The Only Thing To Fear Is …

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fear itself — *FDR 1941
cold snowy weather — DJT 2025

Attribution: Cold Forces Inauguration Indoors, Dictator Delay by Rick McKee, CagleCartoons.com

*A man in a wheelchair whose inauguration that year was held outside in the 20s.

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58 thoughts on “The Only Thing To Fear Is …”

  1. David Horsey’s The day is upon us | The Seattle Times
    https://images.seattletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Inauguration-ONLINE-FULL-SIZE.jpg?d=780×488

    IN THE NEWS: On Monday, the first convicted felon to be elected president will be sworn in as the nation’s 47th commander in chief.

    Donald Trump will raise his right hand and swear to defend the constitution, even as he stands on a portico on the west side of the Capitol building upon which he unleashed a violent mob four years ago in an attempt to overturn a free and fair election. Among those with exclusive seats at this ceremony will be Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and other admiring tech billionaires who once shunned Trump. And Trump will take office knowing that most, if not all, of his controversial and unqualified Cabinet picks are heading for confirmation by a compliant, Republican-controlled Senate.

    Trump’s inauguration will be the culmination of the most astounding political comeback in American history and the beginning of a presidency that may permanently alter the nature of our republic.

    Buckle up; it’s going to be a wild ride.

  2. sit back, sip your morning cuppa and enjoy some old-fashioned conversation with the Jons

    For the debut episode of The Weekly Show in 2025, Jon Stewart welcomes historian Jon Meacham. Together, they explore the potential consequences of a second Trump presidency. Meacham’s historical perspective helps illuminate whether Trump’s rhetoric on territorial expansion and his billionaire support truly represent something unique in American politics. The conversation also touches on the legacy of Joe Biden and what history might reveal about the future direction of the country.

  9. You should be as furious as i am that Walz lobbied for the VP selection and couldn’t answer two very simple questions about his background, fuckin’ amateur hour

  11. Anon – It was the Gaza/non-vote, not Tim Walz. It was the Russian bits pushing the Gaza narratives to folks who probably couldn’t find the area on a map.

  12. i got sent a clip of Walz during the campaign by a maga and it was him in fresh-off-the-rack hunting gear not being able to operate the gun he was holding, one brief clip and any benefit he could have brought to the ticket, neutralized

    All that said, i don’t know that the Dem brand was redeemable whoever was on the ticket, dissolve it

  14. Anon – BS. Everyone needs new gear once in awhile, and he was in the National Guard for decades and could assemble, use, and break down a gun. The MAGAt/incel/Russians were going to have to undermine him any way they could, because he’s a white, Christian male.

    Also, why is this an issue now? There’s a bigger, fat, orange fish to fry.

    Craig – Same with going after Biden now. What’s done is done. I’m not sure extra time for Harris to campaign (or others to try for a nomination) would’ve done anything. Elon & Putin were going to work to get tRUMPsky elected…by any means.

    Now, we do our best to resist the new administration whenever necessary, in whatever small way possible.

  15. I am done with post mortem and blame throwing. On twit the russian bots are continuing at forcing it and it is not going to change anything. It is time for pulling up the big girl panties and fight for 2026 and 2028. Considering how tight the House is it will not take many of the r’s leaving to change it over to Dem. Campaigns to flip seats and hold seats need to be active right now.

    We have a great need to plan the fight on sfb declaring martial law and being dictator.

  16. trump’s not a conservative, that’s just where the power vacuum was

    it’s not like libs coordinate messaging anyway, but there are opportunities there, gotta swallow a whole bowlful of pride to realize them

  17. love ya all, but you’re calling for resistance against the people with guns who actually coordinate with each other

    We had an easy way, it’s called an ‘election’ and we lost it soooooo badly

  20. Anon – Resist means a number things, like being an ally to others, gifting “banned” books to the youngs in your life, voting (if we’re ever allowed, again), and continuing to tell the truth about the fascist takeover of our country, even when many don’t want to believe it. Resistance looks like a lot of things, even managing your peace and finding something better to do on Monday than watch it unfold in real time.

    They continue to distract and divide. It’s up to us to not be distracted…which can be difficult.

  23. Deny? Defend? Depose? LoL

    Nothing wrong with the word resist.

    We, the unchanged, continue to resist fascism.

    Watching “The Young Mr. Lincoln” for the first time, and hearing Henry Fonda’a voice come outta that Lincolnesque face is weird.

  25. I support a progressive policy agenda like y’all, but I have no motivation to defend entrenched Democrats that just screwed the pooch in what they told me was the most consequential election of my lifetime and I believed them and still do

    Way to blow the most consequential election of my lifetime you dirty, rotten…

  26. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/17/trump-ice-raid-chicago-report

    “Donald Trump’s incoming presidential administration plans to launch a large immigration raid in Chicago the day after he takes office…”

    “We’re going to be doing operations all across the country,” the person said. “You’re going to see arrests in New York. You’re going to see arrests in Miami.”

    “Trump’s incoming border czar, Tom Homan, told an event in Chicago that the administration was “going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois”, the Journal reported.

  27. Deny giving fascism a safe haven.
    Defend democracy in any way possible.
    Depose the bastards at the ballot.

    There’s a difference between not defending the old guard and focusing its shortcomings instead of focusing on the daily battles ahead.

  28. Countless books have been written on the “power of gratitude” and the importance of counting your blessings, but that sentiment may feel like cold comfort during the coronavirus pandemic, when blessings have often seemed scant. Refusing to look at life’s darkness and avoiding uncomfortable experiences can be detrimental to mental health. This “toxic positivity” is ultimately a denial of reality. Telling someone to “stay positive” in the middle of a global crisis is missing out on an opportunity for growth, not to mention likely to backfire and only make them feel worse. As the gratitude researcher Robert Emmons of UC Davis writes, “To deny that life has its share of disappointments, frustrations, losses, hurts, setbacks, and sadness would be unrealistic and untenable. Life is suffering. No amount of positive thinking exercises will change this truth.”

    https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/08/tragic-optimism-opposite-toxic-positivity/619786/?

  29. Real fear: the crypto-thing is “funny money” for now, but what when we’re all forced to use our real salaries and savings to buy it?

  30. “OPERATION ‘TANK THE INAUGURATION’

    “To tank the inauguration TV ratings (something the orange guy values a lot) we were advised to keep the TV on but have it on HGTV, the Food Channel, or National Geographic – any channel that IS NOT broadcasting the inauguration.”

    “Nielson counts the number of TVs on and what station (program) we are watching. The goal is to have as many TVs on as possible but not tuned into the inauguration – which, in turn, will suppress the inauguration ratings. Keep all your TVs on and tuned to other channels.”

    “That’s a form of resistance we can all show that day.”

    “We can and WILL resist!”

    https://substack.com/@wearespeaking/note/c-86428169?r=ox1fw&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

    I’m not sure if this is an accurate assessment of how Nielsen ratings are calculated, but it’s easy enough to do, and it will make me feel batter. The TVs can all be on Stargate-SG1 while I’m otherwise occupied anyway.

  31. all good, i’m used to watching people make bad decisions 🤷‍♂️

    (not directed at you BiD, we on different parts of the same page)

    “ ‘OPERATION ‘TANK THE INAUGURATION’ “

    operation win an election

  33. in an effort to be fair, i must concede that I watched voter suppression efforts in my region happen.

    they closed the DMV that serviced communities of color and left open the white people DMV 10 miles away in hillbilly town where the Jesus freaks stand outside

    i’m actually standing right next to where the old DMV was and it’s a majority-Black area, they knew exactly what they were doing

    Identifying a problem is not solving a problem, however

    by the way, that DMV employed Black people also and they were good at their jobs and didn’t take shit from anyone, but if you had the right paperwork, you were out of there in five minutes

  38. i’m criticizing in good-faith, i promise

    if you might have a duty to speak out against the incoming administration, i might have a duty to help identify why we aren’t the incoming administration

    Amoral billionaire ownership of all dominant information-channels is one likely factor!

    They only want engagement (on their platforms, not this independent, ad-free haven) whatever the social
    cost, and outrage and complaining is easy, revenue-enhancing engagement

    ok this thing in my hand is just all unchecked lies, on every platform, youtube is loaded with bullshit presented as fact, it’s over, forget everything i said ✌️

  39. I finally thought of one, and only one, thing Moscow Mitch did that was okay, he saved us from Garland on the court formerly known as supreme.

  40. Basically, Jim Crow America was afraid what would happen to themselves if a black woman took the reins of power, and the gazillionaires were able to exploit that fear so they could have a tool of their own in the white house, and as a bonus all the other halls of power.

  42. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5088560-trump-says-he-wont-hire-anyone-associated-with-haley-cheneys-other-gop-critics/

    “In order to save time, money, and effort,” Trump said it would be helpful if those suggesting potential hires would not recommend individuals who worked with various critics of his.”

    “Trump listed Pence, Haley, Cheney, former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Republican donor Charles Koch.”

    Not surprised by most of these, but Charles Koch? I thought the Koch Bros. funding for the Heritage Foundation, which produced Project 2025? Nikki got nothing for her endorsement. Pence probably shook the tiny hand so MAGAts won’t come after him in the future.

  47. Craig, it’s so great to have a Mom-recipe in her own handwriting especially when it’s legible and not in a “secret code.”

  48. 89 million people who were registered didn’t vote and all blue votes in red states didn’t count. We really need to dump the Electoral college.

  49. But what if you are coming to honor a man who tried to overthrow the government and steal an election? A man who riled up his followers to sack the Capitol and then lumbered out of town, a sore loser in a vile humor, skipping the inauguration of his successor? Does he merit the usual privileges? Should everyone honor him in his moment at the center of the sacred traditions he desecrated? – Maureen Dowd

    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/opinion/trump-inauguration-indoors-cold.html?

  50. Any time FF “wants” something, we must look deeper to find out who really wants it. Nothing FF wants matters now, only his “owners,” and it’s not the American people not even the magas.

  51. Next week’s ICE raids serve two purposes: Red meat for MAGAts, and a distraction from handing Elon and the oligarchs everything in perpetuity.

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