This week, unelected President Musk, unelected Vice President Russell Vought, and their elected Administrative Assistant Trump, and their non-confirmed cabinet members—Gavin Kliger (Age 25), Ethan Shaotran (Age 22), Edward Coristine (Age 19), Luke Farritor (Age 23), Gautier Cole Killian (Age 24), Akash Bobba (Age 21)—had a little hiccup in their war on democracy.
Apparently, Coristine, aka Big Balls, was fired from a previous job. He had, as reported by The New Republic, leaked company information online. Remember, this is one of the non-confirmed cabinet members working with unelected President Musk to conduct cyberattacks on many of our nation’s agencies tasked with important and sensitive work, keeping the government working for the people of the country. So far, they have hacked into USAID, the U.S. Treasury, Health and Human Services, and most recently the Department of Education. They have also infiltrated the Office of Personnel Management, apparently gaining access to highly sensitive information, such as banking information and social security numbers.
Former non-confirmed cabinet member, Marko Elez (Age 25), who had posted racist remarks on his socials and had left, might be rejoining the non-confirmed cabinet. The remarks were in regards to Asian-Indians. Even so, another Republican elected administrative assistant Vance, whose wife and two children are Asian-Indian, seems to be defending Elez and supporting Elez’s return to his former non-confirmed cabinet position.
So far we are finding this Republican administration of non-elected, non-confirmed, and elected officials can not be trusted with personal, financial, or top-secret information. All of which is making everyone one of us in our great country unsafe. With all of their power and money, it must be stated, they have done nothing to bring the price of kitchen table foods down in price (egg prices have increased dramatically), and gas prices have not dropped, which were promises made by the two elected administrative assistants Trump and Vance.
In other news, as kudos must be given when earned, it seems at least some of the Democrats are waking up, found their spines, and are fighting back against this infiltration of government agencies. There were protests outside the U.S. Treasury and USAID this week with several high ranking Democrats in attendance. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) went on national TV to warn of the dangers posed by the non-elected President and Vice President, and their non-confirmed cabinet members.
It also seems the public is slowly waking up to the danger we are in as a nation. Every state capitol in the Union saw protests on Wednesday’s 50 States, 50 Capitols, 50 Marches. Protest groups numbered from the 100’s to the 1,000’s around the country. Although I wasn’t able to participate this time, it was heartening to look out my window at work and see the parade of people who believe in the democracy experiment showing up for all of us.
One additional shout-out to Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). It seems, based on an Assembly Required podcast interview, Booker has been working with fellow senators on how to increase their reach and message through social media. If Booker was smart, he would enlist the help of AOC and Jasmine Crockett, who themselves can offer a master class in the use of social media and messaging.
This is a step in the right direction in moving away from an archaic system of legacy media, who is failing us so badly due to being owned by members of the American oligarchy. The legacy media, in large part, has bent the knee and are working hard to normalize the Republican regime. Independent media, influencers, social media, and podcasts are the new and only way to truly reach the masses. Just check the circulation of legacy newspapers and TV news to see how few people are tuning in to these outlets. Then look at the number of followers of social media influencers and podcast listeners. The new media is where people are hanging out, getting their news, and deciding how to get involved.
I’ve often said we all need to be involved in saving democracy in the ways which fit our lives and our comfort levels. These can be from blogging, to reposting on social media, to calling your elected officials, to letters to the editor, to donating to organizations, to marching in the streets. Nothing is too little or too much. Here are some ways to get involved from the comfort of your own homes over the next few weeks:
- Call your congressional members and let them know as one of the people they represent, not to vote to confirm Kash Patel, Tusli Gabbard, or Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Call this number and the switchboard will connect you to your representative or senator: 202-224-3121. Even if you don’t know who your members are, they will find them for you based on your address, which they will ask you to provide.
- Call the White House switchboard to express your disappointment in what is happening and that Musk must go: 202-456-1414 (switchboard) or 202-456-1111 (comments). I recommend the switchboard myself.
- Boycott watching the Super Bowl on TV since they bent the knee to remove the words, “End Racism,” after learning Trump would be in attendance. If you’ve bought your ticket to attend, please join in or start a loud booing when Trump arrives and is introduced, and even turn your back towards him. If you are feeling brave enough, remain seated during the national anthem as a symbolic “taking the knee.”
- Support the economic blackout on February 28. All day don’t buy from national chains or companies, such as Target, Amazon, or Walmart. If you must spend on that day, only buy from local small businesses to show the oligarchs we can survive without them, to hit them where it seems to hurt them the most, their pocketbooks. This time it will be for one day. If needed, the next will be for two, and then three, until big business realize the people are more important than the politicians to survive.
We are living in the most trying of times. It will most likely get worse before it gets better. The better is where we can help to get to by actively resisting in ways described above. If we remember and always keep in mind that there are more of us then of them, there is truly power in numbers. When we work together, there isn’t anything we can’t accomplish, including saving our democracy and freedoms for ourselves and the futures of our loved ones.
I invite you, as I will always do, to join me in the good fight and getting into some good trouble.
Let’s fight the fascists, the white Christian-nationalists, the nazis, and the oligarchs together!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 