Exchanges with MAGA
Lately, I’ve gotten a slew of comments that I could not leave unanswered.
Lately I’ve received a rash of oppositional responses to several of my postings. Usually, I ignore or at most provide some short redirect, because the for the most part they just want to rant about Biden, cast aspersions about ‘others’ and not communicate in any meaningful way.
But as I said, in recent days I’ve gotten a slew of comments that simply could not be left for the writers to feel validation or alternative victories over the facts.
One lady took issue with my choice of my writing WTAF at the end of my note on her claim that injections are forever and other forms of intake are not by saying that WTAF was “unnecessary, unhelpful, and impolite.” She actually attempted to exert dominance and control over my speech by stating rules for my being able “…to participate here…” that I found comically narcissistic. She said that I was using “weaponized language” in calling her out as an anti-vaxer, which she clearly was, scolding me to be ‘honorable’ and to not bring my “baggage and vitriol” but to just “be cool” and I might be accepted into her most arrogantly superior conversations. She was, however, generous enough to offer to allow our conversations to continue if I would sign up with her for a paid subscription. I literally laughed out loud. Grifter she is thought Yoda. I was reminded of what Groucho Marx said, “I would never join a club that would have me as a member.” So, I did her a solid instead, and she’s blocked.
One guy was all about blasting a small business owner who testified before Congress that her shoe company was not going to survive the tariffs if they did not abate soon. After watching part of her testimony, I noted that, “Bessent and Ludnick let alone Krasnov could learn from this person how the economy really works… Really smart and articulate and sane.” To which he wrote, and I quote verbatim, “No she should really learn how to operate a company Like not hiring Chinese slave labor to make her shoes stupid. How fucking dumb does one get Importing shit from China You dumb motherfuckers and you wonder why you think the economy was great under Joe Biden Get the fuck outta here”
Being a dumb motherfucker, I chose not to punctuate nor change his grammatical structure. Cut and pasted as posted… The conversation ended shortly thereafter when I pointed out that all of Ivanka’s product line was made in China. At one time she had 41 trademarks there and tons of her clothing lines were exported by a company owned by the Chinese government. In all fairness, her businesses were shut down a few years ago. I mean, who needs to make purses when ya get a $2B startup from the Saudi’s and hubby rakes in #25M a year on that deal not including profit sharing. Sweet…
Grammar Dude was also blocked.
Regarding the small business person’s testimony, another guy commented how, “She needs to bring her business to America,” apparently not hearing the part about how the products she uses and sells are not made here so that would be impossible. He complained that the prices he paid for his “raw materials” when Biden was president were nearly 3 times what they had been previously. When I asked to see receipts he obfuscated about my wanting him to show his financials but changed the subject when I said I just wanted the raw data that showed the prices he claimed were real.
At one point he said, “The tariffs are stopping our tax dollars from enriching foreign countries and bringing manufacturing back home where it belongs. It would be nice if you guys were on American's side for once. But I know, you gotta have your cellphones and Nikes at affordable prices.” Which showed that he, like Krasnov, doesn’t understand Econ 101 on who pays tariffs.
Additionally, when I told him that I wear New Balance made in America and asked whether he was implying that he didn’t have a cell phone, he admitted that New Balance were good shoes (progress) and that he did indeed have a cellphone.
He additionally offered, “I’m not MAGA, I'm America first. American citizens first. Trump is the first guy to even pretend to be America first, so yeah, I support him.” My response was, “I’m a veteran … who swore an oath to protect this country against all enemies foreign and domestic. I’m still committed to that. Siding with Putin against our allies is definitely not putting America first. I look at actions not slogans. But, I agree that Krasnov only pretends to care about America.”
I let the conversation drop when he said, “I voted for the guy that both sides hate, because I hate them more. It's that simple.” Hate is simple. It’s wrong and misguided, but it is simple.
And then there was… we’ll call her Karen, and him Will. She had obviously been following along and and decided to at me, boasting, “I hope you see my response to globalist-shill Kevin further down this back-and-forth with him……”
What follows is an annotated recap of my exchanges with who I’ll call a Karen. I’ve changed the names, but they know who they are.
Well Karen… if you’re still out there trolling…
You put a lot into your note, so I’m going to reciprocate and unpack it in some detail. However, I (pardon the pun) highly recommend you put down the meth pipe and try to concentrate, because you’re only getting one chance at this…
Karen: “(Will) is correct here Kevin…”
A: No. (Will) is wrong. Not because I say so. It’s basic math and supply and demand economics.
www.cnbc.com/2025/04/14/tariffs-wont-bring-manufacturing-back-to-us-supply-chain-survey.
Karen: “and you have been brainwashed by lying ‘globalist intelligencia’ posing as media and analysts.”
A: Fox News, owned by an Aussie family with holdings on multiple continents, was forced to pay $787,000,000 for lying to you for years. They are still misleading you on an hourly basis.
Karen: “We can and will bring manufacturing back and we will see again a thriving middle class. All western nations will.”
From USA Today –
· While some companies like Hyundai, Honda, and Apple have announced plans for U.S. production, widespread reshoring is unlikely due to established supply chains, worker shortages, and uncertain tariff duration.
· Studies suggest job losses from tariffs on steel and other industries outweigh gains in protected sectors.
· Experts argue that automation, not offshoring, is the primary driver of manufacturing job losses, and the U.S. maintains a strong base in high-skilled manufacturing.
Karen: “America has been PAYING HUGE tariffs to others while not charging any.”
A: That statement is mega MAGA propaganda not supported by the “actual history” or data. Valid, verifiable data (you know those pesky facts) of which you cite none.
Karen: “Corporations walk all over us, and insurance companies rape us, all under the eyes of the bribed and blackmailed US Government.
A: I actually agree with you on that. But wait, there’s more…
Wed May 14, 2025, From The Guardian:
“The timing of Trump’s visit has raised eyebrows, coming just weeks after the Trump Organization secured a deal with Qatar for a ($5B) luxury resort and golf course development outside the capital, Doha, called Trump International Golf Club & Villas.
But the idea of accepting a plane from Qatar has triggered alarm across the political spectrum. The Democratic representative Ritchie Torres condemned it as a “flying grift” that violates the constitution’s emoluments clause, which explicitly prohibits federal officials from accepting valuable gifts from foreign powers without congressional approval.
Even staunch Trump allies have broken ranks, including the Texas senator Ted Cruz, who warned that the aircraft deal “poses significant espionage and surveillance problems”, while the West Virginia senator Shelley Moore Capito said bluntly she’d “be checking for bugs”.
Former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, who ran in the Republican primaries for president, called the acceptance of foreign gifts “never a good practice” that “threatens intelligence and national security”.
Karen: “Tariffs were the rule and we thrived under them…
A: “…we thrived under them…” we is carrying a fuckton of baggage there, Karen. For one thing, the time that your cult leader says he wants to return to is known in US history as the era of the “Robber Barons” …
“From www.britannica.com - robber baron, pejorative term for one of the powerful 19th-century American industrialists and financiers who made fortunes by monopolizing huge industries through the formation of trusts, engaging in unethical business practices, exploiting workers, and paying little heed to their customers or competition. Alternatively, those who credit the explosive growth of American capitalism during this period to the indefatigable pursuit of success and material wealth are likely to celebrate these entrepreneurial tycoons as “captains of industry.” Among the sectors in which they compiled their great wealth were the oil, steel, liquor, cotton, textile, and tobacco industries, railroads, and banks.
It has been argued that these capitalist pioneers were the “antecedents” of the organized crime that emerged in the United States during the Prohibition era (1920–33). The robber barons transformed the wealth of the American frontier into vast financial empires, amassing their fortunes by monopolizing essential industries. In turn, these monopolies were built upon the liberal use of tactics that are today the hallmark of organized crime: intimidation, violence, corruption, conspiracies, and fraud.”
Sounds currently familiar.
Karen: “…until the corporations’ stock-holders decided that they wanted “free trade” so they could get wealthier and wealthier. ‘Let the US laborers rot’ was the sentiment, ‘and while they’re at it, let them pay for everything the tariffs has been funding (every single government service)’. A fair lot of our blue collar men have been killed by opioids and most recently fentanyl, a problem our government sits on it’s hands over because the drugs are neutralizing the unemployed blue-color males who should be rising up against a government that refuses to represent their interests.”
I’m of the opinion that the government such as it is sits on its hands because of the donations to political campaigns by drug lobbies. I am not alone in that belief.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariffs-masculine-many-manufacturing-jobs-
“Trump's tariffs are designed to bring back manufacturing jobs and make work "manly." The only problem: Americans don't want to work in a factory.”
Karen: “You are ignorant of actual history,…
A: One of us is… I earned a BA in Political Science (Dean’s List) and an MPA (3.9 GPA). Imperfect as those accomplishments are, I’ve read me some history and civics and was thoroughly tested on how government works. Well, to be clear, how it’s supposed to work. How ‘bout you? From what credible expertise and experience do you speak?
Regardless, back to the “actual history” lesson…
From the National Association of Manufacturers:
“President Ronald Reagan spoke to the NAM’s Annual Meeting in 1986, he said, “I well remember the antitrade frenzy in the late twenties that produced the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, greasing the skids for our descent into the Great Depression and the most destructive war this world has ever seen. That’s one episode of history I’m determined we will never repeat.”
A Brief History of Tariffs in the United States and the Dangers of their Use Today By Tyler Halloran (six years ago before Krasnov imposed the current idiotics)
news.law.fordham.edu/jcfl/2019/03/17/a-brief-history-of-tariffs-in-the-united-states-and-the-dangers-of-their-use-today
“This analysis reveals that tariffs in the modern era no longer further the same interests as those served earlier in our history, which were to raise revenue for the federal government and to protect American industry. The federal government no longer needs or relies on revenue from tariffs for funding. While tariffs can be valuable in protecting American industry today, I argue that more focused measures should be taken before resorting to tariffs because they inevitably bring collateral damage to our own economy.”
Karen: “…but spew the educated lies of the stock-holder bourgeoisie, who is willing to spit on the American worker because they believe themselves part of the noble class.”
A: Full disclosure, I have a couple modest IRAs, but no one could honestly except by the broadest possible generazation call me a ‘stock-holder’ and this is and laughably the first time anyone’s ever alluded to me being part of nobility. On the other hand…
Snopes Fact Check: Yes, the White House officially posted an image of Trump captioned 'Long live the king'…
Karen: “But newsflash- when your nation goes down the toilet, so does your own neighborhood eventually. Blind are the wealthy to the fact that they are on the nose of the sinking American ship, that was 90% underwater when Trump and team walked in.
A: October 19, 2024, The Economist magazine runs a story titled: The American economy - The envy of the world
"The New Robber Barons: Trump’s Pay-to-Play America" On April 27, 2025, historian Heather Cox Richardson published a sobering Letter from an American detailing how Donald Trump's second administration has openly fused corporate wealth with political power. Richardson draws parallels between today's oligarchic system and the Gilded Age of the late 19th century, documenting how billionaires, Trump's inner circle, and regulatory agencies are working hand-in-glove to dismantle protections for ordinary Americans while enriching themselves. From luxury political clubs to corporate deregulation, the Trump administration’s ethos is clear: government for sale - and only the wealthy need apply.
Key Ideas and Facts from her Letter:
Richardson compares Trump’s vision to the Gilded Age's "robber barons," when corporations controlled the Senate and public policy.
· A new exclusive club called “Executive Branch” opened in Georgetown, backed by Donald Trump Jr. and megadonor Omeed Malik, with a $500,000+ membership fee for private access to Trump officials.
· Trump's two inaugural committees raised $346 million combined - more than all other inaugurations since Nixon’s 1973 event.
· Billionaire families spent a record $2.6 billion in the 2024 federal elections - 70% of it benefiting Republican causes.
· Elon Musk alone donated $290 million to campaigns, quadruple what he paid in taxes between 2013–2018.
Karen: “Your arse is being saved and you are howling at the person doing the bidding that in reality will save you from the calamitous fate that had been sealed for your nation.”
A: I strongly disagree that removing food inspections, storm detection, habeas corpus, and investigations into corruption or selling public lands are ‘in reality’ saving us from anything.
· “The USDA, under Trump, is withdrawing a Biden-era rule limiting salmonella in poultry, despite known public health risks. The National Chicken Council, whose board includes executives from major Trump donors like Pilgrim’s Pride, cheered the rollback.
· Public Citizen reported that Trump's administration dropped 89 federal investigations or lawsuits against major corporations.
· Trump announced that holders of his $TRUMP cryptocurrency will be given White House access, including a dinner and VIP tour, explicitly tying money to political privilege.
· The proposed Republican budget would gut funding for childcare, healthcare, education, housing, and assistance for seniors.
· Cuts would help offset the cost of extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts - at a projected cost of $4 trillion over the next decade.
More from Richardson’s Letter:
“Trump’s second term isn’t about serving the people - it’s about selling them out. A government once “of, by, and for the people” is rapidly mutating into a racket where power is auctioned to the highest bidder and the needs of the public are sacrificed for corporate profit. As Richardson makes brutally clear, history is repeating itself - only this time, the robber barons aren't hiding.”
Karen: “You are deluded, and at some point you will figure it out. Until then, stop proving to the rest of us how in the dark you really are.”
A: What you are doing is classical, clinical projection.
From Psychology Today – “Projection is the process of displacing one’s feelings onto a different person, animal, or object. The term is most commonly used to describe defensive projection—attributing one’s own unacceptable urges to another.”
So, to wrap this up, Karen. Your rantings and projection are pure MAGA Kool Aid Kult drunkenness. Your dear leader is a convicted felon, a traitor, a thief of children’s charities, and a grifter via fake universities, worthless tchotchkes, and bitcoin scams. And that’s an abbreviated list.
He is, as he has always been and will always be, a crude, cruel, and stupid charlatan.
And although I have provided factual context to your misinformation and lessons in “actual history” I am not your conscience or your therapist. You will need to find some other guide out of the valley of the shadow of death in which you are wandering. Not my job. Good luck. You will need it.