I absolutely loathe writing about some awful real-world terrorism that’s happening in real time, but here we go. Yesterday, the news broke that someone had sent a bomb to George Soros. Soros is the convenient (Jewish) bogeyman for the right-wing. The right-wing always claims that everything the left-wing does is “Soros-funded.” It’s their dog-whistle for “a shadowy Jewish man is controlling the Democrats,” and yes, it really is that anti-Semitic. Trump himself often references Soros, as do his minions, as do members of the Republican congressional caucus. The fact that someone sent a bomb to Soros just proves that the right-wing dog whistles “work,” and that domestic terrorists are targeting him.
Well, it’s gotten a lot worse than that already-awful situation. The Secret Service confirmed this morning that mail-bombs were also sent to Hillary and Bill Clinton’s New York home, and to Barack and Michelle Obama’s home.
The United States Secret Service intercepted two “suspicious packages” addressed to former President Barack Obama and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton earlier this week, the agency said Wednesday.
Neither Obama nor Clinton received the packages or were at risk of receiving them, the Secret Service said. They were discovered during “routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such,” the agency said in a statement.
The package intended for Obama was intercepted in Washington, DC, on Wednesday morning, and the one intended for Clinton was addressed to her in Westchester County, New York, on Tuesday.The FBI said the package intended for Clinton was found in the vicinity of her residence in Chappaqua, New York, but offered no additional comment, citing the ongoing investigation. Representatives for the Clintons referred press inquiries to the Secret Service, and a spokeswoman for Obama did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It’s worth noting that during Trump’s weekly Nazi rallies, there are always chants of “Lock Her Up.” Trump and his people have targeted Hillary specifically with such violent rhetoric, and look, someone took it seriously. It’s also worth noting that Trump and his minions demonize every black and brown person to the point where many of his supporters truly believe that every non-white person is a terrorist or criminal. Ten bucks says the person targeting Soros, Clinton and Obama is just a white dude though, and when he’s caught, there won’t be any kind of hateful rhetoric around his race or religion. This just feels like such a dangerous time. I’m glad the Secret Service found the sh-t and that no one was hurt. But good God, this is bad.
Sarah Sanders said words. I wonder if Trump will say similar words? Probably not. He’ll probably lead another “lock her up” chant.
SARAH SANDERS: We condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures. These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) October 24, 2018
Oh, God, and a similar device was found near CNN’s New York headquarters.
CNN is repotting right now that the NYPD is investigating reports of a suspicious package at the Time Warner Center in New York (where CNN is located). It has apparently been evacuated.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 24, 2018
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
The top comments on my local news site are that this is clearly a ploy and – wait for it – probably paid for by Soros himself. So the dumpster fire continues…
Where are you? Sorry. Hang in there.
This is exactly what I feared. The GOP/right wing’s ability to twist the narrative is unparalleled. I’m sick.
I feel the same, Esmom. It’s past the point of mere anger and revulsion and all the way to dread and fear. Trump’s worldview is a contagion and it seems to be reaching epidemic proportions.
Not just local news. The CBC also has the same kind of comments at the top. Be careful Canada it is spreading north.
It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s Canadian people commenting, right wing trolls seek out these stories. The San Francisco papers’ comments are always a dumpster fire and I doubt any of them live in SF.
We are being careful and are on watch. I do not want this type of politics to come to Canada and will protest and do everything I can to fight against it. Seeing Faith Goldy (thank GOD she lost but I also can’t believe that 22,000 people voted for her) and similar people pop up makes me worried for the future of our country too.
@aang, never read the comments on CBC articles. They make me lose faith in my fellow Canadians, and in humanity.
CBC comments sections are the worst! Especially when it’s anything to do with indigenous people. ARGH.
Stop expecting sense from these astroturfers. They make these comments to confuse and employ whatever sticks. Logic it isn’t, and that’s more of the point.
They will change strategy mid-sentence and directly contradict themselves if they think it will “land” better. Sound logic isn’t the endgame, confusion and annoyance is – using whatever is at hand. As long as they feel they’re “winning”.
It never ceases to amaze me how the right wing response can be something so nonsensical you can hardly believe someone thought it up, but then somehow it becomes the conventional wisdom.
Yeah. I’ve been seeing the BS all over FB about how Soros was a Nazi collaborator – when he was all of 14 and pretending to be Christian so he wouldn’t be slaughtered. It’s infuriating. I posted a very strongly worded warning not to come at me with that BS, and of course some asshat did, so my fellow Jews did what we do best – piled on to make sure this person understands she is being blatantly anti-Semitic by promoting such a vile smear, and then proceeded to joke about how we bedazzle our horns. Because if we don’t laugh about it at some point, we would literally cry all day. It’s just everywhere, all day, coming at us. We have formed secret groups where we can gather online to talk, vent, and form our own political and social justice action groups, because it’s been made clear to us that we are not welcome on the right or the left.
Izzy, really? Not welcome on the Left? I’m as Left as you can get and you’re plenty welcome with me.
This is America……
This is awful. I’m not sure how much more we can take.
Meanwhile, currently heard at the WH…
“How can we blame this on the caravan??!”
This does not surprise me at all. It will be a Trump minion and nothing will happen to that person. This just happened the other day: “A Florida man accused of groping a passenger on Southwest Airlines told an FBI agent after his arrest that the “President of the United States says it’s OK to grab women by their private parts,” according to a criminal complaint.” Trump doesn’t care what people do. He is going full on hate with his rallies and it is sending signals out that anything goes is okay.
My eyes are actually welling.
Mine too. I went to vote earlier and this pro-gun candidate was in front of the polling place, a woman who’s so passionate about concealed carry that she designs undergarments with pockets for guns. I wanted to scream at her in rage…but I didn’t. I was CIVIL and quietly walked past her with loathing shooting from my eyes, I’m sure.
Seriously, she puts pistols in her panties?
I’m sorry you had to deal with that, and have a candidate like that. I hope she loses.
She does, indeed. Also in her bra and cami. It’s abhorrent and she is a lunatic, Trumpette all the way. But she’s a nice looking white woman so I could see her getting a decent chunk of the vote. She was surrounded by adoring elderly white people at the polling place. Fear is the main selling point these days for the GOP.
I think she’ll probably lose, though, we are in a pretty blue area overall. Fingers crossed.
How close was she to the entrance? There are strict rules on how far away from the entrance candidates have to stay unless they are actually voting and then, they can’t bring campaign materials with them. Look up your local rules and report her if she broke them
LP, I know, she was right in front of the door. Not legal. But from what I could overhear, she claimed she was just dropping stuff off and leaving. While at the same time talking to a group of apparent supporters. When I came out she was gone, so I’m not sure how long she was there.
She would definitely report others if they broke the rules, the MO of her minions and backers is to try to throw progressives off the ballot for any violation they can find, such as using a binder clip instead of a staple for filing documents. Grr.
I early voted last week, and there were signs requesting that no one discuss political candidates or opinions while waiting in line and voting inside the building. When I voted at my usual location (which does not offer early voting), I remember that candidates had to be so many hundred feet away. Some would offer literature at the entrance, which was about a football field distance away.
I want my country back from these thugs.
Of course you do. I hope you get it.
Horrifying. I don’t know how your country can come out of this anymore
Right after Trump calls himself a ‘nationalist,’ and we all know what he meant, and so did he.
Remember folks, the worst Democrat is better than the best Republican.
And this means no complaining about the Joe Manchins of the world. Democrats like Joe Manchin could be the difference between majority power – committee leadership, investigations and subpoena power – and minority lack of power. The alternatives to people like Joe Manchin are Republicans. Right-wingers.
Trump is the head of the Republican party. Vote them out. And don’t be nice about it, either. They are responsible for this terrorism and don’t deserve a minute’s peace.
AMEN WATP!!! Get out and vote people!!!! PLEASE!! Our lives literally depend on it. I live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and last night someone in one of the Dallas suburbs went around burning all political signs for democrats. This is insane!!
I’m sorry that this happened in your area. Violence and fear-mongering are the only way the Republicans can win. Vote and take every voter of like mind with you.
Early voting is on in Texas. Don’t wait. Bring food and water and chairs. Bring people to the polls.
Chins up everyone. They turned hoses and dogs and worse on people fighting for their rights in the South. This is the 2018 version, but the hateful desire to shut people out of the process is the same.
Omg after Trump called himself a nationalist my husband said I don’t think he really meant that. I literally got in his face (lovingly) and said “yes he did.” He is a racist he meant it. My husband hates Trump, but he is just too innocent to believe it is as bad as it is. I just kept saying he said it believe him. For the love of God believe he is as evil as advertised.
I mean, I understand the compulsion to give Trump the benefit of the doubt–I know people that do that just as a form of self-preservation–but Trump meant what he said. He was signaling to his loyal base that he’s one of them. And Trump REALLY IS THAT BAD.
Also people (your hubby) need to remember that Trump is fighting for his life. This is not just about regular politics and running the government for him. This is about making sure the Republicans keep congress or at the very least the Senate so that they continue to protect him.
He should have already been impeached for emolument violations, especially with Saudi Arabia, as well as possible treasonous “involvements” with Russia and who knows how much more. By so many standards the man belongs in jail. If the Dems don’t take control of the Senate or at least the House, the likeliness that he’ll get away with his crimes is very high. His goal is to avoid jail and to retain as much of his financial “winnings” (emolument deals) as he can (minus how many he’ll have to payoff).
Aside from those two things, he does not care what happens to this country or to innocent people. He is a true narcissist. He will not even care if his own children or his son in law are jailed for these crimes of his. His concern will only be for himself.
I could not agree more he really is that bad and he is fine if his entire family ends up in jail as long as he survives it really is stunning
Putin’s destruction of the US is going to plan, thanks to drump and his volatile, dangerous rhetoric. The lock her up chants are so cruel I just can’t stand it anymore without bursting into tears.
drump is meeting Vlad in Europe during the Centennial Commemoration of WWI this November for more money. Vlad has been particularly snide about the demise of the US of late. But no comment from coward drump or his administration.
News reports that a bomb was also sent to CNN’s NY headquarters
And to the outspoken John Brennan in particular.
Every day a new low. Folks, the Trump administration and the entire Republican party – every single Republican everywhere, because if they haven’t changed parties, they’re complicit – is far more dangerous for America and Americans than a rag-tag group of Honduran refugees, young families trudging toward what they hope will be safety and security.
Interesting how these right wing ogres target Soros as a Jew and yet willingly overlook Adelson who funds people on the right. Interesting.
If you’re liberal, progressive, Democratic, you’re an enemy.
Trump is going to get people killed and he won’t care as long as it doesn’t affect him or his profits.
Spot on. For those who haven’t heard about this particular schlub, Sheldon Adelson is a filthy rich Vegas casino owner who is hard-right on Israel and behind many of the counter-productive administration policies in that region. Big Trump backer, big funder of far-right Republicans generally. And he does not get targeted, because the right-wing government of Israel is ignoring moderate overseas Jewry and throwing its lot in with Adelson and his ilk plus conservative evangelical Christians pushing for the rapture.
I’m Jewish, for what it’s worth. And so distressed about all this.
I did a little looking around on the opensecrets.org website yesterday (long story, slow day at work) and ran across their list of the largest conservative super-pacs and the donors to each. Not surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Adelson as the top donor for most of them.
PS Trump has already got people killed. Where we do we begin: Heather Heyer; the good Samaritans in the Pacific NW. Any black person shot by enabled white cops. A black student stabbed to death in Maryland, a black woman with her throat cut in Oakland. Children in Yemen. People in Syria. Jamal Khashoggi. I’m missing so many. Probably informants on the dossier. 3 ,000 in Puerto Rico. Many more indirectly through climate change, loss of health insurance, preventable addiction deaths.
And it’s only just beginning. Vote and take everyone else with you. Voting is a healthy, responsible thing to do.
Yep. They got the president they wanted. Hillary isn’t president, and Obama can never be president again, but that’s not enough. They’re still out for blood.
I don’t know a lot about Soros, but he has been especially helpful to scientists in the former USSR whose funding dried up after the USSR broke up into individual states. Soros grants helped keep them and their projects going, which is pretty crucial during such transitions or you can lose a whole generation of scientists as happened with China for other reasons. So I don’t understand the Soros hate at all, it seems that he has done good and sensible things with his money.
The Right wing merely need a high profile target to be the elite-boogieman for their rhetoric. The conservative-right are masters of self delusion in which they project on to others what is so blatantly happening on their side. As with the case of Sheldon Adelson, Koch Bros. and the Merchant/Prince family. It’s like they seriously can’t deal with the fact that they are purveyors of a level of corruption so high and complete that they have to ferociously go after anyone on the Left that can possibly approximate the corruption on their own side that they refuse to face.
correction: *Mercer*/Prince family; not Merchant
For me…America is showing what it has ALWAYS BEEN…it’s just that before…it was on the back burner..now we’re RIGHT BACK TO THE SOCIAL HORRORS OF FIFTIES AND THE SIXTIES….I KNEW this would be the blowback of putting Black folks in the White House and TRYING to have a POTUS that is a Democratic Woman….
Now that the racism/fascism is flying it’s FREAK FLAG AGAIN…
Perhaps WE THE PEOPLE CAN FINALLY start working on bringing a TRUE balance and healing that has NEVER been part of America’s history…
Until THAT happens…this cycle will repeat itself again…in 60 years…If the human race still exists at that time…
Must you shout?
Who are you? Shut up.
This is Lala’s emphatic and passionate style; let her be.
Must you tone-police? And yes, who the HELL are YOU, again?
I just wanna thank my good people for showcasing your kindness and support…which deflated my temper…and kept me from NOT GETTING BLOCK FROM MY FAVORITE SITE…CAUSE THE DRAG I WAS GONNA GIVE…
Was gonna be NOTHIN’ NICE!!!!
@ Tuille
Do you have a text reader that says caps at a significantly higher volume than normal text? If not, please stop pretending capital letters somehow hurt your ears.
I love Lala’s posts. She’s passionate and she makes great points. The caps gives direction on how it should be read with emphasis. I look forward to her thoughts on these stories.
I always enjoy Lala11_7’s comments – she is passionate and spot on. It’s time for the whole world to shout down what’s happening in ‘Murica.
A disgruntled Canadian.
Yes. Yes, she must. We ALL should be shouting loudly that we a done with this administration. We are done with these horrible people. We are NOT “taking our country back,” we are taking our country away from those who are mistreating it, from those who are propagating the sins of the past. So yes. She must shout. And more power to her.
We all should be shouting. These are shouting and fighting times. Anyone that doesn’t realize there’s a WAR happening needs to wake up. Like Lala, I could see this day coming decades ago with the success of Reagan and the evangelical-conservative “movement”. It actually started before him, but the turning point of the conservative plan was clear back then and has continued and grown without ever being checked.
It was always there for anyone to see. Most were too busy charging up our credit card dept economy to notice.
You’re right completely! I just keep hoping that this is just a last gasp of air for the old white dudes who want to retain power. But the fact that so many women have supported Trump and this right wing initiative, including young people, I’m just starting to give up hope that anything is going to change. 🙁
WHITE women, WHITE women. There are more than white women in America and in this world!
Young people have been apathetic, including the self-styled libertarians of the tech world. Let’s see if and how they turn out in the midterms. It’s their future at stake more than, say, mine. I have just 2-3 decades left, as far as I can tell.
Good news is that demographics of this country are rapidly changing and we will be white minority country by 2040. I’m white and I’m happy about that! A multicultural US is the country I want to live in (and what I have lived in all my life in California).
I LOVE that pic of Obama!! He is such an adorable man inside and out. The minute the news came out yesterday about Soros, I immediately thought….Trump supporter, right wing, white supremacist a-hole. Now – this comes out and I’m sure of it. As a white person, this whole environment sickens me so much!! I’m so ashamed of a big chunk of my own race!! 🙁
SMDH….#civility #jobsnotmobs
I honestly don’t even know what to do anymore. Mid terms are our last hope to curb this insanity. It’s all so hopeless at this point…
I don’t either, Kitten. The jobsnotmobs hashtag is perfect for Trump and the deplorables. Easy to remember…and complete fiction. I don’t have a good feeling about the midterms anymore. I feel like it all took a major wrong turn with Kavanaugh.
Same. Every day gets darker…sometimes it seems like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, just more darkness.
It did, with Kavanaugh. But the best and only recourse at this point is to vote in massive numbers everywhere, every race, and support close campaigns in swing districts.
The union movement was carefully dismantled in part to prevent the kind of national strike that could have stopped the economy and forced some change in power.
If the Democrats get the House, put their feet to the fire about investigations using subpoena power. None of this “let’s put that behind us” shit. Make them stay up all night if they have to, to protect entitlements and health care AND tell us what the Republicans have been hiding.
And pressure your Democratic senators to find another, fiery and oppositional populist, leader than Chuck Schumer. I like Chuck but he’s the completely wrong person for the job at this time.
I’m in Canada but a dual citizen. I’m doing what I can from here (and already voted absentee!).
I cannot stand Chuck, personally. We need a fighter right now, not a peacemaker.
Yes, the midterms are our only hope at this point. Republicans are ramping up their efforts to suppress the votes of minorities. We need massive Democratic turn-out to counter it.
I’m terrified.
I get so nostalgic whenever I see a pic of Obama. *big sigh*
I’m living with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
Like that’s not daunting enough, I truly live in fear that I’ll never survive to see our Country returned to some semblance of normalcy.
These are such heartbreaking times we live in….
JennyJenny as my Quaker friend says “I am holding you in the light”.
Oh no. I am so sorry. Hang in there–we will fix this. *HUGE HUG* from an internet stranger.
Jenny Jenny sending you hugs and hope.
My mother is 94 and I swear she just wants to live long enough to see these bastards thrown out. She is so angry.
Let’s vote them out, for Jenny Jenny and my mother!
Sending love and hugs and positive healing wishes your way.
Oh, Jenny Jenny (love your name, btw). Wishing you strength and sending you healing vibes, too.
JennyJenny, please take care of yourself. This level of added worry and stress has to be very tough.
JennyJenny – I’m a breast cancer survivor too (2 years!) and am sending you healing thoughts and support. All the best for your recovery!
JennyJenny, love and hopefulness to you. The world has survived through darker times than this. I wish you the strength and the health to see the world become a better place than it is now.
Trashaddict, yes, the world has survived through darker times than this, and we DO NOT want to return to them. Not even the Deplorables would want that, if they had any sense of history. The problem is that these are not highly educated people. They do not read history books in their spare time. The little bit of schooling they got was subpar. Their connection to their grandparents, who fought Capital-E Evil in WW2, has been severed. And so, we will all now be forced to go back and relearn the same goddamn lesson all over again. ☹️
Jenny, you got this. You’re gonna kick cancer’s a s s . Xoxo
“For now we see through a glass, darkly…” Hand on the tiller and steady on, peeps. The FBI will sort out who did this, and why. Our job is to remain as calm as possible and keep voting.
Yes, and notice how Sarah Sanders did NOT say, “we will find this person/people no matter what it takes”. Let’s hope the FBI does a better job on this than on the Kavanaugh investigation. I cringe, daily, again and again.
Expect more of this nonsense from MAGAts pre- and post-election. Their days of living the Cult 45 dream are nearly over. And ignore the conspiracy theorists saying it’s the deep state. Hogwash!
Keep voting blue up and down the ballot so that at least the House can sit as a check on Emperor Zero.
This may be the last election you participate in otherwise.
Thanks, Eric. Your optimism is much needed right now. I’m feeling pretty pessimistic myself.
Yup! Please pay attention to down ballot races, too. They’re actually fascinating and you can find people who deserve to climb onto the ladder and get political experience and exposure. Everyone has to start somewhere. And they will have impact on your day to day life, too.
I’d vote for dog-catcher if they let me. In fact I just might have…
I truly hope we are nearing the end of this badly done remake of Gaslight. Let us hope.
I do hope this gets at least as much tut-tutting and hand-wringing in the media as Sarah Huckabee Sanders being politely asked to leave a restaurant did. Not holding my breath, though.
I can’t think of anything more to say than What a shit show. Seriously.
Five or six of them now, pretty much Trump’s list of Dems. Watch this be the work of a lone, troubled individual. Also, Trump has a MAGA rally tonight in Wisconsin so he will say something Trumpy.
The targets for the bombs may be safe, but the people who handled their mail were at risk. Including Secret Service agents who are willing to take a bullet for President Tweeter. Not that he cares.
It’s really telling that he’s going to some small town in north central Wisconsin with a population of around 4,000 people rather than to Green Bay, Appleton, or somewhere in the Milwaukee area. Small towns like this are chosen deliberately.
It really must bother him that Obama had the ability to attract thousands of people to downtown Madison who were not being paid. My boss said that when he was at the UW Madison campus both in 2010 and 2012, it was an amazing sight.
I remember seeing the real joy of people who attended Obama’s rallies, that this was something they had dreamed of their whole lives and finally realized the dream. It seemed so right.
And the storm clouds darkened and the wind howled and the rain poured down and the people knew fear.
Then the sun broke through, if only for a moment, and rainbows bedazzled the sky, over the ocean and on the southern shore and in the Back Bay over the sacred shrine of baseball. And the citizenry rejoiced. “An omen!” They shouted. “Just like 2013!”
Then the skies grew dark again. Tornadoes touched down in RI and skirted the Bridge of Bourne. Lightning scorched a church up north. Yet Red Sox Nation knew fear no more. With rainbows and umbrellas and off-key James Taylor and the mighty Big Papi tossing his rings at A-Rod, from Stockbridge to Boston, from RI to Lubec, Maine, we would will those storms and Dodgers away and prevail in Game 1. And so it was.
With joy in our hearts for a battle bravely won, we prepare to fight on. Game 2 awaits. Hats, mittens, and blankets we don, our conductor raises his baton, our beloved hero Pedro preps his arm! May Dodgers bats shatter in the cold, hitless. their pitchers throw slow, and Joe Buck freeze his whining tonsils. Onward we march! “Do Damage!” we shout. “Dirty Water!” we sing. Game 2 will soon be ours!
And so may it be for all of us on November 6. Slay those ice dragons. Defeat those Nazis. (Not that the Dodgers are dragons or Nazis. Dave Roberts is a local Saint. But I need distraction.) VOTE!
Lovely and evocative, thanks. Lol at Joe Buck. I was on the phone last night with my baseball loving son, who is away at college now, when the game ended. He really should have been in bed because Wednesdays are insanely busy for him but I could tell watching the game was relaxing for him.
I was just thinking how it took so long for the Cubs to win another World Series…and how strange and terrible that it was 2016. Wishing for better omens this series.
We actually did have tornadoes yesterday and sadly a lovely church was destroyed by lightning but the rainbows were truly glorious and lifted people up. Once the rainbows appeared, people took it as a sign for the game. And Joe Buck is despised here. My teams are carrying me through to Election Day.
And again tonight, a double rainbow over the sacred shrine of baseball.
I live in Maine and I like Angus King, I’ve voted for him in the past and he mostly swings blue. I’m wondering if I just have to vote all democrat this November though..
Is Angus up for re-election this year?
I wish you would vote for Zak Ringelstein instead but do as you wish.
I voted about a week ago, voting is so easy here in California. I could not afford to give one vote to a non-Democrat. We need the votes in the house and senate too much, with the Republican Party walking goose step in line with Dump’s insane agenda, for me to vote otherwise.
This country fostered the mindset that led to bombing black churches, beating and raping slaves, and that was not that long ago. The people who lived through that era of civil rights freedom fighters are still alive. The people who organized the decimation of minorities are still alive and have gone forth and multiplied, creating more hate and idiocy. WHY did anyone think it was impossible FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN????
I don’t think anyone on this site is that naive. Doesn’t mean we can’t be mindbogglingly enraged by it.
In no way what so ever did I even hint that you should not be enraged.
You know what’s crazy? Just yesterday I was texting my BF saying I was scared that a civil war could break out. He dismissed me out-of-hand and when I sent an interesting article to him on the subject he called it “hogwash”.
And today, this sh*t happens. You know, people in mid nineteenth century didn’t know that a civil war was an inevitability, either.
And I’m not saying that a civil war would look like it did in 1862 with musket-bearing militia, etc. I’m talking about bombs, cyber warfare, etc.
As I’m typing this I’m stepping outside of myself and thinking how crazy this sounds, but I actually believe that it’s a possibility. It’s not something to be paranoid about, but definitely not something to dismiss as if it could never happen. It absolutely could.
When I heard that there are reports that if the dems win the house, Trump is trying to find ways to delegitimize the results…that made me seriously concerned. Also, the Mueller probe will probably come to a head right after the election. I think we are in for a bumpy few months and I am holding my breath.
I don’t think it’s crazy and I’ve been thinking that for a while. It sounds so outlandish because as you say we picture a civil war as something from another century. I don’t know what it will look like now, but I truly believe something is about to happen and I’m terrified.
Right. And serious question: if those bombs had actually detonated and killed either the intended target or someone else, what do you think would be the repercussions? What would the public reaction be?
Things are getting more frightening by the day. Slavery and states rights was the main catalyst for the Civil War. Right now, we are dealing with the potential rollback of Roe v Wade, the destruction of our environment and impending climate change disaster, the decimation of LGBTQ rights, the descent into a full-blown dictatorship, the attempt to circumvent basic voting rights, the coddling of ruthless dictatorswhile alienating true allies and on and on.
Anything could happen at this stage. ANYTHING.
I really don’t know what would have happened if anyone had been killed. It’s too terrifying to contemplate. The public reaction would be outrage and horror, I still believe (other than trump’s core base who would be cheering).
I think trump would use it to his advantage though and declare martial law… call off the mid terms. And that would be the beginning of the end.
I’m really scared that something is going to happen before the mid terms or if the dems really do well, right after. Trump will definitely try to delegitimize the result and that will rile up his base even more. I feel like I’m just holding my breath right now waiting….
Oh my god me too, Louisa. I’m just happy we have this forum–this bastion of sanity–to remind all of us that there are still good people in this country. Hug your loved ones.
I don’t think many people realize how disastrous a cyber attack can be today. Many years ago, the net was paralyzed by a single hacker who unleashed a worm. It didn’t affect my Macs but did affect the net, so I was having plenty of trouble also. A client was waiting for hours to get an urgent job from me. I kept resending it and we finally got it through to the project manager’s private email. Imagine if that kind of delay happened to work vital to a medical situation.
Bank transactions were messed up for weeks. I paid one credit card online and it looked as though it went through, but it didn’t because my bank was hit by the worm and took too long to respond to the credit card bank (interpreted as a decline). Slowness of response can also get people’s cards declined at stores etc. No ATMs either.
Email was slowed down for weeks and even disappeared completely into the void.
Now imagine what could happen a couple of decades later when teams of skilled hackers with the resources of a hostile government come into play rather than a lone hacker. The Russians have been messing around with our digital power grid. Imagine what could happen in the middle of winter in some states and the middle of summer in others. What happened in Puerto Rico will be happening everywhere without power. People will die.
Many people now have phones that rely on their own power lines to the house. Even the old POTS lines, powered by the telephone company, will be useless if the telephone company loses power.
Imagine if the power outages happen in the middle of an election that depends on machines or electronic databases (which the Russians have also been poking around in).
EXACTLY, jwoolman. People underestimate–or maybe don’t fully understand–the widespread implications of a large cyber attack.
Kitten, I am a social scientist. America has been a hares breath from civil war for a while… All of this preceded Trump. He is just accelerating what was bubbling under the surface. In many senses America has never been a true democracy, it is the illusion of one.
When you say civil war, you’re looking for an actual physical official war. Redefine “war” and you’ll see that it’s already begun.
The con man should be very pleased with himself. He has riled his followers to the point of willing to committing mass murder. Packages sent to Bill, Hillary, Michelle, Barack, CNN head qts, Eric Holder and God know who else will be targeted. I don’t know how much more we concerned citizens can take with this mad man and his followers. We will stand strong!!
Btw, Cricket, Cricket from Don the Con.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also just got one at his office in Manhattan.
John Brennan and George Soros too
Not only is America an enemy of the world now, it’s an enemy of itself and eating its own tail. Trump has unleashed an apocalyptic plague of its own people. Good job Trump, I hope those f*cking goose-steppers turn on you at some point when they realize they were given nothing but a Pyrrhic victory.
The Orange Dotard is going to go full apesh*t at his rally and probably defend the bomber.
What a mess ughhh.
I’ve been in a very dark place emotionally for the past 2 years and lately I’m really struggling. I actually left work early today because I was feeling ready to lose it after reading about the bombs. I honestly don’t know if I will be able to handle it if the election results favor the right.
I understand completely. We ALL understand.
I’m glad you left work–always, ALWAYS remember the importance of self-care right now because with everything that’s happening, t’s easy to forget,
Hang in there, ok?
Dear Cojii, you’re not a lone. These are very trying times that many of us are struggling through. When times are hard like now, it does strengthen us though. It may not seem so, but strength of heart, mind and soul doesn’t come easy. To be conscious of the world and your self is painful at first (and second). But it’s an opportunity for us to face our fears and find our strength and peace and to share those gifts with others. Share yourself with others. Life is the experience of being alive and connecting with others – sharing ourselves even in the face of doubt. In the darkness, we have to be the light for each other.
You are a sensitive person. Thank god for that, the world needs more feeling people like you. Try to have a good cry and then give yourself a warm hug and anyone else that you can.
Love, the internet-verse.
Hang in and take care. It is exhausting and incredibly stressful, and I struggle with feeling complicit in some way too, just knowing that children at the border are being kept in cages and on and on…and I’m not able to change it. I’ve found keeping active with soul-nourishing activities — nature, art, dance, friends, comedy, etc. — helps me manage my emotions. We have to stay strong… and sane, to fight this effectively. But it’s hard…
Coming here helps my soul, I thank you. I just unfriended a long time friend – 1st he was ranting about the brown people coming to invade us and how we have to get together to prevent this…then he had 7 points on why the devices were sent by the democrats themselves (love of power, losing in mid-term, etc). His friends are right there with him! After I posted how this is so idiotic and they are so racist for which I was not brought up that way & will not tolerate, I told him I was outta there and unfriended! It makes me sad as these are people in my area (NY) and they believe this! But then I came here…you all bring my soul peace by helping me realize THEY are wrong! So, thanks!
It help me a great deal too to know there’s good people out there like you and other commenters. You are very brave to face your friend and tell them some truth. That may be all you can do, but that’s no small thing. Being truthful to ourselves and with others may be the most powerful thing that can be done in these times of tribal reinforced, mass shared-delusion.
“mass-shared delusion” is a good way to put it. So much of that happening these days. I told friends recently that we can stay part of the “reality-based community” as Karl Rove once (disparagingly) put it. We need to keep hold of what’s true and right. Lucy, sorry that your friend ended up being such a dupe but good for you for calling him on it and unfriending him.
I live in a town that voted Trump in 2016. Now I see lots and lots of signs for Democratic candidates all around town. The first time I drove past one last week, I yelled to myself in the car “Oh my GOD, a Democrat!!!!” I see more and more popping up. So here’s hoping that’s a small sign that things will turn around.
I’m sorry to say this but maybe Trump planted those bombs himself. He hates both Obama and Hillary so much, why not. I’m not usually into conspiracies, but I just don’t put anything past that sorry excuse of a human being. And yes I do know how insane and ridiculous I sound. I apoligize. But even if he didn’t send them, he is to blame anyways for inciting and spreading all this hatred and evil.