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Kirsten L. Held's avatar

So apparently at a news conference the other day, a reporter asked Trump who authorized the stoppage of arms to Ukraine, to which he responded, "I don't know. Why don't you tell me." My husband and I laughed out loud at this but of course it's not the least bit funny. It's ridiculous. Now, if the reporter had responded, "Well I don't know, but you are the President of the U.S. Shouldn't you know?" Trump would have no doubt said, "You are a very mean person. You know that?" And his supporters would have jumped to his defence saying, "stop the hate". Any sane person realizes this has got nothing to do with hate. It is a very legitimate and serious question that requires a serious response.

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Sophie's avatar

Reporters in the US are apparently incapable of asking follow-up questions

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Patrick Knight's avatar

It's been that way for a long time. I remember Tim Russert, who EVERYONE lauded as a great, tough interviewer, missing a layup after an obvious Dick Cheney evasion.

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Phofford's avatar

Love your cat!!! I completely agree!!!

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Anna B's avatar

Always, always get so much from your conversations with Anat. What stands out to me is your ability to show that the 'too complicated' stuff/issues are just too many stirred in together. Individually, they may be hard, but the basics are NOT hard to understand. So yeah, finer minds than the main face of the current regime have worked for years devising the best methods of getting their agenda in place. They have learned that repeating and repeating their lies, their upholding of 'what is best for America' works because we're too busy arguing about which issues are the most important. Now, imo, our democracy must be the One basic issue for us. Is any of the rest possible without it?

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Nancy Curley's avatar

Excellent interview pls send to every elected Democrat

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gerri caldarola's avatar

Absolutely, it's a concentration camp...and we are witnessing the American people normalize it just as they did in Germany...

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Kirsten L. Held's avatar

But here's the thing, in a world of 8 billion people, you can be pretty sure that whatever you are thinking about a situation, many others are thinking as well even if they haven't said it yet. Where's the courage?

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Lisa Duggan's avatar

Love the idea of billboards! I did not know the billboards were cheap. I honestly think this low tech solution would be so great… People drive, people can’t avoid reading a billboard. Pity, concise statements. Shouldn’t be hard to do.

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Tina Wener's avatar

I use concentration camp. I hate alligator alcatraz…actually implies it is a legit prison. Besides the disgusting alliteration. From what I can tell, maximum security prisoners have better conditions and actual rights. If we round up people under questionable legality ‘snatch them’ and stash them with maggot infested food, no beds, respect, baths, etc. , what the fuck is that but a concentration camp? Steve McQueen and John Wayne showed us exactly what they are in how many WWII movies. This intellectualizing and marketing way of trying to test what messages land is some algorithmic horse shit. Call it what it is: CONCENTRATION CAMP. We would get more attention and commitment by using authentic language and showing real human feelings when we speak. That would be actual leadership. Genuine, accountable and realistic including a dispassionate assessment of risk. It’s scary. ‘Cause you can die .

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T. Wu's avatar

Alligator Auschwitz seems more appropriate.

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Patrick Knight's avatar

I continue to be shocked at ANY discussion about the likelihood of legitimate elections in 2026, much less 2028... if we have them at all. If it's an attempt to encourage people to not give up, I get it, but... that is really how bad things are.

The budget bill is SO BAD policy wise, it feels like they have got to have an escape hatch planned and... that might be the staggering budget for ICE to take its Gestapo tactics nationwide. What is OUR Plan B if that’s the way it goes?

The time to do something about where we are now was a MUCH stronger response to the USA PATRIOT Act and demanding accountability for getting lied into Iraq and definitely when the "Germans in the 1930s" Tea Party started stomping around.

We showed ourselves to be a country that couldn't recognize the CLEAR pre-cursor elements to Fascism much less do something about them when something COULD still be done about them. By the time it's where we are now... probably too late.

We can't just jump up off the couch, brush the snack crumbs off our belly and fight Fascism. There have been a dozen big things we should have been organizing about and honing our protest skills. Occupy Wall St. was a great example and...

The Democratic Party and Democratic voters just yawned and kept shopping. I'm not sure what we do now except keep pushing hard in the was Anand and Anat and others are encouraging and hope that something cracks open we can push through.

In Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine, a foundational quote by Milton Friedman rings true today... "Only a crisis - actual or perceived - produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around."

Thanks to The Ink for sharing so many of the ideas that can address the problem instead of making it.

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Jan Feeler's avatar

Anand, you are so sentient. But young --and the thing that drives me nuts is your overuse of the word, "LIKE" It slows down and weakens the excellent point you are making. Be aware of this so your points flow ad aren't choppy. I didn't hear the term NAZI STORM TROOPERS to replace the term ICE agents. Y'all oughtta be using those terms, too.

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gerri caldarola's avatar

FDR -- magnetic

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Kirsten L. Held's avatar

Someone is always benefiting, if only in the short term, for making sure things DON'T change.

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Jackie  Schad's avatar

This point about the need to financially support organizations and the result of different messages vs networks supported to deliver consistent messaging is so great.

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suzanne's avatar

CRUSH ICE

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M Fay Minnis's avatar

How do we get your message to the DNC? Such good information.

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