Friday, January 31, 2025

It's Not Amateur Hour Anymore

Paul Rosenzweig: Trump's team is savvy and has been planning to remake the federal government for years.

Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 08:31 PM | 20 COMMENTS | permalink

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"Were it not so dangerous to democratic norms, the efficiency of these early days would almost be admirable ... But politics is not a game, and this nation's basic security and functioning are at risk." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv ...

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-- Scott Stossel (@stossel.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 12:55 PM

Comments

FTA:

And what they want is very clear: to take full control of the federal government. Not in the way that typifies every change of administration but in a more extreme way designed to eradicate opposition, disempower federal authority, and cause federal bureaucrats to cower. It is an assault on basic governance.

A great deal of thought has gone into this effort already. The executive orders and sundry administrative directives and guidance that have been issued reflect a profound understanding of the federal government and exactly where the weak spots within the bureaucracy might lie. . . .

Were it not so dangerous to democratic norms, the efficiency of these early days would almost be admirable, in the same way that one might admire a well-run play by an opposing football team. But politics is not a game, and this nation's basic security and functioning are at risk. Those who oppose Trump's actions do not have an incompetent opponent; Trump's team is savvy and has been planning for this for years. They came ready.

#1 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2025-01-31 08:43 AM

"But politics is not a game."

Lost me right there. Politics is a game. Governing, however, shouldn't be so much.

Maybe the amateurs are the purists who've been thinking politics wasn't a game all along.

#2 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2025-01-31 09:45 AM

This won't backfire at all.
Nope, no intended consequences to see here, folks. These people are all geniuses.

#3 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-01-31 09:54 AM

"Lost me right there. Politics is a game. Governing, however, shouldn't be so much."

The sentence you object to is the next to the last one in the article. Did you read the article or just my quoted blurb? The article itself is about the ways the Trump administration is deftly manipulating the levers of power to both control and remake the way the governmnet operates. IOW, it's about how the Trump administration is governing.

#4 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2025-01-31 09:59 AM

This won't backfire at all.
Nope, no intended consequences to see here, folks. These people are all geniuses.
#3 | Posted by LegallyYourDead

Trump is just the front man. The people behind his adminstration are the Heritage Foundation/Project 2025 authors. I wouldn't say they are geniuses, but they are have been planning this for a very long time, are very knowledgeable about how the government operates:

"A great deal of thought has gone into this effort already. The executive orders and sundry administrative directives and guidance that have been issued reflect a profound understanding of the federal government and exactly where the weak spots within the bureaucracy might lie."

They have the backing of both Houses of Congress as well as the Supreme Court, and they are ruthless. IMO, that makes them dangerous and not to be dismissed lightly.

#5 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2025-01-31 10:09 AM

Do they? I think you miss my point.

#6 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-01-31 10:10 AM

And of course I meant unintended consequences.

You know, like when your "base" figures out they've been swindled.

#7 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-01-31 10:11 AM

And of course I meant unintended consequences.
You know, like when your "base" figures out they've been swindled.
#7 | Posted by LegallyYourDead

I meant that they have the backing of the Republicans in both Houses of Congress. I agree with you that I don't think they have the backing of the majority of the American people, including some who voted for Trump once his/their policies start to come to fruition. Project 2025 is not popular, which is why Trump had to lie about it:

Joyce White Vance
@joycewhitevance.bsky.social
1/ Virtually all of this activity is happening before there are Senate confirmed leaders in place in executive branch agencies, including at DOJ, HHS, and other places where major transformation is underway. That's unusual. New cabinet secretaries like to take a look at and understand...

2/ ...the operation before they make major changes. The changes we are seeing are not coming from new agency heads based on specific evaluation. They aren't Trump's ideas. We are watching the wholesale adoption of Project 2025, after Trump lied to the American people & distanced himself from it.

#8 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2025-01-31 10:19 AM

Well, 2026 is coming. I think "sea change" may apply. The only question is whether there will be anything left in the Treasury by then

#9 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-01-31 03:09 PM

4. Actually, I just read the quoted blurb, figuring it was representative of the article. There's no doubt these people have had time to plan. And they've been playing the politics game since 1979. Thanks, Rev. Falwell.

#10 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2025-01-31 03:56 PM

As losers without actual lives, they've had nothing but time to plan the nerds' revenge fantasies. And, boy, do they have it in for normals.

#11 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-02-01 06:27 AM

I love American style democracy but am an old man who worried that our nation would turn to the fascist right sooner or later, because, as the very wealthy became as gods, they owned more and more of the power structures, and they are not about us, they are about their having the status of old timey royalty, inherited power is the same if of royals or of the billionaire caste.
It happens to all countries, sooner or later, either they have a power group to Magna Carta the king, or they are Spain, locked into hell for decades.
en.wikipedia.org

#12 | Posted by Hughmass at 2025-02-01 07:12 AM

I too, am an "old," (78M) and you summed it up perfectly.

#13 | Posted by john47 at 2025-02-01 12:28 PM

"I love American style democracy but am an old man who worried that our nation would turn to the fascist right sooner or later ... "

I am right there with you brother.

I didn't want to grow old. But it happened anyway!

I don't want America to turn to Facism. But it did anyway!

Being old now in so many ways IS a blessing.

But I am beginning to realize that being old won't protect us from Trumpy.

No one in the store is safe when a bull is rampaging thru the China shop.

#14 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-02-01 01:55 PM

Actually, it's mega MAGA amateur hour.
Exhibit #1?
The newly imposed Trump National Sales Tax.
Such expertise!

(Hint: No first-rater with hopes for a serious future would work for this goon, so the available job pool runs pretty thin. Hence the stoopid. No charge.)

#15 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-02-02 06:58 AM

#12, 13, 14

Kudos and total agreement

#16 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-02-02 07:05 AM

I'm glad my dad passed before he could see this -----, it would have broken his heart and killed him.

#17 | Posted by earthmuse at 2025-02-02 07:56 AM

I'm glad my dad passed before he could see this -----, it would have broken his heart and killed him.

Posted by earthmuse at 2025-02-02 07:56 AM | Reply

My dad in the summer of 2020 said that I hope I don't live too much longer as he was broken hearted at the Trump's first term in office. He died two days before Christmas that same year. The ONLY reason why that I am glad that he is gone is the EXACT SAME reason why you are glad for yours. It's a travesty in what our country has turned into. It's a total disgrace.

#18 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-02-02 08:07 AM

Fascists came into power with a plan to destroy america.

If only democrats had come into power with a plan to save america from fascists. Instead of just trying to be their friend like weak ass pathetic moderates biden and garland did.

#19 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-02-02 06:28 PM

If only democrats had come into power with a plan to save america from fascists. Instead of just trying to be their friend like weak ass pathetic moderates biden and garland did.

Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-02-02 06:28 PM | Reply

The Democratic party is Republican lite. You're dreaming if you think they will try and stop this. Just sayin

#20 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2025-02-02 06:38 PM

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