18 Comments

I've always respected career politicians like John McCain, Mitt Romney, and George Bush (senior). While I haven't always agreed with their policies, I've always respected these men and their dedication as public servants. There's a lot fewer of these people in government today which is sad for the country. I also fear that right now there's no guardrails for a second Trump presidency. Too many people who thought they could rein him in have learned they can't. Unfortunately too many of Trump's cabinet picks have one main criteria, their loyalty to Donald Trump. Otherwise they have no credible experience for these jobs in charge of thousands of government employees and responsible for billions of dollars.

Today I contacted both my state senators. I live in Wisconsin and one is a Republican and one is a Democrat. I urged both to make sure all cabinet posts are fully reviewed. America deserves the best people available for these critical roles. I reminded both senators that they have constitutional backing for their oversight roles and that giving that up is an abdication of their duties. The president is one of the three branches of government and our legislature is an equal branch. They need to do their jobs. While I may not agree with what the senate decides, they should be thorough and not give Trump a free hand or it will be the first in a series of steps toward rule by a powerful president who desires to become a dictator. The Republican party has the power to rein Trump in but they need to act in unison, something we haven't seen before.

Expand full comment

yes you did but some of us, most american votes did not...

Expand full comment

The media got tRump elected. All the great reports from Biden policies don't sell news.

Expand full comment
15 hrs agoLiked by David Rothkopf

David , I appreciate your thoughtful reflection. Yet, from what we’re seeing the anti-democratic media complex is vast and very well funded nationally and internationally.

In some respects, your message was rejected by the very people who needed to hear it most before you put words to paper because you represent expertise. Tom Nichols has written about the rejection of intellectual wisdom in his book, The Death of Expertise. Autocrats depend on anti-intellectual cultures, which is where the US has been heading well before Reagan. Edward R. Morrow warned us. The rise of the attitude, “you’re not the boss of me” speaks to the fact that oppositional defiance disorder is a feature not a bug.

While the target audience needing to hear your message rejects it as a knee-jerk reaction, please know your engaged audience needs your insight as grounding in reason, fact, and conviction to orient our compasses to true north. We’re in this together.

Expand full comment

Simply, The Feelings Of Entrapment Are OverWhelming, This CAN NOT Be Our🇺🇸America⚠️SCARY Preparing For The INJUSTICES⚠️🍊👑🤡🫅🏼👹🚔🚨Ahead⚠️SO MUCH⚠️TRUMP⚠️Oblivion-Naivety, Misinformed-Voters That Saw NO Danger-Warnings❗️❓️Affiliated With The Federal-Criminal, Thugging-Huckster, UNFATHOMABLE●●●CRAZIER●●●Had NOT Learned A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G From⚠️HIS⚠️Last Presidency❗️❓️❗️❓️❗️❓️god Help🇺🇸U.S.❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️"Forgive Them, For They Know NOT What They Do"●●●Sadly, WE🇺🇸Will A-L-L🇺🇸Suffer Via The Ill-Informed &/Or Via The💰G-R-E-E-D-Y⚠️FASCIST🤑AUTOCRATICS⚠️From💔Within⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

Expand full comment
21 hrs agoLiked by David Rothkopf

It was only 9 days ago? Damn! I thought it was at least twice that. I do think some of those nominations are to see what Trump can get away with.

P.S. I liked your book.

Expand full comment

Wtf do we do now????

Expand full comment

Jagarbombs

Expand full comment

As much as you likely felt that your book would be a clear and generally understood warning, serving its purpose, the corrupting Social Media space and the traditional media failures to warn and condemn have been too toxic for any writer to break through and effectively educate the voting public. But I will gladly buy your book to better understand what has been lost and why.

Expand full comment
Nov 15Liked by David Rothkopf

It will be interesting to see what Thune and the Repubs do. I wrote him an e-Mail about the awful nominations and reminded him that he has an obligation to the country not the the President-elect and his party.

Expand full comment
Nov 15Liked by David Rothkopf

Will there be any satisfaction when the American people who voted for him finally start to realize? Wait will they start to realize?

Expand full comment

Now is the time to begin organizing so that we can potentially pull off a general strike when he inevitably does something that engenders a constitutional crisis.

Expand full comment
Nov 15Liked by David Rothkopf

I guess we’ll see how much the GOP Senators bend the knee.

It’s hard not to succumb to despair and depression-even after taking 9 days off and deleting x.

Our collective voices are hopefully not screaming into the void and we can mount the resistance this moment requires. The buyer’s remorse must be apparent to those who voted for this insanity that aren’t in the cult.

Biden needs to do what is possible to king proof the office asap. Not feeling confident about that.

I do hope we get to see Jack Smith’s report and the outcome of the Gaetz ethics investigation.

It’s going to get exponentially more dysfunctional by the day. I’m not sure I will personally survive this assault. At the same time, I can’t let the bad guys win.

Expand full comment

Ugh... I forget who coined the phrase "elections matter", but they're right, elections matter. Results matter. You get the government you deserve. I took a week off unplugging from the news for a week to regain sanity, and wow. Now Jagarbombs are the balm of choice.

I think the best strategy is foment and encourage internal Republican strife, and Jagarbombs. Dark humour but what else is there when you are part of Siamese twin and the other half shoots himself in the head.

I emphasize with all those who will have their lives ruined/altered and God forbid lost all because this NY entiltled asshole has seven decades of unresolved daddy issues.

thank you for listening to my rant

Expand full comment
6 hrs agoLiked by David Rothkopf

I think he was born with his personality disorders and probably his daddy had the same. Assholes!!

Expand full comment
Nov 15Liked by David Rothkopf

People are still in such denial. Even today having discussions about ‘whether they can make it through the Senate confirmation process.’ Jesus. Like Trump needs or CARES about it…

Expand full comment
Nov 15Liked by David Rothkopf

talk about the times that try men's (and women's) souls.

I'm entirely unsurprised by the fck-you Cabinet appointments, but the specifics, like Gabbard as intel czar, are literally nauseating.

Expand full comment

How disappointing you must be feeling after writing this article this evening ?! One can only hope that their still might be some Republicans who might stand up to this next administration? Thank You, and will reStack ASAP 💯👍

Expand full comment