Purple and Black
Taking Independent and Unofficial Back

t0000 2.0, aka 47

This is an important observation about t0000 violating the separation of powers with his TikTok interference. It doesn’t feel very significant to me cuz I don’t give TikTok much thought. It’s the violation of the principle that is the crux, over-riding a decision by Congress that was set to take effect yesterday.


Day One of the Resistance! [Robert B. Hubbell;1.20.25]

Oh. A bunch of other executive orders were signed today, too. For example, we’re out of the Paris Climate Agreement, again. There are many others.
 
I’m not American and so I shouldn’t have a dog in this race but I’m also done talking about how the dangers of this man were laid bare in front of their eyes from the start. The evidence is right in front of America and now here they are. Good luck.
 
@Milty Yeah. No one’s much counting on luck! And, while we can say the ‘dangers were laid bare,’ not everyone could see them!

There is opposition. His win was less than 50% of the vote. Lower voter turnout than the last election with more democrats staying home. The vote for t0000, though less than in 2020, was more than turned out for Kamala Harris, so here we be. Many voters that turned out for Dems in 2020, sat this one out. A Republican Party under a spell. Lying, psychological warfare, t0000ian podcasters being paid exorbitantly by nefarious actors. Dividing the population through fear-mongering, disingenuousness. The ‘town square’ bought by the wealthiest man in the world and intentionally warped. The same donating 100s of millions $ to t0000 campaign. All aided by international actors who would like to demolish every democracy. A justice system, legislators that let broken laws languish unchallenged. News deserts and information silos causing people to be misled, by design. A permissive atmosphere allowing those inhabiting the moral underbelly of our society, where racism and far-right ideologies fester, to emerge and monstrously thrive. Descent to a common denominator of hate and fear of the other. And an unethical, mob boss-like empty orange shell in the middle of the maelstrom, turning any which way for adoration and love to puff up a balloon with too many holes.

That’s what I think happened, anyway. Still scratching my head.

Grateful for your well-wishes from . . . ? Where are you?
 
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Personally, we can blame politicians all we want but at the end of the day, a politician is going to politician. I really think that voters are the problem. We elect these people into power all the time and the problems are just getting worse and worse. I know it's a broad brush what I am saying but we really are the problem. We're just not educated enough on so many things in terms of how governments are elected and how they are run.

I am in Bermuda. Small island countries have the benefit of watching how the greater powers go about their business from far away and think,"well we're not going to do that". But we all have our share of problems too.
 
Personally, we can blame politicians all we want but at the end of the day, a politician is going to politician. I really think that voters are the problem. We elect these people into power all the time and the problems are just getting worse and worse. I know it's a broad brush what I am saying but we really are the problem. We're just not educated enough on so many things in terms of how governments are elected and how they are run.

I am in Bermuda. Small island countries have the benefit of watching how the greater powers go about their business from far away and think,"well we're not going to do that". But we all have our share of problems too.
True, we aren't educated enough on how governments are elected and run. Increasingly, that's a topic, particularly in regard to 'civics' having been a required course in American schools, up until the 1970s.

RESEARCH The need for civic education in 21st-century schools [The Brookings Institution; 6.4.2020]
 

Trump and the law: A relationship from hell [Kevin Drum;1.20.2025]

Here’s the whole post Drum made:

“For all the Republicans who kvetched constantly over the past four years about Joe Biden's "unlawful" behavior, I'd like to remind you that in one day Donald Trump has:

  1. Pardoned hundreds of violent criminals solely because they're MAGA supporters.
  2. Explicitly declared that he wouldn't enforce a law he's legally required to enforce.
  3. Redefined birthright citizenship in a way he knows very well is unconstitutional.
  4. Declared two national emergencies that patently don't exist.
  5. Unilaterally renamed an international body of water he has no authority to rename.
  6. Promised to "take back" the Panama Canal, a clear treaty violation in defiance of both domestic and international law.
Is Donald Trump acting unlawfully? Let's hear it.”
 
All things that will be struck down in courts along the way. It's all a distraction in order to enrich himself and his billionaire buddies with tax breaks and whatnot. By the end of this term, he's not going to leave because he'll probably get Congress to agree to make him ruler for life.
 
Have you been paying attention to all that’s transpired since t0000 was sworn in 5 days ago (1.20.25)?

I’ve thought about posting umpteen times and, if I don’t RIGHT AWAY, then another action occurs that buries all the previous ones in the ever-growing pile.

I love Robert Reich and Heather Lofthaus for boiling it all down in the Coffee Klatch.

Trump's Real Agenda | The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich [Robert Reich;1.25.2025]

One of the topics discussed is the Laken Riley Act, which appears ripe for abuse.

Congress clears GOP-led immigration enforcement bill, with Democrats on board [NPR;1.22.25]
 
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What do you think of another t0000 2.0 thread specifically dedicated to laws broken?

One broken law has to do with designating a new agency: DOGE = Department of Government Efficiency. You know the one to be headed by the muskmelon and Vivek. But Vivek somehow didn’t fit the bill so he’s already exited. While the cucurbit will actually be stationed inside the White House! [Update, 1.25.25: t0000’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, apparently has a say in who occupies offices in the White House. She insisted that musk be removed and he will now be in some moribund building nearby! Is the honeymoon over?]

There are laws about how new agencies are created. There are requirements having to do with transparency and other things I’d have to look up.


IDIOT Trump FALLS into his OWN TRAP with LATEST MOVE [Meidas Touch;1.23.25]

Blurb: “MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on how Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s creation of a fake agency brought on an avalanche of legal issues.”

Another broken law is what t0000 did at around midnight last night. He fired at least 12 Inspectors General.

Trump Accused Of ‘Dismantling Checks On His Power’ After Firing Inspectors General—Here’s What To Know [Forbes;1.25.25]

This was from an article on the same topic, in the NYTimes: “The White House appeared to have violated a law that requires giving Congress 30 days’ notice and detailed reasons before removing the watchdog officials.” I think the firing was instructed to be effective immediately. Is this a case where they should not have left their offices? Will Congress act? Will anyone hold him to abide by the law?

Btw, most of those fired were people t0000 had appointed in his first term who Biden left in those positions, which are not political.

For now, I’ll just indicate laws broken by using yellow-orange type.


OMG! Trump FIRES his OWN IG’S in Friday MIDNIGHT MASSACRE [Meidas Touch;1.25.25]

[Update, 1.26.25: Inspectors General are not taking this lying down.
Trump Hit with MASSIVE LEGAL THREAT by IG’S he FIRED [Meidas Touch;1.26.25]


Adding this, an interview w one of the fired IGs. He talks about the job, its apolitical nature, and the importance. As well as his own path to the position.

BREAKING NEWS: 1-on-1 With Fired Inspector General [Talking Feds with Harry Litman;1.26.25]

Blurb: “Harry talks with Mark Greenblatt, one of the Inspectors General fired suddenly in the “Friday night purge” of the vast majority of Senate-confirmed IG’s. They discuss the origin, function, and nature of Inspectors General, who have saved taxpayers nearly $700 billion. Greenblatt talks about his own 20-year + service in the IG community, during which he rotated through several agencies and was elected by his peers to lead the IGs’ council. Then they zero in on Friday night and exactly what happened before moving to Greenblatt’s current thoughts about how the IG community, Congress, and country should respond to the purge, and whether and how it is possible to safeguard the paramount goal of oversight with integrity and credibility. It’s the longest and most detailed and nuance discussion with any of the fired IGs, going well beyond quick sound bites to an in-depth examination of who IGs are and what the country has lost in the purge.”

Of course, there are more! I just can’t think of them right now.
 
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We’re about 10 days in to t0000 2.0

this one is about the mid-air collision between a passenger jet flying from Kansas and approaching the runway on its descent to Reagan Int’l Airport in Washington, D.C., and a Blackhawk helicopter on a training flight that somehow got in its path. Actually, the investigation into exactly what happened has not been completed. There were no survivors and some 67 dead.


Trump’s FAA Plan QUICKLY BACKFIRES in HIS FACE [Meidas Touch;1.30.25]

Blurb: “Trump’s role as the nation’s “consoler in chief” has spectacularly failed only 10 days into his administration, with him falsely and immediately blaming Biden, Obama, DEI and "wokeness" for the American Airlines Flight 5342 aircraft disaster while victims are being pulled from the icy Potomac, for cheap political gain. Popok looks at the “best and brightest” Trump has hired and how he has already gutted the FAA and NTSB leadership just prior to this disaster.”

FAA = Federal Aviation Administration

NTSB = National Transportation Safety Board

The point here is how t0000 spoke about this incident, casting blame, using his tired tropes, being despicable as we’ve come to expect, without saying anything sensible or suited to a tragic moment, an accident that occurred, btw, mere miles from the White House.
 
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I have lost track of the outrageous series of actions of the first 10 days of the 2nd t0000 administration. This seems a tidy summation of a bunch of them.

Morning Memo: Don’t Let The Chaos Mask Trump’s Lawless Power Grabs [Talking Points Memo;1.29.25]

The above links to the following, which I think is a good explanation of the implications of . . . Not sure what it’s being called . . . t0000-uskian effort to destroy the federal work force / civil servants.


Compelling Mass Civil Servant Resignations Will Create Chaos [Can We Still Govern? Substack; 1.29.25]

Sub-title: “Twitter is not a model for government reform”
 
Another great podcast by PBT. He nails it at the 9:19 mark; "Democrats have always managed to get back into office without doing anything about the open overt and intentionally racist policies that they've allowed the GOP to keep putting into place...."
An excellent Rolling Stone article from last year;
 
t0000 has fired 🔥 so many. Why post about this one?

For one thing, it’s the beginning of the month and I’d already used up my 10 free article shares at the NYTimes, last month. Two, it's important. The guy was doing the work to protect you and me from abusive, predatory practices of big business. And he was effective. Why get rid of him? Cuz t0000 is in bed with the same, yucking it up! 🔝 🆙 ⬆️

Trump Administration Fires Consumer Bureau Chief [NYTimes;2.1.25]

Sub-title: “Rohit Chopra, who led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was known for his aggressive enforcement and expansion of consumer protection laws.”
 
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Rachel Maddow is calling this The Saturday Night Massacre, an allusion to Nixon’s effort to halt the investigation against him by ordering his AG to withdraw the Watergate case on a Saturday night in 1976 (?date?). In this modern-day version, the t0000 administration is purging the FBI of employees with any involvement in the J6 investigations, which is a great many people, seeing as this was the largest investigation in U.S. history. Basically, they're being dismissed for doing their jobs. Working to identify and hold accountable the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol. These people, insurrectionists, if you like, were attempting to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next!!! That had never happened before, in our 245 year history.

Episode #250,131 title: “Trump moves toward ending independent law enforcement as a core American value with mass purge”

From blurb on podcast page: “In an effort to not only rewrite the history of his January 6 insurrection but to exact revenge on the agents and lawyers who worked to hold his rioting supporters accountable, Donald Trump appears to be in the midst of a massive purge of the FBI and the DOJ, turning them into agencies that cater to his interests and concerns instead of the law. Rachel Maddow explains.”

Let's remember that some 140 police were injured or killed in the assault on the Capitol.

This is the 1 February episode. Here’s a link to 🍎 podcasts. I’ll look for a YT version, or you can find this on your favorite podcast platform. She explains the situation well.



Trump moves toward ending independent law enforcement as a core American value with mass purge [MSNBC;2.1.25]
 
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The Saturday Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich and Heather Lofthouse, for 2/1//25. This is a helpful synopsis of what's happened during the week.





Blurb under the video:
326,910 views Premiered Feb 1, 2025 The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich
Replacing civil servants with loyalists.Upending the lives of millions who rely on federal programs.Grotesquely blaming "DEI" for disaster.Trump wants to consolidate power through divide-and-conquer tactics. We must stand together and fight back.


 

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