The beginning of the end
 

Now that the media is referring to Musk as President Musk and Trump as Vice President Trump this could be the beginning of the big clash between the two. Trumps ego will not be able to handle it.

Musk still owns X, so guessing he is still safe.

You could be right but I still think the presidency is not big enough for two giant egos.

One is light years ahead in the intelligent department. Able to play the other more skillfully and with plenty of helping hands willing to inflate Trumps ego. So he will be around for awhile longer.

It is not, but Musk does not need Trump and Trump needs Musk. If Musk delivers Lara Trump's the Senate appointment, Trump will be putty in Musk's hands.

Remains to be seen how much sway Musk has over DeSantis who will need him in 2028 and Musk will play the long games while corralling the Tech Moguls to his side.

Lets not forget, Trump is now a one term president unless he attains a Putinesque stature.

I read someone saying "President Musk and First Lady Trump" :)

That would make for a great 'X'Mas greeting card picture.
Trump it seems is sporting a new hairpiece (his Boris Johnson look?) and already wears makeup, so who can tell?

Attachment 4359 https://i.pinimg.com/736x/cc/4d/56/c...montgomery.jpg

Don't despair, we'll get through this Barbara.

Yes, we will get through this but at what cost? The world is laughing at us as Trump destroys the country.

It's been a VERY long time since I've visited PC, and, after a brief perusal, it seems that intelligent, sane people are as outraged as I am over the coup going on. The question remains: What to do about it?

Protests and boycotts can be effective---to a point. But, more is needed. A truly organized opposition is likely to be the only solution. With the wholesale stripping of vital government agencies, it my well be time to establish an "alternative government"...a "government in exile" as it were.

There's thousands of people who were intimately involved in the day-to-day operation of our government...and their dismissals are going to hurt EVERYONE. Organized non-violent pressure...particularly directed at those who stood by and let this happen is one possible avenue. We are going to need those who've been ousted to put things back together. Again, organization is KEY.

What coup?

There was an election and the guy got the majority of the voters and the electoral college.

49.8% is not a majority. And, given the large number of non-voters, the actual margin is much smaller. How it happened is simple: Musk determined how much the presidency cost and paid the going rate. Not calling it a coup is merely splitting hairs.

He got more votes than Democrats and fulfilled the requirements of the electoral college. The election was officially ratified. Coup...what coup?

Welcome back, John.

What I can't stop laughing about is the outraged constituents gathering to curse out their representatives at town halls in deep red states in districts that went 60% or more for Trump. He's doing exactly what you chuckleheads elected him to do. How stupid did you have to be to think none of it would affect you in your little white Christian Wonderbread bubble?

Yes welcome.

The use of the term coup for what is now happening fits in many ways. Not in the classic use of violence by the military rather one of brute political force. Where they remold the country to their liking with little regard to other branches of government or laws and populace.


On what we can or need to be doing. Not much right now I feel. Until the Courts have a final say.

Seeing the reaction and results.

It does not fit in any present way. The way it could fit if the power of the courts was removed. That has not happened.
If coup is used metaphorically, it is not correct.

Keep those blinders screwed down tight, Dondi.

What DOGE is doing (at Social Security, IRS and Labor) is a coup to seize the IT infrastructure and data of the country and its citizens in service of a wet dream to destroy American democracy and replace it with a monarchy of sorts with a figurehead strongman like Trump as the head of state and a techbro as its CEO with the objective of replacing government as we know it with IT, the dollar with cybercurrency and the Fed with some sort of totally unregulated cyberbank. And they garner support for this plan among the hoi polloi by appealing to their ingrained racism, homophobia, ethnocentricity and general feelings of resentment. I know it sounds far-fetched, but this is indeed an accurate two-sentence description of their plan/fantasy.

Read a bit about J. D. Vance, Peter Thiel and their intellectual guiding lights, Curtis Yarvin and Patrick Deneen. Here's a good primer on their plans for this futuristic hellscape (though knowing your inclinations, you may consider it a utopia).

https://www.politico.com/news/magazi...ement-00177203

And it is indeed definitionally a coup if one sees it as a continuation of what was attempted on Jan. 6, this time by subterfuge instead of election fraud and violence. I would like to think you're intelligent enough to recognize this, but your blinders are strapped on pretty tight.

Donald was elected (though not freely and fairly) to the office of President. He was not elected king. No matter what the rogue Supreme Court says, he has no legitimate right to ignore the laws and the Constitution and rule by decree. It is a coup and just about 100% of the Republican members of Congress are accomplices or co-conspirators. Elon Musk, of course, was not elected to anything.

Hear, here!

This is a hostile takeover of USA Inc.
Musk provided the financial muscle and installed Trump as his puppet while he wields the real power. Who has been calling the shots except for the DOD?

a hostile takeover: Did someone seize power from Trump?

Musk provided the financial muscle and installed Trump as his puppet: What's new?

Musk's and Murdoch's control of much of the media and Trump's willingness to let Elon run wild.

It is impossible to explain the sheer insanity of Musk having the capability to email the entire federal government without getting approval from anyone—and, apparently, against the wishes of most Cabinet departments. Moreover, his new server with the email addresses of all federal employees provides the perfect vehicle for some devious hacker to engage in a massive phishing exploit of government systems.

Elon Musk isn't a dimwit, but he isn't particularly intelligent.

Intelligent enough to find a way to monetize and sell a product. See opportunities and use them to his advantage. Much akin to what he is doing right now.
For instance firing all these union gov jobs to be replaced with sub contractor employees no benefits retirement ..... by a management company ran by you know who....

USA should do away with political donations, it make the presidency a for sale item where it goes to the highest bidder.

Can be bought by the rich, including billionaires and dictators alike.

Unfortunately our Supreme Court decided otherwise in a landmark case Citizens United.

Yes, as we always do. Despite all odds, we somehow survived the Biden White House and dodged the bullet like Trump at the podium in not having to tolerate Harris.

We've also survived Carter, Nixon, Roosevelt, Wilson, and a lot of other unqualified buffoons, and they haven't beaten us yet. One blow-hard New Yorker isn't going to ruin everything.

He certainly seems determined to ruin everything.

The ex-New Yorker has a lot more help this time.

What should be more scary, keeping us up at night. Just what will be the action or actions that finally breaks the fever on this cult? Or makes it loose it's luster over the party in charge?

MAGA Media would have to start being honest and that ain't gonna happen.

We I believe are more worried about the South Afrikan Nazi than the said ex-New Yorker.

The ony thing that will break apart MAGA is for felon to be gone. Musk, Vance, Jesus Johnson, Banning, Kirk, Posobiec don't have the cult leader "genes" for lack of a better term.
Each of them will try but it will create more splitting than unifying.

I take comfort in knowing bar some unfortunate incident I will outlive him, and if I ever get the chance, piss on his grave.

One day I'll have to visit Tricky's gravesite and pay my respects. :D I certainly spent some time in front of the White House when he was in office. May Day 1970 or thereabouts ~.

They could sell tickets for that. In fact, his kids would find that a great idea!