Thank you all for tuning your iKnowers to our underground service. As we always warn you, please engage your magma-erase to this signal as soon as it completed. We have e lost too many listeners already.
We are fortunate tonight to have with us James Paine. Mr. Paine has spent his life researching why our country has fallen into the un-democratic dictatorship we now much endure. His most recent effort is his secret signal publication, “The American De-Revolution, How The U.S. Turned Its Back On Its Principles In The Age Of Trump.”
Mr. Paine, thanks so much for being here.
My pleasure.
First, how do you do your research given that all government documents are confidential?
It isn’t easy, but I have my sources. For obvious reasons, I can’t go into detail.
OK. Understood. So, what is the basic thesis of your secret signal?
It’s pretty simple. For generations, the powerful had been willing to limit the exercise of the power they had based on ethics and tradition. Trump proved to them that this was unnecessary. He ignored ethics and tradition and just did whatever he wanted. He did things no one ever expected anyone to do. This exposed the fact that the system had no way of effectively stopping that stuff. So, the lesson to the powerful was that they were able to run rampant over the people. And run rampant they have.
But, what about the law?
(Laughter) Hah. When Trump was in real estate, his basic business plan can be summarized in two words, “So Sue Me!” He ignored contracts, he refused to abide by lease terms, he broke laws. When he was called on it, he just answered with those three words, “So Sue Me.” And then, because he could outspend the people suing him, he got what he wanted. Even when he went bankrupt, he came out ok. Then, when he got to the White House, it was “ Katy Bar the Door.” That he could outspend his adversaries in business was chopped liver. As President, he had the resources of the entire federal government behind him.
Can you give me some examples?
Sure. Every time Trump refused to provide documents to Congress or refused to answer questions to Congressional Committees, all of that diminished the power of the representative branches and empowered the Presidency. And again, he just said, “So Sue Me.”
Ok. However, I’m still having trouble understanding why the country wasn’t protected by the Courts. Congress could take him up on his dare, couldn’t they? Couldn’t they sue him. If Trump did something wrong, couldn’t the Courts correct it?
(Laughter) Hah. That’s step two. When he was a businessman, he actually had to account for a possible risk that some Judge might rule against him. But, that risk went away when he became President. He appointed the Judges. He populated the federal courts with all of his allies, including, of course, the Supreme Court. And when the Supreme Court came out with all its rulings giving the President virtually unchecked power, “So Sue Me” became a challenge without risk. It was like giving an Army General the power to decide who will win the Army-Navy Game.
Why didn’t it change when Trump left?
The dam broke. Why would any powerful interest – any of the monied elite – go back to the way it used to be? Why would they give their Trump-won control back to the people? Not only would they not give it back, they grasped for more.
And, so, here we are?
And so, here we are. Total Presidential power. Making even what we are saying right now a crime.
Could things have been different?
Maybe. Maybe if the Americans during the Trump era had been more active. They all just cared about what car they could drive and how their 401K was doing. If they had only cared more about the world that their children and grandchildren would live in, maybe it would have been different.
What was the key moment?
The 2020 election. Once Trump won, the future was determined.
We were right 