From Pine View Farm

Political Theatre category archive

It Can Happen Here 0

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley Law School, argues that it is, indeed, already happening here.

He notes that

If one were to design a path to authoritarian rule, it would be what we have seen in the first weeks of the Trump administration. For my book “No Democracy Lasts Forever,” I studied how democracies die and are replaced by authoritarian regimes. Almost always the rulers are elected rather than coming to power through a coup, and then they consolidate authority and silence their critics.

He goes on to list several specific indicators that we are seeing this process right here right now right before our eyes.

Follow the link for his reasoning.

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“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0

Trudy Rubin hears a rhyme.

It must be free verse, as somehow “Donald Trump” manages to rhyme with “Neville Chamberlain.”

_________________

*Mark Twain.

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DOGE Ball, Reprise 0

Above the Law’s Joe Patrice is less than impressed with Elon Musk’s coup takeover of the government. A snippet:

Musk and his band of merry tweebs live in a video game world and it shows.

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A Tune for the Times 0

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Season’s Greetings, Reprise 0

Title:  Trump's Valentine to America.  Image:  Donald Trump writing a Valentine's Day card:  MAGA is red, losers are blue, Democracy's dead and I'm king over you.

Click to view the original image.

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Season’s Greetings 0

Frame One:  Valentine's Day Cards for 2025.  Frame Two:  Picture of Elon Musk captioned,

Click to view the original image.

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The Rule of Lawless 0

The American Bar Association has had enough.

Go read their statement.

Via C&L.

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Trumponomics 0

At the Portland Press Herald, Vitoria Hugo-Vidal argues that it’s time to stock up against the impending economic chaos. A snippet:

You know what financial markets like? Stability. You know what doesn’t scream “stability” to investors? Starting trade fights with our neighbors.

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The Rule of Lawless, Reprise 0

Farron discusses claims by Trump’s BLT (bootlickers, lackeys, and toadies) that laws don’t apply to them or to Trump.

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The Rule of Lawless 0

Robert Reich wonders when if it will end.

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A Tune for the Times 0

Warning: mild language.

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The Constitutional Scholar 0

PoliticalProf does his own research.

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The Lake Effect 0

The Arizona Republic’s E. J. Montini thinks he sees a bit of MAGA karma.

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A Tune for the Times 0

Mangy imagines Donald Trump’s dystopia.

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“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0

Michelle Goldberg hears a rhyme from the not too distant past. A fit from her article (emphasis added); the entire piece is worth your while.

. . . the first days of the second Trump term have a distinct Coalition Provisional Authority vibe. For those lucky enough not to remember, the Coalition Provisional Authority was the administration that George W. Bush and his team put in place after charging heedlessly into Iraq, convinced that it would be easy to remake a government about which they knew next to nothing.

_________________

*Mark Twain.

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The Fifth Columnist 0

At The Philadelphia Inquirer, Trudy Rubin sums up Donald Trump’s foreign policy:

Harm your friends, help your enemies.

Follow the link for her evidence.

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Echoes of Immorality 0

For some fool reason, this article seems to remind me of someone in the news.

I wonder just who it could be?

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It’s Simple, Really 0

PoliticalProf explains it all.*

________________

*With apologies to Clarissa.

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A Tune for the Times 0

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True Believers 0

PoliticalProf.

Afterthought:

But don’t you dare call them “cultists.”

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