I’m 69, white, from California, we were poor but Liberal and middle class was possible by county hospitals, junior college, maybe a trade or support for a Doctor, Lawyer, or Indian Chief. In the 70s one could have a union job and a decent life.
But some of the people I grew up with it seems did take for granted the things you mention, that make the US great. Vietnam left a mark on the psyche of America and the youth who experienced the fallout from the USG lies during the period.
Many of the semi-Liberal of the 70s grew into the MAGA of today. The uneducated, the overstimulated, the brainwashing culture of the Kardashians, the envy of Lotto winners, abortion clinic bombings - all of it was too much for Johnny 9th Grade. For every real estate agent there’s a guy warehouse schlepping and they’re envious, angry, stupid, and armed with MAGA and the hate of 47.
"and some with dubious loyalties" - you are too kind. It's my impression that all of his appointees have dubious loyalties - if not to Putin directly, then to Trump's vendettas, Project 2025, or their own personal ambitions.
This article is an excellent documentation of what is happening to the USA. The ongoing destruction is horrific. What can we do right now to stop it? How do we get our elected legislators to act for the benefit of the country? How do we remove these incompetent « leaders » before the midterms which may not happen if these destructive forces are left in place?
Great essay David. So clear on where we are and how we got there. Now we have to fix it. But I have faith we are not going to succumb to this crazy administration
Trust takes decades to build and mere days to lose. Most Americans don't realize yet just how profoundly fucked our country will be if Trump succeeds in alienating us from all of our allies permanently. I don't know how we come back from this.
And the Roman Republic lasted almost 500 years. We were just getting started when the massive, rocket-propelled, explosive-laden Trump/Musk panjandrum came rolling into our lives.
Shilling read Mr. Rothkopf, cold shivers down my spine.
And I must admit that even thou you can count me as a US supporter (the US I've known for decades, the US I visited both for business and pleasure) I do not want to travel to your country for the moment because I have zero trust in the current "government". I do not trust one word coming out of the collective mouths of all these Trump lackeys playing government, the Bondis, Kennedys, Hegseths, Patels, Vances, etc.....
I'm 62 now and I never though I'd live to see, hear and read about the fall of the US empire.
And as you say, a fall made possible from within.
All it seems to take to destroy the US is two Trumps with one Biden in between.
Putin and Xi are laughing all the way to the bank.
No need to concur the US by military force, Hegseth will do that job.
No need to cyber attack the US, Musk and his DOGE goons are doing that job.
No need to muzzle higher education, Trump and the fake-wrestling lady are doing that part.
No need to attack the Dollar, Trump is taking care of that.
No need for a biological attack on the US for Kennedy is already on it.
To finish.
Let's say for the sake of the argument that Trump succeeds in carrying out his nefarious plan. Doesn't he realize that he'll be nothing but a king of a swamp filled with ruined cities? Nobody left to pick up the golfballs he drives into the hedges? Does he realize he'll have no more tax hand-outs to give to his rich buddies because their will be nothing left to tax?
The core of all of this is greed. You touched on income inequality but I believe the reason our recent Presidents and politics have been feckless, even under Democrats, is because Wall Street and the donor class were pulling the strings to keep the money rolling in. It’s why we don’t have universal healthcare. It’s why public education is perpetually underfunded. It’s why we don’t have subsidized childcare and other family-friendly policies. It’s why we don’t build enough housing for low income families. And why our minimum wage is pathetically low, due mostly to union-busting. If you’re wanting a reason behind average joes rooting for Luigi Mangione, these are the tip of the iceberg. That, and the systemic erosion of women’s bodily autonomy and the blatant disregard for the lives of children when it comes to gun ownership and safety.
We have a Congress and Supreme Court made up of people more concerned with cashing in than governing this country. And a so-called opposition party afraid of pissing off the billionaire class because they’re more concerned with the next election than doing the right thing regardless of the outcome for them, personally.
But I also blame average citizens. We took for granted what we had and disengaged from the process. We should have been in the streets shutting down business as usual after the Patriot Act, which laid the groundwork for today’s kidnappings of lawful citizens. We should have been in the streets after Wall Street got a bailout in 2009. We should have been in the streets demanding a recount after both of Trump’s elections and when they allowed him to run with 34 felony convictions. I don’t know how we wind back the clock, but I’m hoping everyone realizes now how fragile this all is and that it requires enforcement by the law and checked by we the people.
Ds need to meet quietly, over a very long weekend, and come up with a Manifesto, a platform, which all Ds can embrace, campaign on, and utilize to win power in both Houses. It must not be specific to individual D candidates. It should be reminiscent of the original Constitutional Convention. Once adopted, Americans everywhere should be introduced to it and mobilized behind it. The time is now, not a year from now.
Don't count us out, yet. Don't join the Chicken Little Caucus or the Nothing-Can-Be-Done Club. Someone (Churchill?) once said that God has a special place for fools, drunkards and the United States of America. Whether that's true or not, the US of A has a matchless capacity for regeneration.
This piece is spot on.
I’m 69, white, from California, we were poor but Liberal and middle class was possible by county hospitals, junior college, maybe a trade or support for a Doctor, Lawyer, or Indian Chief. In the 70s one could have a union job and a decent life.
But some of the people I grew up with it seems did take for granted the things you mention, that make the US great. Vietnam left a mark on the psyche of America and the youth who experienced the fallout from the USG lies during the period.
Many of the semi-Liberal of the 70s grew into the MAGA of today. The uneducated, the overstimulated, the brainwashing culture of the Kardashians, the envy of Lotto winners, abortion clinic bombings - all of it was too much for Johnny 9th Grade. For every real estate agent there’s a guy warehouse schlepping and they’re envious, angry, stupid, and armed with MAGA and the hate of 47.
Yes we are dying from with in.. thanks to trump and the republicans
🖕🏼💩🤡🤪🤬
🙌👏👍
Man O man David Rothkopf, this lays it out clearer. Thank you.
"You get the government you deserve"
"and some with dubious loyalties" - you are too kind. It's my impression that all of his appointees have dubious loyalties - if not to Putin directly, then to Trump's vendettas, Project 2025, or their own personal ambitions.
This article is an excellent documentation of what is happening to the USA. The ongoing destruction is horrific. What can we do right now to stop it? How do we get our elected legislators to act for the benefit of the country? How do we remove these incompetent « leaders » before the midterms which may not happen if these destructive forces are left in place?
Agree 100%. Greg Olear did a post on trust and what holds us together and presents us to the world. And it’s loss. You nailed it.
Great essay David. So clear on where we are and how we got there. Now we have to fix it. But I have faith we are not going to succumb to this crazy administration
Trust takes decades to build and mere days to lose. Most Americans don't realize yet just how profoundly fucked our country will be if Trump succeeds in alienating us from all of our allies permanently. I don't know how we come back from this.
I liked America but I have to admit this was a pretty pathetic run for a global hegemon. Rome lasted a thousand years. We barely squeezed out 80.
And the Roman Republic lasted almost 500 years. We were just getting started when the massive, rocket-propelled, explosive-laden Trump/Musk panjandrum came rolling into our lives.
Shilling read Mr. Rothkopf, cold shivers down my spine.
And I must admit that even thou you can count me as a US supporter (the US I've known for decades, the US I visited both for business and pleasure) I do not want to travel to your country for the moment because I have zero trust in the current "government". I do not trust one word coming out of the collective mouths of all these Trump lackeys playing government, the Bondis, Kennedys, Hegseths, Patels, Vances, etc.....
I'm 62 now and I never though I'd live to see, hear and read about the fall of the US empire.
And as you say, a fall made possible from within.
All it seems to take to destroy the US is two Trumps with one Biden in between.
Putin and Xi are laughing all the way to the bank.
No need to concur the US by military force, Hegseth will do that job.
No need to cyber attack the US, Musk and his DOGE goons are doing that job.
No need to muzzle higher education, Trump and the fake-wrestling lady are doing that part.
No need to attack the Dollar, Trump is taking care of that.
No need for a biological attack on the US for Kennedy is already on it.
To finish.
Let's say for the sake of the argument that Trump succeeds in carrying out his nefarious plan. Doesn't he realize that he'll be nothing but a king of a swamp filled with ruined cities? Nobody left to pick up the golfballs he drives into the hedges? Does he realize he'll have no more tax hand-outs to give to his rich buddies because their will be nothing left to tax?
The core of all of this is greed. You touched on income inequality but I believe the reason our recent Presidents and politics have been feckless, even under Democrats, is because Wall Street and the donor class were pulling the strings to keep the money rolling in. It’s why we don’t have universal healthcare. It’s why public education is perpetually underfunded. It’s why we don’t have subsidized childcare and other family-friendly policies. It’s why we don’t build enough housing for low income families. And why our minimum wage is pathetically low, due mostly to union-busting. If you’re wanting a reason behind average joes rooting for Luigi Mangione, these are the tip of the iceberg. That, and the systemic erosion of women’s bodily autonomy and the blatant disregard for the lives of children when it comes to gun ownership and safety.
We have a Congress and Supreme Court made up of people more concerned with cashing in than governing this country. And a so-called opposition party afraid of pissing off the billionaire class because they’re more concerned with the next election than doing the right thing regardless of the outcome for them, personally.
But I also blame average citizens. We took for granted what we had and disengaged from the process. We should have been in the streets shutting down business as usual after the Patriot Act, which laid the groundwork for today’s kidnappings of lawful citizens. We should have been in the streets after Wall Street got a bailout in 2009. We should have been in the streets demanding a recount after both of Trump’s elections and when they allowed him to run with 34 felony convictions. I don’t know how we wind back the clock, but I’m hoping everyone realizes now how fragile this all is and that it requires enforcement by the law and checked by we the people.
Ds need to meet quietly, over a very long weekend, and come up with a Manifesto, a platform, which all Ds can embrace, campaign on, and utilize to win power in both Houses. It must not be specific to individual D candidates. It should be reminiscent of the original Constitutional Convention. Once adopted, Americans everywhere should be introduced to it and mobilized behind it. The time is now, not a year from now.
Don't count us out, yet. Don't join the Chicken Little Caucus or the Nothing-Can-Be-Done Club. Someone (Churchill?) once said that God has a special place for fools, drunkards and the United States of America. Whether that's true or not, the US of A has a matchless capacity for regeneration.