trump's Private Army
Summary (for time-stressed readers): Seven months in, trump has federalized D.C.’s police, deployed Marines without governors’ consent, and is pushing a permanent military reaction force
The Library
Essays, reporting, arguments, and observations from the archive.
Rand meets Orwell
The Department of Government Efficiency. Say it out loud. Let it roll around in your head for a moment. Sounds like something out of a satire, doesn’t
Don’t Stop the Electoral College — Fix It
It was supposed to stop Trump, not crown him. We’re not a democracy. Never were. The Founders didn’t trust regular people that much. They trusted landowners.
The 35 Percent
Jun 24, 2025 It’s tempting to reduce them to numbers. Polls say 41% of Americans approve of him. Around 90% of Republicans still back him. Nearly half
The Founders Betrayed
as are we Jun 20, 2025 The Founders Built Impenetrable Firewalls. They Didn’t Plan for Bulldozers. The Founders weren’t naïve. They knew the danger of charismatic
Taking Over D.C. Is Just the First Step
I don't mean to bury you in emails. I know this is my second one today, and I get it—nobody needs more noise in their
Socialism
bad? Jun 16, 2025 It’s funny how fast the conversation changes when you use the word socialism. Mention it at a dinner with Republican friends and watch
Trump Pardons the Unpardonable
TrumpPardonstheUnpardonable0:00/245.615171× Cold Open Trump didn’t just pardon criminals—he put justice on the auction block. January 20, 2025, was proof: if you were loyal,
Headline: Milton Friedman Is Still Running the Economy—From the Grave
Dead Economist, Live Ammo: Milton Friedman’s Ideas Are Still Killing Us Eighteen years dead, Milton Friedman still signs the checks. Every tax cut, every gutted regulation, every
The Happy Losers
Listen0:00/602.1016551× They're not unhappy. They're ecstatic. They won. They elected a man who shits in a golden toilet to fight for
Destruction
Trump’s return to office isn’t politics as usual—it’s something colder, faster, and far more dangerous. What we’re watching isn’t just policy change.
Iran Seems Confused
76 years of losing to Israel, banned dog-walking at home, and a state that fears happiness more than war. I’ve spent a long time trying to
PrumpTutin dominates public attention
Jun 27, 2025 It’s Hard Not to Write About PrumpTutin I’ve tried. God knows I’ve tried. I sit down to write about anything else—climate
The Membership Trap
The last decade has been a long, ugly experiment in trying to understand trumpers. The best I’ve come up with is this: they believe reality is a
U. S. Health Care
The Cruel Cost of American Healthcare — And the Horror of PrumpTutin’s Vision We already know the numbers—and they’re obscene. In 2023, the United States spent
The Doctor Has Left the Building
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not a doctor. He’s a lawyer. And not the kind who reads medical journals. He’s the kind who sues vaccine makers,
Mobsters
trump surrounds himself with criminals. Always has. As if the list of convicted aides and cronies weren’t enough, he’s now gone further pardoning the January 6
History's got teeth when you know where to bite
Looking to write about something other than that corrupt fool for a change. History has got plenty of material. How Smugglers Started a Revolution and Called It Freedom
trump wins again
trump scammed his supporters yet again, and they thanked him for it. Six months in, trump owns everything—the White House, Congress, the courts, his base—and the
Crimes Against Taste
the Rose Garden You can tell everything about a dictator by his décor. Mussolini had his balcony. Hitler had his eagles. And trump? trump has gold-plated toilet,
Losing Power
and what it costs Jul 01, 2025 No one’s talking about the real issue behind U.S. military spending. People rage about wasted trillions, endless wars, and
Republicians are Gone
The Party of Lincoln Is Now the Party of PrumpTutin We’ve passed the “just a phase” phase and the monster is among us. There was a time—
The Enemy
Jul 07, 2025 We have met the enemy, and it is us. Pogo said that in 1970. A cartoon possum nailed the dark heart of American life better
On the Hook!
The Membership Card The signs are subtle at first. They're discovering what the rest of us knew ten years ago: they backed a con man. The
Destruction
Trump’s return to office isn’t politics as usual—it’s something colder, faster, and far more dangerous. What we’re watching isn’t just policy change.
Epstein May Save Us
Note from Joe: I wrote this. I didn't enjoy it. It's certainly a love/hate endeavor. Writing about trump, PrumpTutin, and Epstein gives me
Tesla(2)
Tesla's Death Spiral The empire is crumbling, and those who refuse to see it will pay the price. Tesla's financial outlook isn't
War is What We Do
Wars Are What We Do They always say the next war is unthinkable. But they prepare for it anyway, as if their amnesia were strategic. War is what
State of the Site
The move to Ghost from substack is progressing as substack has not deactivated my account in some days. My plan is to move one essay a day over
Zero-Sum
Fear! It’s the Core of the Republican Party Fear isn’t just lurking around the Republican Party like background static—it’s the beating heart that keeps
Magic Money
Money From Nothing Listen0:00/249.8931521× The government creates money by typing numbers into computers. This isn't complicated. The Federal Reserve adds zeros, so money
The Mole
Listen0:00/338.5039911× The question isn't whether Trump "works for" Putin in some formal employment sense—it's whether he serves Putin&
The Bastards Stole My Flags
I was born in Selma, Alabama. The man who designed the original Confederate flag—the “Stars and Bars”—painted a portrait of my great-great-grandfather. That detail
You're Kidding Me
Wait… did trump join Star Trek? I swear that logo looks like he's about to beam up and start a war with Klingons over hotel licensing
You're Kidding?
I’m in the middle of moving my Substack over to Ghost—just a slight glitch that should be cleared up by Monday. While that sorts itself out,
Steinbeck
No PrumpTutin today other than to say Rupert reports trump is in the Epstein files. John Steinbeck: California’s Patron Saint of Lettuce-Based Suffering Let’s talk
A Song for Trumpers
Originally posted on Substack before Substack cheated me of three months' work. America was cranky; folks were screeching “Sad!” They wanted someone spicy, loud, and fabulously mad
EU Strikes Back
the 27 are not amused Europe gets the bill for another PrumpTutin tantrum—and this time, they brought receipts Listen0:00/270.4293651× So here we are again:
Epstein & trump
This Is What Breaks Him? Wouldn’t it be something if this is what finally does him in? Listen0:00/369.8197731× Not the coup. Not the stolen
Taming the Press
PrumpTutin vs. The Press: How One Man Declared War on Truth, at Home and Abroad TamingthePress0:00/372.7175281× Donald J. trump—PrumpTutin in full makeup and grievance—
Blockchain Nation, Banana Republic
How Trump turned decentralized finance into a centralized swindle—and made off with billions while the regulators were fired. Crypto is here. Not the outlaw version. Not the
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Are ICE Agents and Marines Happy Deporting People? It’s not a question anyone in Washington seems interested in asking. Are they happy? The agents. The guys in
Stolen by Any Other Name
Hi, we're in Santa Cruz, California near Wilder Ranch and I was reminded of its history. This is also an attempt to stop writing about PrumpTutin
Congress to PrumpTutin: Please Sir, May We Watch Silently?
So, Can the President Slap Tariffs on Whatever He Wants? A lot of folks—including trump—think the President can just wake up, spill his coffee, and slap
A Merry-Go-Round: Medicine and Money
Money brings out the worst in our medical system. I asked how much the procedure would cost. “Don’t you have insurance?” Yes. “Then your insurance will cover
AI (2)
AI (2)0:00/18.4366441× The number of programmers is falling. Fewer students are enrolling in computer science programs. Meanwhile, the tech industry keeps insisting AI is
A Song for Trumpers
(Verse 1) America was cranky, folks were screeching “Sad!” They wanted someone spicy, loud, and fabulously mad Then came Don with orange, tan, and hair like cotton candy
Zero Sum Game
It’s the Core of the Republican Party Fear isn’t just lurking around the Republican Party like background static—it’s the beating heart that keeps the
California
summer in the bubble My family and I are spending the summer in California, where my daughter works and lives. It’s gorgeous here—the ocean breeze, kale