As I expected and predicted, MAGA elites would get around to targeting NPR and PBS sooner or later. The NYT writes: Live Updates: NPR and PBS Facing Tough Questions From Congress -- The chief executives of the biggest public media networks in the United States are expected to defend their funding and push back against accusations of media bias. Congressional Republicans are casting a harsh spotlight on PBS and NPR, America’s biggest public media networks, on Wednesday in a government hearing, lobbing accusations of media bias against the media organizations.
As would might guess from the hearing title “Anti-American Airwaves” and its organizer the radical crackpot MAGA thug Marjorie Taylor Greene, there is a ton of MAHA hostility toward NPR and PBS. Why? Because they broadcast far too much inconvenient fact, truth and sound reasoning. Seeing MAGA wanting to attack and kill NPR and PBS was brain-dead easy -- MAGA has hated both for years.
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djt has issued another mindless, authoritarian vengeance EO that attacks another law firm that pissed him off. The NYT writes: Trump’s Old Grudge Fuels Swipe at a New Law Firm -- An executive order underscored the extent to which the president, who faced four indictments after he left office, aims to exact a price from anyone associated with past investigations of him. The order underscored the extent to which the president, who faced four criminal indictments after he left office in 2021, now aims to exact a steep price from anyone associated with past investigations of him.
The EO against the law firm Jenner & Block 1) suspends and reviews all security clearances held by J&B employees, deeming their access to classified information inconsistent with "national interest", a concept that is not defined, but means anything that can impair J&B's business, 2) directs agencies to terminate existing contracts with the firm and bars future contracting, and 3) prohibits hiring Jenner & Block attorneys for federal roles without explicit waivers.
The EO singled out a former Robert Mueller prosecutor, Andrew Weissmann (who left the firm in 2021), as an example of J&B’s alleged "unjustified" hiring practices. Clearly, djt is going after anything with ties to investigations against him. djt continues to lie by falsely claiming that all prosecutions of him were politically motivated.
The EO lies by claiming it is based on policy disagreements and procedural concerns. The order’s timing, focus on individuals like Weissmann, and similarity to previously law firms attacked by EOs strongly indicate that this EO is for vengeance and nothing else. djt's fee-fees were hurt. The sanctions are squarely aimed at penalizing J&B for legal work that hindered Trump’s agenda and for employing attorneys linked to investigations he disfavors. As a thug dictator, he has no qualm about abusing his power to impose massive damage on those who enraged him.
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One of the things that was apparent to me long before the 2024 elections was that if djt got re-elected it could be catastrophic for all democracies everywhere. My Nov. 6, 2024 post included this prediction:
All global democracies will be under increasingly intense pressure to go authoritarian. The last stand for global democracy will be Europe's democracies, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and little or nothing else.
The NYT reports about increasing pressure on democracy in Europe: "Europe Talks Tough on Military Spending, but Unity Is Fracturing -- European leaders are struggling to find the money and the political will to replace the bulk of the U.S. contribution to Ukraine and to their own defense. There is an inevitable gap between talk and action, and unity is fracturing already, especially when it comes to spending and borrowing money in a period of low growth and high debt. The Dutch and others are not fans of raising collective debt for defense. Keeping Hungary on board is ever more difficult. [Former prime minister of Estonia, now the chief foreign and security official for the European Union, Kaja Kallas'] effort to get the E.U. to provide up to 40 billion euros (more than $43 billion) to Ukraine through a small, fixed percentage levy on each country’s national income has gone nowhere."
So there we have it. The EU can't even come up with a paltry $43 billion for the Ukraine. The Ukraine is screwed, which was another of my 11/6/24 predictions: There will be hideous genocide in Gaza, Lebanon and the Ukraine. The Ukraine will fall to Putin and his brutal vengeance. The slaughter will be savage.
Euro-sentiment - not good for Ukraine
Worse yet, Hungary is a dictatorship led by Viktor Orbán. He is a thug that MAGA elites and djt love and admire. He can easily extort the EU by threatening to toss sand in the gears of EU efforts to defend itself and the Ukraine. On March 8, 2024 djt hosted Orbán, praising him as "fantastic" and "the boss." djt cited Orbán as a character witness (😱) during a televised debate, quoting Orbán's support for his potential return to the presidency. Orbán has spoken at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a gathering of MAGA elites. MAGA politicians, including senators and representatives, have attended CPAC events in Budapest, showing alignment with Orbán's policies.
Orbán at CPAC teaching MAGA
elites how to kill democracy
MAGA elites loved the lessons!
Meanwhile, authoritarian political parties are in the rise in other EU nations. It is not clear that the EU can defend itself absent kicking out a dictatorship like Hungary. Russia is slowly but surely rebuilding the old Soviet Union. Both djt and MAGA elites are in Putin's side. Traitors.