Tag Archives: history

#530: End of Trump Regime. Not If but When?

10 Sunday Aug 2025

Posted by in Causes of the Revolution, Lessons of Revolution, SCOTUS, Trump 47, Uncategorized

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Welcome to a discussion about the 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, click “About the Author” tab.  Periodically I write a “sense check” about the status of the Revolution. The previous “sense check” was ENTRY #519. Yes, we are currently embroiled in the “Revenge Revolution.”

BEGIN ENTRY #530: Trump has proved the observation from Lord Acton, a British historian and moralist, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  

Thanks to SCOTUS’ decision, led by brain-dead Chief Justice Roberts, the president is immune from essentially any action taken while in office. SCOTUS has allowed Trump free reign in his effort to become a dictator.  

And you might ask, where is the 3rd branch of government, which according to the US Constitution is responsible for many actions being taken by Trump – minor issues like funding of the government, tariffs, international trade, declarations of war before invading foreign countries? The leadership of the House and Senate are bowing to the wannabe King of Orange and abdicating their sworn oath to uphold the Constitution, let alone their responsibility to protect the democracy.  Apparently Republicans all caught bird flu and turned into spineless chickens.

Alas, in all this insanity, there is hope.  History has shown that virtually all dictatorships end with the death of the dictator and/or a revolution by the people. So why should the end of the Trump regime be any different? It probably won’t.

So now the question becomes not how the Trump regime will end but when?

My initial prediction was the wannabe King of Orange would be assisinated within six months of the  inauguration. We’re not too far past the six months so that initial prediction might still be reasonably accurate, especially given all the people and groups that the regime has dumped on, including many who voted for him.

However, there’s a bigger issue in my view.  The issue is how does the US repair the damage caused by Trump’s destructive, revenge-driven mandates. Pick almost any action by Trump, look at the damage done by his mandates and then think about how much, time, effort and money will be required to repair the damage done.

Ruining something is always easier than rebuilding it or repairing it. Imagine that for just 30 minutes someone took a sledgehammer to the walls, fixture and furniture in your house. How long and how much money do you think it would require restoring your house? That analogy is a reasonable reference when considering the damage done to agencies of the Federal government – EPA, Education, HHS, FEMA, State Dep’t, and many more.

Power-hungry people, and Trump in particular, have an insatiable appetite for more power. No matter how much people bow down and try to appease the wannabe King of Orange, it will not be enough. History is very good at repeating itself because we the people fail to learn from the past. Dictators stop only when dead or overthrown.  END ENTRY #530

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, and an array of other topics, visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

#519. Has the Revenge Revolution Begun?

27 Monday Jan 2025

Posted by in Sense Check, Uncategorized

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Welcome to a discussion about the 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, click “About the Author” tab. 

Periodically I write a “sense check” about the status of the Revolution. The previous “sense check” was ENTRY #500. Much has happened since Entry #500 to reinforce my belief we are currently embroiled in the “Revenge Revolution.”

BEGIN ENTRY #519: Over the 10+ years of this blog, I have suggested a “Revenge Revolution“ would begin in the US sometime about 2020-2025. The prediction was based on historical patterns of “revolutions” occurring in the US about every 50 years.  

A quick summary of what I’ve designated as revolutions:

  1. American Revolution, which ended with the War of 1812 when the British were finally defeated
  2. Civil War, 1861-1865
  3. 1910–1920 – mass migration to the US, primarily from Europe
  4. 1960s, early 1970s – cultural revolution led by Baby Boomers
  5. 2020ish – Revenge Revolution.

As you think about timing of the revolutions, don’t get too hung up on exact dates, since key factors precipitating the revolution often occur before the revolution begins. The reasons for the Civil War, for example, did not just occur in 1861 but evolved over several decades. The dates of the revolutions were based on the “tipping point” and when actions associated with the revolution began to have a major impact on society.

Back to Revolution V.  The label “Revenge Revolution” was added to Revolution V before Trump entered politics.  I do not remember exactly why I so labeled it, but the naming was fortuitous.

What has surprised me more than anything else about the Revenge Revolution is how people voted in the 2024 election. Clearly, there has been a growing frustration among the populous over some government policies. However, determining the areas of frustration and the causes of the frustration proved difficult to predict using normal metrics.   

The current economy includes a host of positive indicators.  Examples include high employment/low unemployment rate, increased real wages, expanded individual rights, and no real wars involving American troops. Using normal metrics, what more could the populous want?

Yet, like most revolutions, when viewing in hindsight, traditional metrics no longer seem to apply. What are the new metrics that we should be considering?

At this point, I’m not sure, and I’m not sure anyone knows. What is clear, however, is a near majority of Americans voted to elect as president who has no demonstrated record of solving any complex problem, whether a societal business related; is a serial liar; refuses to accept any responsibility for a problem or error; and a convicted felon. So, what metrics should we use to gauge if the US is on the right track and to elect a president?

Candidate Trump was strongly supported by the religious right.  Yet, Trump’s repeated behavior is contrary to the basic tenets of Christianity.  Others are chastised for behavior that is far less egregious, but Trump is praised and his behavior ignored by a high percentage of Christians. 

Trump was also supported by surprising percentage of blacks and Hispanics, despite having denigrated both groups consistently overtime.  Although this blog entry was drafted before the inauguration, Trump has already initiated programs for mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, mostly Hispanic.

Here we are about a week into Trump‘s second term. What do we have?  Problem solving?  Credible solutions?  Coherent policies?  Credible staff?  No.  What we have is chaos and lots of bullying.

Who do we have as nominees for the cabinet?  A group of people with little or no experience in the area of responsibility.   If you want to fix a problem inside an organization, get some people who understand the dynamics of organizational systems, not a weekend tv host. You don’t go to the local auto mechanic to fix a broken arm.   

The marginally qualified cabinet nominees combined with a complicit Republican Senate and a SCOTUS that cannot seem to think about consequences of decisions – Citizens’ United and Trump immunity, e.g. – seem to me to be a tipping point for the Revenge Revolution.  

The first week of term two has been pure textbook Project 2025.  Here, Little Donnie, sign this Executive Order with your Sharpie and we’ll let you eat another Big Mac. Don’t bother to read the Executive order because you won’t understand it.  You know, like the meaning of 14th Amendment. 

Granted, Executive Orders are just for the executive branch and can be challenged, but they have created anxiety within the society and a lot of confusion.  In addition, Trump has vowed to weaponized DOJ.  In Trump world, you should interpret everything as if looking in a mirror – all meanings of words and phrases are backwards. 

Trump is the one weaponizing DOJ.  Trump is going after people who don’t agree with him. If you’re a big Trump supporter, try criticizing him sometime on an issue on a public platform and see what kind of reaction you get.  Actions by the Trump administration have all the characteristics of a dictatorship.

Can we check the box that we are in the “Revenge Revolution”?  Yes!

On the positive side, I’m not sure Trump realizes that people can revolt, and bureaucrats can slow down a lot of what he is trying to do. In addition, he faces another problem.  In his first term, I wrote a blog entry titled, “Who took out the Donald?“

More than ever, I think the title of that blog entry seems appropriate given what has occurred so far. There are some really pissed off people out there, including members of the military, law enforcement – especially after pardoning/commuting sentences for the Jan 6 insurrectionists – and numerous groups.  The environment is beginning to feel like the mid-1960’s and all the turmoil.  We shall see. END ENTRY #519

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, and an array of other topics, visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/

518. President Carter, “Dying Well Is the Best Revenge.”

05 Sunday Jan 2025

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Welcome to a discussion about the 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, click “About the Author” tab. 

Periodically I write a “sense check” about the status of the Revolution, one of which seems to occur about every 50 years in the US. The previous “sense check” was ENTRY #500. Much has happened since Entry #500 to reinforce my belief we are currently embroiled in the “Revenge Revolution.”

BEGIN ENTRY #518: Listening to Donald Trump whine that flags will be flying at half-staff on federal buildings during the inauguration, made me think, “I wonder if former president Carter had constructed a subtle, but effective final revenge against Trump?” Especially during the past year or so, Trump in an apparent effort to deflect his ranking by historians as at or near the bottom as of presidents, claimed Carter was the worst president.

Recently, and for reasons that are not obvious, Trump stated he wants the US to retake control of the Panama Canal, one of Carter’s signature accomplishments. Next, maybe Trump will claim Habitat for Humanity is threat to national securioty and the 4,000+ houses that Carter helped build should be demolished.  

Jimmy Carter was remarkable in how long he survived with a host of serious ailments.  He also seemed to have some control over the timing of his death. I remember a friend of Carter’s, when discussing his tenacity, stated that Carter probably would try and set a record for the longest time in hospice care.

Earlier this year, Carter stated he wanted to stay alive long enough to vote for Kamala Harris. After Harris lost, his next goal could have been, “How do I aggravate Trump from my deathbed?“

No doubt, Carter believed that upon his death, Biden would follow the tradition of having flags flown at half-staff on federal buildings for 30 days following a president’s death. Counting back from the 01/20/2025 inauguration, Carter figured he needed to live until at least 12/21/2024. By dying a few days later, flags would be at half-staff during the inauguration, and some of the early days of the Trump administration.

In order to return flags to flying at full staff, Trump would have to issue an executive order. While Trump has repeatedly demonstrated no shame, such an insult to a former president would immediately stain his reputation further domestically and abroad, since all US embassies follow the half-staff guidelines.

Whether Carter considered this the dying option before his death we will likely never know. Nonetheless, dying within the 30-day window of the inauguration seems consistent with Carter’s personality.  Intentional or not, the public recognition of Carter’s accomplishments, including those after his term in office, has clearly aggravated Trump. For Carter, maybe dying well was his best revenge. END ENTRY #518

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, and an array of other topics, visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/