9 Comments
User's avatar
Alan's avatar

My suggestion is a "Stop The Country" General Strike. Those of us who disagree with what is now going on in Washington can, at 12 noon local time on a Wednesday, just stop what we are doing, go out into whatever street we're on, and just stand there for 15 minutes in silent protest. If the MAGAts drive their cars into the crowds, they'll be arrested, or worse. If enough people are there, they'll be intimidated. It will be an organizing opportunity. If Washington does not reverse the illegalities of the unelected, the next Wednesday will see a half-hour General Strike multiplied by whoever newly show up, etc. extended around the planet in unanimity. The wave can occur everywhere but be hyperfocused in certain locations. A simple, direct, loudly proclaimed and powerful demonstration available to all.

Expand full comment
Amy's avatar

Alan , se my note above as I do reference you and your great idea….

Expand full comment
Martin's avatar

The post itself is more tepid mush. None of the grade-school stuff moves the needle anywhere near to the scale that this massive destruction of peoples' lives demands.

"Ask Republicans to get a conscience." Thanks for the Mr. Rogers suggestion. Wonderful.

Expand full comment
Charles Drago's avatar

If you wish to understand Herr Musk by examining the tradition from which he emerged and that clearly informs and inspires him today, research the South African Institute for Maritime Research (SAIMR).

Dag Hammarskjöld thanks you.

Expand full comment
Charles Drago's avatar

Do Musk-Trump threats regarding Canada, Greenland, Panama, and Gaza ring a bell?

Anschluss, anyone?

The elegantly succinct expression of who and what Musk-Trump represent?

Martin Bormann's R.O.I., of course.

For your consideration, history's rhyme scheme (in descending order of authority):

Musk as Bormann

Miller as Goebbels

Bannon as Hess

Patel as Gestapo Mueller

Hegseth as Keitel

Rubio as von Ribbentrop

R. Jackson as Morell

Bondi as Freisler

Gabbard as Canaris

Trump as Hitler

And, fingers crossed,

??? as von Stauffenberg

Expand full comment
A. Guerra's avatar

What a tremendous insult you have given to those of us who voted Trump into office, Russ. I can not believe that this is the same Russ Baker that wrote "The Bush Dynasty- Family of Secrets." Something or someone hijacked your brain, or disappeared the original intelligent, discerning Russell Baker and replaced him with this other person ranting inanities and all manner of gibberish. Too bad. I wont even bother to try engage you in intelligent discourse about the issues, because everything you say is lunacy. I wont be reading your commentaries anymore, and will be unsuscribing as soon as I place the period at the end of this sentence, but I will say one last thing: you do have the 1st Amendment right to express your opinion, and I would fight foreign and domestic enemies who would take away your right to express your opinion-- unlike those of you in the Biden/Obama administrations who censored the conservative viewpoint every chance you got.

Goodby Russ.

Expand full comment
Martin's avatar

On behalf of all of the grateful and appreciative readers of Russ Baker’s “Family of Secrets,” I guess we should all stand corrected. So the deeply researched and well-argued book was laudatory of the Bush crime family? The “secrets” were positive ones, like secret family recipes for brownies or something? And the thoroughly centrist and reactionary Obama/Biden neoliberal tenure engaged in -wait for it - “censorship”?

Expand full comment
Amy's avatar

There is already a movement for a day without spending money… feb 28. You can learn more via lots of social media videos, plus a website. And Alan ( below) though I do agree with you, and I love that the protests you suggest amp up each week, some people will have difficulty taking off from work… hence the dont buy anything ( unless absolutely necessary such as medications).

And we don’t see many Democrats in office in positions of power using TikTok…. But BERNIE does, regularly and he’s to the point.

Expand full comment
Betty Medsger's avatar

Thanks for your wisdom and suggestions for actions. A correction: You refer to Trump and his team as incompetents and goofballs. While your other descriptions are true, those two are not. They are very competent at the cruelty they are imposing. Their actions are being executed not by incompetent goofballs, but by very well organized cruel and powerful people.

Expand full comment