CARTOON: Four Inauguration Day Civics Lessons
As Trump scoops more grift and his billionaire chums scrape away public resources and gobble down the nation’s wealth, perhaps enough people will awaken.
“I knew that one day we might have to watch as capitalism and greed and bigotry led to a world where powerful men, deserving or not, would burn it all down. What I didn’t expect, and don’t think I could have foreseen, is how incredibly cringe it would all be. I have been prepared for evil, for greed, for cruelty, for injustice – but I did not anticipate that the people in power would also be such huge losers.”
— Rebecca Shaw, I Knew One Day I’d have To Watch Powerful Men Burn The World Down – I Just Didn’t Expect Them To Be Such Losers (1/16/25)
“There is no demilitarised zone in this class war.
We must all decide where we stand.”
— George Monboitt, Trump & Musk Have Launched A New Class War. In The UK, We Must Prepare To Defend Ourselves
By Mark Taylor
DeMOCKracy.ink (1/20/35)
In a sign of times to come, You Tube again banned me yesterday — Inauguration Eve — from commenting. As with the first time, no explanation was given. In the past, I requested a review, but never heard back. Then a couple months ago — without explanation — my right to comment was renewed.
But now I’ve been sent back to sit in the corner.
The only good news about Donald Trump’s return to office today is the exit of “Genocide” Joe Biden, without doubt, one of the cruelest, most racist, asinine of presidents. And given our shameful history of genocide and colonization, that’s saying something. Congrats, Joe, may you soon shuffle off to a well-deserved dank, fiery crevice of hell and have to listen to the screams off your victims for all eternity.
Truly, FJB.
The ever complicit media…
In a lengthy Saturday column on Biden’s legacy by The Guardian Washington, DC bureau chief David Smith, this was the only mention of the Ukraine War and Gaza genocide:
“Biden came to office steeped in foreign policy but his record was mixed. He rallied western support for Ukraine to prevent Russian domination. He also remained resolutely behind Israel after the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas, disappointing some Democrats who wanted to see a greater effort to protect Palestinian civilians.”
Fifty words. Disgraceful.
That’s it. Only 50 words. And “mixed”? For Godsake, the man is an enthusiastic, full-on supporter of genocide and a state terrorist. Two-thirds of his victims are women and children. Despite polling showing the Biden/Harris, Democratic Party’s giddy arming, funding and diplomatic cover of the genocide was a huge element of Harris’ humiliating loss to Trump, corporate media like The Guardian ignores the gaping wound in their coverage and our national soul.
Slim possibility of hope
And now we have Trump 2.0. The good news is that Trump will do to the populist right what Obama did to the populist left. MAGA voters got their first taste of the coming betrayals with Trump falling into place behind Elon Musk on the H1B visa, giving foreigners an edge over American tech workers. Consider it an hors d'oeuvres for the banquet of shit sandwiches to come for workers. While the oligarchy hijacked the government 40 years ago, it is now bare-butt-cheeks out in the open with Elon chilling his days at Mar-a-Lago lining up his scams.
This could be the final betrayal that breaks the trance and perhaps enough people will awaken to the bipartisan con that has led to stagnant wages, lack of healthcare, declining life expectancy, rising addiction and communities of Third World level dysfunction and despair. Then there is a chance people can come together on the only issue that counts and the one the Elons don’t want us talking about: CLASS.
As Trump scoops more grift and his billionaire chums scrape away public resources and gobble down the nation’s wealth, perhaps enough people will awaken to unite in resistance, labor actions, boycotts, programs of mutual aid and bringing the system to a halt to regain our nation.
The four civics lessons below explain the criminal con that Donald will be milking.
BREAKING ALL RECORDS: Trump's Inauguration Set To Scoop Up $250M From Billionaires & Corporations
Democracy Now! (1/17/25)
The ultra-rich have donated a record-shattering amount of funds to the 2025 Trump-Vance Presidential Inaugural Committee, with contributions from major corporations like Apple, Chevron, Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Google, Pfizer, Microsoft and the pharmaceutical lobby. On Monday, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon's Jeff Bezos will attend Trump's inauguration with the world's richest man, Elon Musk, and a slew of other wealthy individuals tapped to join the new White House administration.
"What's even more concerning than the total amount being spent is the size of the donations that are coming in from corporations and billionaires, all of whom — just about all of whom — want something from the Trump administration," says Craig Holman, Public Citizen's Capitol Hill lobbyist, who is pushing for new legislation to regulate donations to the inauguration ceremony.
"They are buying influence with the Trump administration, so we're going to see scandal after scandal follow this inauguration. And reform often comes on the heels of scandal."
12-minute video
Research Exposes Trump Inaugural Committee a 'Cesspool of Special Interest Financing' — With Inauguration Day less than a week away, a watchdog group on Tuesday published research shining light on the unprecedented level of financial support President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund has received from corporations and executives seeking to court favor with the incoming administration. … Read the rest
Trump Readies 'Day One Climate Destruction Package' After Raking In Huge Haul Of Oil Cash — The fossil fuel industry pumped tens of millions of dollars into President-elect Donald Trump's successful bid for a second White House term—and it could begin seeing a return on its investment on his very first day in office. … Read the rest
Should Federal Minimum Wage Be Raised Above $7.25? Trump's Treasury Pick: 'No Sir'
"Trump and his billionaire Cabinet have their priorities backwards. Instead of focusing on lower costs and higher wages, they're only trying to line their own pockets while breaking promises to working families," said one critic.
By Eloise Goldsmith
Common Dreams (1/16/25)
Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for treasury secretary, indicated during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee Thursday that he has no issue with the federal minimum wage remaining at $7.25 an hour, the wage floor that's been in place since 2009.
The admission was prompted by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who asked Bessent, "Will you work with those of us who want to raise the federal minimum wage to a living wage to take millions of Americans out of poverty?"
Bessent replied, "Senator, I believe that the minimum wage is more of a statewide and regional issue."
Sanders then pressed him, asking, "So you don't think we should change the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour?"
"No, sir," said Bessent, who owns assets worth at least $500 million, according to The Washington Post. …
SUCKERED: What’s A Tariff & Who Pays It? Hint: It’s A Tax On You!
The tariffs proposed by President-elect Donald Trump will likely lead to higher prices – and inflation – for consumers.
By Tim Smart
US News & World Report
President-elect Donald Trump is threatening America’s three largest trading partners with import tariffs of 10% to 25% for what he says is their inability to stem the flow of immigrants and illicit narcotics into the U.S.
Trump campaigned throughout his 2024 successful run for the White House on the promise of tackling immigration and said he favored using the cudgel of tariffs to make other nations negotiate with him. At one point, he said the word “tariff” was his favorite one in the dictionary.
While the tariffs could be as much a negotiating tool as a policy proposal, Trump will have to wait until Jan. 20 to implement them, perhaps using executive orders to do so rather than trying to win congressional approval.
Depending on the details and whether the affected countries of Canada, Mexico and China retaliate, the proposed move threatens to throw a monkey wrench in the global trade system and could bring higher prices on gasoline, groceries and other items to American consumers. … Read the rest
Trump Is Packing His Cabinet With Crypto, Oil & Private Prison Profiteers
Trump’s policy makers will be overseeing the industries that they run and own.
By Derek Seidman
Truthout (1/18/25)
Money in U.S. politics is nothing new, but the scale of crass intervention in 2024 by mega-billionaire donors through super PACs was unprecedented. Now, corporate elites are indicating they could exert new levels of direct influence within the incoming Trump administration.
Elon Musk, worth over $430 billion, has rightly dominated this story. After spending nearly $300 million toward electing Donald Trump and his GOP allies, Musk, amid a minefield of conflicts of interests, has entered the president-elect’s innermost circle and is helping to shape the new administration.
But the breadth of direct corporate sway within the incoming regime goes beyond big campaign donations and individual players like Musk. What’s becoming clear is that key spheres of policy-making — energy, finance and tech — will be overseen by wealthy figures plucked from the industries they’re tasked to oversee.
To the delight of Wall Street, Trump has promised to cut corporate taxes and weaken financial regulations. The private equity and hedge fund billionaires who backed Trump are now hoping to accelerate mergers and acquisitions and access trillions in retirement savings.
Some nominees claim they’ll remove themselves from positions and investments that present competing interests. “All nominees and appointees will comply with the ethical obligations of their respective agencies,” Trump transition spokesperson Brian Hughes told Truthout in a statement. Still, watchdog groups worry that the new administration will be mired in corporate influence and conflicts.
Jeff Hauser, executive director of the Revolving Door Project, which monitors executive branch appointees, told Truthout that, while the first Trump administration was “catastrophically corrupt,” it still made gestures toward limiting conflicts of interest. But now, he says, “there are essentially no restraints being promised.”
Trump rode to reelection vowing to “drill, baby, drill” and courting oil billionaires who donated handsomely to his campaign. …
Dealing With The (Mis)information Age
“So sit your kids, and their grandparents, down. Tell them not to believe anything they see on Facebook, Twitter, Threads or Amazon TV without checking it somewhere reliable. Make your family into a little Lindisfarne* for this era of lies, somewhere we can wait out the information dark age, like monks poring over illuminated manuscripts as the black dragon sails of Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos flutter on the horizon, until the future fascists either tear themselves apart, or slaughter objective truth wholesale.”
— Steward Lee, An Information Dark Age Is Upon Us. I’m logging Off (1/19/25)
* Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island, is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the civil parish of Holy Island in Northumberland.
Photo, cartoon and graphics by Mark Taylor / DeMOCKracy.ink
Mark:
Why aren’t we protesting one of the main perpetrators of our current shitshow?
I refer to the Supreme Court and the insane Citizens United decision.
The SCOTUS should be abolished at any rate. Why in hell do NINE motherfucking individuals get to decide what millions upon millions can or cannot do?
Well said. I'm going to be biting my tongue hard so as not to say "Told you so!" to so many Americans over the next few years. Maybe the transparent oligarchy of Trumpdom will wake up the rest of the populace to the idea of wealth disparity and class war? Then it'll be time for REVOLUTION!