No, there is no plan.

[mr715]

I have used the phrase before to describe the Trump administration's nature of governance: policy ejaculations.

The president is a man governed by impulse without any executive control. To him, declarations of war (police action) or hurricane relief or tax policy are as controllable as a sneeze.

He is simultaneously, paradoxically, so easily figured out - so scutable - while being so erratic that he is a cipher.

No, there is no plan for Iran. No, there is no plan for tariffs. No, there is no plan for ICE.

It is not Stephen Miller or Susie Wiles, it is whoever is last in the room. The villainy and degeneracy belongs on Trump's shoulders, though they are unable to bear the gravity of it.

We, however, the temporary moral minority, will eventually make the enablers pay even if their emperor never gets justice.

[pat_k]

1. The moral minority of the U.S. Congress is backed by the moral majority of the electorate.

The regime will pull out all the stops in their efforts to corrupt our elections so thoroughly that they are incapable of measuring our will, but we are capable of uniting and effectively counter-attacking. I know we are capable because when we fight back we have been chalking up wins.

But we've gotta do more. Lobby your city, county, state, and U.S. electeds to join forces in coordinated opposition.

Call to action: Each and every person with a conscience has work to do in the weeks ahead
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221081150

[mr715]

2. It is an important distinction you make.

Moral minority of Congress against the moral majority of the electorate.

My quibble is there was no moral majority in 2024 - no one got to 50%.

[pat_k]

3. The demographics that moved toward the felon in 2024 has completely fallen apart.

And the numbers who did buy the propaganda sufficiently to vote for him is way below 50%. More like 30% when you compare to a voting age population of 260 million.

I have faith that a vast majority of the voting age population are compassionate people. I also think
Schopenhauer's analysis that connection to our compassion is the foundation of morality makes sense.

We have our work cut out, to be sure, but I believe there are a hell of a lot more people of good character -- moral, reachable, people -- in this nation than people of bad character.

The challenge is countering decades of right-wingnut propaganda, and the incredible damage done by the demonization of government as an alien enemy, rather than what it is, the expression of OUR will and OURS to shape. Not to mention the insane professionalisation of politics/lobbying that has convinced way too many people that "politics" is not for the likes of me

[mr715]

4. Thank you for this excerpt

I share your belief that there are more essentially good people than bad.

What Trump has exposed is how an immoral 1-3% can build a foundation of 30% that forms a coalition of 47% and governs as though it has 60+%

[pat_k]

5. Yes, that's the tragic nutshell.

Now it's up to people of good character to find ways to instill hope and inspire action.

Those of bad character have successfully immobilized far too many for far too long by feeding the sense of hopelessness, cynicism, and powerlessness that serves them.

It will ultimately be a virtuous and growing feedback loop of hope and action that creates the level of powerful citizen engagement needed to, not just turn the tide, but to enact a new, new deal for the American people.

And citizen engagement means a lot more than voting. It means citizen lobbying. It means ordinary people pushing their electeds to unite in opposition and to work their asses off to build political will for the things they have taken off the table as "impossible" for way, way too long. Things like universal health care and a completely revamped tax system that calls on those who benefit the most from the public/private thing we call the American economy to lift up the workers that make their profits possible and guarantee all the basic income needed for human dignity.