I am suspicious that the big fight is a ruse. The walls are closing in and as Qasim says, it's a distraction that works. But nothing is getting better for us. More illegal activity from trump; calling out National Guard and overriding governors. And there was no emergency just a power grab & political show by trump and the criminal cabal.
He commits crime opening. Our military has tanks..correct. Use them and remove the felon administration. We’ve done bigger jobs with tyrants overseas. Long past time to remove the Fascist lunatics. And they should never see the light of day again.
We make the jokes to try to save our sanity, but we are in serious danger. musk is gone and now trump needs to follow suit. Somehow, someway he needs to be fired. The Supreme Court cannot allow our privacy to be taken over by an evil wannabe dictator. Does anyone know how all the money musk donated, to trump's campaign, was disbursed? Bribes in the hands of the people responsible for the elections? Bribes to people to vote for trump? Paid off those involved in the swing states ALL electing trump (odds of that happening are astronomical)? What happened to all that money? Just exactly how did it help trump win, because many of us are trying to get over our shock that he returned to the scene of the crime?
I really really hate to admit this ( yes I am from the most miserable RED state in the dsa, but I JUST called ted cruz' Washington DC office and I guess by the vmail the "In box" is full ( I GUESS THE PROFESSIONAL CALLERS GOT HIS #...I immediately called John Cornyins office.
I call Collins every morning it seems. She is never anything but “ very concerned “ about whatever is ahead to vote on. Hasn’t had a town hall in over 20 years…yet still I leave a message. It’s my understanding they tally the calls for each issue. Im not sure if its doing any good, yet im not mobile. This is the way I can participate.
yes, a distraction, but not just from this horrendous bill. It is also a distraction from the supreme courts decision that DOGE can have access to our SS numbers. All of our data is now in the hands of the executive branch. To use to survey and to use as big brother. Trumpism is Putinism is Orbanism is Xi Jinpingism. And I totally agree, this is a staged exaggerated drama by two very good actors. They are not revealing anything about each other that we don't already know. DOGE has not failed, it is expanding and being enmeshed, officially now into the state, with a more fervent and dangerous head, Russell Vought.
Thanks Qasim, your analysis opened my eyes about the distraction being fake. Looking at what each loser is doing to the other, even the Epstein files comment means nothing. Wow. Also, how many new people sign up for Twitter so they don't miss anything. I just learned DOGE has permission from SCOTUS to access all our data.
thanks for a very thoughtful piece. I agree with Pablo there might be some upside on this 'break up' but as you say there's still a long way to go. And Doge continues to harvest personal data on everyone with no limits that I can discover and with the approval of the Supreme Court (horrifying!) pending the merits of the case being considered in the distant future....
Qasim, I respect the hell out of your work and your perspective, but I think you're a little off-base here. I agree that we need to keep our eyes on the ball with regard to the budget bill, but to dismiss this feud as merely "distraction" is to throw away an opportunity.
Firstly, I don't think this is coordinated. They could have achieved a similar result without going nuclear with the personal attacks. Plus, their bromance was doomed from the start. Both of their egos are simply too big to coexist. Ultimately, there can be only one emperor.
Secondly, even if it were a "fake feud" as you say, the infighting among their respective followers is real. Have you not seen what's going in the MAGAverse? This rift can be used to siphon support away from Trump. The rabid zeal of Trump's acolytes is his superpower, insulating him from would-be detractors and emboldening him more and more over the years. It would be foolish to squander an opportunity to weaken his stranglehold over them. Who else might be able to achieve an appreciable diminishing of support for Trump than the Incel Edgelord Supreme himself?
Thirdly, it's true that billionaires have a long history of supporting one another. The only problem is this isn't the most appropriate comparison. Trump isn't content just being a billionaire anymore. He's a politician with an eye toward consolidating power by any means. A better parallel is Putin and his oligarchs. When the oligarchs challenged him, Putin made examples of them. Remember when Vladimir Kusinsky used his TV network to ridicule Putin with puppets? Yeah, masked men showed up at the network to snatch Kusinsky up. Trump may not be Putin, but he's not just a billionaire anymore either.
I take your point about staying focused on the bill, and making noise about it, but I think exploiting the fissure growing between their followers, if not the men, is worth some attention too.
The rupture in this bromance, whether spontaneous or contrived, makes the acolytes nervous. That’s all to the good. It’s a serious distraction. Whatever it’s genesis it has become a distraction from this absolutely murderous BBB. I think we can have our discussions about the origin of the rupture and its impact and also continue to do everything we can to prevent the implementation of this big ugly homicide.
There's no opportunity here. Musk is a white supremacist. And the insistence to "siphon support away from Trump" is -- to be blunt -- nonsensical. The man hasn't lost support from his base in 10 years, you think this is going to do it?
We need to stop with this nonsense of "oh now MAGAs will break from Trump" and start recognizing that we must invest in our own base and in people truly aligned with justice. There's no fissure. There's no exploiting some magical fissure. Stop falling for the MAGA outrage machine, and get organized by getting people committed to justice to the polls, to protests, to petitions, and to run for office.
There are a few MAGATS who have had an awakening, but not enough to make a difference. You are correct. This needs to be done by the smart and sane because the majority of the MAGAT cultists will remain trump lovers, no matter what he does, or the evil and danger he is to this country, and the world.
I’m not falling for anything, Qasim, and I would’ve hoped you would’ve thought a little better of one of your loyal readers. I just happen to disagree with you.
Don’t think ill of me? Your words say otherwise. You called my position “nonsensical.” Kind of a non-starter, don’t you think? I showed you more respect in my disagreement with you. I understand that you deal with a lot of hateful responses, but take care not to misdirect your frustrations at supporters who sometimes disagree with you. Keep fighting the good fight. On to the next one…
I think you’re taking personal offense when I took care to address your position, which I vehemently reject, and not your character, which I genuinely appreciate.
Actually fusk, you didn’t go far enough. Shame shame shame.
Qasim, This is a very well written piece. Nice job.
I am suspicious that the big fight is a ruse. The walls are closing in and as Qasim says, it's a distraction that works. But nothing is getting better for us. More illegal activity from trump; calling out National Guard and overriding governors. And there was no emergency just a power grab & political show by trump and the criminal cabal.
He commits crime opening. Our military has tanks..correct. Use them and remove the felon administration. We’ve done bigger jobs with tyrants overseas. Long past time to remove the Fascist lunatics. And they should never see the light of day again.
We make the jokes to try to save our sanity, but we are in serious danger. musk is gone and now trump needs to follow suit. Somehow, someway he needs to be fired. The Supreme Court cannot allow our privacy to be taken over by an evil wannabe dictator. Does anyone know how all the money musk donated, to trump's campaign, was disbursed? Bribes in the hands of the people responsible for the elections? Bribes to people to vote for trump? Paid off those involved in the swing states ALL electing trump (odds of that happening are astronomical)? What happened to all that money? Just exactly how did it help trump win, because many of us are trying to get over our shock that he returned to the scene of the crime?
Great article catching up on reading ✌🏻
I really really hate to admit this ( yes I am from the most miserable RED state in the dsa, but I JUST called ted cruz' Washington DC office and I guess by the vmail the "In box" is full ( I GUESS THE PROFESSIONAL CALLERS GOT HIS #...I immediately called John Cornyins office.
Contact your senator? What if your senator is Fetterman and you find yourself unrepresented ?
Keep calling him, and organize with your neighbors to ensure he does not get reelected in 2028.
I still call and write to my Congress members even though they are Dems. Every Congress person should hear our voices calling for action
I call Collins every morning it seems. She is never anything but “ very concerned “ about whatever is ahead to vote on. Hasn’t had a town hall in over 20 years…yet still I leave a message. It’s my understanding they tally the calls for each issue. Im not sure if its doing any good, yet im not mobile. This is the way I can participate.
The True True 💜🙏🐝
Supreme Court rules that Musk is allowed access to our private Social Security data, information. 🤮
Mortifying.
Just wrote my Senators for the umpteenth time and re stacked this post! Thank you!😬💪💪💪
yes, a distraction, but not just from this horrendous bill. It is also a distraction from the supreme courts decision that DOGE can have access to our SS numbers. All of our data is now in the hands of the executive branch. To use to survey and to use as big brother. Trumpism is Putinism is Orbanism is Xi Jinpingism. And I totally agree, this is a staged exaggerated drama by two very good actors. They are not revealing anything about each other that we don't already know. DOGE has not failed, it is expanding and being enmeshed, officially now into the state, with a more fervent and dangerous head, Russell Vought.
Unfortunately true!💯💯💯💯💯😤🔥
Thanks for the re-focus.
Of course what you say is true.
Thanks Qasim, your analysis opened my eyes about the distraction being fake. Looking at what each loser is doing to the other, even the Epstein files comment means nothing. Wow. Also, how many new people sign up for Twitter so they don't miss anything. I just learned DOGE has permission from SCOTUS to access all our data.
Spectacle, and nothing more. They can afford it, we can't. Don't get sidetracked.
thanks for a very thoughtful piece. I agree with Pablo there might be some upside on this 'break up' but as you say there's still a long way to go. And Doge continues to harvest personal data on everyone with no limits that I can discover and with the approval of the Supreme Court (horrifying!) pending the merits of the case being considered in the distant future....
Qasim, I respect the hell out of your work and your perspective, but I think you're a little off-base here. I agree that we need to keep our eyes on the ball with regard to the budget bill, but to dismiss this feud as merely "distraction" is to throw away an opportunity.
Firstly, I don't think this is coordinated. They could have achieved a similar result without going nuclear with the personal attacks. Plus, their bromance was doomed from the start. Both of their egos are simply too big to coexist. Ultimately, there can be only one emperor.
Secondly, even if it were a "fake feud" as you say, the infighting among their respective followers is real. Have you not seen what's going in the MAGAverse? This rift can be used to siphon support away from Trump. The rabid zeal of Trump's acolytes is his superpower, insulating him from would-be detractors and emboldening him more and more over the years. It would be foolish to squander an opportunity to weaken his stranglehold over them. Who else might be able to achieve an appreciable diminishing of support for Trump than the Incel Edgelord Supreme himself?
Thirdly, it's true that billionaires have a long history of supporting one another. The only problem is this isn't the most appropriate comparison. Trump isn't content just being a billionaire anymore. He's a politician with an eye toward consolidating power by any means. A better parallel is Putin and his oligarchs. When the oligarchs challenged him, Putin made examples of them. Remember when Vladimir Kusinsky used his TV network to ridicule Putin with puppets? Yeah, masked men showed up at the network to snatch Kusinsky up. Trump may not be Putin, but he's not just a billionaire anymore either.
I take your point about staying focused on the bill, and making noise about it, but I think exploiting the fissure growing between their followers, if not the men, is worth some attention too.
The rupture in this bromance, whether spontaneous or contrived, makes the acolytes nervous. That’s all to the good. It’s a serious distraction. Whatever it’s genesis it has become a distraction from this absolutely murderous BBB. I think we can have our discussions about the origin of the rupture and its impact and also continue to do everything we can to prevent the implementation of this big ugly homicide.
Yep I agree. Important to stay vigilant, but we can do both.
There's no opportunity here. Musk is a white supremacist. And the insistence to "siphon support away from Trump" is -- to be blunt -- nonsensical. The man hasn't lost support from his base in 10 years, you think this is going to do it?
We need to stop with this nonsense of "oh now MAGAs will break from Trump" and start recognizing that we must invest in our own base and in people truly aligned with justice. There's no fissure. There's no exploiting some magical fissure. Stop falling for the MAGA outrage machine, and get organized by getting people committed to justice to the polls, to protests, to petitions, and to run for office.
There are a few MAGATS who have had an awakening, but not enough to make a difference. You are correct. This needs to be done by the smart and sane because the majority of the MAGAT cultists will remain trump lovers, no matter what he does, or the evil and danger he is to this country, and the world.
I’m not falling for anything, Qasim, and I would’ve hoped you would’ve thought a little better of one of your loyal readers. I just happen to disagree with you.
I’m not thinking ill of you at all. I’m simply and starkly disagreeing with you.
Don’t think ill of me? Your words say otherwise. You called my position “nonsensical.” Kind of a non-starter, don’t you think? I showed you more respect in my disagreement with you. I understand that you deal with a lot of hateful responses, but take care not to misdirect your frustrations at supporters who sometimes disagree with you. Keep fighting the good fight. On to the next one…
I think you’re taking personal offense when I took care to address your position, which I vehemently reject, and not your character, which I genuinely appreciate.
I guess now there are two points we’ll have to agree to disagree about, though one I can accept and the other leaves a bad taste.