There’s no satisfaction when your political predictions are correct when the outcome proves awful for many. And no shame when you get it wrong if the outcome proves awful for many.
There are lots of major social media influencers on all sides of politics. How they came to wield significant influence is occasionally about their talents and expertise. Sometimes it’s based on being a celebrity or on how handsome or pretty they are. Or on their sense of humor. And way too many - possibly the majority - gain their traction by being sycophants of political extremists. They gain followers by being the latest fad within their herds. Their influence has no independent thought or thorough research; they’re really just echo chambers for their propaganda leaders.
My respect is for the talented, the best researchers, those who take risks, knowing they could be doxxed or threatened with violence. Those who bring humor into their mix gain extra points from me. Some are just damn good writers.
Nearly a quarter century ago, as blogging became a thing, there were dozens worth following to hear their take on things. Only a few have continued to blog throughout.
Heather Parton (aka Digby, writing at Hullabaloo) is an award winning blogger.
Her December 14th post is well worth your time to read. It began with:
”Many, many thanks to all of you who have contributed so far this year. I can’t tell you what it means to me, especially now when everything has been feeling a little bit bleak. It reminds me that none of us are alone in all this and gives me hope that we’ll be able to regroup and push back on what Trump and his henchmen have planned for us.
Everybody with a blog or a substack is quoting Professor Timothy Snyder these days, especially his admonition not to “obey in advance.” Sadly, we’re watching so many do exactly that right now. Media figures, government officials, world leaders and CEOs are making the pilgrimage down to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring (even, in some cases, holding their hands over their hearts to strains of the January 6th choir singing the national anthem!) Democrats are starting to signal that Trump is someone they can work with. It’s enough to make you crazy. It feels as if they’ve all completely given in to his noxious authoritarianism before he’s even started to implement his plans.”
For me, the first rule of politics has been to “follow the money” and it’s obvious it applies here. Biden’s cabinet has a net worth of $118 million. In Trump’s first term, his cabinet was worth $3.2 billion.
His new cabinet nominees, if confirmed by the Senate, are worth at least $7 billion, 60 times more than Biden’s cabinet. And that doesn’t include the billionaires he’s proposed for ambassadorial positions. Nor does it include his biggest financial backer, the $400+ billion richest man in the world, Elon Musk.
Here’s the women in the group: Pam Bondi for Atty Gen’l, Agriculture Sec’y Brooke Rollins, Education Sec’y Linda McMahon, Sec’y of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Susie Wiles (White House Chief of Staff (not a cabinet position), UN Ambassador Elise Stefanik, Head of the Small Business Administration Kelly Loeffler, Surgeon General nominee Dr Janette Nesheiwat (non-cabinet), WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, WH counsel Alina Habba (American daughter of Iraqi immigrants, non-cabinet) and Sec’y of Labor Lori Chavez DeRemer.
DeRemer (Hispanic) joins former HUD nominee Scott Turner (Black) and FBI Director nominee Kash Patel (not a Cabinet position, born in the US, son of immigrants from India) and Sec’y of State Marco Rubio (son of Cuban immigrants) as 4 of different ethnic backgrounds
Cabinet: 10 men, 5 women with Rubio and DeRemer with other ethnic backgrounds.
WH staff: 3 women
Diplomatic (Ambassadors or Envoys): 5 men, 1 woman
Non-cabinet Law enforcement and National Security positions: 1 man, 1 woman
Other high positions (SBA head, NASA head, SSA Commissioner, Administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Surgeon General, AI and Crypto Czar): 4 men, 2 women
Totals: 20 men, 12 women, 3 POC, 13 billionaires (not counting Ramaswamy or Musk).
And while there’s several more nominated for key positions (some will require Senate confirmation and may be included at Cabinet level rank, all 14 of those are men. So that means the real total is 34 men, 12 women, one Latino (Chavez-DeRemer, one Black (Turner) and the first openly gay Treasury Secretary (the last three possibly an example of tokenism.
Still the key thing to watch for is legislation to enrich the people with big assets. That is how Trump defines success and is the top goal of Trump and the richest nominees
The various public claims by Trump and his sycophants, the things that trigger the middle class and the poor? All of it propaganda and outrage promotion designed to divert attention to the fresh cash grabbing of the wealthiest in his administration, like financiers, major media voices and the wealthiest in the general public.
Back to what Digby wrote about
She spoke of the advice of Yale Professor and a NYTimes bestselling author Timothy Snyder about how best to respond to the rise of an authoritarian state, advice we should seriously consider.
You could read his FB page back to early November, or just go to his November 2016 post that Digby was referring to (an essential read with great advice as we ready ourselves for the January BS.).
Then go to his last Substack entry (you can click on ‘No thank you’ if you prefer not to subscribe and then you can read it in full). Among other things he coins a new definition of the country to come: Trumpomuskovia. Another essential read.
Naming is important. Not mentioning Trump or Musk is painful for two such narcissists. And Trump’s incompetence will thwart a lot of things I’m hearing people fear.
It’s no time to fear. It’s important to act with morals intact. There’ll be more precise suggestions from multiple sources ahead. And FOLLOW THE MONEY.
And let’s pay homage to the guy who began the reduction of the middle class with trickle down while greatly expanding the top 10% when it actually began trickling up.
In times like this, we need you.
The young elected Dems across the land must become a Point-and-Laugh/Point-and-Cry chorus that speaks out at every assault on democracy and good citizenship so that their narrative overtakes the cacophany of the locust horde that's going to be fully in charge. Their is no alternative to their noise other than better noise, music that includes the "word of the day." And the energy and will lie with the young.
I've been thinking about what it was like in the years between 1963-68 when the idealistic dream of a young president (and those who took inspiration from him) was crushed by violence and the country turned to the hated "law and order candidate" Richard Nixon. Not sure where I'm going with that, but this feels similar.