I, too, have had a passport since age 16, and the price has gone up every time I've renewed. I think I had to pay $130 to renew this time around. Ours are good for 10 years as well. I'm so glad I did it last fall before all the political mayhem.
US US politics 2025
- Thread starter Second Summer
- Start date
OP
OP
So, what are everyone's bets on whether King Donald will soon invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 and properly get rid of democratic principles once and for all? I understand he has asked two of the most fair-minded individuals in the country to evaluate whether this would be appropriate, namely the distinguished scholars J.D. Vance and Pete Hegseth. They're due to report back within the next few days.
I would have thought it was a bit early to go that far yet, but now there are powerful legal challenges to the king's recent antics, especially regarding the tariffs and ignoring the ruling of a judge about sending that innocent man to prison in El Salvador. This might just be too much for King Donald, so it would therefore be convenient for him to invoke the Act, which would allow him to make these challenges disappear along with lots of troublesome people, if he so wished.
I would have thought it was a bit early to go that far yet, but now there are powerful legal challenges to the king's recent antics, especially regarding the tariffs and ignoring the ruling of a judge about sending that innocent man to prison in El Salvador. This might just be too much for King Donald, so it would therefore be convenient for him to invoke the Act, which would allow him to make these challenges disappear along with lots of troublesome people, if he so wished.
Chryssie
Internet Junkie
Customers are buying clothes like crazy at TJ Maxx lately. I wonder if it has anything to do with the looming tariffs on China and others. I would guess 90% or more of our items are made in China.
O M G...I shouldn't even admit this online...where it will be "out there" forever and ever and ever but...
I happened to look at my license yesterday and noticed something in the upper right hand corner...something that looked a lot like a tiny gold star
️... 
This "getting old" is not for the weak, I can tell you that.
I guess when I went to dmv to change my NY license to CT, they automatically gave me the enhanced license. I know I didn't do anything special for it. I thought you had the option and had to request it. Apparently not.
I guess I'm good to go and can cancel my appointment. I'm still going to get a passport though. I know I don't have one of those, haha.
Another crosspost from Facebook:
We used to ask ourselves how we’d know.
How we’d know when it was really happening. When democracy was actually dying — not just limping, not just wheezing, but fully collapsing into the grave, dragged by its ankles while someone in a red tie lights the Constitution on fire and pisses on the ashes.
This is how.
They arrested Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey — a man who was literally standing outside an ICE facility, in his own city, protesting peacefully like it’s still legal to have a conscience in America. They charged him with trespassing. On what? Reality?
And now, the Department of Homeland Security says members of Congress are next. You read that right. Not indicted. Not investigated. Just arrested. Like shoplifters. Like enemies of the state. Like people who had the audacity to care.
Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver were doing an oversight visit — something that used to be called their job — when ICE accused them of body slamming a female officer.
Body slamming. Because apparently, these elected officials trained in the WWE off-season and came in with steel chairs.
No video. No names. Just the lie — because you only need one when the goal isn’t truth, but power.
AND THEN THEY CAME FOR THE JOURNALISTS
Aaron Parnas, a reporter who's been shouting into the storm, said what every dystopia starts with:
“They’re threatening to arrest me.”
Why? Because he’s covering it. Because he’s not waiting for CNN to run it through the neuter machine. Because he said the quiet part loud.
We used to joke about living in a fascist state. Now it’s not funny. It’s not even ironic. It’s just headlines like:
“ICE Arrests Mayor for Standing Outside”
“DHS May Arrest Congress”
“White House Considers Suspending Habeas Corpus”
All delivered in the same tone as “Gas Prices Tick Downward Ahead of Memorial Day.”
THIS IS WHAT FASCISM FEELS LIKE: BORING, BUREAUCRATIC, AND BRUTAL
They’re not marching in with jackboots. They’re emailing press releases.
They’re not burning books. They’re feeding the algorithm.
They don’t need to build camps — they already have ICE.
The mask isn’t slipping. It’s off. It’s on the floor. It’s been turned into a MAGA patch on someone’s flak jacket while they fingerprint the mayor.
Stephen Miller — whose soul is made of asbestos and expired dog food — is now whispering that maybe habeas corpus has outlived its usefulness. That maybe undocumented immigrants are technically an “invasion.” And that maybe we should just start locking people up with no charges at all.
And he’s not saying this in secret.He’s saying it on national TV. With legal citations. Like a guy doing Yelp reviews of Guantánamo.
Suspending habeas corpus means you can be arrested — and no one has to tell you why.
No judge. No lawyer. No charges. No phone call.
Just... gone.
It means you can be disappeared like a failed app update.
It means we are not a country anymore.We’re a holding cell with a flag.
And it’s not just some theoretical nuclear option for wartime.
They’re actually considering it. Right now.
Because Trump wants revenge. And Stephen Miller wants to be the guy who hands him the blade.
AND YET... THE WORLD TURNS
The stock market didn’t crash.The press didn’t mobilize.
Most Democrats are probably still “monitoring the situation.”
And you can feel the silence start to settle — that awful, complicity-soaked stillness.
Because deep down, we all know what happens next.
First they jail the dissidents. Then they jail the dissent.
Then you wake up one day and realize the loudest voices are either behind bars or behind paywalls, and the only thing left on television is military parades, Christian nation rallies, and reruns of The Apprentice: Executive Edition.
So we have a choice.
We can scream. Loud. Obnoxious. Relentless. Like the fire alarm they want to ignore.
Or we can stay quiet.
Hope we’re not next.
Pull the blanket over our heads while the knocks get closer.
But here’s the thing:
If they arrest a mayor, a member of Congress, a journalist — and nothing happens — they’ll keep going.
You know how this story ends.
And you know damn well it doesn’t end with a whimper.
So scream. Write. March. Yell at your senator.
Light up the damn phones.
Put signs in your window.
Organize your neighborhood.
Get louder than their silence.
Because this isn’t politics.
This isn’t 2024 vs. 2020 vs. 2016.
This is the fu**ing abyss.
And it’s looking back at you.
We used to ask ourselves how we’d know.
How we’d know when it was really happening. When democracy was actually dying — not just limping, not just wheezing, but fully collapsing into the grave, dragged by its ankles while someone in a red tie lights the Constitution on fire and pisses on the ashes.
This is how.
They arrested Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey — a man who was literally standing outside an ICE facility, in his own city, protesting peacefully like it’s still legal to have a conscience in America. They charged him with trespassing. On what? Reality?
And now, the Department of Homeland Security says members of Congress are next. You read that right. Not indicted. Not investigated. Just arrested. Like shoplifters. Like enemies of the state. Like people who had the audacity to care.
Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver were doing an oversight visit — something that used to be called their job — when ICE accused them of body slamming a female officer.
Body slamming. Because apparently, these elected officials trained in the WWE off-season and came in with steel chairs.
No video. No names. Just the lie — because you only need one when the goal isn’t truth, but power.
AND THEN THEY CAME FOR THE JOURNALISTS
Aaron Parnas, a reporter who's been shouting into the storm, said what every dystopia starts with:
“They’re threatening to arrest me.”
Why? Because he’s covering it. Because he’s not waiting for CNN to run it through the neuter machine. Because he said the quiet part loud.
We used to joke about living in a fascist state. Now it’s not funny. It’s not even ironic. It’s just headlines like:
“ICE Arrests Mayor for Standing Outside”
“DHS May Arrest Congress”
“White House Considers Suspending Habeas Corpus”
All delivered in the same tone as “Gas Prices Tick Downward Ahead of Memorial Day.”
THIS IS WHAT FASCISM FEELS LIKE: BORING, BUREAUCRATIC, AND BRUTAL
They’re not marching in with jackboots. They’re emailing press releases.
They’re not burning books. They’re feeding the algorithm.
They don’t need to build camps — they already have ICE.
The mask isn’t slipping. It’s off. It’s on the floor. It’s been turned into a MAGA patch on someone’s flak jacket while they fingerprint the mayor.
Stephen Miller — whose soul is made of asbestos and expired dog food — is now whispering that maybe habeas corpus has outlived its usefulness. That maybe undocumented immigrants are technically an “invasion.” And that maybe we should just start locking people up with no charges at all.
And he’s not saying this in secret.He’s saying it on national TV. With legal citations. Like a guy doing Yelp reviews of Guantánamo.
Suspending habeas corpus means you can be arrested — and no one has to tell you why.
No judge. No lawyer. No charges. No phone call.
Just... gone.
It means you can be disappeared like a failed app update.
It means we are not a country anymore.We’re a holding cell with a flag.
And it’s not just some theoretical nuclear option for wartime.
They’re actually considering it. Right now.
Because Trump wants revenge. And Stephen Miller wants to be the guy who hands him the blade.
AND YET... THE WORLD TURNS
The stock market didn’t crash.The press didn’t mobilize.
Most Democrats are probably still “monitoring the situation.”
And you can feel the silence start to settle — that awful, complicity-soaked stillness.
Because deep down, we all know what happens next.
First they jail the dissidents. Then they jail the dissent.
Then you wake up one day and realize the loudest voices are either behind bars or behind paywalls, and the only thing left on television is military parades, Christian nation rallies, and reruns of The Apprentice: Executive Edition.
So we have a choice.
We can scream. Loud. Obnoxious. Relentless. Like the fire alarm they want to ignore.
Or we can stay quiet.
Hope we’re not next.
Pull the blanket over our heads while the knocks get closer.
But here’s the thing:
If they arrest a mayor, a member of Congress, a journalist — and nothing happens — they’ll keep going.
You know how this story ends.
And you know damn well it doesn’t end with a whimper.
So scream. Write. March. Yell at your senator.
Light up the damn phones.
Put signs in your window.
Organize your neighborhood.
Get louder than their silence.
Because this isn’t politics.
This isn’t 2024 vs. 2020 vs. 2016.
This is the fu**ing abyss.
And it’s looking back at you.
beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
This explains how we got to where we are. I really wish this wasn't presented in cartoon format, because the people who should listen to it, won't take it seriously.
@Andy_T People protesting ICE are definitely within their rights, even though ICE appears to be just doing its job (enforcing compliance with U.S. immigration procedures). Almost all of these migrants want and need work- and there are businesses here willing to hire them. Even so, pretty much every nation's people want their country's border to mean something. On the other hand... I think maybe the United States has been throwing its weight around south of its border for quite some time, and has some responsibilities to the migrants native to that area.
Much of what I hear in the news takes one extreme position or the other: 1) defending people's "right" to enter the country without following the rules (something I would not have been allowed to do when I visited Europe in 2000), and supposedly sheltering them from ICE; or 2) demonizing the migrants: although they are here illegally, their motives (as I mentioned) aren't sinister- and, in a way, who can blame them for taking advantage of the job opportunities here?
Much of what I hear in the news takes one extreme position or the other: 1) defending people's "right" to enter the country without following the rules (something I would not have been allowed to do when I visited Europe in 2000), and supposedly sheltering them from ICE; or 2) demonizing the migrants: although they are here illegally, their motives (as I mentioned) aren't sinister- and, in a way, who can blame them for taking advantage of the job opportunities here?
OP
OP
Most discussion around the "Big Beautiful Bill" that I've come across seems to focus on the economy and financial matters. However, apparently there's a part in there that breaks US democracy: Judges won't be able to enforce their rulings if Trump decides to simply ignore them.
So far I've only seen this discussed by one source, so I'm unsure how "real" it is. Anyone else come across this? The bill has already passed through the House, and they're working on getting through the Senate.
So far I've only seen this discussed by one source, so I'm unsure how "real" it is. Anyone else come across this? The bill has already passed through the House, and they're working on getting through the Senate.
Lou
Forum Legend
I think you were just a little early to the party.
Newsweek , the NYT, the Guardian, the Post, NPR and others covered it today. Maybe they were just waiting for it to go to the senate.
Seems to me that it would be deemed unconstitutional.
the bill must be approved by the senate's Parliamentarian . I remember back in '21 this person limited what Biden's bill could do.
Although it just barely passed the house - its road thru the senate is going to be bumpy.
Remember McCain blew up Trump's first bill all by himself.
OP
OP
Thanks Lou, for your optimism!
Let's hope it suffers a painful defeat! Should this kind of thing pass, it sounds like you've gone passed a certain point of no return.
OP
OP
I heard an interesting opinion the other day. It went like this:
You know how Russians talk about how Ukraine needs to be "de-nazified"? Which is all complete bollocks, of course. Ukraine does not have a major nazism problem.
But de-nazification was indeed a process which Germany and I think some other countries (Austria?) went through after the war. They purged former nazis from positions of power, some went to prison, nazi laws were abolished, and they had the Nuremberg trials against the top representatives of the Nazi regime.
The opinion I read was that once the current US administration has been booted out and hopefully saner political winds again prevail, that the US will need to go through a process akin to de-nazification.
And I think that makes a lot of sense. I'm sure many Americans will just want to try and forget and brush all these uncomfortable issues under the carpet, hide the skeletons in the closet etc. But for the US to ever regain some of its standing in the world, they really need to confront all of this that has been going on especially during the second Trump administration.
De-nazify the USA now!
You know how Russians talk about how Ukraine needs to be "de-nazified"? Which is all complete bollocks, of course. Ukraine does not have a major nazism problem.
But de-nazification was indeed a process which Germany and I think some other countries (Austria?) went through after the war. They purged former nazis from positions of power, some went to prison, nazi laws were abolished, and they had the Nuremberg trials against the top representatives of the Nazi regime.
The opinion I read was that once the current US administration has been booted out and hopefully saner political winds again prevail, that the US will need to go through a process akin to de-nazification.
And I think that makes a lot of sense. I'm sure many Americans will just want to try and forget and brush all these uncomfortable issues under the carpet, hide the skeletons in the closet etc. But for the US to ever regain some of its standing in the world, they really need to confront all of this that has been going on especially during the second Trump administration.
De-nazify the USA now!
Lou
Forum Legend
That and maybe we need a second reconstruction.
although reconstruction is considered to be a failure. but maybe we can do it right this time.
although reconstruction is considered to be a failure. but maybe we can do it right this time.
Jamie in Chile
Forum Legend
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2016
- Reaction score
- 1,994
- Age
- 45
- Lifestyle
- Vegetarian
Hello everyone. This is my first post this year I think, I rather fell out of the habit of posting on here. Hope you are all doing well.
A de-Trumpification of some government organizations like the FBI would be easy to achieve, and just removing the top two positions would go some way to achieving that.
A de-Trumpification of the Republican party looks quite unlikely unless things go really disastrously for them - i.e. very poor election results and Trump's approval rating falls very low.
Trump has gone crazier than ever this year, and I find it really disturbing that even after everything he can still keep his approval rating in the 40%-45% range even after doing many bad things. It was bad enough when he was President last time and got 35%. Some people point to it being early in his term and Presidents normally starting out with a high rating, which is a fair point, but I still think it's so disturbing that 40%-45% are approving of him even after trying to overturn the result of a democratic election and all the crazy stuff of the last few months.
Last edited:
OP
OP
Welcome back! Glad to see you posting again!
I wish there could be a de-Trumpification of the entire society. Well, not only de-Trumpification. To me it seems like a disease which really started ravaging the country maybe as far back as the 90s with Rush Limbaugh and conservative talk radio, after the repeal of the FCC "fairness doctrine".
I agree that any de-Trumpification of the Republican party looks unlikely. Any de-Trumpification anywhere in the US seems unlikely at this point. But we must keep the hope alive.
He will likely write a whole load of sweeping pardons for himself and everybody else when he leaves office.
That is a power that the N@zi high command did not have, so we had the Nuremberg trials.
Looking forward to the end of his regime, but not really expecting a lot there.
That is a power that the N@zi high command did not have, so we had the Nuremberg trials.
Looking forward to the end of his regime, but not really expecting a lot there.
OP
OP
What's everyone's take on the recent un-friending between King Donald and his special doge appointment?
This was of course predicted by the experts, that two narcissist megalomaniacs wouldn't be able to keep a friendly relationship going for very long.
So, Trump is in the Epstein files? And Musk was fine with that until these last few days? Supported the Trump campaign with huge lumps of money as well as campaigning for Trump, and yet he knew all along?
And Trump says he could decide to kill off government contracts with Musk's companies in retaliation?
They're like children arguing in the playground.
This was of course predicted by the experts, that two narcissist megalomaniacs wouldn't be able to keep a friendly relationship going for very long.
So, Trump is in the Epstein files? And Musk was fine with that until these last few days? Supported the Trump campaign with huge lumps of money as well as campaigning for Trump, and yet he knew all along?
And Trump says he could decide to kill off government contracts with Musk's companies in retaliation?
They're like children arguing in the playground.
Lou
Forum Legend
For me it's just a side show and a distraction, not all that important. Definitely has entertainment value. not that the late night comedians were running out of stuff but this was a real shot in the arm.
But I'm in favor of anything that helps derail the Big Beautiful Bill
I think that him going after California is a much bigger deal - I was reading some comments and Californians are "saying" lets join Canada and take Oregon and Washington state with us..... you would be most welcome.... California is the 4th largest economy in the world and has more republicans that voted for tRump than any other state - he just loves to cut off his nose to spite his face IMO.
Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
