Donald Trump is set to sign his budget bill into law today which will make it cheaper to buy silencers, ICE agents urinated in public view of a preschool playground, major tariffs are coming, and more
America died today after a long illness. She suffered a heart attack on November 5, 2024, the result of contracting the plague during an insurrection on January 6, 2021. The hateful evil plague spread across the country causing a pandemic that rivals COVID. Oddly enough, those with active cases of the hateful evil plague, are now wearing masks, warning the loving Americans that they are infected.
This sudden loss of life of America will, in turn, kill her children, elderly, veterans, and her poor from lack of food, kill her air and water from pollutants, kill her education opportunities from rewriting her history. America no longer welcomes visitors as we are infectious and no one in the world wants to catch this hateful evil plague.
America’s motto, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” is no more. We are in isolation from our allies. Do not come, it is not safe for you here.
Our Preamble to the Constitution says, We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquilly, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United State of America.
Today is the Conclusion of our Constitution. We are less than perfect, we have no Justice, we have replaced domestic tranquility with Republican chaos. Our common defense, meant to protect each of us against outsiders, is now military defense used against anyone living in or visiting America. General Welfare is gone, replaced by Welfare for the Rich [Yes, the Wealthy are now on Welfare]. Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity is absolutely gone. Our liberties have been reversed and our children and grandchildren may never experience liberty as we’ve known it.
I am grieving for the loss of America, knowing that the virulent plague will take more lives from us. I am grieving for the loss of humanity and for all of those who have been kidnapped from our communities.
It's not dead. Please stop giving them power. My parents grew up in a full blown dictatorship. You do not give up in advance. It dies when people do this. So stop that
I’m so sad today. But I refuse to concede. On this July 4th, I will celebrate my country that I believe in, with the ideal of freedom and democracy. And tomorrow I will again fight for that.
You have done a great service with your words. We are the ones we have been waiting for! We need to continually lift one another up in our collective resistance to evil, greed and power-over. We must not let defeats take us down, rather we will use defeat to come back roaring!!! We will strongly empower our intentions and actions for peace, freedom and equality. We stay awake and motivated and use our good hearts to creatively generate all that we know is possible for us in our country and on our sacred planet. Even if we know it cannot happen in our individual lifetime. We will act in the ways that reflects the best in all of us. We must NOT GIVE IN OR GIVE UP!! I am down for this, are all of you??
I understand your feelings and yes, the America we knew is on life support. However, we can use this time to create the government we deserve. We must reject the political norms, pump up progressives or those with ideas outside the box and recreate the nation we all deserve.
Then Where ARE YOU??? WHERE IS AMERICANS FIGHTING?? I WANT TO SEE IT ALL 🤍 ppl and Black and Hispanic UNITED SAYING NO!! ALL EVEN THE MILITARY AND POLICE! Where are you? Show us America isn’t dying day by day?
So poignantly said. I am grieving also for the America I once knew. I just watched the Roosevelt documentary on PBS, to see what progress and decency they brought to our country. When FDR passed the Republicans have been diligently working on destroying the New Deal. Now they have.
I share your grief and empathize with the despair and absolutely share your outrage.
I feel there are horrible violations of American law and values and human values and some of these have just been codified further with this awful budget bill and the collusion of the Republicans.
So I share your feelings, and appreciate the poignancy of what you are writing. But not your conclusions. We MUST fight and A LOT of people are. Please don't discount the good that is happening and the amazing and successful efforts that have power. Do not bathe in social media and news to the point of losing hope and motivation to act.
We each must find our role to keep fighting and not let the despair infect our minds and spirits. We have to stay healthy and positive enough to keep fighting and also to appreciate the things that are still good.
I take time to feel the grief and horror and then I take action every day, some smaller, some bigger- this is just my own personal list so far, but I share it bc in action I fight off despair and I do believe it makes a difference-----
Some action items I do that may be of interest (and I would love to hear what others are doing!)
I ordered on wonderful Etsy! a big box of ICE immigration cards in Spanish/ English and carry these around and pass out to anyone who wants, I use my ability to speak Spanish to just have conversations with those who don't speak English about all that is happening to connect with my support and love, and just be human beings and hand out cards, I thanked a cafe owner in MA bc he had a display out of these cards to take, also in Portuguese, and make a point of acknowledging the good efforts like this, I host an updating democracy action bulletin board on my fence, with handouts, those cards, news, and action information, I donate to candidates who will make a difference (eg Jon Osoff, Collin Allred, Deja Foxx, et al), do phone banking (through indivisible.org and mobilize.us), send postcards (through activate America), chat in the locker room and in the check out line, attend the protests, post, host (post and host :)) signmaking parties at my home, raise the subject of our democracy and my feelings and actions to pretty much anybody and listen and converse and hype the wonderful 5 Calls App (free download) to folks, share actions on the chats I participate in w friends, called 28 republican congress offices on Wed to say no on bill, use 5 calls app to call congress frequently, donate to local and national immigrant organizations, donate food, make an extra effort to be the best American I can be and not walk around bummed out and closed off. WE are America and we ARE fighting back and we WILL SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY.
Get off the computer out into the community, volunteer, do anything that adds to the good. Faith without works is dead. We have to feel it all AND ACT.
Please add Jason Egenberg to your list of informed sources. He’s also on Substack, and you can subscribe for free. His analytical and writing skills are excellent.
Just added him to my substack stack and am printing out today’s post for the family. I had never heard of him and thank you so much for the recommendation! Sending the best! Enjoy and fight!
The Big Beautiful Bill: America’s Turning Point or Its Breaking Point?
An Exposé by Thomas Canant
Introduction: The Quiet Before the Storm
On July 4, 2025, as fireworks illuminated the sky in cities across America, few noticed a darker spectacle unfolding in the halls of power. A sprawling, 900-plus page legislative package, touted as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” was signed into law under the banner of patriotism and progress. Promises of tax relief, enhanced border security, and national strength echoed from the White House, but beneath these grand declarations lies a different reality — one that threatens the very fabric of our republic.
This bill is not just a collection of policy tweaks. It is a seismic shift in how this nation chooses to govern, protect, and value its people. It invests in the machinery of mass deportation and surveillance while cutting crucial safety nets for millions. It funnels wealth upward while amplifying fear downward. In this moment, America stands at a crossroads: will we uphold the constitutional ideals of liberty, justice, and due process, or will we surrender to a future marked by fear, division, and inequality?
Section I: The Anatomy of Betrayal
The Big Beautiful Bill is a masterclass in legislative duplicity. Spread across nearly a thousand pages, it marries permanent tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans with the most aggressive expansion of immigration enforcement in recent history. The bill allocates more than $170 billion over five years to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), increasing ICE’s operational budget to heights never seen before.
This funding surge enables the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents, escalating raids, detentions, and deportations. Detention bed capacity is set to quadruple from approximately 50,000 to over 200,000, a number larger than the entire prison population of many states. The goal is clear and ruthless: deport up to 3,000 people every day, tearing apart families and communities with a scale and speed unseen in American history.
At the same time, Medicaid faces cuts exceeding $1 trillion, threatening the healthcare access of more than 12 million Americans. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), critical to feeding millions, sees tightened eligibility through onerous work requirements and administrative burdens shifted to states. This cocktail of austerity hits hardest those who can least afford it — children, seniors, low-income families, and marginalized communities.
The bill’s design is no accident. It is a deliberate choice to prioritize wealth and enforcement over human dignity and support. The betrayal of America’s most vulnerable is codified into law.
Section II: The Empire of Fear
What does it mean when one federal agency, ICE, receives more funding than the combined budgets of the FBI, DEA, and ATF? It means that America has become a surveillance and enforcement state draped in the colors of the flag but wielding power without sufficient checks or transparency.
ICE is no longer the limited border enforcement entity it once was. With this bill, it becomes a domestic army, wielding unprecedented authority to detain, deport, and disrupt lives on a massive scale. The agency’s expansion comes with little oversight and weakened protections for those it targets. Detentions can last indefinitely, asylum seekers face expedited removals without due process, and families are ripped apart under a system that prioritizes numbers over justice.
This militarization of immigration enforcement is accompanied by a dangerous public narrative that frames dissent and critique as unpatriotic. The machinery of fear grows not only in funding but in culture, as the public is desensitized to images of children in cages and families torn asunder. Propaganda replaces truth, and fear becomes the currency of control.
Section III: The Billionaire Bailout
While millions suffer cuts to healthcare, nutrition, and dignity, the richest Americans receive an unprecedented multi-trillion-dollar tax giveaway. The bill permanently extends the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts, cementing lower rates for high earners and corporations. The State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap is raised significantly, providing relief to wealthy taxpayers in high-tax states—places where many of America’s richest reside.
Charitable giving receives expanded deductions, allowing wealthy donors to shield even more income from taxation. Tax advantages on estates and pass-through businesses bolster family fortunes for generations to come.
This redistribution of wealth upwards is framed as economic growth and opportunity, but the reality is clear: the bill deepens the divide between America’s wealthy elite and its working-class majority. It is a fiscal design that punishes the many to enrich the few, undermining the principles of fairness and shared prosperity foundational to our democracy.
Section IV: Echoes of History — Lessons Ignored
We are witnessing the rise of a new authoritarianism, cloaked in legality but echoing the darkest chapters of history. Laws are being used as weapons to criminalize and marginalize entire groups, dismantle due process protections, and expand detention facilities reminiscent of the internment camps of the past.
The so-called “Alligator Auschwitz” camps—mass detention centers constructed in remote border regions—are the latest iteration of systemic dehumanization. These facilities, with capacity quadrupling detention numbers, are not abstractions but real places where thousands live in limbo, stripped of rights and hope.
History teaches that authoritarian regimes often begin not with overt violence but with legal frameworks that normalize oppression. We must heed these lessons before it is too late. The tools of oppression are being installed under the guise of patriotism, and dissent is met with increasing hostility.
Section V: The Human Cost
Behind every statistic lies a human story—a child separated from a parent, a mother struggling to feed her family after losing food assistance, an immigrant fearing the knock of ICE at the door.
This bill transforms human suffering into a policy outcome. Children face indefinite detention, with traumatic psychological consequences that will echo for a lifetime. Families are shattered, communities destabilized, and the American ideal of justice under the law is eroded.
Healthcare denied means lives lost. Hunger enforced means dignity stripped. The Big Beautiful Bill weaponizes government power against those it should protect.
Section VI: What We Must Do
America’s founding principles call us to justice, equality, and the protection of all its people. This moment demands that we respond with clarity, courage, and compassion.
We must:
Speak truth to power and expose these injustices without fear.
Organize locally and nationally to support those targeted by these policies.
Demand accountability from elected officials who enable this suffering.
Defend the constitutional rights that are the backbone of our democracy.
Our nation’s soul depends on it.
Conclusion: The Choice Is Ours
The Big Beautiful Bill is a defining moment in American history. It is a test of who we are and what we stand for.
Will we accept a nation that values wealth over welfare, fear over freedom, and division over unity?
Or will we rise to reclaim a future where justice, dignity, and humanity are the foundation of our society?
The bill’s passage was not inevitable. The consequences are not irreversible. The choice, as always, remains with us — the people.
Thomas Canant is a writer and advocate dedicated to exposing injustice and defending the principles of liberty and equality.
US has been in decline for some time now, with many social indicators being consistent on this point, since the 1980's; it has been accelrating and now is reaching a qualitiative leap with Trump's proto-fascism moving fast to try to consolodate.
But this is a sign of the system being in crisis, as it self-destructs, as Marx had analyed would be the product of the capitalist system. It's pregnant with revolution, which means its our job to make our society much more democratic so that different degrees of democracy or lack there of can exist for some at the expense of others. We need to democratize our society and economy, and take the power of money out of it. Then we can invest it for the public's benefit, not the oligarchs. But that will take a revolution given the entrenched level of corruption. The soon to be socialist mayor of NY has the right ideology, i.e. don't be a capitalist. Don't be Trump.
Take a look at the comparative Infrastructure Investment: U.S. vs. China
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has poured roughly $679 billion into global infrastructure projects (railways, ports, highways) from 2013–2021, whereas U.S. efforts in the same sectors totaled about $76 billion. Domestically, China spent close to 4.8 % of GDP on inland transport infrastructure in 2021—far above U.S. allocations to civilian infrastructure (the U.S. spends about 3.5 % of GDP on the military alone)2. The result is a world-class high-speed rail network in China, extensive new airports and urban systems, and rapidly modernized power and digital grids—noteworthy contrasts to aging U.S. bridges, underfunded transit networks, and stalled canal or broadband projects.
Since 1980, U.S. income gains have skewed heavily to the top: the highest-earning 20 % of households now capture over 50 % of all income, up from 43 % in 1968. Wealth concentration has followed suit—by 2016 the top 5 % held 248 times more wealth than the second quintile, compared with a 114-fold gap in 19893. A Pew Research Center survey finds 61 % of Americans say there is “too much economic inequality,” including 78 % of Democrats and 41 % of Republicans. Persistent income stagnation for middle- and lower-income households and ballooning CEO-to-worker pay ratios underscore a long-term trend toward greater U.S. inequality.
Political scientists warn that under Donald Trump’s leadership, the U.S. has exhibited “red flags” of autocratization—assaults on the judiciary, disregard for civil liberties, and attacks on the rule of law. An October 2024 ABC/Ipsos poll found 49 % of registered U.S. voters consider Trump a fascist—“a political extremist who seeks to act as a dictator, disregards individual rights and threatens or uses force against opponents”. Legal scholars describe Trump’s rhetoric and actions—threats to suspend habeas corpus, undermining free press, deploying federal forces against protesters—as hallmarks of proto-fascist governance6.
U.S. military outlays exceed $670 billion annually and have been funded largely through deficits and redirected domestic spending. Major conflicts—from World War II to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—have driven spikes in GDP growth but also crowd-out private investment, elevate public debt, and inflate prices. For example, from 2013–2021 U.S. infrastructure aid lagged China by almost 9 to 1, even as military spending rose. Critics argue this war-driven model prioritizes defense contractors and financial elites over long-term public welfare and infrastructure resilience.
Like Rome at its peak, America’s global overextension strains its economic and democratic foundations. Rising inequality, decaying public infrastructure, and political polarization reflect internal fractures. Overseas commitments—from endless counterinsurgency wars to expansive trade rivalries—exacerbate domestic underinvestment. Scholars caution that without rebalancing priorities toward inclusive growth and robust civic institutions, U.S. global influence will continue to wane, mirroring historic帝“downfalls” of prior empires.
Oh, please, get over yourself! Pretentious, self-indulgent writing that is an insult to those who truly suffer and fight and die for freedom against all odds. Like UKRAINE at the very moment I'm writing these words!!
Your romanticizing is frankly, obscene. At least to this reader
Excerpt from Terry Moran's substack essay "America, How do I love thee?" In my opinion, much needed contrast to this pretentious, self-indulgent one that hundreds of you seem to love. To read the rest, go to his Substack page.
"And so, in this dark hour, on this 249th Fourth of July, what a joy, what a privilege it is to be an American and to be called on to defend our beautiful, baffling, noble, disappointing, ever-becoming, ever-amazing America.
This is our opportunity to give back to her, in gratitude and fearlessness and joy. We are happy warriors for this land we love.
And we will win."
*****
Terry Moran, a long time ABC correspondent, was fundamentally fired after a social media attack against Stephen Miller and Donald Trump a few weeks ago.
"They" want us to give up. That's the entire point. Don't EVER let them do this to us. We have to be willing to put our bodies in the way of this foulness and evil and RESIST!
BTW, I just discovered that Peter Thiel is insane, just like the others who brought us the Trump Regime. Here is a lengthy but fascinating article on what these buggers actually want America to be in the future -- it's a 'must' for the informed citizen and these are the devils behind it all, the puppeteers:
Be aware...they truly are insane. I just wish they would study the myth of Atlantis as it sank beneath the waves because the technology of its leaders who went crazy.
This is a defeatist attitude and helps no one. It is too early to declare defeat. If you feel defeated, then go hide under your covers but don't spread crap like this.
If that's all it took for her to flip her vote I don't think she cares much about the people in Alaska. She's just scared of Trump and his violent cult members.
I’m not defending Murkowski. I just know from living in AK for 20 years that the only whaling done there is by AK Natives. There is a limited quota and it is legitimate subsistence, a tradition for hundreds of years. However, I can’t say what this tax break is all about- I will have to do some research but I don’t think AK Native whaling is a commercial endeavor except maybe from village to village. Many AK Native villages are the USA’s 3rd world country. They have no sewer systems or running water. They are defecating in buckets and hauling water. However, this tax break is still pork that Murkowski eked out for her AK Native constituents. She betrayed the rest of the country and bargained with the devil for a very small segment of the population in her state. Her rationale was unacceptable but I’m sure most AK were happy about it.
Thank you for sharing. I hate she voted for a bill knowing it would hurt millions but at least she got something for some of her people before she did, sounds like they really need the help. The rest threw ALL their citizens under the bus for nothing.
In any way that matters, she IS a hard core MAGA wolf who disguises herself as a sheep wearing pearls. Her vote stands and she is worse than the worst of them for her pretenses!
That is something that slipped by me for some time. I will research when this changed, or so it seems has been the case. Thank for the information. I think this may be how these sellouts have tweeked they way into this deceptive representation of their constitueny.
Indeed I stand fullly corrected. Historically the only change is that voters get to determine who to elect from when they were appointed as long ago.
Yet the Congress and Senate vote have the same weight as in this BBB to pass this bill that is noticibly effected by politics. So what if we changed the term of senators to limit their number of years. Something needs to change to grt the elected to represent the will of the majoroity.
I don't think it is the number of years. It is a conviction in their hearts. It is standing up to a tyrant regardless of the ramifications. That is a sacrifice. That is what they signed up for.
I feel we need to contact our Governors, Congressmen, and Senators and ask the question: How can you defend us against these Criminal ICE agents? I do believe we'll have them posted at voting centers during midterms. If anyone is brown or of another nationality, they will remove us from the voting line and question us. Possibly detain us. We need to fight back.
These so-called ICE agents are nothing more than common thugs wearing a bulletproof vest with the word "ICE" sewn on. The ones who peed in front of preschoolers were probably J6ers. They have no respect for themselves or anyone else. They are scum and should be sent back to jail where they belong.
I agree completely. Any time you see an overweight, out of shape slob it’s a dead giveaway they are not real ice agents. All these fake agents are a bunch of incompetent wannabes, bullies, immoral, corrupt cretins.
This is what it has come down to RE: anti-government protests. Recommendations from the folks at EV:
First, try to remain positive. Protesters with upbeat expressions on their faces are much more compelling and sympathetic, both to in-person witnesses and to cameras. Second, tell someone where you are going, and arrange with them to check in when you return home. This is a government that disappears people. Third, if you are not white or are not a natural-born citizen, think very carefully about whether it's worth the risk.
Number #3 is ghastly and a sign that this Fascist society wins
I got that too. It made me sick. Straight up political propaganda. They might as well have used potato guns to blast propaganda flyers into the streets. It’s like a bad movie but it’s real. 😩 😩
I got it too, but it went straight into my spam folder. I have never received a blanket email like this from the SSA. Previously, SS would send me an email notification that I had a secure message in my SS account, and I had to log in to retrieve it. This is weird and disturbing.
Barbaric Trump and his ICE Gestapo goons are urinating -- and defecating -- all over the Declaration of Independence today and the US Constitution everyday.
Are some of them the same ‘great patriot’ human scum who urinated and defecated in the Capitol on Jan. 6 and whom Trump rewarded with pardons? Just asking for my friends James Madison and George Washington.
Yeah. Where are the Evangelicals on this? "Moms for Liberty"? What's their 'bothsidesism' on these creeps' polluting a little kids' playground? They shouldn't have been born brown or black? WTH?
That ice agent urinating in front of the school , that is on purpose , I would like a journalist to ask Trump and KKK Karoline how many of the agents are oath keepers and proud boys , I knew this was coming when he pardoned them . I would also would really like someone to ask Trump if he thinks it’s appropriate that he said he hates all democrats when Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated, and attempted to kill senator Hoffman and his wife . When Trump got his ear scratched they blamed the democrats for calling him fascist , which he undeniably is . Who is going to ask that ?
I was wondering if the dramatic explosion in the size of ICE was an employment program for Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. I have a feeling that applicants won't be well vetted for their propensity to violence and their innate bigotry.
I’m a retired RN and that scratch on his ear did not look like it was from a gunshot. Trump is such a coward, no way would he have risked his life standing up with the fist pump. I think the whole thing was staged, just my opinion.
Democracy dies when we give up in advance. Never ever normalize this ever. Do not ever give up. Keep growing your community, keep organizing and keep educating people on what's going on. Keep spreading the word and make your voices loud.
RIP America
America died today after a long illness. She suffered a heart attack on November 5, 2024, the result of contracting the plague during an insurrection on January 6, 2021. The hateful evil plague spread across the country causing a pandemic that rivals COVID. Oddly enough, those with active cases of the hateful evil plague, are now wearing masks, warning the loving Americans that they are infected.
This sudden loss of life of America will, in turn, kill her children, elderly, veterans, and her poor from lack of food, kill her air and water from pollutants, kill her education opportunities from rewriting her history. America no longer welcomes visitors as we are infectious and no one in the world wants to catch this hateful evil plague.
America’s motto, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” is no more. We are in isolation from our allies. Do not come, it is not safe for you here.
Our Preamble to the Constitution says, We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquilly, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United State of America.
Today is the Conclusion of our Constitution. We are less than perfect, we have no Justice, we have replaced domestic tranquility with Republican chaos. Our common defense, meant to protect each of us against outsiders, is now military defense used against anyone living in or visiting America. General Welfare is gone, replaced by Welfare for the Rich [Yes, the Wealthy are now on Welfare]. Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity is absolutely gone. Our liberties have been reversed and our children and grandchildren may never experience liberty as we’ve known it.
I am grieving for the loss of America, knowing that the virulent plague will take more lives from us. I am grieving for the loss of humanity and for all of those who have been kidnapped from our communities.
It's not dead. Please stop giving them power. My parents grew up in a full blown dictatorship. You do not give up in advance. It dies when people do this. So stop that
Thank you. I'm sick of quitters.
It’s not quitters, they’re realists.
A "realist" is "someone who shares my OPINION." People who don't share an opinion aren't any less "realists." Reality is mutable.
I’m so sad today. But I refuse to concede. On this July 4th, I will celebrate my country that I believe in, with the ideal of freedom and democracy. And tomorrow I will again fight for that.
We ALL need to pressure Trump to help Ukraine, our democratic ALLY, WIN the war against Russia, our ENEMY and a CORRUPT DICTATOR!
Remind Trump of the Budapest Memorandum that Russia broke by invading Ukraine. It is our duty to protect Ukraine and defeat Russia.
TY Taya!!!!! Really, Thank. You.
You have done a great service with your words. We are the ones we have been waiting for! We need to continually lift one another up in our collective resistance to evil, greed and power-over. We must not let defeats take us down, rather we will use defeat to come back roaring!!! We will strongly empower our intentions and actions for peace, freedom and equality. We stay awake and motivated and use our good hearts to creatively generate all that we know is possible for us in our country and on our sacred planet. Even if we know it cannot happen in our individual lifetime. We will act in the ways that reflects the best in all of us. We must NOT GIVE IN OR GIVE UP!! I am down for this, are all of you??
I am ready! Viva la resistance!!
But we can’t give up. Hope we can’t stop working together.
I understand your feelings and yes, the America we knew is on life support. However, we can use this time to create the government we deserve. We must reject the political norms, pump up progressives or those with ideas outside the box and recreate the nation we all deserve.
💯 thank you for the reminder
Thanks, Taya. So did my parents. I am fighting for them! 💪🏼
We've got this!
Then Where ARE YOU??? WHERE IS AMERICANS FIGHTING?? I WANT TO SEE IT ALL 🤍 ppl and Black and Hispanic UNITED SAYING NO!! ALL EVEN THE MILITARY AND POLICE! Where are you? Show us America isn’t dying day by day?
13 million were out on no kings day!
Missing ppl report about 20 million missing on No Kings Day
So poignantly said. I am grieving also for the America I once knew. I just watched the Roosevelt documentary on PBS, to see what progress and decency they brought to our country. When FDR passed the Republicans have been diligently working on destroying the New Deal. Now they have.
I share your grief and empathize with the despair and absolutely share your outrage.
I feel there are horrible violations of American law and values and human values and some of these have just been codified further with this awful budget bill and the collusion of the Republicans.
So I share your feelings, and appreciate the poignancy of what you are writing. But not your conclusions. We MUST fight and A LOT of people are. Please don't discount the good that is happening and the amazing and successful efforts that have power. Do not bathe in social media and news to the point of losing hope and motivation to act.
We each must find our role to keep fighting and not let the despair infect our minds and spirits. We have to stay healthy and positive enough to keep fighting and also to appreciate the things that are still good.
I take time to feel the grief and horror and then I take action every day, some smaller, some bigger- this is just my own personal list so far, but I share it bc in action I fight off despair and I do believe it makes a difference-----
Some action items I do that may be of interest (and I would love to hear what others are doing!)
I ordered on wonderful Etsy! a big box of ICE immigration cards in Spanish/ English and carry these around and pass out to anyone who wants, I use my ability to speak Spanish to just have conversations with those who don't speak English about all that is happening to connect with my support and love, and just be human beings and hand out cards, I thanked a cafe owner in MA bc he had a display out of these cards to take, also in Portuguese, and make a point of acknowledging the good efforts like this, I host an updating democracy action bulletin board on my fence, with handouts, those cards, news, and action information, I donate to candidates who will make a difference (eg Jon Osoff, Collin Allred, Deja Foxx, et al), do phone banking (through indivisible.org and mobilize.us), send postcards (through activate America), chat in the locker room and in the check out line, attend the protests, post, host (post and host :)) signmaking parties at my home, raise the subject of our democracy and my feelings and actions to pretty much anybody and listen and converse and hype the wonderful 5 Calls App (free download) to folks, share actions on the chats I participate in w friends, called 28 republican congress offices on Wed to say no on bill, use 5 calls app to call congress frequently, donate to local and national immigrant organizations, donate food, make an extra effort to be the best American I can be and not walk around bummed out and closed off. WE are America and we ARE fighting back and we WILL SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY.
Get off the computer out into the community, volunteer, do anything that adds to the good. Faith without works is dead. We have to feel it all AND ACT.
Resources I find helpful to keep informed:
websites/ substacks
aaronparnas
hopium chronicles/ Simon Rosenberg
heathercoxrichardson
meidas touch network
the bulwark
heathercoxrichardson
thinking about by Tim Snyder
adam kinzinger
action connections
indivisible.org
mobilize.us
50501
no kings
small local actions
donations
local immigration and poverty services
candidates up and down ballot
CASA immigration support
Democracy Forward
ACLU
Indivisible
Democracy Docket
other charities to do with foreign aid, food, etc
favorite congresspeople I follow to see what they are saying
Maxwell Frost
Maxine Dexter
Eric Swalwell
Yassamin Ansari
Chris Murphy
Amy Klobuchar
Chris Van Hollen
Alex Padilla
Adam Schiff
Jamie Raskin
AOC
Bernie Sanders
Greg Casar
Robert Garcia
Keep feeling but AND keep fighting!!!!!
THANK YOU, Laura!
You need to add MELANIE STANSBURY -NM to this list.
Thank you I will!!
Please add Jason Egenberg to your list of informed sources. He’s also on Substack, and you can subscribe for free. His analytical and writing skills are excellent.
Just added him to my substack stack and am printing out today’s post for the family. I had never heard of him and thank you so much for the recommendation! Sending the best! Enjoy and fight!
Thank you! Looking up now!!
This is absolutely brilliant and we must find a way to get it published not just in print but on all Television and social media. Bring it on.
The Big Beautiful Bill: America’s Turning Point or Its Breaking Point?
An Exposé by Thomas Canant
Introduction: The Quiet Before the Storm
On July 4, 2025, as fireworks illuminated the sky in cities across America, few noticed a darker spectacle unfolding in the halls of power. A sprawling, 900-plus page legislative package, touted as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” was signed into law under the banner of patriotism and progress. Promises of tax relief, enhanced border security, and national strength echoed from the White House, but beneath these grand declarations lies a different reality — one that threatens the very fabric of our republic.
This bill is not just a collection of policy tweaks. It is a seismic shift in how this nation chooses to govern, protect, and value its people. It invests in the machinery of mass deportation and surveillance while cutting crucial safety nets for millions. It funnels wealth upward while amplifying fear downward. In this moment, America stands at a crossroads: will we uphold the constitutional ideals of liberty, justice, and due process, or will we surrender to a future marked by fear, division, and inequality?
Section I: The Anatomy of Betrayal
The Big Beautiful Bill is a masterclass in legislative duplicity. Spread across nearly a thousand pages, it marries permanent tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans with the most aggressive expansion of immigration enforcement in recent history. The bill allocates more than $170 billion over five years to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), increasing ICE’s operational budget to heights never seen before.
This funding surge enables the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents, escalating raids, detentions, and deportations. Detention bed capacity is set to quadruple from approximately 50,000 to over 200,000, a number larger than the entire prison population of many states. The goal is clear and ruthless: deport up to 3,000 people every day, tearing apart families and communities with a scale and speed unseen in American history.
At the same time, Medicaid faces cuts exceeding $1 trillion, threatening the healthcare access of more than 12 million Americans. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), critical to feeding millions, sees tightened eligibility through onerous work requirements and administrative burdens shifted to states. This cocktail of austerity hits hardest those who can least afford it — children, seniors, low-income families, and marginalized communities.
The bill’s design is no accident. It is a deliberate choice to prioritize wealth and enforcement over human dignity and support. The betrayal of America’s most vulnerable is codified into law.
Section II: The Empire of Fear
What does it mean when one federal agency, ICE, receives more funding than the combined budgets of the FBI, DEA, and ATF? It means that America has become a surveillance and enforcement state draped in the colors of the flag but wielding power without sufficient checks or transparency.
ICE is no longer the limited border enforcement entity it once was. With this bill, it becomes a domestic army, wielding unprecedented authority to detain, deport, and disrupt lives on a massive scale. The agency’s expansion comes with little oversight and weakened protections for those it targets. Detentions can last indefinitely, asylum seekers face expedited removals without due process, and families are ripped apart under a system that prioritizes numbers over justice.
This militarization of immigration enforcement is accompanied by a dangerous public narrative that frames dissent and critique as unpatriotic. The machinery of fear grows not only in funding but in culture, as the public is desensitized to images of children in cages and families torn asunder. Propaganda replaces truth, and fear becomes the currency of control.
Section III: The Billionaire Bailout
While millions suffer cuts to healthcare, nutrition, and dignity, the richest Americans receive an unprecedented multi-trillion-dollar tax giveaway. The bill permanently extends the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts, cementing lower rates for high earners and corporations. The State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap is raised significantly, providing relief to wealthy taxpayers in high-tax states—places where many of America’s richest reside.
Charitable giving receives expanded deductions, allowing wealthy donors to shield even more income from taxation. Tax advantages on estates and pass-through businesses bolster family fortunes for generations to come.
This redistribution of wealth upwards is framed as economic growth and opportunity, but the reality is clear: the bill deepens the divide between America’s wealthy elite and its working-class majority. It is a fiscal design that punishes the many to enrich the few, undermining the principles of fairness and shared prosperity foundational to our democracy.
Section IV: Echoes of History — Lessons Ignored
We are witnessing the rise of a new authoritarianism, cloaked in legality but echoing the darkest chapters of history. Laws are being used as weapons to criminalize and marginalize entire groups, dismantle due process protections, and expand detention facilities reminiscent of the internment camps of the past.
The so-called “Alligator Auschwitz” camps—mass detention centers constructed in remote border regions—are the latest iteration of systemic dehumanization. These facilities, with capacity quadrupling detention numbers, are not abstractions but real places where thousands live in limbo, stripped of rights and hope.
History teaches that authoritarian regimes often begin not with overt violence but with legal frameworks that normalize oppression. We must heed these lessons before it is too late. The tools of oppression are being installed under the guise of patriotism, and dissent is met with increasing hostility.
Section V: The Human Cost
Behind every statistic lies a human story—a child separated from a parent, a mother struggling to feed her family after losing food assistance, an immigrant fearing the knock of ICE at the door.
This bill transforms human suffering into a policy outcome. Children face indefinite detention, with traumatic psychological consequences that will echo for a lifetime. Families are shattered, communities destabilized, and the American ideal of justice under the law is eroded.
Healthcare denied means lives lost. Hunger enforced means dignity stripped. The Big Beautiful Bill weaponizes government power against those it should protect.
Section VI: What We Must Do
America’s founding principles call us to justice, equality, and the protection of all its people. This moment demands that we respond with clarity, courage, and compassion.
We must:
Speak truth to power and expose these injustices without fear.
Organize locally and nationally to support those targeted by these policies.
Demand accountability from elected officials who enable this suffering.
Defend the constitutional rights that are the backbone of our democracy.
Our nation’s soul depends on it.
Conclusion: The Choice Is Ours
The Big Beautiful Bill is a defining moment in American history. It is a test of who we are and what we stand for.
Will we accept a nation that values wealth over welfare, fear over freedom, and division over unity?
Or will we rise to reclaim a future where justice, dignity, and humanity are the foundation of our society?
The bill’s passage was not inevitable. The consequences are not irreversible. The choice, as always, remains with us — the people.
Thomas Canant is a writer and advocate dedicated to exposing injustice and defending the principles of liberty and equality.
This comment will be true if we do nothing. All of us who can must make our voices heard.
US has been in decline for some time now, with many social indicators being consistent on this point, since the 1980's; it has been accelrating and now is reaching a qualitiative leap with Trump's proto-fascism moving fast to try to consolodate.
But this is a sign of the system being in crisis, as it self-destructs, as Marx had analyed would be the product of the capitalist system. It's pregnant with revolution, which means its our job to make our society much more democratic so that different degrees of democracy or lack there of can exist for some at the expense of others. We need to democratize our society and economy, and take the power of money out of it. Then we can invest it for the public's benefit, not the oligarchs. But that will take a revolution given the entrenched level of corruption. The soon to be socialist mayor of NY has the right ideology, i.e. don't be a capitalist. Don't be Trump.
Take a look at the comparative Infrastructure Investment: U.S. vs. China
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has poured roughly $679 billion into global infrastructure projects (railways, ports, highways) from 2013–2021, whereas U.S. efforts in the same sectors totaled about $76 billion. Domestically, China spent close to 4.8 % of GDP on inland transport infrastructure in 2021—far above U.S. allocations to civilian infrastructure (the U.S. spends about 3.5 % of GDP on the military alone)2. The result is a world-class high-speed rail network in China, extensive new airports and urban systems, and rapidly modernized power and digital grids—noteworthy contrasts to aging U.S. bridges, underfunded transit networks, and stalled canal or broadband projects.
Since 1980, U.S. income gains have skewed heavily to the top: the highest-earning 20 % of households now capture over 50 % of all income, up from 43 % in 1968. Wealth concentration has followed suit—by 2016 the top 5 % held 248 times more wealth than the second quintile, compared with a 114-fold gap in 19893. A Pew Research Center survey finds 61 % of Americans say there is “too much economic inequality,” including 78 % of Democrats and 41 % of Republicans. Persistent income stagnation for middle- and lower-income households and ballooning CEO-to-worker pay ratios underscore a long-term trend toward greater U.S. inequality.
Political scientists warn that under Donald Trump’s leadership, the U.S. has exhibited “red flags” of autocratization—assaults on the judiciary, disregard for civil liberties, and attacks on the rule of law. An October 2024 ABC/Ipsos poll found 49 % of registered U.S. voters consider Trump a fascist—“a political extremist who seeks to act as a dictator, disregards individual rights and threatens or uses force against opponents”. Legal scholars describe Trump’s rhetoric and actions—threats to suspend habeas corpus, undermining free press, deploying federal forces against protesters—as hallmarks of proto-fascist governance6.
U.S. military outlays exceed $670 billion annually and have been funded largely through deficits and redirected domestic spending. Major conflicts—from World War II to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—have driven spikes in GDP growth but also crowd-out private investment, elevate public debt, and inflate prices. For example, from 2013–2021 U.S. infrastructure aid lagged China by almost 9 to 1, even as military spending rose. Critics argue this war-driven model prioritizes defense contractors and financial elites over long-term public welfare and infrastructure resilience.
Like Rome at its peak, America’s global overextension strains its economic and democratic foundations. Rising inequality, decaying public infrastructure, and political polarization reflect internal fractures. Overseas commitments—from endless counterinsurgency wars to expansive trade rivalries—exacerbate domestic underinvestment. Scholars caution that without rebalancing priorities toward inclusive growth and robust civic institutions, U.S. global influence will continue to wane, mirroring historic帝“downfalls” of prior empires.
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Oh, please, get over yourself! Pretentious, self-indulgent writing that is an insult to those who truly suffer and fight and die for freedom against all odds. Like UKRAINE at the very moment I'm writing these words!!
Your romanticizing is frankly, obscene. At least to this reader
Excerpt from Terry Moran's substack essay "America, How do I love thee?" In my opinion, much needed contrast to this pretentious, self-indulgent one that hundreds of you seem to love. To read the rest, go to his Substack page.
"And so, in this dark hour, on this 249th Fourth of July, what a joy, what a privilege it is to be an American and to be called on to defend our beautiful, baffling, noble, disappointing, ever-becoming, ever-amazing America.
This is our opportunity to give back to her, in gratitude and fearlessness and joy. We are happy warriors for this land we love.
And we will win."
*****
Terry Moran, a long time ABC correspondent, was fundamentally fired after a social media attack against Stephen Miller and Donald Trump a few weeks ago.
"They" want us to give up. That's the entire point. Don't EVER let them do this to us. We have to be willing to put our bodies in the way of this foulness and evil and RESIST!
BTW, I just discovered that Peter Thiel is insane, just like the others who brought us the Trump Regime. Here is a lengthy but fascinating article on what these buggers actually want America to be in the future -- it's a 'must' for the informed citizen and these are the devils behind it all, the puppeteers:
<https://danielpinchbeck.substack.com/p/antichrist-of-the-year-award>
Be aware...they truly are insane. I just wish they would study the myth of Atlantis as it sank beneath the waves because the technology of its leaders who went crazy.
Well said. I hate them ALL!
Nice defeatist attitude.
This is a defeatist attitude and helps no one. It is too early to declare defeat. If you feel defeated, then go hide under your covers but don't spread crap like this.
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Honestly. I hope Murkowski gets voted out based on the Whale nonsense she negotiated.
If that's all it took for her to flip her vote I don't think she cares much about the people in Alaska. She's just scared of Trump and his violent cult members.
I’m not defending Murkowski. I just know from living in AK for 20 years that the only whaling done there is by AK Natives. There is a limited quota and it is legitimate subsistence, a tradition for hundreds of years. However, I can’t say what this tax break is all about- I will have to do some research but I don’t think AK Native whaling is a commercial endeavor except maybe from village to village. Many AK Native villages are the USA’s 3rd world country. They have no sewer systems or running water. They are defecating in buckets and hauling water. However, this tax break is still pork that Murkowski eked out for her AK Native constituents. She betrayed the rest of the country and bargained with the devil for a very small segment of the population in her state. Her rationale was unacceptable but I’m sure most AK were happy about it.
Thank you for sharing. I hate she voted for a bill knowing it would hurt millions but at least she got something for some of her people before she did, sounds like they really need the help. The rest threw ALL their citizens under the bus for nothing.
She would be replaced by a hardcore MAGA.
In any way that matters, she IS a hard core MAGA wolf who disguises herself as a sheep wearing pearls. Her vote stands and she is worse than the worst of them for her pretenses!
She has 6 years left in her term. She wasn't in political peril. I want to see protests and impeachment.
What 6 yrs? No term is guaranteed over 4 for senators. What am I missing?
Senators serve 6 years. One-third is up for relection every two years. House members serve two years.
That is something that slipped by me for some time. I will research when this changed, or so it seems has been the case. Thank for the information. I think this may be how these sellouts have tweeked they way into this deceptive representation of their constitueny.
Indeed I stand fullly corrected. Historically the only change is that voters get to determine who to elect from when they were appointed as long ago.
Yet the Congress and Senate vote have the same weight as in this BBB to pass this bill that is noticibly effected by politics. So what if we changed the term of senators to limit their number of years. Something needs to change to grt the elected to represent the will of the majoroity.
I don't think it is the number of years. It is a conviction in their hearts. It is standing up to a tyrant regardless of the ramifications. That is a sacrifice. That is what they signed up for.
That and for voting for the Bullsh*t Bill!
California needs to send the state police and arrest the ICE pedos.
I feel we need to contact our Governors, Congressmen, and Senators and ask the question: How can you defend us against these Criminal ICE agents? I do believe we'll have them posted at voting centers during midterms. If anyone is brown or of another nationality, they will remove us from the voting line and question us. Possibly detain us. We need to fight back.
Vote by mail if you can.
But would they do it?
These so-called ICE agents are nothing more than common thugs wearing a bulletproof vest with the word "ICE" sewn on. The ones who peed in front of preschoolers were probably J6ers. They have no respect for themselves or anyone else. They are scum and should be sent back to jail where they belong.
They are bounty hunters x military
I agree completely. Any time you see an overweight, out of shape slob it’s a dead giveaway they are not real ice agents. All these fake agents are a bunch of incompetent wannabes, bullies, immoral, corrupt cretins.
The ones that peed in front of those kids should be arrested. Peeing like that gets you on the sexual offenders registry.
what kind of awful person pees in a schoolyard?? go get them and arrest as obseen
Good. I’m glad you are educating people. It’s incredible how many people have not a clue. 🤦🏻♀️❤️🩹🫂
But are those people reading this?
Nope. Those folks are allergic to facts.
That's because they are only watching Fox News(?) and think everything is okay.
This is what it has come down to RE: anti-government protests. Recommendations from the folks at EV:
First, try to remain positive. Protesters with upbeat expressions on their faces are much more compelling and sympathetic, both to in-person witnesses and to cameras. Second, tell someone where you are going, and arrange with them to check in when you return home. This is a government that disappears people. Third, if you are not white or are not a natural-born citizen, think very carefully about whether it's worth the risk.
Number #3 is ghastly and a sign that this Fascist society wins
What about the Social Security Administration emailing SS recipients touting the passage of this bill? SSA has been officially politicized.
I got that too and was livid.
I got the email too.
I got that too. It made me sick. Straight up political propaganda. They might as well have used potato guns to blast propaganda flyers into the streets. It’s like a bad movie but it’s real. 😩 😩
I was hoping that was FAKE NEWS (spam).
I got it too, but it went straight into my spam folder. I have never received a blanket email like this from the SSA. Previously, SS would send me an email notification that I had a secure message in my SS account, and I had to log in to retrieve it. This is weird and disturbing.
I got that too. Was wondering what they were talking about. Horrible 😡
Yeah! How ‘bout that?
Thank you, Aaron, for not letting the budget bill go away. We must continue to talk about it
I don't think its even a "budget" bill - try Project 2025 enactment bill
Thank you Aaron for explaining everything!
Barbaric Trump and his ICE Gestapo goons are urinating -- and defecating -- all over the Declaration of Independence today and the US Constitution everyday.
Are some of them the same ‘great patriot’ human scum who urinated and defecated in the Capitol on Jan. 6 and whom Trump rewarded with pardons? Just asking for my friends James Madison and George Washington.
Yeah. Where are the Evangelicals on this? "Moms for Liberty"? What's their 'bothsidesism' on these creeps' polluting a little kids' playground? They shouldn't have been born brown or black? WTH?
More waste of money with military fly over! Disgusting celebration of nothing except for rich people!
Thanks you Aaron, mainstream media doesnt work!
Thank you for doing this about educating us!!’
That ice agent urinating in front of the school , that is on purpose , I would like a journalist to ask Trump and KKK Karoline how many of the agents are oath keepers and proud boys , I knew this was coming when he pardoned them . I would also would really like someone to ask Trump if he thinks it’s appropriate that he said he hates all democrats when Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated, and attempted to kill senator Hoffman and his wife . When Trump got his ear scratched they blamed the democrats for calling him fascist , which he undeniably is . Who is going to ask that ?
I was wondering if the dramatic explosion in the size of ICE was an employment program for Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. I have a feeling that applicants won't be well vetted for their propensity to violence and their innate bigotry.
Government vetting process for ICE agents: https://www.ice.gov/careers/vetting
If tRump, Miller, Noem et al follow this process, I'll grow wings and fly.
Oh, they will be. But those qualities are considered qualifications for the job.
You can be sure about that
You can be sure about that
I’m a retired RN and that scratch on his ear did not look like it was from a gunshot. Trump is such a coward, no way would he have risked his life standing up with the fist pump. I think the whole thing was staged, just my opinion.
I have thankfully many RN s in my circle and they have said exactly the same as you , like word for word .
Now we now why all that shit was being put up around the SHIT house. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
?
Agreed. He knew it would go through and is doing a huge signing 'celebration'
Democracy dies when we give up in advance. Never ever normalize this ever. Do not ever give up. Keep growing your community, keep organizing and keep educating people on what's going on. Keep spreading the word and make your voices loud.