A Half hour with Heather Cox Richardson who can always be counted on for historically based reporting!

If you are concerned about the link, look her up on FB.

https://fb.watch/xwDR3I6n65/

Or, if you'd rather read her work, go to https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/

Click on the 'No thanks' link if you'd rather not subscribe.  

If you'd rather hear a different perspective, here is a Glenn Greenwald video that goes into detail about what USAID really does.  

I watched most of that HCR video and I wrote a long response on a different thread.  I won't repeat that here except to say that she makes misleading statements.  For starters, she says USAID is in the State Department.  It is now going to be moving into the State Department, but is currently operating independently.  This is what allows USAId to hide some of it's activities.  The funding for this CIA front was from the US and money from oligarchs. 

Another thing that bothered me about this video was her euphoric description of USAID as a force for good in the world.  The truth is that this agency was primarily for regime change operations. Even when they did nice things like dance parties or vaccination program--they would, at the same time, try to turn people against their government.  

Moving it into the State Department it will shrink it's size, no longer take money from oligarchs and be more transparent. Might still be an evil organization. 

nan said:

If you'd rather hear a different perspective, here is a Glenn Greenwald video that goes into detail about what USAID really does.  

I watched most of that HCR video and I wrote a long response on a different thread.  I won't repeat that here except to say that she makes misleading statements.  For starters, she says USAID is in the State Department.  It is now going to be moving into the State Department, but is currently operating independently.  This is what allows USAId to hide some of it's activities.  The funding for this CIA front was from the US and money from oligarchs. 

Another thing that bothered me about this video was her euphoric description of USAID as a force for good in the world.  The truth is that this agency was primarily for regime change operations. Even when they did nice things like dance parties or vaccination program--they would, at the same time, try to turn people against their government.  

Moving it into the State Department it will shrink it's size, no longer take money from oligarchs and be more transparent. Might still be an evil organization. 

how dare you post greenwald as counter to richardson.

it's absurd, but then so is everything else that's going on, which doesn't seem to disturb you in the silence.

drummerboy said:

how dare you post greenwald as counter to richardson.

it's absurd, but then so is everything else that's going on, which doesn't seem to disturb you in the silence.

I think Glenn Greenwald is brilliant, but clearly you have not watched the video because it was a discussion with Mike Benz.  Here is one without Glenn Greenwald that came out today:  Follow the money. . .

nan said:

drummerboy said:

how dare you post greenwald as counter to richardson.

it's absurd, but then so is everything else that's going on, which doesn't seem to disturb you in the silence.

I think Glenn Greenwald is brilliant, but clearly you have not watched the video because it was a discussion with Mike Benz.  Here is one without Glenn Greenwald that came out today:  Follow the money. . .

geezus,

even if they are a "criminal organization" how can your focus not be on what's happening to it and the way it's happening.

everything else pales in comparison. you people are truly grotesque.

all of you are abetting them. don't you see that? it makes you as criminal as they are.

drummerboy said:

geezus,

even if they are a "criminal organization" how can your focus not be on what's happening to it and the way it's happening.

everything else pales in comparison. you people are truly grotesque.

all of you are abetting them. don't you see that? it makes you as criminal as they are.

They did a surprise audit on a criminal organization.  I don't know if it was legal but if not there will be lawsuits and they will be found guilty. 

The crimes committed by the agency need to be brought to light.  Contrary to what you have said, they are using US taxpayer dollars.  

nan said:

drummerboy said:

geezus,

even if they are a "criminal organization" how can your focus not be on what's happening to it and the way it's happening.

everything else pales in comparison. you people are truly grotesque.

all of you are abetting them. don't you see that? it makes you as criminal as they are.

They did a surprise audit on a criminal organization.  I don't know if it was legal but if not there will be lawsuits and they will be found guilty. 

The crimes committed by the agency need to be brought to light.  Contrary to what you have said, they are using US taxpayer dollars.  

no. the government does not use tax dollars to pay for anything. it doesn't work that way.

it'll be funny when Musk finds out that MMT is accurate. I wonder what he'll do.

as for them being found guilty of their most obvious and clear crimes - by who?

The DOJ?

Pam Biondi?

LMAO

this is how the coup works.

you really need to pay attention.

drummerboy said:

no. the government does not use tax dollars to pay for anything. it doesn't work that way.

it'll be funny when Musk finds out that MMT is accurate. I wonder what he'll do.

as for them being found guilty of their most obvious and clear crimes - by who?

The DOJ?

Pam Biondi?

LMAO

this is how the coup works.

you really need to pay attention.

USAID uses tax dollars (and other money).  It gets paid through the Treasury.  The Treasury has the tax money. That's why they went to the Treasury. 

This is not a coup.  Trump was elected and Musk is operating at his command.  It's a direct attack on the deep state.  USAID is the heart of the deep state.  Trump sent Musk in to tear out the heart and drag it to the State Department Cave where Rubio will be the new watch dog.  They are also cleaning out certain FBI personal and maybe CIA too.  

Russiagate has a hell of an ending.  Shoot out at the OK corral. 

nan said:

drummerboy said:

no. the government does not use tax dollars to pay for anything. it doesn't work that way.

it'll be funny when Musk finds out that MMT is accurate. I wonder what he'll do.

as for them being found guilty of their most obvious and clear crimes - by who?

The DOJ?

Pam Biondi?

LMAO

this is how the coup works.

you really need to pay attention.

USAID uses tax dollars (and other money).  It gets paid through the Treasury.  The Treasury has the tax money. That's why they went to the Treasury. 

This is not a coup.  Trump was elected and Musk is operating at his command.  It's a direct attack on the deep state.  USAID is the heart of the deep state.  Trump sent Musk in to tear out the heart and drag it to the State Department Cave where Rubio will be the new watch dog.  They are also cleaning out certain FBI personal and maybe CIA too.  

Russiagate has a hell of an ending.  Shoot out at the OK corral. 

again. MAGA thanks you for your support.

Most Wednesday mornings, I have coffee with a group of guys who had all lived in Maplewood and South Orange when we first met, but some have relocated since. However, our gathering is on Zoom (we're a bunch of boomers on Zoom), so we can still get together like that. This morning, one was talking about his niece and her husband, who met years ago in the Peace Corps, and for 20 years have lived abroad working on aid programs in Africa with USAID. They've been told to pack it up because of Trump and Elon (Obligatory boilerplate: acknowledging Musk's past and current role in the transition to an emissions-free world via Tesla and Tesla Energy) and whatever scheme they're running.

Which is just another reason why I'm disgusted by videos from slandering lowlife grifters who have discovered that badmouthing USAID is a new way to attract attention and donations from resentful, gullible people.

Nan apparently doesn’t understand that if the U.S. government wants to fund efforts to subvert foreign governments, it is going to happen. USAID has nothing to do with it. Ah, the mind of a two year old having a tantrum. Meanwhile good programs helping people have been disrupted. 

drummerboy said:

again. MAGA thanks you for your support.

I support dumping USAID and the Ukraine conflict. I hate what they are doing in Gaza and to education. Unlike you I’m not a robot sheep with terminal TDS. 

tjohn said:

Nan apparently doesn’t understand that if the U.S. government wants to fund efforts to subvert foreign governments, it is going to happen. USAID has nothing to do with it. Ah, the mind of a two year old having a tantrum. Meanwhile good programs helping people have been disrupted. 

I understand that perfectly and I have said so. But this is a huge shrinking of those projects and at least some sunlight into the sausage factory. 

nohero said:

Most Wednesday mornings, I have coffee with a group of guys who had all lived in Maplewood and South Orange when we first met, but some have relocated since. However, our gathering is on Zoom (we're a bunch of boomers on Zoom), so we can still get together like that. This morning, one was talking about his niece and her husband, who met years ago in the Peace Corps, and for 20 years have lived abroad working on aid programs in Africa with USAID. They've been told to pack it up because of Trump and Elon (Obligatory boilerplate: acknowledging Musk's past and current role in the transition to an emissions-free world via Tesla and Tesla Energy) and whatever scheme they're running.

Which is just another reason why I'm disgusted by videos from slandering lowlife grifters who have discovered that badmouthing USAID is a new way to attract attention and donations from resentful, gullible people.

The big grift are people telling us that USAID was an innocent mission of goodwill. 

nan said:

I hate what they are doing in Gaza

Did you hate what they were doing in Gaza before Putin condemned it this morning or were you waiting to find out how you were going to feel about it?

I am reminded of the mental gymnastics undertaken by American communists in 1939 and 1941 when Hitler signed his non aggression treaty with the USSR and then violated it in the most explicit way imaginable. There's a reason no one here takes you seriously.

nan said:

nohero said:

Most Wednesday mornings, I have coffee with a group of guys who had all lived in Maplewood and South Orange when we first met, but some have relocated since. However, our gathering is on Zoom (we're a bunch of boomers on Zoom), so we can still get together like that. This morning, one was talking about his niece and her husband, who met years ago in the Peace Corps, and for 20 years have lived abroad working on aid programs in Africa with USAID. They've been told to pack it up because of Trump and Elon (Obligatory boilerplate: acknowledging Musk's past and current role in the transition to an emissions-free world via Tesla and Tesla Energy) and whatever scheme they're running.

Which is just another reason why I'm disgusted by videos from slandering lowlife grifters who have discovered that badmouthing USAID is a new way to attract attention and donations from resentful, gullible people.

The big grift are people telling us that USAID was an innocent mission of goodwill. 

It's just so easy for people to sit in their nice little suburban NJ house and slander people of good will like that, isn't it?

GoSlugs said:

Did you hate what they were doing in Gaza before Putin condemned it this morning or were you waiting to find out how you were going to feel about it?

I am reminded of the mental gymnastics undertaken by American communists in 1939 and 1941 when Hitler signed his non aggression treaty with the USSR and then violated it in the most explicit way imaginable. There's a reason no one here takes you seriously.

I did not know Putin condemned it this morning. Evidently you are paying more attention to Putin than I am. Interesting. Are you a spy slug?

nohero said:

It's just so easy for people to sit in their nice little suburban NJ house and slander people of good will like that, isn't it?

it’s not that nice of a house and I’m not slandering anyone. Just pointing out again that USAID was for the most part a nefarious organization. You are trying to misrepresent what it does. 

nan said:

drummerboy said:

again. MAGA thanks you for your support.

I support dumping USAID and the Ukraine conflict. I hate what they are doing in Gaza and to education. Unlike you I’m not a robot sheep with terminal TDS. 

so you support overthrowing it by the action of an idiot oligarch who bought his way into the government, on the orders of an idiot king, rather than by rule of law.

just want to make sure we're on the same page.

keep it up, your true colors are showing more and more.

again. MAGA thanks you for your support.

no number of useful idiots is too large for them.

nan said:

nohero said:

It's just so easy for people to sit in their nice little suburban NJ house and slander people of good will like that, isn't it?

it’s not that nice of a house and I’m not slandering anyone. Just pointing out again that USAID was for the most part a nefarious organization. You are trying to misrepresent what it does. 

That's obviously not what's in my posts, but apparently misrepresenting what people write here is allowed for any of the Musk defenders.

I highly encourage that you listen to Heather Cox Richardson Chilling! It's an Hour!

https://www.facebook.com/stories/169093401252567/UzpfSVNDOjEzNzI3MjYxMzA0MDgyNjg=/?view_single=1

Also On Stupidity from David Brooks

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/opinion/trump-executive-orders.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uk4.0uvm.aWILTrsNPh8k&smid=url-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawIQdw9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHflxdaNGSP-dvYIHBOqbJ46hNoFzg442-cVBeGwG8HvKwwwgoGKlehjJVA_aem_i2XPbl5D0wuwbufwxW3KjQ

MAGAts are gonna love this:

Many of these took place even before he was elected i 2016.  A wise older friend:

You don't get better as you age, you just become MORE so.

A real question from a Trump supporter: ‘Why do liberals think Trump supporters are stupid?’THE SERIOUS ANSWER: Here’s what the majority of anti-Trump voters honestly feel about Trump supporters en masse:

That when you saw a man who had owned a fraudulent University, intent on scamming poor people, you thought "Fine." (https://www.usatoday.com/.../trump-university.../502387002/)

That when you saw a man who had made it his business practice to stiff his creditors, you said, "Okay." (https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-hotel-paid-millions...)

That when you heard him proudly brag about his own history of sexual abuse, you said, "No problem." (https://abcnews.go.com/.../list-trumps-accusers.../story...)

That when he made up stories about seeing Muslim-Americans in the thousands cheering the destruction of the World Trade Center, you said, "Not an issue." (https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../donald-trumps.../)

That when you saw him brag that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue and you wouldn't care, you exclaimed, "He sure knows me." (https://www.usatoday.com/.../president-donald.../4073405002/)

That when you heard him relating a story of an elderly guest of his country club, an 80-year old man, who fell off a stage and hit his head, to Trump replied: “‘Oh my God, that’s disgusting,’ and I turned away. I couldn’t—you know, he was right in front of me, and I turned away. I didn’t want to touch him. He was bleeding all over the place. And I felt terrible, because it was a beautiful white marble floor, and now it had changed color. Became very red.” You said, "That's cool!" (https://www.gq.com/story/donald-trump-howard-stern-story)

That when you saw him mock the disabled, you thought it was the funniest thing you ever saw. (https://www.nbcnews.com/.../donald-trump-criticized-after...)

That when you heard him brag that he doesn't read books, you said, "Well, who has time?" (https://www.theatlantic.com/.../americas-first.../549794/)

That when the Central Park Five were compensated as innocent men convicted of a crime they didn't commit, and he angrily said that they should still be in prison, you said, "That makes sense." (https://www.usatoday.com/.../what-trump-has.../1501321001/)

That when you heard him tell his supporters to beat up protesters and that he would hire attorneys, you thought, "Yes!" (https://www.latimes.com/.../la-na-trump-campaign-protests...)

That when you heard him tell one rally to confiscate a man's coat before throwing him out into the freezing cold, you said, "What a great guy!" (https://www.independent.co.uk/.../donald-trump-orders...)

That you have watched the parade of neo-Nazis and white supremacists with whom he curries favor, while refusing to condemn outright Nazis, and you have said, "Thumbs up!" (https://www.theatlantic.com/.../why-cant-trump.../567320/)

That you hear him unable to talk to foreign dignitaries without insulting their countries and demanding that they praise his electoral win, you said, "That's the way I want my President to be." (https://www.huffpost.com/.../trump-insult-foreign...)

That you have watched him remove expertise from all layers of government in favor of people who make money off of eliminating protections in the industries they're supposed to be regulating and you have said, "What a genius!" (https://www.politico.com/.../138-trump-policy-changes...)

That you have heard him continue to profit from his businesses, in part by leveraging his position as President, to the point of overcharging the Secret Service for space in the properties he owns, and you have said, "That's smart!" (https://www.usnews.com/.../how-is-donald-trump-profiting...)

That you have heard him say that it was difficult to help Puerto Rico because it was in the middle of water and you have said, "That makes sense." (https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../the-very-big-ocean.../)

That you have seen him start fights with every country from Canada to New Zealand while praising Russia and quote, "falling in love" with the dictator of North Korea, and you have said, "That's statesmanship!" (_gt9T5slrCp2KOLUL6tIOFMxUJwqn_D-N1ZlmPDxy9CWLKgPNhg&__tn__=-UK-y-R&c[0]=AT3PacAwF8icCZVWXsMzMH8-QDw7IULDSm_28gg3JYrebXEs5O1aXEjmP7ydhBO4rK6hk14nXDyuK8oMrTVH1mfYjZoD8jrWEyLJTtwpPhs5ZTUschd-eqRLDvccYmN_qxP7jQmd_zFLC7NB-VxSXMIO432lDYO4IyC2EZ2YzGC1jEdBQJzwMCCHtNLQ-TuzYFqA1dUGIzUsCJEcrXtt98Lx" rel="nofollow" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.cnn.com/.../donald-trump-dictators.../index.html)

That Trump separated children from their families and put them in cages, managed to lose track of 1500 kids, has opened a tent city incarceration camp in the desert in Texas - he explains that they’re just “animals” - and you say, “Well, OK then.” (https://www.nbcnews.com/.../more-5-400-children-split...)

That you have witnessed all the thousand and one other manifestations of corruption and low moral character and outright animalistic rudeness and contempt for you, the working American voter, and you still show up grinning and wearing your MAGA hats and threatening to beat up anybody who says otherwise. (https://www.americanprogress.org/.../confronting-cost.../)

What you don't get, Trump supporters, is that our succumbing to frustration and shaking our heads, thinking of you as stupid, may very well be wrong and unhelpful, but it's also... hear me... charitable. Because if you're NOT stupid, we must turn to other explanations, and most of them are less flattering.- 

To all who agree with its content, I ask that you PLEASE SHARE IT on your own post, and ENCOURAGE OTHERS to do the same.)

Any chance, transcript of the HCR talk??  I appreciate her Substack writing, but can't cope with long talk... (fussy i guess)

drummerboy said:

so you support overthrowing it by the action of an idiot oligarch who bought his way into the government, on the orders of an idiot king, rather than by rule of law.

just want to make sure we're on the same page.

keep it up, your true colors are showing more and more.

again. MAGA thanks you for your support.

no number of useful idiots is too large for them.

We are not on the same page. We are not even in the same book. 

mjc said:

Any chance, transcript of the HCR talk??  I appreciate her Substack writing, but can't cope with long talk... (fussy i guess)

She writes these almost daily . You should subscribe:

https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/february-4-2025?r=d1f2l&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

rcarter31 said:

MAGAts are gonna love this:

Many of these took place even before he was elected i 2016.  A wise older friend:

You don't get better as you age, you just become MORE so.

A real question from a Trump supporter: ‘Why do liberals think Trump supporters are stupid?’THE SERIOUS ANSWER: Here’s what the majority of anti-Trump voters honestly feel about Trump supporters en masse:

That when you saw a man who had owned a fraudulent University, intent on scamming poor people, you thought "Fine." (https://www.usatoday.com/.../trump-university.../502387002/)

That when you saw a man who had made it his business practice to stiff his creditors, you said, "Okay." (https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-hotel-paid-millions...)

That when you heard him proudly brag about his own history of sexual abuse, you said, "No problem." (https://abcnews.go.com/.../list-trumps-accusers.../story...)

That when he made up stories about seeing Muslim-Americans in the thousands cheering the destruction of the World Trade Center, you said, "Not an issue." (https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../donald-trumps.../)

That when you saw him brag that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue and you wouldn't care, you exclaimed, "He sure knows me." (https://www.usatoday.com/.../president-donald.../4073405002/)

That when you heard him relating a story of an elderly guest of his country club, an 80-year old man, who fell off a stage and hit his head, to Trump replied: “‘Oh my God, that’s disgusting,’ and I turned away. I couldn’t—you know, he was right in front of me, and I turned away. I didn’t want to touch him. He was bleeding all over the place. And I felt terrible, because it was a beautiful white marble floor, and now it had changed color. Became very red.” You said, "That's cool!" (https://www.gq.com/story/donald-trump-howard-stern-story)

That when you saw him mock the disabled, you thought it was the funniest thing you ever saw. (https://www.nbcnews.com/.../donald-trump-criticized-after...)

That when you heard him brag that he doesn't read books, you said, "Well, who has time?" (https://www.theatlantic.com/.../americas-first.../549794/)

That when the Central Park Five were compensated as innocent men convicted of a crime they didn't commit, and he angrily said that they should still be in prison, you said, "That makes sense." (https://www.usatoday.com/.../what-trump-has.../1501321001/)

That when you heard him tell his supporters to beat up protesters and that he would hire attorneys, you thought, "Yes!" (https://www.latimes.com/.../la-na-trump-campaign-protests...)

That when you heard him tell one rally to confiscate a man's coat before throwing him out into the freezing cold, you said, "What a great guy!" (https://www.independent.co.uk/.../donald-trump-orders...)

That you have watched the parade of neo-Nazis and white supremacists with whom he curries favor, while refusing to condemn outright Nazis, and you have said, "Thumbs up!" (https://www.theatlantic.com/.../why-cant-trump.../567320/)

That you hear him unable to talk to foreign dignitaries without insulting their countries and demanding that they praise his electoral win, you said, "That's the way I want my President to be." (https://www.huffpost.com/.../trump-insult-foreign...)

That you have watched him remove expertise from all layers of government in favor of people who make money off of eliminating protections in the industries they're supposed to be regulating and you have said, "What a genius!" (https://www.politico.com/.../138-trump-policy-changes...)

That you have heard him continue to profit from his businesses, in part by leveraging his position as President, to the point of overcharging the Secret Service for space in the properties he owns, and you have said, "That's smart!" (https://www.usnews.com/.../how-is-donald-trump-profiting...)

That you have heard him say that it was difficult to help Puerto Rico because it was in the middle of water and you have said, "That makes sense." (https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../the-very-big-ocean.../)

That you have seen him start fights with every country from Canada to New Zealand while praising Russia and quote, "falling in love" with the dictator of North Korea, and you have said, "That's statesmanship!" (_gt9T5slrCp2KOLUL6tIOFMxUJwqn_D-N1ZlmPDxy9CWLKgPNhg&__tn__=-UK-y-R&c[0]=AT3PacAwF8icCZVWXsMzMH8-QDw7IULDSm_28gg3JYrebXEs5O1aXEjmP7ydhBO4rK6hk14nXDyuK8oMrTVH1mfYjZoD8jrWEyLJTtwpPhs5ZTUschd-eqRLDvccYmN_qxP7jQmd_zFLC7NB-VxSXMIO432lDYO4IyC2EZ2YzGC1jEdBQJzwMCCHtNLQ-TuzYFqA1dUGIzUsCJEcrXtt98Lx" rel="nofollow" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.cnn.com/.../donald-trump-dictators.../index.html)

That Trump separated children from their families and put them in cages, managed to lose track of 1500 kids, has opened a tent city incarceration camp in the desert in Texas - he explains that they’re just “animals” - and you say, “Well, OK then.” (https://www.nbcnews.com/.../more-5-400-children-split...)

That you have witnessed all the thousand and one other manifestations of corruption and low moral character and outright animalistic rudeness and contempt for you, the working American voter, and you still show up grinning and wearing your MAGA hats and threatening to beat up anybody who says otherwise. (https://www.americanprogress.org/.../confronting-cost.../)

What you don't get, Trump supporters, is that our succumbing to frustration and shaking our heads, thinking of you as stupid, may very well be wrong and unhelpful, but it's also... hear me... charitable. Because if you're NOT stupid, we must turn to other explanations, and most of them are less flattering.- 

To all who agree with its content, I ask that you PLEASE SHARE IT on your own post, and ENCOURAGE OTHERS to do the same.)

These are negative things for sure, but he just shut down the CIAs biggest regime change organization, stopping some of the most atrocious actions of the US government. Never thought I would see that. Countless misery abandoned and lives saved.  Maybe instead of mindlessly cutting and pasting and spamming from long ago, you could focus on what he is doing in his second term. There is lots to complain about but we were never going to get a USAID audit under Biden/Harris. They were cheerleaders for regime change. 

nan said:

drummerboy said:

so you support overthrowing it by the action of an idiot oligarch who bought his way into the government, on the orders of an idiot king, rather than by rule of law.

just want to make sure we're on the same page.

keep it up, your true colors are showing more and more.

again. MAGA thanks you for your support.

no number of useful idiots is too large for them.

We are not on the same page. We are not even in the same book. 

well, yeah. you're on the page with the fascists. Or whatever the **** you want to call them.

I'm on the page called rule of law.

btw, Trump/Musk could give a **** about USAID spending. This a test to see if they can actually simply dismantle the government by fiat. And whatever they publicly object to has got nothing to do with what you and your useful-idiots object to.

But again, they thank you for your support. The check's in the mail.

drummerboy said:

well, yeah. you're on the page with the fascists. Or whatever the **** you want to call them.

I'm on the page called rule of law.

btw, Trump/Musk could give a **** about USAID spending. This a test to see if they can actually simply dismantle the government by fiat. And whatever they publicly object to has got nothing to do with what you and your useful-idiots object to.

But again, they thank you for your support. The check's in the mail.

Classic TDS. Textbook case.