We are now reading about people in Trump's orbit being afraid for their lives and

[Raven]

it's just business as usual. I'm not just fearing for the US, I'm terrified.

[Mike 03]

1. It is deeply disturbing. We've traveled from "Crazytown" to I don't know where. NT

[DavidDvorkin]

2. Mafiatown.

[Mike 03]

8. That's it.

[bdamomma]

34. It's the mob

why do you think they call him "the don". I hope he goes down.

[lapfog_1]

3. if not from Trump's goons

who seem to be idiot gangster drunk wannabes...

But Putin's gangsters / operatives are a differant animal altogether.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. When con-men (preachers) tell idiots (their flock) how to vote, this is what we get.

[OMGWTF]

16. When I first learned that we are the flock of sheep and Jesus is the shepherd,

I thought, "This is not good." Shepherds aren't shepherds because they love sheep, it's because they want to fleece, fuck, or eat them.

[D_Master81]

5. That's what he does

We forget Stormy Daniels said she was threatened

[leftieNanner]

7. I did forget

"Nice little girl you got there. It'd be a shame if something happened to her...."

[tblue37]

14. It was ". . . if something happened to her mother." nt

[dewsgirl]

27. I forgot all about that.😳

[Brother Buzz]

6. Admit Nothing. Deny Everything. Make Counter Accusations.

Mafia Creed: The Don's word is law

[getagrip_already]

9. I've been waiting for the night of long knives for a while....

And I'm sure it's coming.

It's the logical next step to seize power when it becomes obvious he won't be re-elected the normal way.

We will lose a lot of people very quickly. And the gop will be very concerned. very. they will write a very stern letter to the democrats warning them to stop the violence or there won't be any of them left to act.

[dewsgirl]

29. I worry about this often, when the subject comes up, I always think

of this, from the Handmaid's Tale.

When they slaughtered Congress, we didn't wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the constitution, we didn't wake up then, either. Nothing changes instantaneously. In a gradually heating bathtub, you'd be boiled to death before you knew it.

[Newest Reality]

10. This is not surpising to me...

You would expect that from a two-bit, mob-like real estate goon who doesn't pay his bills and lust for power as a means to continue to protect himself from any accountability or pesky legalities.

There is no rule that a corrupt used car salesman could not manage to whip up a frenzy in certain members of a society who are malcontents either by way of their temperament or due to their increasingly dire circumstances and marginalization as well as the cognitive dissonance of falling down in a "booming" economy in the wealthiest country in history. Populism and Fascism both thrive on those faults in a society as history reveals.

There are faults or cracks in our system, but there are also systemic and pressing problems with our country and culture now that have contributed to this severe and dangerous crises. It is my hope that we will soon be moving on and leaving this criminal, MalAdminstration behind with some very important lessons well learned and a will to remember the outcome and then begin to correct the glaring issues that obviously put our fragile and evolving democracy in grave danger of dissolution.

We know that oligarchy and theocracy are waiting in the wings, drooling to swoop in and clamp there claws down on our nation utilizing any vulnerably they can exploit to decimate our system and replace it with some form of authoritarian tyranny no matter what flavor. If we are to be good citizens of our cherished democracy, it behooves us to bear that in mind always in our vigilance and it is essential to stay informed and cautious as we endeavor together to protect and strengthen our democratic values and institutions so that we can continue this grand and noble experiment of justice and freedom and take it to new and more beneficial levels for all.

[Duppers]

25. I appreciate this post.

Thank you. This afternoon I was told I "obsess" about politics and global warming. You so eloquently addressed the importance of us all staying informed. Wouldn't this country be a better place if we all were "obsessed" with the facts?!

[Newest Reality]

30. Gee...

Well, thanks! It is really nice to know that it was helpful to you. That really is some icing on the cake and I appreciate you taking the time to let me know.

I understand. Well, somebody has to do it. People can ignore what they want to. Heck, in a complex world like this, I can't blame folks for staying in a comfy bubble to stay sane. Adapting to the plethora of information is a feat. Yet, I personally appreciate folks who investigate things in more depth and at least give me a concise encapsulation of what they have, even if their biases are showing.

I can't always do that and now, the stakes are so very high on many fronts. So maybe we all could get a little more obsessed with facts and interaction due to the severity of our situation?

Maybe our comfort zone bubbles can be more like a place for respite and recharging rather than complete retreats? A little more interest and participation wouldn't hurt, no matter how it turns out. Besides, how long can a bubble last before external events burst it? And then what? It's a temporary fix and we are all in this together???

[Duncan Grant]

11. Wolfowitz, Cheney, and Rumsfeld were sinister. Trump is unhinged.

Welcome to the tip of the iceberg. Absolutely unbelievable times, aren’t they? My jaw hits the floor daily.

[Eyeball_Kid]

12. If your jaw is hitting the floor now,

it will drop from your head when the Senate acquits. When that happens, the Constitution dies. Enjoy your Bill of Rights for the next few weeks, then say goodbye.

[Perseus]

22. Please don't write such a negative script

We are going to get out of this.

[Eliot Rosewater]

28. In defense of the negativity, I know I say those things to GET THE ATTENTION

of people that if we dont act and NOW that this IS going to be our result.

I have said since day one we are in way worse shape than we realize. We are.

Plus, even if you win an election, 45% of the electorate and the entire media will hold any dem accountable for ONE lie and no con accountable for 20,000 lies.

So we need to scare PEOPLE into ACTION!

[bdamomma]

36. Scare the people is correct

or are we going to live in a dictatorship???? Screw that.

[moondust]

13. WWPD?

"What Would Putin Do?," Donny asks himself before he does anything.

The depth of corruption in American life is indeed troubling, IMO the roots of it dating back 3-4 decades to Reaganomics and the "greed is good" corporate economy with limited liability.

[saidsimplesimon]

15. Raven, have no fear.

All the more reason for we Democrats to stand up, put boots on the ground for our candidates.

[Perseus]

21. Yes, no matter who is the Democratic nominee, full support.

We must go an vote these thugs out of office.

[slumcamper]

17. Terrified? REJOICE! Saturn is devouring its children!

Sorry; maybe I misinterpret your terror, but NO fear here.

This country and world will be a MUCH better place once the circular firing squad of this deplorable cast of goons is complete and they are all firing.

[bucolic_frolic]

18. The Constitution is vague to most people

It's not just the Constitution that is in peril. It's rule of law. The legal code. Consequences. We'd be ignorant not to think about what can happen.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. Fascism's root way of functioning is by terrorizing. It holds that might makes right. . . . nt

[Perseus]

20. And I bleieve it answers the question about all those GOP members who seem to be changed people

Like Lindsey Graham going from being anti-trump in the morning and trump's lapdog after a round of golf. republicans who seemed sensible in the past and are unrecognizable now.

Mafia Administration, and Barr is one of the capos. I hope people are not underestimating capo Barr, he is a very dangerous man.

[ffr]

23. Mobsters associated with tRump should be afraid of their treasonous actions.

No sympathy from me. Haul them away!

[ffr]

24. OP, do you have anything in writing to share?

I'm finding nothing on the Internet. You said you are "reading..." Where are you reading this and what does it say?

[Raven]

32. Gosh, how about the newspapers. I have read about

the Ukraine Ambassador's fear and, more recently, Lev Parnus' fear that motivated him to go public.

[ffr]

33. Oh, I thought you said 'in tRump's orbit' to mean 'in tRump's orbit,' not outside tRump's orbit.

People inside tRump's orbit would normally include those in his inner circle of loyalists.

The Ukraine Ambassador, I'd think, would be just a plain vanilla type dedicated patriotic American employee.

My mistake.

[empedocles]

26. Hopefully, the best 'flips', are yet to come.

[keithbvadu2]

38. "flips'

Whenever, however Trump is finally gone, there will be many, many republican epiphanies.

[uponit7771]

35. Trump set a policy of abusing children of people seeking help!! What did they expect

[stillcool]

37. this place gives me...

whip-lash sometimes. It's astounding. I get to a place of okay-ness, and wham!.the Effing President of the USA is talking trash and threatening people.