What if the death machines that health insurance companies build were visible

Imagine a movie where a rich guy and a bunch of helpers build a big metal robot. The robot roams the streets and if it detects a sick person it shakes them down for all of their money and valuables and then rips their head off. Then brings the money back to the rich guy.

One reason we allow health insurance companies to get away with what they do is that their machines are largely invisible.

Another scene from the movie:

politicians saying "we can't stop the murderous thieving robot executioner. what about the jobs of all of the technicians that keep it working?"

The Deafening Silence on the coming Corruption

Americans, in their benighted apathy, have re-elected the most corrupt president in our lifetimes. We have a few months before he is inaugurated and The Theft begins, where Trump takes the hard-earned taxpayers money and starts shoveling directly into his pockets.

All of the people in charge of our nation - politicial leaders, media leaders, law enforcement - seem to be OK with that and willing to just let it happen.

NO ONE is warning Trump and all of his kleptocratic allies that if they are caught ripping off, defrauding, embezzling, stealing from government - OUR MONEY - that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Why do you think that is? Do all of the powers-that-be think that the rule of law is just over in the US? That we should never hope for any justice at all? That all lawbreaking is now just allowed, because the GOP is above all accountability.

It seems that way.

It makes sense that The Insurance Adjuster comes from a privileged background

prep school, ivy league college, rich influential family, good job, young, athletic, smart.


Most Americans are not taught to stand up for ourselves. We take whatever crumbs the government and corporations choose to drop for us and never stand up and demand what we actually want and need - living wages, healthcare for all, affordable education. We are taught that there is nothing we can do about any of that, because the system is obviously corrupt and just drains us for the value of our labor and throws us away once they have wrung the life out of us.

But this guy comes from a background that had given him every advantage and was doing well in life. He hurt his back in a surfing accident (in Hawaii?) and suddenly found out that UnitedHealthCare was just going to let him suffer in pain for the rest of his life (or at least for the next few decades). This was not what he was used to. This injustice was for other people, not someone like him. He'd been playing the game of life on the easy setting - yes, taking advantage of the opportunities he was given, but what opportunities! - and now suddenly he was facing an injustice that all of his privilege couldn't solve.

For a person like that, who is self-actuated and taught that life should be fair, it makes sense that he took action. He didn't know, like the rest of us, that life in the US is unfair and cruel and the rest of us just put up with it. And so, he didn't.

Can the government take away citizenship? What does that mean? Doesn't it make us all vulnerable?

I keep hearing Trump talking about taking away birthright citizenship - but is that even possible? Is there a precedent? I would think that one of the rights of US citizenship is to not have it stolen from you - especially without some kind of due process.

But once your citizenship is revoked, you lose all of the other rights you are supposed to have as a citizen - rights against search and seizure, cruel punishment, self-incrimination, etc.

If we let Trump declare that a bunch of our fellow citizens are suddenly stripped of their citizenship, it makes us all vulnerable to having the government just declare us un-persons and do whatever they want with us.

Kash Patel at the FBI is why Biden absolutely needed to pardon Hunter. That guy is a lunatic and has it out for him.

Joe's pardon of Hunter is way overdue. Presidents all use/abuse their pardon power, and thinking that H.B. should have to put up with this sham of a prosecution over bullshit charges was ridiculous to begin with, but ok, Biden was willing to put up with it in a bid to support the rule of law, etc.

But Patel will absolutely politicize domestic federal law enforcement and investigation, and no one should have to put up with that shit. In that light, the pardon is not only understandable but absolutely necessary.

Laura Ingraham indicates that Trump will, indeed (and of course), ruin the economy

It's austerity and Shock Therapy for all of you plebes and peasants:

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/laura-ingraham-says-donald-trumps-agenda-will-be-tough-economy-there-no-doubt-about-it

I expect every barrier to Trump/Putin's worst behavior to fold - they are filled with cowards

The Congress will not oppose him. The GOP is incredibly easy to control and cowardly in the face of authoritarianism.

The Supreme Court will not oppose him. If they push back against him, he will just ignore them and do what he wants anyway - which will expose them as the toothless institution they are. And Roberts won't allow that.

The military won't oppose him. They have made their plans to purge the military of everyone but loyalists clear.

The intelligence services won't oppose him. They will also be purged.

The media certainly will not oppose him. They are owned by a small number of rich oligarchs. And note Brave Joe and Meeka bowing their heads pre-emptively.

The people may oppose him. But they will be met with military violence in the streets, as well as black bagging/disappearing, torture, and imprisonment.


Does anyone see any bravery/strength in any of our institutions that could provide any kind of effective push back on this regime?

We are about to be subject to Shock Therapy economics - severe austerity - administered by Putin's puppets

Putin, who controls the GOP, will want to destroy America's economy. At some point, even the dimmest Trump supporter

will begin to see the economic havoc being wrought and will have to recognize that we are being screwed, deliberately.

but it will be too late by then.

It astounds me when people talk about "the next election". Please tell me why you think the GOP would ever allow it

and instead won't just make the Democratic party illegal. What would stop them? The Supreme Court? The Press?? It is to laugh.

This country has slit its own throat, and mark my words, there will never be another election except ones where the GOP mysteriously wins 95% of the vote, like Putin.