"As a full-fledged narcissist, Trump expects complete subservience — no matter how badly he treats others. He, therefore, must have been shocked when NATO countries did not rush to aid his disastrous war of choice against Iran. More recently, the White House was likely flabbergasted when its effort to strong-arm Pope Leo (!) triggered another Vatican tongue-lashing, which was leaked."
No matter how loyal his slobbering sycophants are, he still treats them with contempt. Look at Bondi and Noem. Kicked to the curb after doing nothing but praising him to the skies and carrying out his dirty work.
You'd think some of these folks would have enough self-respect to recognize that he is only interested in humiliating everyone.
It's hard to see MAGA as anything other than a cult.
I believe they gave up all self respect, like every other Cabinet member, when they agreed to serve. Trump uses and abuses advisors who "could" make him successful. Most will leave with a gold-plated dagger in their backs or with their reputation in tatters.
MAGA is a cult where lies, "alternate truth" and propaganda poisoned people have departed reality and critical thinking. How else could they have come to this end?
It took a 'perfect storm' to do this - an uneducated and easily propagandized plurality of the voters. One which actually glorifies willful ignorance, paranoia, and the latest conspiracy theories. It took electing a New York mob boss to the presidency - what else can you call The tRump Organization? It took the rise of the American Oligarchy with its own glorification of their own innate superiority and willingness to divert just about the entire produce of the nation's economy into their own coffers. And it took a large apathetic part of the American polity too disengaged to go vote.
Somehow the legacy media will downplay, or soon forget, Trump's jaw-dropping insults to Pope Leo XIV. Trump should remember the sneering remark attributed to Stalin, "How many divisions has the Pope?" and also remember where Stalin's statues are now, after Pope John Paul II reminded our brothers and sisters in Poland, and elsewhere, not to be afraid.
Yes. The Church might not have any 'divisions,' but it definitely has people. And People Power. (Unfortunately this power has often been misdirected, as when US Catholic clergy and even some religious communities of nuns pressed their members to support the current president in both his candidacies because of his supposed objection to abortion. Does anyone really believe he gives a fig about 'unborn lives?' He really doesn't even care about born lives.)
Let's hope the Pope and US church leaders continue to speak forcefully against this war criminal and his minions.
PS: Vance and Rubio, as well as Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Kavanaugh and Comey are all Catholics.
A government which outlaws abortion while simultaneously cutting programs that feed, shelter, provide medical attention, and educate children is not really pro-life. A government which puts children in concentration camps is not really pro-life. A government which recklessly murders children during a military "excursion" is not pro-life.
Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Kavanaugh and Comey are all Catholics speaks volumes to their decisions based on their religion. I'd love to see their faces as their dear leader disses the Pope.
You're right, Ellen. Sotomayor was raised Catholic but evidently makes no pretense of being an orthodox follower these days, calleng herself a "cultural Catholic." Which many (of us) are.
From reading the Hungarian election returns I've learned a lesson-- one that probably applies to the U.S. as well.
The lesson is that Joe and Josephine Sixpack don't give a hoot about freedom or democracy. As long as they can afford the groceries, a car (maybe 2), a decent place to live, a vacation at the shore, the mountains or to grandma's house once a year, and maybe some semblance of health insurance, they don't care how authoritarian the government is-- at least while the government isn't directly hassling THEM.!
Orban didn't lose because he was a fascist. He lost because people were getting tired of the widespread corruption, to the point where it intruded in their routine business, and because his corruption and mismanagement resulted in economic stagnation.
That explains why Harris' and Biden's stressing Trump's Fascist tendencies didn't carry a strong message, and (I hope) why the widespread corruption, rising prices, economic stagnation and forever wars is a stronger campaign platform than the state of democracy, which doesn't motivate the average American.
then that doesn't speak well of us, and shame on all those Americans who don't care if their president is a fascist. I attribute alot of this to our school systems not teaching civics anymore. That has to come back. Too many Americans do not have a clue about how our government works or what our Constitution says.
I agree that civics should be taught, so we know better how our government is designed to work. But a bigger problem is that schools don't teach enough history. We hardly have a clue about how our own nation came to be and has changed, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, and how weve interacted with other nations. To say nothing of our knowledge of other nations.
I agree that it does not speak well of us-- mainly because we don't deserve to be spoken well of.
Someone, I can't remember who, once said that in the end, for better or worse, the people get the government they deserve. Even Stalin would have collapsed if enough Soviet citizens simply said "we don't care how many of us you kill, we refuse to be governed by you". There'd have been a lot of bloodshed, but in the end Stalin would have fallen. But most people figure that as long as they have a roof over their head and three squares on the table, they'll tolerate an authoritarian government-- as long as they're able to live their lives.
Agree completely. The deaths of hundreds of thousands of Africans when USAID was withdrawn is hardly spoken of. But two young white people murdered before our eyes in Minneapolis certainly provoked a response. Yes, it was caught on video and they looked like a lot like many of us, but still....
Country comparisons often lose something in translation. Most European commenters would agree with the points you made above, but Orbán added more than you give him credit for. As a little fascist, it probably drove them up the wall when he met with Putin to say 'anything, anything at all, Your Grace, I'm just a little cog but I'm here to play my part by helping you.' The old ones never forgot Soviet tanks in Budapest in 1956, nor the real spirit of 1989, which over time Fidesz had done its best to smother.
As far as Harris and Biden goes, they did not stress his fascism. They answered a reporter's questions honestly (as they should have) when asked about it, if memory serves. And for what it's worth, I believe tens of millions are fed up with our mini-Putin and his party BOTH because of its fascism as well its economic and political failures.
Democracy is an operational concept. People who are working two or more jobs just to keep up (hopefully) with the rising costs of daily living, may not spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to live in a democracy. It's no excuse, but it is an understandable explanation.
The Trump officials have added another chapter to the book "How to Anger People". In this case, it's the Catholics, who hold the Pope in higher regard than the U.S. president, and rightly so.
"Vice President JD Vance, who once arrogantly lectured the Vatican — incorrectly — on theology, first claimed not to recognize Pierre’s name, but then promised to look into it. (It should make his tour for his new book, flaunting his Catholic bona fides, interesting.)"
We haven't had a good excommunication in a while...
Ignore the Bombast bloviator. When you see or hear his miserable excuse for "words" follow Melania's advice "I don't care. Do you?" Praise the Hungarians. Believe the Pope's Message of Peace and caring for the less fortunate than us. Find a candidate you like and support them through Nov. Bring your friends. Save the America we love.
Really, what did any of US expect? Don the Con doesn’t have the ability or capacity to see past his orange nose. No forethought. None. He’s been pre-programmed to lie, cheat and steal, his entire disgusting life. The sooner we get this creep and his team of miserable miscreants where they belong, we’ll be in a much better position to build back better. https://maydaystrong.org/
The Trump administration and the GOP will need to be punished more than the South was after the Civil War. Our standing in the world depends on it. Republicans needed to stand up and instead keep going home and hiding. Where is the news that this government is still in a partial shutdown? How does Johnson keep dodging and sending home the House? This November keeps on getting more interesting. If our Congress were to get a 75% majority of Dems we would see a definite Impeachment and CONVICTION of both the president and vice president. Unlikely, but this administration keeps on lowering the bar.
It's a long road ahead after those of us who care about our country get rid of Trump and his goons, but it's far from impossible. This is still America, it's still the greatest country in the world, despite all Trump's efforts to destroy it. I'm not blind. I see what's happened, even some things that don't get reported on much, like Trump's gutting of the National Forestry Service and his intention to sell off old-growth trees for timber. He wants to turn the entire country into the Dust Bowl. But therein lies my optimism. He's an ignoramus who thinks he can solve issues with gut feelings. He's an incurious oaf, arrogant, thinks only of himself, and thrives in turmoil and chaos. He and MAGA are a spent force. Still trouble, but waning by the day. Of course, he's going to try to steal the mid-terms, but Norm, Marc Elias, and state AGs around the country are preparing. There's no way the lower courts will let some of the trickery stand. And if it goes up to the Supreme Court, there will be huge pressure on the justices to do the right thing. We're going to win back both Houses and start holding people accountable. Then we need to get back to bold new ideas. The way FDR did things. That's how Dems will stay in power.
A clear assessment of the state of the union. Unfortunately, entreaties to intellect are no match for the MAGA kool-aid that will fortunately lead to the ultimate demise of the willfully ignorant!
tRump is a bit simplistic at times. The only form of negotiation he practices or understands is "I win, you lose" to be achieved by the methods of a NYC street thug. Never forget that his grandfather ran a brothel for gold miners in the Yukon. The values were clearly inherited. Maybe that explains his love of gold. He will harvest everything he can grab and give nothing in return except to avoid losing something he needs.
did anybody expect the "negotiators" to achieve anything? their negotiating skills are acquired by reading frumps idiotic book... marathon negotiation to resolve conflicts that encompass huge issues while they scheme how to make a buck out of it for themselves??? i would laugh if i was not crying....
Kushner was not even an official US negotiator, and he’s being paid by the Saudis, who do not want the war to end. It’s not even just naïveté, it’s more corruption.
Yep. It's called distributive negotiation. It's a winner-takes-all process, as opposed to integrative negotiations, which seek win-win consensus. One works in talks between nations. The other just tends to create more antagonism.
You do us all a huge favor by telling it like it is, Jen. It’s a long road ahead; buckle up.
Thank you for your clarity on how much we're losing, as Trump and regime destroy our alliances and our own people. Make America Grim Again.
"As a full-fledged narcissist, Trump expects complete subservience — no matter how badly he treats others. He, therefore, must have been shocked when NATO countries did not rush to aid his disastrous war of choice against Iran. More recently, the White House was likely flabbergasted when its effort to strong-arm Pope Leo (!) triggered another Vatican tongue-lashing, which was leaked."
No matter how loyal his slobbering sycophants are, he still treats them with contempt. Look at Bondi and Noem. Kicked to the curb after doing nothing but praising him to the skies and carrying out his dirty work.
You'd think some of these folks would have enough self-respect to recognize that he is only interested in humiliating everyone.
It's hard to see MAGA as anything other than a cult.
I believe they gave up all self respect, like every other Cabinet member, when they agreed to serve. Trump uses and abuses advisors who "could" make him successful. Most will leave with a gold-plated dagger in their backs or with their reputation in tatters.
MAGA is a cult where lies, "alternate truth" and propaganda poisoned people have departed reality and critical thinking. How else could they have come to this end?
Excellent points and YNWA! (Oops!)
It took a 'perfect storm' to do this - an uneducated and easily propagandized plurality of the voters. One which actually glorifies willful ignorance, paranoia, and the latest conspiracy theories. It took electing a New York mob boss to the presidency - what else can you call The tRump Organization? It took the rise of the American Oligarchy with its own glorification of their own innate superiority and willingness to divert just about the entire produce of the nation's economy into their own coffers. And it took a large apathetic part of the American polity too disengaged to go vote.
Somehow the legacy media will downplay, or soon forget, Trump's jaw-dropping insults to Pope Leo XIV. Trump should remember the sneering remark attributed to Stalin, "How many divisions has the Pope?" and also remember where Stalin's statues are now, after Pope John Paul II reminded our brothers and sisters in Poland, and elsewhere, not to be afraid.
Yes. The Church might not have any 'divisions,' but it definitely has people. And People Power. (Unfortunately this power has often been misdirected, as when US Catholic clergy and even some religious communities of nuns pressed their members to support the current president in both his candidacies because of his supposed objection to abortion. Does anyone really believe he gives a fig about 'unborn lives?' He really doesn't even care about born lives.)
Let's hope the Pope and US church leaders continue to speak forcefully against this war criminal and his minions.
PS: Vance and Rubio, as well as Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Kavanaugh and Comey are all Catholics.
A government which outlaws abortion while simultaneously cutting programs that feed, shelter, provide medical attention, and educate children is not really pro-life. A government which puts children in concentration camps is not really pro-life. A government which recklessly murders children during a military "excursion" is not pro-life.
You've got that right. Five out of five stars of approval.
Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Kavanaugh and Comey are all Catholics speaks volumes to their decisions based on their religion. I'd love to see their faces as their dear leader disses the Pope.
I actually think the SC crew might admire their president more than they respect the Pope.
I think you mean Coney Barrett, and Sotomayor is too. I hope the Pope has a few words for SCOTUS, like corporations are NOT people but immigrants are.
You're right, Ellen. Sotomayor was raised Catholic but evidently makes no pretense of being an orthodox follower these days, calleng herself a "cultural Catholic." Which many (of us) are.
From reading the Hungarian election returns I've learned a lesson-- one that probably applies to the U.S. as well.
The lesson is that Joe and Josephine Sixpack don't give a hoot about freedom or democracy. As long as they can afford the groceries, a car (maybe 2), a decent place to live, a vacation at the shore, the mountains or to grandma's house once a year, and maybe some semblance of health insurance, they don't care how authoritarian the government is-- at least while the government isn't directly hassling THEM.!
Orban didn't lose because he was a fascist. He lost because people were getting tired of the widespread corruption, to the point where it intruded in their routine business, and because his corruption and mismanagement resulted in economic stagnation.
That explains why Harris' and Biden's stressing Trump's Fascist tendencies didn't carry a strong message, and (I hope) why the widespread corruption, rising prices, economic stagnation and forever wars is a stronger campaign platform than the state of democracy, which doesn't motivate the average American.
then that doesn't speak well of us, and shame on all those Americans who don't care if their president is a fascist. I attribute alot of this to our school systems not teaching civics anymore. That has to come back. Too many Americans do not have a clue about how our government works or what our Constitution says.
I agree that civics should be taught, so we know better how our government is designed to work. But a bigger problem is that schools don't teach enough history. We hardly have a clue about how our own nation came to be and has changed, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, and how weve interacted with other nations. To say nothing of our knowledge of other nations.
Came here to write the same about history, and would add geography too.
Absolutely. Really, geography is the prelude to history.
I agree that it does not speak well of us-- mainly because we don't deserve to be spoken well of.
Someone, I can't remember who, once said that in the end, for better or worse, the people get the government they deserve. Even Stalin would have collapsed if enough Soviet citizens simply said "we don't care how many of us you kill, we refuse to be governed by you". There'd have been a lot of bloodshed, but in the end Stalin would have fallen. But most people figure that as long as they have a roof over their head and three squares on the table, they'll tolerate an authoritarian government-- as long as they're able to live their lives.
Agree completely. The deaths of hundreds of thousands of Africans when USAID was withdrawn is hardly spoken of. But two young white people murdered before our eyes in Minneapolis certainly provoked a response. Yes, it was caught on video and they looked like a lot like many of us, but still....
While on the topic of Stalin, he's alleged to have said:
A single death is a tragedy. A thousand deaths is a statistic. We may be seeing some of that here.
Country comparisons often lose something in translation. Most European commenters would agree with the points you made above, but Orbán added more than you give him credit for. As a little fascist, it probably drove them up the wall when he met with Putin to say 'anything, anything at all, Your Grace, I'm just a little cog but I'm here to play my part by helping you.' The old ones never forgot Soviet tanks in Budapest in 1956, nor the real spirit of 1989, which over time Fidesz had done its best to smother.
As far as Harris and Biden goes, they did not stress his fascism. They answered a reporter's questions honestly (as they should have) when asked about it, if memory serves. And for what it's worth, I believe tens of millions are fed up with our mini-Putin and his party BOTH because of its fascism as well its economic and political failures.
Democracy is an operational concept. People who are working two or more jobs just to keep up (hopefully) with the rising costs of daily living, may not spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to live in a democracy. It's no excuse, but it is an understandable explanation.
He lived in his own private palace with a little herd of zebras inside.
edit: fixed typo.
The defeat of Orban is a ticket back to what we have lost.
🙏
From your keyboard to G*d’s screen, Howard
Sad to see American officials threatening Pope Leo. As they found out, the Pope answers to a Higher Authority.
The Trump officials have added another chapter to the book "How to Anger People". In this case, it's the Catholics, who hold the Pope in higher regard than the U.S. president, and rightly so.
Pope Leo deserves the respect of all of us.
Indeed he does, and that bampot Trump should receive a lot less.
"Vice President JD Vance, who once arrogantly lectured the Vatican — incorrectly — on theology, first claimed not to recognize Pierre’s name, but then promised to look into it. (It should make his tour for his new book, flaunting his Catholic bona fides, interesting.)"
We haven't had a good excommunication in a while...
Or a good exorcism. I think the orange demon befouling the White House would be a good start.
Ignore the Bombast bloviator. When you see or hear his miserable excuse for "words" follow Melania's advice "I don't care. Do you?" Praise the Hungarians. Believe the Pope's Message of Peace and caring for the less fortunate than us. Find a candidate you like and support them through Nov. Bring your friends. Save the America we love.
Really, what did any of US expect? Don the Con doesn’t have the ability or capacity to see past his orange nose. No forethought. None. He’s been pre-programmed to lie, cheat and steal, his entire disgusting life. The sooner we get this creep and his team of miserable miscreants where they belong, we’ll be in a much better position to build back better. https://maydaystrong.org/
how is it possible that a demented mafia boss and his murderous side kick are still "leading" $330million people?????
because Republicans prefer to protect a pedophile in the White House. I imagine many of them are in the Epstein files.
because americans are what ? STUPID, racist, and looking for the rapture.
I know not all
The Trump administration and the GOP will need to be punished more than the South was after the Civil War. Our standing in the world depends on it. Republicans needed to stand up and instead keep going home and hiding. Where is the news that this government is still in a partial shutdown? How does Johnson keep dodging and sending home the House? This November keeps on getting more interesting. If our Congress were to get a 75% majority of Dems we would see a definite Impeachment and CONVICTION of both the president and vice president. Unlikely, but this administration keeps on lowering the bar.
It's a long road ahead after those of us who care about our country get rid of Trump and his goons, but it's far from impossible. This is still America, it's still the greatest country in the world, despite all Trump's efforts to destroy it. I'm not blind. I see what's happened, even some things that don't get reported on much, like Trump's gutting of the National Forestry Service and his intention to sell off old-growth trees for timber. He wants to turn the entire country into the Dust Bowl. But therein lies my optimism. He's an ignoramus who thinks he can solve issues with gut feelings. He's an incurious oaf, arrogant, thinks only of himself, and thrives in turmoil and chaos. He and MAGA are a spent force. Still trouble, but waning by the day. Of course, he's going to try to steal the mid-terms, but Norm, Marc Elias, and state AGs around the country are preparing. There's no way the lower courts will let some of the trickery stand. And if it goes up to the Supreme Court, there will be huge pressure on the justices to do the right thing. We're going to win back both Houses and start holding people accountable. Then we need to get back to bold new ideas. The way FDR did things. That's how Dems will stay in power.
I hope the dolt cult heard rump's pledge to financially help Hungary, since he has no money for childcare, SNAP, etc
A clear assessment of the state of the union. Unfortunately, entreaties to intellect are no match for the MAGA kool-aid that will fortunately lead to the ultimate demise of the willfully ignorant!
This Pope is a strong person. They are not all strong. He is.
tRump is a bit simplistic at times. The only form of negotiation he practices or understands is "I win, you lose" to be achieved by the methods of a NYC street thug. Never forget that his grandfather ran a brothel for gold miners in the Yukon. The values were clearly inherited. Maybe that explains his love of gold. He will harvest everything he can grab and give nothing in return except to avoid losing something he needs.
did anybody expect the "negotiators" to achieve anything? their negotiating skills are acquired by reading frumps idiotic book... marathon negotiation to resolve conflicts that encompass huge issues while they scheme how to make a buck out of it for themselves??? i would laugh if i was not crying....
Next time, maybe we should send grownups.
Or people who have an understanding of how the mid eastern cultures and mentality function. Tragically all of those experts have been fired.
Kushner was not even an official US negotiator, and he’s being paid by the Saudis, who do not want the war to end. It’s not even just naïveté, it’s more corruption.
Jared and the price of peace sounds like a good investigation in conflicts of interest.
Yep. It's called distributive negotiation. It's a winner-takes-all process, as opposed to integrative negotiations, which seek win-win consensus. One works in talks between nations. The other just tends to create more antagonism.
I think it is also called the conquest model.
Makes sense. Describes it well. Fits very well with Don the Con's efforts to bolster his self-image by causing pain to others.
May 1st National boycott.
July 1st NK4 peaceful protest 👑
Thank you Jennifer for the integrity of your ever-amazing tireless journalistic efforts.