything other than frivolous, however.]
In any event, the important conclusion in this crucial case is that Trump’s reaction shows clearly (1) his complete lack of basic understanding of the American constitutional system, particularly the judiciary, and (2) his knee jerk reaction to pulverize the reputation of any judge that disciplines him, (3) his utter contempt – utter demented contempt – for law, in general, and anything untoward that affects him adversely, and (4) his descent into uncontrolled all caps madness unlike anything witnessed in his first presidential term.
This battle between Trump administration and the courts represents, potentially, the most important on display since without Trump accepting court rulings the American government loses its principal foundation, judicial supremacy in judicial matters. Absent that, the jungle awaits . . .
__________________
UPDATE: Just prior to my posting this it’s been reported that in a very unusual pronouncement, the Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Roberts, issued the following:
“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
Given the highly unusual statement by the Chief Justice, its import cannot be underestimated. We’ll likely see, in its wake, MAGA world completely “cancel” the Chief Justice, and Trump say something that makes the situation worse.
This is important. Stay tuned.
Courtesy of today’s Talking Points Memo, this list is but a partial list of the Trumpskrieg we have witnessed after but two months of his term:
“Breaking New Ground In Lawlessness
President Trump late Sunday night purported to invalidate Joe Biden’s pardons of members of the House Jan. 6 committee.
On Wednesday, a federal judge blocked as wildly unconstitutional President Trump’s executive order targeting the Perkins Coie law firm. On Saturday, the president issued a similar executive order targeting Paul Weiss, a major NYC-based law firm.
In a case out of Maryland, the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court ruling that blocked two of President Trump’s executive orders banning DEI while the case was on appeal. Under the ruling, the executive orders will remain in place as the appeal proceeds.
NPR’s David Folkenflik on the carnage at Voice of America and other government broadcasters as President Trump’s Friday night executive order began to take effect.
Senate Minority Leader showed up in his invertebrate form for the battle over the GOP-led continuing resolution to fund the government through most of the remaining year. He has often railed about the possible collapse of democracy under Trump’s presidency, loudly trashing the GOP for their draconian plans to anyone who has a microphone. Nonetheless, actual tactical follow-up to his righteous indignation has rarely followed. He slithers away from a real fight and by now represents the ghost of a Democratic party long hobbled by bipartisanship and, frankly, fear of incivility, a decades old Democratic disability. His latest was his codging together enough Democratic senators’ votes to pass the GOP continuing resolution granting Trump with a carte blanche for chaos for the rest of the fiscal year. It’s what happens when you bring a Schumer to a knife fight.
MSNBC’s The Weekend‘s Symone Sanders-Townsend laid it on in her inimitable style:
“In 2024, Democrats ran on warnings that Trump was going to destroy democracy, and now that he and his team are very much in the process of doing just that, these same politicians are questioning whether or not to stand up to him and his party at one of the first opportunities they have to meaningfully do so. The only opportunity, I would add, there’s not another option for Senate or Democratic or Senate Democrats or House Democrats to effectively push back. This was it! They blew it! The Democratic Tea Party was born the same day that Chuck Schumer took to that podium to read that very well-crafted statement that told us he folded like a paper napkin.”
Does the Senate Democratic caucus have enough senators with spines to (finally) do what is needed and dethrone their minority leader? It’s long past time to do so. Pick a fighter, for example, Arizona’s Mark Kelly, Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen, Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren, or Rhode Island’s Sheldon Whitehouse. Put a tiger in your tank, and ditch the civility.
This is the second in what will be a regular feature (see our first post here). It’s based upon what is known as the original position fallacy:
A situation in which a character promotes an action, revolution or social system that harms or will harm other people, under the assumption that it will not harm them. They will invariably discover that they were wrong, with the double whammy of knowing they supported the measure that caused their suffering when they thought it would happen to ‘somebody else’
This, of course, was predictable for the average MAGA voter, they were warned many times that Trump & Company had no true regard for their own supporters (except their mega wealthy cabal). Cheering on all of Trump’s plans the MAGA crowd were looking forward to the firing huge swathes of our federal workforce according to the Project 2025 playbook. And without thought of consequences these MAGAs failed to take notice that there are many MAGA adherents in that federal workforce. Thinking things through is not one of the characteristics of the entire MAGA movement, from top to bottom.
So, now, just seven weeks into the Re-Trumping of America, thousands of federal workers have been summarily laid off and RIFed. Those MAGAs who have been directly or indirectly harmed by this have learned the lesson of the original position fallacy. And more lessons will be forthcoming to MAGAs who disproportionately rely on programs being axed by the GOP/MAGA, for instance, Medicaid, administration interference with Social Security and Medicare, and the decimation of the Veterans Administration.
So, here’s is today’s example of buyer’s regret, courtesy of Twitter/X poster Tim Hannon’s retweet of a February 6th cris de coeur from MAGA town:
Some of Trump’s Executive Orders garner wide notice in the media, ut many do not. These little noticed EOs often pack more punch than their anonymity deserves. Today, I’ll highlight an EO that needs to be seen for what it is, a veritable presentation of the Trump administration’s horrific agenda. Titled ADDITIONAL RESCISSIONS OF HARMFUL EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND ACTIONS, at a glance appears to be an invitation to boredom, but as you’ll see, it is very revealing. For ease of reading I have highlighted the topics of these recissions. You’ll see that every Trump EO is worthy of examination, followed by shock. For shock value, see what Biden policies have been summarily axed, all worthy efforts, now in the dustbin , . . yes, even infant formula . . .
“Section 1. Purpose. . . . I have determined that the following additional rescissions are necessary to advance the policy of the United States to restore common sense to the Federal Government and unleash the potential of American citizens.
Sec. 2. Revocation of Orders and Actions. The following executive actions are hereby revoked:
(a) Executive Order 13994 of January 21, 2021 (Ensuring a Data-Driven Response to COVID-19 and Future High-Consequence Public Health Threats).
(b) National Security Memorandum 3 of February 4, 2021 (Revitalizing America’s Foreign Policy and National Security Workforce, Institutions, and Partnerships).
(c) Presidential Memorandum of February 4, 2021 (Advancing the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Persons Around the World).
(d) Executive Order 14026 of April 27, 2021 (Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors).
(e) Presidential Memorandum of March 31, 2022 (Finding of a Severe Energy Supply Interruption).
(f) Presidential Determination 2022-13 of May 18, 2022 (Delegating Authority Under the Defense Production Act to Ensure an Adequate Supply of Infant Formula).
, , ,
(k) Executive Order 14081 of September 12, 2022 (Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy).
. . .
(o) Presidential Memorandum of November 16, 2023 (Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards Globally).
(p) Executive Order 14112 of December 6, 2023 (Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination).
(q) Executive Order 14119 of March 6, 2024 (Scaling and Expanding the Use of Registered Apprenticeships in Industries and the Federal Government and Promoting Labor-Management Forums).
(r) Executive Order 14126 of September 6, 2024 (Investing in America and Investing in American Workers).
Trump’s latest Truth Social rant is among the more unhinged of both of his presidencies. It showcases grand mal psychological instability as well as a mind suffering peak megalomania while demonstrating rank stupidity. The original Dunning Kruger starting point.
For example, neither sane nor savvy is to send out this mentally disoriented message into the teeth of a financial market downturn. But who is there in the administration – a collection of incompetent conspiracy operatives – to stop him? The markets were down sharply this morning already prior to his announcement. We’ll see how they end the day – no predicting market players who may be so confused that they signal they like Trump’s thinking . . . Go figure.
In any event, here’s his maximally deranged rant, a rant of many levels and promising many catastrophes, all based on utter tariff stupidity and unearned bravado, and incredibly brazen threats to “absorb” Canada as out “cherished” 51st state:
“Based on Ontario, Canada, placing a 25% Tariff on “Electricity” coming into the United States, I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING, March 12th.
Also, Canada must immediately drop their Anti-American Farmer Tariff of 250% to 390% on various U.S. dairy products, which has long been considered outrageous.
I will shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area. This will allow the U.S to quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada.
If other egregious, long time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada. Those cars can easily be made in the USA! Also, Canada pays very little for National Security, relying on the United States for military protection. We are subsidizing Canada to the tune of more than 200 Billion Dollars a year. WHY???
This cannot continue. The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that. The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear, and we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere in the World — And your brilliant anthem, “O Canada,” will continue to play, but now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STATE within the greatest Nation that the World has ever seen!”
We’ll wait and see about today’s financial markets’ results, but realistically, I expect continuing losses throughout the day, unless traders are struck dumb. . . and daft.
Later on I’ll have a look at the other unhinged ideas and threats he introduced in his Truth Social post. . .
Trump 1.0 and during his 2021-2025 “vacation” never missed an opportunity to directly blame President Biden for any significant financial market sell offs despite the fact that, for example, the S&P 500’s growth rate under Democrats is 10% compared with 6.7% under Republicans. Trump posted on True Social in July 2020: “If you want your 401k’s and stocks…to disintegrate and disappear, vote for the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats and Corrupt Joe Biden,” In reality, reported CNN, “with Biden in the White House, the US stock market not only preserved those Trump-era gains, but generated even more massive ones for millions of Americans’ 401(k) plans, nest eggs and college savings plans.”
But now with the markets lately off by significant percentage points, Trump is now apparently has changed, he’s now Future Man! Stock market? Schmockmarket! Just wait a few years, it’ll come back. Here’s what he told FOX News’ Maria Bartiromo, on a show called – speaking of the future – Sunday Morning Futures. Introducing Future Man . . .
BARTIROMO: Before you came into the Oval Office the first time, you were a very successful businessman, very successful real estate executive. And a lot of people said, oh, this is the business president. This is it. He’s watching the stock market. He knows all about — he doesn’t want the market to go down. And now we have got tariffs, and the market has been going down.
TRUMP: Well, not much, I mean, in all fairness, not much.
BARTIROMO: You said, look, we’re going to have a disruption, but we’re OK with that. Is that what you meant? The stock market going down was the disruption?
TRUMP: There will be a little disruption.
BARTIROMO: What other disruption were you alluding to?
TRUMP: Look, what I have to do is build a strong country. You can’t really watch the stock market. If you look at China, they have a 100-year perspective. We have a quarter. We go by quarters.
BARTIROMO: That’s true.
TRUMP: And you can’t go by that. You have to do what’s right. What we’re doing is, we’re building a tremendous foundation for the future, tremendous foundation. Everything’s been taken away. We don’t make ships anymore.
After scolding Ukraine’s Zelensky in the Oval Office and then punishing Ukraine by cutting off U.S. intelligence data, threatening to remove thousands of Ukrainians from the U.S., and stalling military assistance, Trump is now, just an hour ago, threatening Russia with sanctions for waging an aggressive bombing campaign.
Yesterday, he posted this on TruthSocial:
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”
This stepped up aggression by Russia is a case of cause-effect based upon Trump’s own recent treatment of Ukraine, the literal cutting off of most aid to Ukraine following the February 28th Oval Office fiasco. Basically, Trump’s post-meeting abandonment of Ukraine made it possible for Russia to do the Ukrainian battlefield “pounding” by removing, for example, Ukraine’s access to U.S. military surveillance thereby allowing Russia to immediately lambaste Ukraine at will. Cause-Effect. When will his madcap foreign policies do the same, and how dangerous will be the result?
Today, CNN reported: “When it comes to the rise of multimillionaires, the United States is leading the charge, a new report found. The number of high-net worth individuals — or those with assets worth more than $10 million — rose 4.4% worldwide in 2024, to 2,341,378, but jumped 5.2% in North America, according to the annual Wealth Report by global real estate consultancy Knight Frank. The U.S. is now home to almost 40% of the world’s super rich, the report estimates — nearly double the share that resides in China, the region with the next highest contingent of wealthy individuals.”
The report points out as well that “Future wealth creation, especially in the ultra-wealthy (US$100 million+) segment, is likely to be subject to a more activist regulatory and tax response.” In plain English, wealth growth, under the Trump administration, will likely result in an “activist regulatory and tax response,” i.e., a super-wealthy person’s way of saying, “More tax breaks and less regulations!! For us!”
And, of course, being in a competitive society, the growth rate of super-wealthy families must hold on to its leadership position. Rooting against them would be Un-American!! The chart below shows just how hard it is to stay in the top 1%; there are so many 99%ers grasping cravenly at their fortunes: 85 million other families, versus 2.5 million super-wealthy. A very unfair fight. How is it that such a small contingent has been able to dominate so many millions of families? Hmmmmm…
