#The Presidents of the United States of America

[cynicalclassicist]

At least this paper is saying... something. But papers like the New York Times didn't call it out enough. And it's scary seeing how many Americans will swallow Trump's lies, no matter how ludicrous they are. For them by definition Trump can do no wrong as it's him doing it. His awful behaviour is something that they take pride in. And it will keep going on to another generation. And you can't reach these people.

"Mr. Trump's election demonstrates how American tolerance for the unacceptable is nearly infinite. There are hundreds of absolutely mind-boggling things I could point to from the past decade...But three election in a row, Mr. Trump has been a viable Presidential candidate and our democracy has few guardrails to protect the country from the clear and present danger he and his political appointees will continue to confer upon us. Clearly, Mr. Trump is successful because of his faults, not despite them, because we do not live in a just world...And now Republicans will control the executive branch, the Senate and the House of Representatives. There will be few checks and balances...

...Mr. Trump's voters are granted a level of care and coddling that defies credulity and that is afforded to no other voting bloc. Many of them believe the most ludicrous things: babies being aborted after birth and children going to school as one gender and returning home surgically altered as another gender even though these things simply do not happen. Time and again, we hear the wild lies these voters believe and we act as if they are sharing the same reality as ours, as if they are making informed decisions about legitimate issues. We act as if they get to dictate the terms of political engagement on a foundation of fevered mendacity.

We must refuse to participate in a mass delusion. We must refuse to accept that the ignorance on display is a congenital condition rather than a choice. All of us should refuse to pretend that any of this is normal and that these voters are just woefully misunderstood and that if only the Democrats addressed their economic anxiety, they might vote differently. While they are numerous, that does not make them right.

These are adults, so let us treat them like adults. Let us acknowledge that they want to believe nonsense and conjecture. They want to believe anything that affirms their worldview. They want to celebrate a leader who allows them to nurture their basest beliefs about others. The biggest challenge of our lifetime will be figuring out how to combat the American willingness to embrace flagrant misinformation and bigotry.

As Mr. Trump assembles his cabinet of loyalists and outlines the alarming policies he means to enact, it's hard not to imagine the worst, not out of paranoia but as a means of preparation. The incoming President has clearly articulated that he may dismantle the Department of Education and appears to be giving the wealthiest man in the world unfettered access to the Oval Office. He plans to begin mass deportations immediately and has announced his pick of a Fox News host as the defense secretary -- the list goes on, each promise more appalling than the last.

We would like to believe that many of the ideas on Mr. Trump's demented wish list won't actually come to fruition and that our democracy can once more withstand the new President and the people with whom he surrounds himself. But that is just desperate, wishful thinking. As of yet, there is nothing that will break the iron grip Mr. Trump has on his base, and Vice President-elect JD Vance is young enough to carry the mantle going forward for political cycles to come.

Absolutely anything is possible, and we must acknowledge this, not out of surrender, but as a means of readying ourselves for the impossible fights ahead."

-- Roxane Gay, "Enough", The New York Times, November 17, 2024.

This is one of the best, most spot-on pieces about where we are and what we must prepare ourselves for in the aftermath of Donald Trump's re-election to the Presidency. These gift links will allow you to bypass the NYT paywall and read the entire article, and I urge you to share these links with as many people as you'd like.

[motherofplatypus]

Oh color me so fucking shocked

Congratulations to the entire government of fucking USA. You have been promoted from complicit in genocide to full on participating. Please take your medal of honor, the Swastika, in Germany. Don't forget to say hello to Adolf when you all see him in hell.

This post has been compiled in Record of Genocide.

[whencyclopedia]

The United States holiday of Thanksgiving is generally understood to be inspired by the harvest feast celebrated by the citizens of Plymouth Colony (later known as pilgrims) and the Native Americans of the Wampanoag Confederacy in the fall of 1621. Although there is evidence of earlier thanksgiving celebrations in the Americas by the Spanish in the 16th century and at the Jamestown Colony of Virginia in 1610, following what is known as the “starving times” of 1609, these are not recognized as the “First Thanksgiving”, a term coined by the editor Alexander Young in 1841 referring specifically to the account of the 1621 event as given by the Plymouth Colony's chroniclers William Bradford (l. 1590-1657) and Edward Winslow (l. 1595-1655) in Mourt's Relation (published 1622), the earliest work on the first year of the establishment of Plymouth Colony. Once the Plymouth Colony had successfully established itself, after struggling through their first year, Mourt's Relation was carried back to England and published by Robert Cushman (l. 1577-1625) who had negotiated the Mayflower voyage. The book seems to have been an initial success before going out of print and was only brought back to public notice in 1841. Bradford's work, Of Plymouth Plantation, which also references the 1621 event, was published in 1856 and the popular poem, The Courtship of Miles Standish by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (l. 1807-1882) came out in 1858 all further popularizing the story of the pilgrims. Sarah Josepha Hale (l. 1788-1879), the writer and editor of the popular periodical Godey's Lady's Book (published 1830-1878), campaigned for the national observance of Thanksgiving Day beginning in 1846. She wrote to each sitting president advocating the adoption of the holiday, but it was only acted upon in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln (served 1861-1865) during the American Civil War (1861-1865) as a means of encouraging national unity. It is thought, however, that his decision was influenced by the popularity of the pilgrims' story through the above publications in concert with Hale's advocacy. The modern celebration of the holiday was formalized across the United States only as recently as 1963 under President John F. Kennedy (served 1961-1963), although it had been observed regionally for 100 years prior. Presently, it is one of the most popular celebrations in the United States most often observed by gatherings of friends, family, a large meal, and participating in or watching American football games; the pilgrims and their Native American guests serving mainly as backdrops and decorations for the event, but this version of the observance is fairly recent and often ignores the realities of the historical event which inspired it.

[jasondamien93]

😡 Fuck Trump

[hollywood-beverly-hills]

DONALD. J. TRUMP. , PRESIDENT. OF. THE. UNITED. STATES. OF. AMERICA

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dylan Scott at Vox:

Measles, mumps, and polio are supposed to be diseases of the past. In the early to mid-20th century, scientists developed vaccines that effectively eliminated the risk of anyone getting sick or dying from illnesses that had killed millions over millennia of human history. Vaccines, alongside sanitized water and antibiotics, have marked the epoch of modern medicine. The US was at the cutting edge of eliminating these diseases, which helped propel life expectancy and economic growth in the postwar era. Montana native Maurice Hilleman, the so-called father of modern vaccines, developed flu shots, hepatitis shots, and the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in the 1950s and ’60s, which became virtually universally adopted among Americans.

Smallpox, the most common form of which has a 30 percent fatality rate, has been eradicated. Mitch McConnell, Republican titan of the Senate, may be the last major public figure still afflicted by a childhood case of polio, less than a century after it paralyzed a sitting American president. Measles likely infected millions of people annually in the US in the 1800s, although precise estimates from the era are hard to come by. In the early 1990s, thousands of people died from the disease every year. It was still infecting more than half a million and killing hundreds per year on average in the 1950s and ’60s, before the vaccine debuted. Diphtheria, a deadly respiratory infection, killed more than 1,800 people annually between 1936 and 1945 as the vaccine against it was still being rolled out. It has not killed anybody in the United States in decades. The vaccines that made this possible are among the most important achievements in human history. And yet many Americans appear to be losing faith in them, a worrying trend that could accelerate if President-elect Donald Trump succeeds in handing control of the top US health agency into the hands of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the country’s foremost vaccine denier.

Kennedy has spent much of his public career pushing the thoroughly debunked theory of a link between autism and childhood vaccines. He has supported an anti-vaccine group in Samoa, where measles vaccination rates have since fallen off; a 2019 outbreak killed 83 people just a few months after Kennedy visited the island and met with anti-vaccine advocates. He has likewise cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of the Covid vaccines, a position that helped nudge the lifelong Democrat toward Trump. After Kennedy dropped his own presidential campaign this year, he became Trump’s most influential health adviser and last week was nominated by the president-elect to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

[...] As long-accepted, lifesaving public health measures increasingly become politically polarized, routine vaccination rates are rapidly declining in much of the US. In the 2019–2020 school year, three states had less than 90 percent of K–12 students vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella. By the 2023–2024 school year, 14 states had fallen below that threshold. The number of states with more than 95 percent of schoolchildren vaccinated — the preferred level of coverage to prevent outbreaks — dropped from 20 to 11 during that same period.

Smallpox, measles, and polio, which were thought to be eradicated with mass vaccinations, but the anti-vaxxer extremist movement’s rise in influence in recent years threatens to undo decades worth of progress.

[darkmaga-returns]

Outgoing US President Joe Biden is planning to write off around $4.7 billion in taxpayer-funded loans to Ukraine as part of an effort to boost Kiev’s war effort before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.

Trump has previously demanded that only loans, not gifts, be provided to Kiev

US Congress has approved over $174 billion in aid packages to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

The latest tranche which was pproved in April, included over $9.4 billion in “forgivable loans” to help fill the gap in Kiev’s budget.

Confirming that Biden is planning to write off half of that amount, or roughly $4.7 billion, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said:“ We have taken the step that was outlined in the law to cancel those loans“.

RT reports: Cancelling the debt is in the “national interest of the United States and its EU, G7+, and NATO partners,” the State Department claimed in a letter to Congress dated November 18, according to Bloomberg.

President-elect Donald Trump stated on the campaign trail that he would not oppose Congress approving more aid to Ukraine as long as the assistance is given in the form of loans rather than taxpayer-funded gifts.

Rebranding some of the aid as loans was one of the key adjustments that helped push through the $61 billion April package after a months-long standoff between Republicans and the White House.

Senator Rand Paul has vowed to block the cancellation of the debt, arguing that it places an unfair burden on American taxpayers.

“Tonight, I’m forcing a vote on my resolution to prevent Biden from turning Ukraine’s debt into America’s problem. His proposal places the burden of funding Ukraine’s businesses, farmers, and corrupt bureaucrats on the shoulders of hardworking Americans,” Paul wrote in a statement on X on Wednesday.

The Ukrainian government is almost entirely reliant on Western aid to keep its economy afloat. In September, Kiev adopted its draft budget for 2025, predicting a deficit of 75% and estimating it will need between $12 billion and $15 billion to cover the shortfall.

[petefromarma]

was always difficult discussing antisemitism but zionists have made it so much worse bc statements like ‘antisemitism is on the rise’ now signal to ppl as zionist talking points and it’s like no man i actually just wanted to address the fact that the current vice president elect of the united states of fucking america keeps the company of people who utilize the term ‘goyslop’ as part of their every day vocabulary

[angelart67]

How does this go again???

OH HELL YEAH, ABOUT TIME SUMPIN' REALISTIC GETS DONE, A HUGE THANK YOU GOES OUT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP, VICE PRESIDENT VANCE, ELON & VIVEK.

🙏🇺🇸❤️🤍💙🇺🇸🙏

The Department of Government Efficiency [D.O.G.E.] is officially a reality. Elon Musk is now the head of a federal agency. Vivek Ramaswamy is now one of the most powerful men on earth. Damn it feels good to be MAGA.

[nando161mando]

The Supreme Court granted immunity to all presidents, essentially making them kings. Art by Michael de Adder.

[the-90s-music-colosseum]

If you haven't heard one or both of the songs before, it's recommended that you do so before voting!

Define "better" in any way you wish :)

[ma-tsu-the-male-goddess]

🎵

@unfathomablylargekiwi in case you don��t get notified about an ask answer

Awesome! Got a few here for you, so let’s go ->

The main one I’ll assign you is:

An Angel Fell by Nine Aetharia

(I get deadly mushroom vibes from it)

And then some fun ones I think also give your kind of vibes! Enjoy :))

The Orion Experience was actually my first thought of band for you, but An Angel Fell ended up working better.

Let me know if any in particular peak your interest and you’d like some recommendations:)

See the full 17 song list below:

Amour Plastique by Videoclub

An Angel Fell by Nine Aetharia

The Bloodhound and the Fox by Ivan Campo

Cast the Bronze by Raynes

The Cult of Dionysus by The Orion Experience

Dog Days are Over by Florence + The Machine

I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie

I’m Just Your Problem by NateWantsToBattle

Numb Little Bug by Em Beihold

Mother Ate by Jane Bell

Obsessed With You by The Orion Experience

Roses Are Red by Aqua

Snail Shell by The Might Be Giants

Some Postman by The President of the United States of America

Steve by Alec Benjamin

Wildflower by 5 Seconds of Summer

105 by Smash Mouth

[krispyweiss]

At 85, Ian Hunter Still Acts Like a Young Dude

Ian Hunter turns 85 today, barely a month after releasing Defiance Part 2: Fiction, a guest-filled album featuring posthumous appearances from Jeff Beck and Taylor Hawkins and other musical collaborators, including members of Stone Temple Pilots, Def Leppard, Wings and others.

Which goes to show that even though Hunter’s an old dude - born June 3, 1939 - he’s still acting like young dude, still carrying the news. And there may be more from whence that came.

“Oh, you never know,” Hunter recently told the Strange Brew.

“Yeah, I’m working and yes, I’ve got tracks. But not too many. I stopped for five, six years once. The minute I say I’m on a roll, I’m not. It’s something you don’t want to talk about.”

The one-time Mott the Hoople leader has the weird distinction of his best-known band track - David Bowie’s “All the Young Dudes” - being a cover and his most-famous solo numbers (“London Rocks” and “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”) being thus after being covered by the Presidents of the United States of America, as “Cleveland Rocks,” and Great White, respectively.

The latter, Hunter recently told Goldmine magazine, “was OK.

“I didn’t really listen to it to be honest with you,” he said. “I mean, it’s more on the metal side, so I don’t really listen that much to stuff like that. But it sold a couple of millions, so I’m not complaining.”

Carry the news: Eight-five-year-old man not complaining.

6/3/24

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Amee Vanderpool at SHERO:

Before World War II, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had identified German, Italian, and Japanese aliens and claimed they were “suspected” of being potential enemy agents. These people, some of them American citizens, were legally kept under surveillance, and following the attack at Pearl Harbor, people from “enemy nations” and all people of Japanese descent were immediately considered suspect and referred to the US Army. In 1942, Executive Order 9066 was enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Under this order the entire west coast was deemed a military area, and was divided into military zones. Curfews were established that included only Japanese-Americans. Voluntary evacuation of Japanese-Americans from a limited number of areas, totaling about seven percent of the entire Japanese-American population, was begun. The issue of human rights had been briefly brought up at Congressional Hearings prior to the issuance of these new laws, but in 1942, no one felt these rights were important enough when compared to securing the United States. On March 29, 1942, Japanese-Americans on the west coast were given a 48-hour evacuation notice, and most of their land and private property was abandoned and never recovered.

From the end of March to August of that year, approximately 112,000 persons were sent to racetracks or fairgrounds, which had been re-labeled as “assembly centers.” People were tagged like cattle and sorted for removal to a more permanent "relocation center" where they would be imprisoned for the remainder of the war. In these "relocation centers,” also called "internment camps,” four or five families shared tar-papered army-style barracks for nearly three years or more until the end of the war. The people in these camps shared eating facilities and restrooms and had limited opportunity for work or school. Nearly 70,000 of these evacuees were American citizens, who were denied their due process rights as the federal government froze their ability to appeal their circumstances under the guise of “American security.” This was just 80 years ago. On Tuesday, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, through the the Texas General Land Office, offered Donald Trump the 1,400-acre Starr County site to build new detention centers to fulfill his promise of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said in the Tuesday letter that her office is “fully prepared” to enter an agreement with any federal agencies involved in deporting individuals from the country “to allow a facility to be built for the processing, detention, and coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation’s history.”

We are again on the brink of repeating some of the most shameful and abhorrent lessons that America should have learned long ago. While Donald Trump and his Project 2025 implementation team move to enact the fascist promises made during the election, many of Trump’s cronies are already aligning themselves to profit from the impending migrant prison system that will be nothing short of a concentration camp. Due Process Rights will again be frozen, as amnesty and human rights will cease to exist within these militarized zones. Dismissing any warnings about where we are headed by calling these claims hyperbole will cease to matter after Donald Trump assumes his office on January 20, 2025.

Amee Vanderpool wrote an excellent blogpost on SHERO that the dark days of internment camps (or concentration camps) are back again, this time aimed primarily at undocumented immigrants. But will it stop with just undocumented immigrants? Absolutely not.

[mossmarsh]

here's a list of my terrible music taste. ones at the axis sides have all been my favourite bands at some point.

[t-s-n]

songs that are girlfriends. to me