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PCIntern

(27,158 posts)
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 10:25 AM Jan 25

Step back for just a moment and consider

that this entire movement is spearheaded by a nearly-eighty year old man who is grossly overweight, some might say morbidly obese, showing real signs of physical and mental breakdown, and is operating in an enormously stressful environment in which he has designated that he has the final say on every issue and that like every ruler throughout history, people somewhere have designs upon his throne and upon him.

At this age, there is diminished reserve both physiologically and psychologically and the fragility of the organism is increased as an exponential function for each month of age which passes. The term “rapid downhill course” often applies to geriatric individuals when collapse begins. It has not begun at this point.

The knowledge of this clinical reality is what allows me to sleep at night.

Meanwhile, I have taken to watch a great deal of football, especially my beloved Philadelphia Eagles 🦅 and movies. I might recommend the film Bullet Train which was just remarkable with the caveat that you must watch it through the titles or you’ll miss something really important. Also, for those of you who have a sense of humor and have never seen the film Snatch, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s brilliant in its own right. Serendipitously and interestingly, the casts of both of these movies include Brad Pitt who is cast “against type” which as an aside, is a mechanism I really love. For example casting “aw shucks guy” Jimmy Stewart as a neurotic creep in Vertigo was brilliant.

Enjoy the weekend and:

GO BIRDS!!!!🦅

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bucolic_frolic

(48,372 posts)
1. Get the big picture.
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 10:36 AM
Jan 25

Traitor tot sot could go Humpty-Dumpty at any time. Balconies and escalators preferred.

dutch777

(3,804 posts)
3. True, but knowing Vance and then Johnson are on deck is not reassuring. Why I want the House back in 2026. Jeffries!
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 10:43 AM
Jan 25

Vance is a young man but also will be way out of his depth. Even as a mini Trump he just knows the words to say not how to make the sauce that makes governance work. I would feel slightly better with Jeffries just behind that not to mention that if we have the House a whole lot of stupid gets stopped or at least significantly modified and delayed.

RandomNumbers

(18,380 posts)
8. You make a good point. Perhaps Dem party LASER FOCUS should be on
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 11:25 AM
Jan 25

retaking the House in 2 years?

Particularly if the statistics look like that's an easier reach than retaking the Senate.

Sure it would be nice to have both, but it's ESSENTIAL that we take the House - for just the reasons you state.

Vance would be so far out of his depth that there might be options to manage him or (long shot but conceivable) remove him.

chicoescuela

(1,811 posts)
4. How long have we been hearing that tsf demise is imminent?
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 10:51 AM
Jan 25

Yet every day his ugly ass is on the tv making me ill and trying to destroy everything good and decent about this country. I have no faith that his end is anywhere near.

RandomNumbers

(18,380 posts)
5. TRUE, BUT
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 10:53 AM
Jan 25

I am sorry to be a wet blanket, but the problem is not only the figurehead, who is what you speak.

The problem is how did that f*cking EVIL figurehead - not hidden evil, BLATANTLY EVIL - get traction with nearly enough people to have the power that he does?

The followers - the sheer number of the mean or stupid or inexplicably deluded - are the real problem.

jmbar2

(6,479 posts)
7. Your post gives me a shot of hope this morning - thanks
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 11:19 AM
Jan 25

Timothy Snyder writes that one of the greatest weaknesses of tyrannies is that they don't plan for the peaceful transfer of power. Once the "strong man" croaks, the would-be successors become scorpions in a jar.

America's rapid descent into misery will embolden would-be reformers. We have a strong backbench of young leaders observing up close why democracy is irreplaceable.

liberalla

(10,217 posts)
10. I hope ALL voters, especially young voters watch closely and learn that democracy is irreplaceable.
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 11:47 AM
Jan 25

More importantly, I hope they see that democracy and the republican party are incompatible.

in2herbs

(3,420 posts)
9. I can't agree. F47 is too stupid to organize and spearhead what is happening to our government. What we
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 11:33 AM
Jan 25

are experiencing is the oligarchy making its last push to rule worldwide and it is those oligarchs who for fifty+ years have been conspiring to take control of our and other governments. Their thirst for power and more money will not die with F47.

tulipsandroses

(6,665 posts)
11. Good point. I hope the WH chef is using extra fats and oils
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 11:51 AM
Jan 25

I have also been watching more movies, planning to get a library card to do more reading as well. I am rewatching movies that I saw decades ago. Always fun when I don't remember the details and it seems like a brand new movie.
As a side note, I want to mention for those using streaming services - TUBI is owned by Rupert Murdoch.
I can't avoid every product/service by these oligarchs, but I plan to be a lot more selective. TUBI is free, but Murdoch benefits from increased viewership and advertising. Got rid of it, when I found out he owns it.

PCIntern

(27,158 posts)
12. I understand but
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 12:06 PM
Jan 25

you can’t escape the fascists. They sneak up on you in the damndest places.

I can’t stop putting gas in my cars. And look who is running the EV industries…ain’t Father Flanagan as my parents used to say.

tulipsandroses

(6,665 posts)
16. Oh I agree. It will be impossible to stop using every product, service.
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 12:29 PM
Jan 25

Some people are choosing to avoid certain products/services.
Everyone knows Murdoch owns Fox News, NY Post, WSJ. I don't think it is common knowledge that he owns TUBI.
But again, I agree with you, they own so much, it is hard to escape it all.

hamsterjill

(15,599 posts)
13. Yeah. But he will have the best medical care available on the planet.
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 12:09 PM
Jan 25

That doesn’t give me any peace.

I honestly feel like it’s going to be more likely that a foreign country gets tired of his bullshit and puts a hit out on him. I don’t advocate violence, but his effect beyond the US is bound to be an issue.

14. West Wing
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 12:12 PM
Jan 25

We are rewatching some of our favorite series but somehow can't bring myself to rewatch "West Wing"

KentuckyWoman

(6,937 posts)
17. He's a figurehead. IMHO
Sat Jan 25, 2025, 12:35 PM
Jan 25

When he croaks they stick in someone more disgusting, more evil, more.... everything. I won't likely be here to see it as I'm already well into my 80s.

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