Khrushchev promised that Russia would conquer America from within. Putin is sore over the fall of the Soviet "Union" and wants to rebuild it so he can be remembered as a hero of Russian history. Unfortunately for the Ukraine and all of Eastern Europe, this bodes poorly for them.
I had to live through most of the Cold War and am familiar with the conditions in the nations that were part of the "Union". The border guards were not there to keep people out but to keep residents from escaping.
Trump evidently wants to reduce America to a "Soviet State" where the people barely survive and the secret police "disappear" all who complain.
Me and over 100 million other people refuse to accept that or to be part of the "Soviet Union". We all hope that both Putin and Trump pay for their crimes.
When Hitler and Napoleon tried to rule the world, they were younger than either Trump or Putin and look how it turned out for them! I very much doubt that they will live to see their dream.......
Darrell.....from your lips to God's ears!❤ I'm waiting for the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for trump, Putin already has one. Maybe they can be prison buddies!
It is very difficult to feel hopeful when there is still a sizable percentage of people who think Trump and the Republicans are doing a fine job. It is devastating and heartbreaking on a daily basis. The fact that there are so many innocent people being held in inhumane conditions in ICE detention centers seems to get lost among all the other atrocities being committed on a daily basis. This orange siege can’t end soon enough, but the harm that it has done to our nation and the world is catastrophic. Every bit of honor this country ever had has been flushed down the toilet by the MAGA Republicans led by their fearless leader. I guess one of the reasons I don’t feel very hopeful is that even if we win both the House AND the Senate in the midterms and impeached Trump, we are still stuck with JD Vance, which of course means that Peter Thiel and all the other puppeteers like Stephen Miller and Russell Vought are still calling the shots. Unfortunately, this overtaking of our entire government and country by the extreme Christian nationalist Republicans has been a very long time in the planning and is unfortunately going to be a lot harder to get rid of than just one orange buffoon.
Thanks for the “Hope” Adam! Every day just seems like another assault on decency, common sense, and democracy. But hopefully there is light at the end of this dark tunnel!
Adam, I know you don’t read many comments on your posts, but I hope you do read this one. I truly value your content and perspective and am a proud paid subscriber. However, I beg you to remove the term ‘underage women/woman’ from your vernacular. There is no such thing. If a male under the age of 18 was a victim of a crime, they would never refer to him as an underage man. PLEASE! This is misogynistic Christian nationalist propagandist terminology. Under 18 y/o females are girls, children. Thank you and I wish you and your family a very happy and healthy new year.
All Americans should be outraged enough to walk to the ballot box and course correct in November. God help us all if we have to live through more of this. The corruption that reigns now will lead to mass migration—of Americans to anywhere in the world where they can be free.
Why no one in this government has been willing or able to rein in this president is beyond belief. If a democrat did en one of the things this so-called president has done, he would be impeached and removed from office so fast it would make your head spin. Something is just so not right.
This "wonder" is always at the forefront of my thinking. How has all of this lawlessness happened? How has no court or agency stopped it? How has an entire political party in Congress appeased the grifting, greed, cruelty, and illegality? "How" is a word that I keep wanting an answer to, and so far I haven't heard anything except the world is afraid of this one man. Is that really the answer?
Wow Adam! What a great summary of the destruction trump and his admin has done to our country. I am saving both parts and printing them so I don't forget the specifics of the abuse. I am hopeful too but a word of caution- Don't underestimate what trump is willing to continue to do. We know he has no ethics or principles and now has the power to enable that. Don't be surprised to see how they start to change their message and do whatever is needed to make people think they are focused on the economy and doing things that will benefit Americans but really don't: ie. $2000 tariff checks, aid to rural hospitals, Baby investment accounts. The context is important and it's all smoke and mirrors. I am glad you said to be realistic because that will help us prepare and not give up.
I’ve seen discussion around the fact that people - even when they know they’ve been hoodwinked - hate to admit they were wrong & ‘had’. So much so that they will suffer financial losses without admitting it or suing : ie their fragile egos reign supreme.
I always wonder about that too when reading stories referring to polls, and "ratings". (It seems a footnote providing polls' or the ratings' details should be required, when mentioned. Any such footnotes should provide the 5 W's - who, what, where, why, & when -- with details of the "who" and their characteristics emphasized. E.g., were those individuals polled uneducated, Fox News addicted sloths?)
Adam, many thanks for providing a beacon of hope while we live under a nefarious regime trying to steal our nation. I agree with you that the MAGA/GOP dam is finally beginning to crack and an implosion is now imminent.
The parallels to what is happening to the Mar-A-Lago meltdown and the movie "Downfall (2004)" are unbelievable. We need to be on constant watch in case there is a "Nero Decree" in their playbook waiting to be implemented when they do fail. Yes, they are well beyond being that deranged.
May this foray down the wrong track make our great nation even stronger as we recover from the edge of the abyss. Our fellow Americans deserve nothing less.
Best wishes to you and your family for 2026. Thanks again!!
Agree. I took it as it will be we the people to affect change. That’s all it ever has been to get real change. It’s us. Not automatically built into the constitution.
Lots of people don’t pay, Adam! Maybe you can get some subscribers pay a surcharge to help you keep going to unpaid because you are a “good” voice to lots of folks who don’t know their political direction.
Reading this from the UK, I'm very grateful for what you are doing. It is difficult to find people here who understand the enormity of what is happening in the states, and reporting in the media is, I guess, understandably, limited. There are people writing intelligently about events, but these people are often emigres from their own country, and report with that flavour. There are also some serious contributors in the US that I can listen to, who will report in an intelligent and researched way, such as Steady State, but the viewpoint you bring, from your experience and contact with ordinary people as well as the politicians, is invaluable to me.
We in the UK need to take clear notice of events in the US. It is instructive that a country with a secure, and seemingly solid written constitution can find itself in this situation. Here, with no written constitution, we appear even more vulnerable. Though I am very respectful, now, of the commentators who have always said that a written constitution does not guarantee the safety of democracy. When we do, as we must eventually, reform our system, the guardrails must be far stronger than simply the written word.
Many of us here fear that what is happening in the US could very easily happen here. I hope that your commentary will help us make every effort to avoid that fate.
These subscriber "Adam's take" quick videos are priceless - keep us balanced and realistic to what will probably continue to happen as we all try to navigate the continued destruction in 2026 - Happy New Year Coach K!
Just checking, here: "... a judge ordered the deportation of two planeloads of immigrants." Is it "ordered the deportation" of the immigrants, or might it have been, "... ordered the --return-- of two planeloads of unjustly deported immigrants"?
(Thanks! I love Adam's posts, and 'hate to be nitpicky, but was spending a few head scratching moments trying to decide if I was losing it ...) As a sidenote, more than a few readers might benefit should their favorite Substack contributors decide to hire editors.
Saw your video on Trump placating Putin and indirectly scolding Zelenskyy again. I posted it! 🤦♀️ let’s remember how Trump was butt hurt when the FBI got a legal warrant to search his house. Yet Trump NEVER condemns Putin for helping himself into another country. I don’t want someone breaking into my house unlawfully and killing us and taking our home…. That’s what Putin is doing!!! There needs to be more emphasis on that Donny!!
We can only hope that Trump's lemmings in the House and Senate are squarely defeated in the mid-terms in 2026. If not, then it will be business as usual.
The numbers of republicans retiring is encouraging.
“25 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives have announced they will not seek re-election in the 2026 election cycle. Among these, 7 are retiring from public office, while others are running for different offices”
Khrushchev promised that Russia would conquer America from within. Putin is sore over the fall of the Soviet "Union" and wants to rebuild it so he can be remembered as a hero of Russian history. Unfortunately for the Ukraine and all of Eastern Europe, this bodes poorly for them.
I had to live through most of the Cold War and am familiar with the conditions in the nations that were part of the "Union". The border guards were not there to keep people out but to keep residents from escaping.
Trump evidently wants to reduce America to a "Soviet State" where the people barely survive and the secret police "disappear" all who complain.
Me and over 100 million other people refuse to accept that or to be part of the "Soviet Union". We all hope that both Putin and Trump pay for their crimes.
When Hitler and Napoleon tried to rule the world, they were younger than either Trump or Putin and look how it turned out for them! I very much doubt that they will live to see their dream.......
Darrell.....from your lips to God's ears!❤ I'm waiting for the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for trump, Putin already has one. Maybe they can be prison buddies!
Since orange is the new black, it will blend with Trump's face. He'll look so chic in prison garb!
It is very difficult to feel hopeful when there is still a sizable percentage of people who think Trump and the Republicans are doing a fine job. It is devastating and heartbreaking on a daily basis. The fact that there are so many innocent people being held in inhumane conditions in ICE detention centers seems to get lost among all the other atrocities being committed on a daily basis. This orange siege can’t end soon enough, but the harm that it has done to our nation and the world is catastrophic. Every bit of honor this country ever had has been flushed down the toilet by the MAGA Republicans led by their fearless leader. I guess one of the reasons I don’t feel very hopeful is that even if we win both the House AND the Senate in the midterms and impeached Trump, we are still stuck with JD Vance, which of course means that Peter Thiel and all the other puppeteers like Stephen Miller and Russell Vought are still calling the shots. Unfortunately, this overtaking of our entire government and country by the extreme Christian nationalist Republicans has been a very long time in the planning and is unfortunately going to be a lot harder to get rid of than just one orange buffoon.
Thanks for the “Hope” Adam! Every day just seems like another assault on decency, common sense, and democracy. But hopefully there is light at the end of this dark tunnel!
Adam, I know you don’t read many comments on your posts, but I hope you do read this one. I truly value your content and perspective and am a proud paid subscriber. However, I beg you to remove the term ‘underage women/woman’ from your vernacular. There is no such thing. If a male under the age of 18 was a victim of a crime, they would never refer to him as an underage man. PLEASE! This is misogynistic Christian nationalist propagandist terminology. Under 18 y/o females are girls, children. Thank you and I wish you and your family a very happy and healthy new year.
Boats and dead people are beginning to wash up on shores near Venezuela. Will people start to realize there’s no fentanyl?
They might notice the lack of fentanyl in Kensington PA, but they'll just switch to a different drug.
Really?
All Americans should be outraged enough to walk to the ballot box and course correct in November. God help us all if we have to live through more of this. The corruption that reigns now will lead to mass migration—of Americans to anywhere in the world where they can be free.
Why no one in this government has been willing or able to rein in this president is beyond belief. If a democrat did en one of the things this so-called president has done, he would be impeached and removed from office so fast it would make your head spin. Something is just so not right.
This "wonder" is always at the forefront of my thinking. How has all of this lawlessness happened? How has no court or agency stopped it? How has an entire political party in Congress appeased the grifting, greed, cruelty, and illegality? "How" is a word that I keep wanting an answer to, and so far I haven't heard anything except the world is afraid of this one man. Is that really the answer?
I call it "magic fairy dust". And we are all immune.
Because the GOP has been in charge, is complicit, and will not stand up to DJT
Wow Adam! What a great summary of the destruction trump and his admin has done to our country. I am saving both parts and printing them so I don't forget the specifics of the abuse. I am hopeful too but a word of caution- Don't underestimate what trump is willing to continue to do. We know he has no ethics or principles and now has the power to enable that. Don't be surprised to see how they start to change their message and do whatever is needed to make people think they are focused on the economy and doing things that will benefit Americans but really don't: ie. $2000 tariff checks, aid to rural hospitals, Baby investment accounts. The context is important and it's all smoke and mirrors. I am glad you said to be realistic because that will help us prepare and not give up.
How on earth does he still have approval ratings in the 30s and 40s?
I’ve seen discussion around the fact that people - even when they know they’ve been hoodwinked - hate to admit they were wrong & ‘had’. So much so that they will suffer financial losses without admitting it or suing : ie their fragile egos reign supreme.
I always wonder about that too when reading stories referring to polls, and "ratings". (It seems a footnote providing polls' or the ratings' details should be required, when mentioned. Any such footnotes should provide the 5 W's - who, what, where, why, & when -- with details of the "who" and their characteristics emphasized. E.g., were those individuals polled uneducated, Fox News addicted sloths?)
Adam, many thanks for providing a beacon of hope while we live under a nefarious regime trying to steal our nation. I agree with you that the MAGA/GOP dam is finally beginning to crack and an implosion is now imminent.
The parallels to what is happening to the Mar-A-Lago meltdown and the movie "Downfall (2004)" are unbelievable. We need to be on constant watch in case there is a "Nero Decree" in their playbook waiting to be implemented when they do fail. Yes, they are well beyond being that deranged.
May this foray down the wrong track make our great nation even stronger as we recover from the edge of the abyss. Our fellow Americans deserve nothing less.
Best wishes to you and your family for 2026. Thanks again!!
I like that; “ The year of us “. Let’s do that.
I prefer the year democracy thrives. The year of “us” sounds self serving. Country first! Let’s make this the year of COUNTRY FIRST.
Agree. I took it as it will be we the people to affect change. That’s all it ever has been to get real change. It’s us. Not automatically built into the constitution.
Lots of people don’t pay, Adam! Maybe you can get some subscribers pay a surcharge to help you keep going to unpaid because you are a “good” voice to lots of folks who don’t know their political direction.
Isn’t this covered by the option to become a special subscriber - ‘Founding’ or something like that? … and pay extra. Other substacks do it too.
Reading this from the UK, I'm very grateful for what you are doing. It is difficult to find people here who understand the enormity of what is happening in the states, and reporting in the media is, I guess, understandably, limited. There are people writing intelligently about events, but these people are often emigres from their own country, and report with that flavour. There are also some serious contributors in the US that I can listen to, who will report in an intelligent and researched way, such as Steady State, but the viewpoint you bring, from your experience and contact with ordinary people as well as the politicians, is invaluable to me.
We in the UK need to take clear notice of events in the US. It is instructive that a country with a secure, and seemingly solid written constitution can find itself in this situation. Here, with no written constitution, we appear even more vulnerable. Though I am very respectful, now, of the commentators who have always said that a written constitution does not guarantee the safety of democracy. When we do, as we must eventually, reform our system, the guardrails must be far stronger than simply the written word.
Many of us here fear that what is happening in the US could very easily happen here. I hope that your commentary will help us make every effort to avoid that fate.
Thank you.
These subscriber "Adam's take" quick videos are priceless - keep us balanced and realistic to what will probably continue to happen as we all try to navigate the continued destruction in 2026 - Happy New Year Coach K!
Just checking, here: "... a judge ordered the deportation of two planeloads of immigrants." Is it "ordered the deportation" of the immigrants, or might it have been, "... ordered the --return-- of two planeloads of unjustly deported immigrants"?
I came to the comments section to say the same thing - unless someone had already pointed it out, which you did!
(Thanks! I love Adam's posts, and 'hate to be nitpicky, but was spending a few head scratching moments trying to decide if I was losing it ...) As a sidenote, more than a few readers might benefit should their favorite Substack contributors decide to hire editors.
Yes, I chalk it up to Adam being in the road & Holiday season.
Saw your video on Trump placating Putin and indirectly scolding Zelenskyy again. I posted it! 🤦♀️ let’s remember how Trump was butt hurt when the FBI got a legal warrant to search his house. Yet Trump NEVER condemns Putin for helping himself into another country. I don’t want someone breaking into my house unlawfully and killing us and taking our home…. That’s what Putin is doing!!! There needs to be more emphasis on that Donny!!
We can only hope that Trump's lemmings in the House and Senate are squarely defeated in the mid-terms in 2026. If not, then it will be business as usual.
The numbers of republicans retiring is encouraging.
“25 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives have announced they will not seek re-election in the 2026 election cycle. Among these, 7 are retiring from public office, while others are running for different offices”