Hey Rick, A quick suggestion from a fan and broadcast professional: Unless it's an attempt to foil AI image generators, it'd surely be nice if the big Shure SV7/SM7 mic wasn't partially obscuring your mouth when you're speaking in the video podcast setup. thanks. -KB
I couldn't believe the Department of Labor's "One Homeland. One People. One Heritage". Ein Volk. Ein Reich. Ein Fuhrer. Are the people in this maladministration fascists, or are they just plain stupid, with no knowledge of history?
If Congress won't vote to stop the lawless actions of ICE, the only tool for the Democrats is to refuse to fund this unaccountable administration and shut down the government. Let our supposed representatives in Congress understand, that most of us support the rule of law, and we know they have the means to do so.
The contrast between the Trump MAGA offensive and the Democratic response is stark. On the right, narrative clarity is extremely high, with a single frame repeated relentlessly across every available channel. Power is used aggressively rather than defensively, and media saturation is nearly total, spanning sympathetic outlets, social media, and forced coverage in mainstream news. Symbolic force is strong, discipline is tight, and the reach is national and effectively unavoidable.
By comparison, the Democratic response shows low narrative clarity and inconsistent repetition. Power is used cautiously and defensively, media presence is partial and episodic, and symbolic force is weak. Internal discipline is fragmented, with visible disagreements over goals and tactics, and the reach of the message is largely regional and selective rather than nationwide.
If Democrats want to be taken seriously, they need to act like a governing opposition rather than a chorus of concerned observers. That means choosing a small number of clear demands, repeating them relentlessly, and using real leverage such as funding deadlines and oversight power to force compliance. It means matching moral language with visible consequences, projecting unity rather than internal debate, and treating abuses of power as an emergency that requires confrontation, not patience. Stop managing the narrative and start dominating it. Use power while you still have it.
One additional point. The Democratic Party's approach (if you want to call it one) to the Trump/MAGA problem is optimized for normal democratic competition, where parties contest elections, institutions still function imperfectly but meaningfully, legitimacy erodes slowly, and voters ultimately arbitrate outcomes. But authoritarian advances do not operate on that timeline. They work by violating norms openly, daring opponents to respond, exploiting hesitation, and converting restraint into weakness. The historic failure in situations like this was not a failure of intelligence or good intentions, but a failure of diagnosis. Leaders believed they were managing instability, when in fact they were steadily conceding authority.
Getting Congress to block companies from knowing peoples’ locations might be successful given how 8 senators hope to make $500K a pop when their cell phone locations were used in Jan. 6 investigations. Good for the goose only?
Totally agree with Rick's statement, I have one question--- did you/do you condemn 'John Roberts's who has used his career and position to enable this clusterfuuck??? His role as a black robed "Quentin
Compson" from a steel plantation is most damming to the Constitution and it's inherent greatness in history.
Perhaps we can credit MTG for her apt description when she naively called the German storm troopers the Gazpacho Police. Since normally it is served ice cold these thugs could be ridiculed all over by renaming them the infamous GAZPACHO POLICE.
Not doing your part to save us from Trump and his vindictive conduct. Where are you? You should be there with the protesters. You should be as a group standing up for Democracy.
We don’t see you. Get out of your comfy office and do something.
I think, despite their demurrals, Trump, his administration, Heritage foundation&a healthy chunk of Republican legislators are secretly thrilled with the Nazi epithet.
The men manning this machine are not “heroes.” They are increasingly undertrained amateurs of low character, eager to express their loyalty to the regime with a bullet to the head, a baton across the skull, a bloody airbag, and a woman bleeding out while they block her from receiving medical care. They are the “masked men” who blocked medical aid to Good, denying a dying woman the chance to breathe while they staged their “injured officer” performance for the cameras. (Rick Wilson)
Please recognize not ONLY the citizens of this country, but also the legal residents and immigrants, of this country who are being abused, killed, shot and violated. They have contributed to the well being of this nation and believes in the US as much as we do before this MOTUS!!!
Hey Rick, A quick suggestion from a fan and broadcast professional: Unless it's an attempt to foil AI image generators, it'd surely be nice if the big Shure SV7/SM7 mic wasn't partially obscuring your mouth when you're speaking in the video podcast setup. thanks. -KB
I couldn't believe the Department of Labor's "One Homeland. One People. One Heritage". Ein Volk. Ein Reich. Ein Fuhrer. Are the people in this maladministration fascists, or are they just plain stupid, with no knowledge of history?
This was very difficult to watch. But I made it through. We must bear witness to these atrocities.
If Congress won't vote to stop the lawless actions of ICE, the only tool for the Democrats is to refuse to fund this unaccountable administration and shut down the government. Let our supposed representatives in Congress understand, that most of us support the rule of law, and we know they have the means to do so.
Wow, Rick. Very dark to watch but so very necessary. Thank you for your candid, truthful posts.
The contrast between the Trump MAGA offensive and the Democratic response is stark. On the right, narrative clarity is extremely high, with a single frame repeated relentlessly across every available channel. Power is used aggressively rather than defensively, and media saturation is nearly total, spanning sympathetic outlets, social media, and forced coverage in mainstream news. Symbolic force is strong, discipline is tight, and the reach is national and effectively unavoidable.
By comparison, the Democratic response shows low narrative clarity and inconsistent repetition. Power is used cautiously and defensively, media presence is partial and episodic, and symbolic force is weak. Internal discipline is fragmented, with visible disagreements over goals and tactics, and the reach of the message is largely regional and selective rather than nationwide.
If Democrats want to be taken seriously, they need to act like a governing opposition rather than a chorus of concerned observers. That means choosing a small number of clear demands, repeating them relentlessly, and using real leverage such as funding deadlines and oversight power to force compliance. It means matching moral language with visible consequences, projecting unity rather than internal debate, and treating abuses of power as an emergency that requires confrontation, not patience. Stop managing the narrative and start dominating it. Use power while you still have it.
One additional point. The Democratic Party's approach (if you want to call it one) to the Trump/MAGA problem is optimized for normal democratic competition, where parties contest elections, institutions still function imperfectly but meaningfully, legitimacy erodes slowly, and voters ultimately arbitrate outcomes. But authoritarian advances do not operate on that timeline. They work by violating norms openly, daring opponents to respond, exploiting hesitation, and converting restraint into weakness. The historic failure in situations like this was not a failure of intelligence or good intentions, but a failure of diagnosis. Leaders believed they were managing instability, when in fact they were steadily conceding authority.
Getting Congress to block companies from knowing peoples’ locations might be successful given how 8 senators hope to make $500K a pop when their cell phone locations were used in Jan. 6 investigations. Good for the goose only?
Totally agree with Rick's statement, I have one question--- did you/do you condemn 'John Roberts's who has used his career and position to enable this clusterfuuck??? His role as a black robed "Quentin
Compson" from a steel plantation is most damming to the Constitution and it's inherent greatness in history.
Frightening. OMG. How do we get Apple to keep our location private?
Turn off your phone and computer?
Perhaps we can credit MTG for her apt description when she naively called the German storm troopers the Gazpacho Police. Since normally it is served ice cold these thugs could be ridiculed all over by renaming them the infamous GAZPACHO POLICE.
Great and clearly-written column, Rick. Couldn't agree more.
Yes, Democratic leaders(?) you are
Not doing your part to save us from Trump and his vindictive conduct. Where are you? You should be there with the protesters. You should be as a group standing up for Democracy.
We don’t see you. Get out of your comfy office and do something.
I think, despite their demurrals, Trump, his administration, Heritage foundation&a healthy chunk of Republican legislators are secretly thrilled with the Nazi epithet.
Hit them again harder, dude.
The men manning this machine are not “heroes.” They are increasingly undertrained amateurs of low character, eager to express their loyalty to the regime with a bullet to the head, a baton across the skull, a bloody airbag, and a woman bleeding out while they block her from receiving medical care. They are the “masked men” who blocked medical aid to Good, denying a dying woman the chance to breathe while they staged their “injured officer” performance for the cameras. (Rick Wilson)
Please recognize not ONLY the citizens of this country, but also the legal residents and immigrants, of this country who are being abused, killed, shot and violated. They have contributed to the well being of this nation and believes in the US as much as we do before this MOTUS!!!